Lohimuhennos is a hearty salmon and potato stew from Finland. The name lohimuhennos is a simple compound word in Finnish. Lohi=salmon. Muhennos=stew. For a language that is largely impenetrable to non-native speakers, this is about as easy as it comes. The recipe comes to me by way of a 1939 cookbook: Recipes from “Round” the……
Ingredient: sweet onion
Thai Pork Burritos
Thai Pork Burritos is a gleefully inauthentic weeknight meal with vaguely Asian styling. They aren’t fancy enough to call fusion food, and would be unrecognizable in Thailand or Mexico. They are, however, delicious and easy. They have been a staple at our dinner table for nearly two decades, and were my son’s all-time favorite meal……
Arroz Verde de Zihuatanejo (adapted from Buen Provecho, New Jersey, 1995)
Arroz Verde de Zihuatanejo (Green Rice from Zihuatanejo) is a traditional Mexican side dish that can be thrown together easily on a weeknight. The recipe comes to me by way of Buen Provecho: 500 Years of Hispanic Cuisine, a 1995 community cookbook compiled by a Hispanic employee group at AT&T. Arroz Verde de Zihuatanejo is one……
Pork Scrapple (adapted from Money-saving Main Dishes, 1966)
Pork Scrapple is a cheap and easy main dish that can be prepped ahead for a quick weeknight meal. Where I’m from out West scrapple is a dessert or candy, essentially a chocolate bark stuffed with nuts and other crunchy things. It’s occasionally used to describe an improvised trail mix or an ice cream with……
Chili Stack (1949, adapted from Sunset Cook Book)
Chili Stack is an out-of-the-ordinary savory pancake main dish with the flair of the American Southwest. I’ve never seen anything quite like it before or since. Adapted from the 1949 Sunset Cook Book of Favorite Recipes, Chili Stack is a meal of thin cornmeal pancakes and a smooth, spicy chili. The pancakes and chili are……
Macaroni with Yogurt Sauce (California, 1990s, adapted)
I can usually figure out what a recipe’s going to taste like just from reading the ingredient list. There’s not a lot new under the sun, and the community cookbooks that I frequently cook from aren’t exactly known for their innovative cuisine. There’s an awful lot of repetition, even within the same cookbook, and many,……
Tucson Chicken (adapted from Cooking with Regis & Kathie Lee, 1993)
Tucson Chicken is a richly sauced chicken and pasta dish suitable for a cool fall weeknight. And no, I didn’t misspell “Tuscan Chicken”. This recipe comes to us by way of Arizona chef Janos Wilder and a guest spot on Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee. Wilder was on Live! promoting his 1989 cookbook Janos: Recipes……
Long Grain Pistachio Risotto (adapted from Private Collection, Junior League of Palo Alto, 1980)
Long Grain Pistachio Risotto was a recipe born of necessity. Last Saturday I found some beautiful scallops at my local Asian market and made an impulse buy for Sunday dinner. I needed a couple of good sides to round out the meal. After ruling out pasta, polenta, and pilaf I remembered a risotto dish from……
Curried Chicken with Rice Colombo (Oklahoma, 1920s, adapted)
Curried Chicken with Rice Colombo comes to us by way of a community cookbook published by the First Presbyterian Church of Enid, Oklahoma in the late 1920s. Originally published in the Kansas City Star, it provides an interesting window into perceptions of “exotic” cuisine in this area. Colombo presumably refers to the Sri Lankan port……