Noisettes de Porc aux Pruneaux (Oregon, 1974, adapted)

Noisettes de Porc aux Pruneaux is an elegant, uncomplicated dish from the Portland (Oregon) Junior League’s 1974 cookbook, No Regrets.  English speakers can easily deduce “Pork” and “Prunes” from the title.  The word Noisettes literally means hazelnuts, but in this context Noisettes de Porc translates roughly as “pork medallions”.   The recipe seems to have roots in……

Peanut Chicken Thighs (adapted from Eating In, 1986)

One of the more approachable recipes from Eating In is Peanut Chicken Thighs – a simple recipe built mostly from pantry staples that can be on the table in around 45 minutes.  The original recipe calls for the full chicken leg – drumstick with thigh attached – but this is a hard cut to find……

Weeknight Fried Chicken Tenderloins, Sous Vide

There are few things on this earth better than chicken fresh out of the fryer.  And while I wouldn’t go so far as to say that frying chicken at home is difficult, it can be time consuming and a little bit touchy.  When I first set out to make grandma’s fried chicken at home I……

Weeknight Sous Vide Ribeye

Weeknight Sous Vide Ribeye is more public service announcement than recipe.  It’s a message from one amateur chef to another to illustrate just how consarned easy it is to make a perfect steak on a weeknight using the sous vide method.  It takes a little bit of special equipment but very little skill.   As I……

Orange-Spiced Pot Roast (Oklahoma, 1970s adapted)

Orange-Spiced Pot Roast is an international approach to the traditional Yankee pot roast.  The recipe comes to me by way of Adventures in Food, a 1970s cookbook from my parents’ Oklahoma congregation.  It’s a surprisingly adventuresome dish for this cookbook, where most of the main dish recipes are practical weeknight meals.   Like most 1970s……

Instant Pot Oaxacan Chicken Tacos (adapted loosely from The Tortilla Book)

The most exciting part of The Tortilla Book for me was an introduction to Oaxacan cuisine, which contains all the familiar elements of Mexican cooking but with the addition of candied fruits and sweet, aromatic sauces.  Ms. Kennedy only credits regional influence, with Oaxaca being a melting pot of neighboring cuisines, but the flavor profile……