While doing my weekly sweep of the Whole Foods seafood case, my eyes wandered across a tray of glistening octopus that looked like it had come straight off the boat. I’d never seen fresh octopus in these parts, so I checked the label, and sure enough, it was “previously frozen”. It did look good though, and at less than five dollars a pound, I figured I had nothing to lose. I’ve never cooked octopus before…  Read More →

One of my goals with NoRecipes is to show you how to make restaurant quality meals that a person who works full time can make. This means taking shortcuts where it won’t be noticed while taking the “scenic route” where it counts. When it comes to stocks, I reserve homemade stock for dishes like clear soups, where the stock is the centerpiece. For other dishes, like this Beef Bourguignon, most people wouldn’t notice the... 

One of the great things about cooking without recipes is it leaves you free to add different ingredients and experiment, this keeps an old favourite new and interesting even after you’ve had it for the umpteenth time. Some might call this inconsistency, but for me there’s no such thing as a “best recipe”, because my tastes shift with the seasons and my mood. Curry rice is Japan’s quintessential comfort food, much... 

A gluten-free chicken soup to cure all ills We’ve been living on soup since Sunday. No, not turkey leftovers soup. Jewish penicillin soup. You see, Steve- that ordinarily upbeat and tenacious husband of mine- has been feeling a tad under the weather these past few days. In truth, more than a tad. He’s caught a nasty cold. The kind of cold where you ache all over and do nothing but lay in bed [This is a short summary only. Visit Gluten-Free... 

Given my recent sojourn in Korea I thought it only appropriate to do a post I’ve been meaning to do for a very long time: Kimchi Jigae (김치 찌개). Depending on who you ask, you may see it transliterated as Kimchi Chigae, Kimchi Soup or Kimchi Stew, but it all refers to the same bubbling, red hot cauldron of soul satisfying soup made with kimchi…  Read More →