Before refrigeration, wasting milk wasn't an option. Cottage cheese was the fix. Sometime around the 1300s, someone's milk curdled in their cottage kitchen, and instead of throwing it out, they ate it. That single decision, made out of necessity, turned into a method that's fed … [Read more...] about What Our Ancestors Knew About Cottage Cheese (And Why It Still Saves You Money)
Side Dish
Grilled Prawns with Nduja Butter: Restaurant Flavour in 15 Minutes
Some dishes look like chef's work and take almost none. Grilled prawns in a spicy nduja butter is one of them. Here is the idea, a little history, and a recipe you can pull off on a weeknight. Great food has a history, and this one is a quiet meeting of two traditions: British … [Read more...] about Grilled Prawns with Nduja Butter: Restaurant Flavour in 15 Minutes
Fried Artichokes with Roasted Cauliflower: A Vegetable Plate That Steals the Show
Vegetables do not have to be an afterthought. Crisp fried artichokes over sweet roasted cauliflower is the side dish people remember. Here is the idea, its roots, and an easy home version using a jar. Great food has a history, and the fried artichoke has a proud one. Crisp on … [Read more...] about Fried Artichokes with Roasted Cauliflower: A Vegetable Plate That Steals the Show
Chive Blossom Compound Butter: Make It Once, Use It All Summer
There is a short list of things worth keeping in your freezer at all times. A log of compound butter is on it. Ten minutes of work in May and you have something useful through August. That is a trade-off worth making, especially when the ingredient that makes this version … [Read more...] about Chive Blossom Compound Butter: Make It Once, Use It All Summer
Edwardian Tuna Cakes: The Upstairs Version of a Pantry Staple
Tuna out of a tin has a reputation problem. It calls to mind sad desk lunches, not candlelit dining rooms. But here's the thing. The Edwardians were resourceful cooks. They knew how to take a modest ingredient and make it presentable. A little lemon zest, a handful of capers, … [Read more...] about Edwardian Tuna Cakes: The Upstairs Version of a Pantry Staple
