Good Things by David

Cool, refreshing gazpacho is just the thing to serve when it's hot outside. Using the freshest ingredients and a powerful blender or food processor, preparing some delicious gazpacho can take a matter of minutes.  Eaten throughout Spain, there are probably as many recipes for gazpacho as there are tapas bars. It's no wonder that this particular cold soup is popular.  It tastes of sweet tomatoes, cool cucumbers, mildly spicy because of the bell peppers, and surprisingly tangy because of the sherry vinegar.  Whether you decide to add bread to the soup, as per tradition in certain households,  make sure that your ingredients are absolutely fresh and blemish-free. My gazpacho doesn't include any bread, because I feel it doesn't need it, but if you wish, go ahead and create tasty croutons to add as a garnish.  What's even better is that it can be made with either ultra-fresh garden tomatoes or even peeled canned tomatoes.  There is a difference in flavor, ...

Julie Marr's blog, Kitchen Culinaire , is a gastronomic tour de force when it comes to sharing, styling, and photographing the season's best.  I first came across her beautiful photography through instagram, and quickly became a follower and fan of her work.  For me, good food blogging has always been about style, context and composition.  Kitchen Culinaire exhibits these so effortlessly, and what's more, Julie's website is organized with a good layout. A well-organized blog is something I truly appreciate, because it's what compels me to come back time and time again for inspiration. When you go through the singular, inimitable style that is Julie's, you too will connect with what she is teaching us at any given moment and be inspired to create your own plat du jour in the kitchen.  Whether she is throwing a dinner party or is teaching a cooking class at home in Vancouver, Canada, for chef Julie, it's all about making the connection between what is on...

Eating meatballs marinara is something of an affair for me.  In recent months, I've been cooking them about once a week because they are absolutely delicious.  I can eat the meatballs straight out of the pot without anything else to accompany them, but give me a bowl of pasta or even some plain rice, and I can have a fantastic dinner. Over the years I've had long discussions with aunt Marg and my mother-in-law as to how they like to make their meatballs.  After telling them step by step how I make mine, they both agree that it is, indeed, their way .  Mind you, Aunt Marg and my mother-in-law have been making spaghetti & meatballs for decades now, so it’s nice to know that I make them in the same manner.   Beef or a mix of ground beef & ground pork and/or veal is common if you like making them with those types of meats.  At home, however, I make mine out of ground turkey.  Dark meat or a mix of dark & light is preferable to light...

Fridays can only mean one thing at my house.  It's roast chicken night!  Roast chicken is something I really love to eat and it's something I really love to make, because it is comfort food at its best.  The aroma that wafts from the oven as the plump, juicy bird roasts is unlike any other.  This recipe is one that I turn to every single week because my family loves it.  The bird always comes out juicy and succulent, never dry or tough.  One thing I strongly recommend is that you buy a free-range, organic chicken from a reputable butcher or supermarket.  I'm lucky to have several sources, including my local Whole Foods.  However, any good chicken that's humanely raised will undoubtedly make a delicious main course. The great thing about this recipe is that it can be customized to your family's liking.  Add some spices to give it some zip, tuck in some herbs underneath the skin or change the citrus to a lime or orange if you wish....

It's such a pleasure to make one's own marinara for pasta.  With only a handful of well-chosen ingredients that can be found at just about any grocery store, a most delicious sauce can be made in less than one hour.  Within that time you can make a salad, set the table, pour the wine and have the pasta boiling so that you and your guests can eat well.   Usually, I make a marinara that's simply garlic, tomatoes and olive oil which is simmered for about half an hour.  If I decide I want to add more flavor I throw in some finely chopped onion, perhaps some basil and some chili flakes for kick.  It all depends on what I'm craving that particular day and who will be eating this tasty sauce.  For an even heartier marinara I add ground turkey and simmer it for a good forty five minutes until it thickens.  Really & truly, anyone can make a good marinara. All that is left to decide is which type of pasta to use for the sauce.  More often tha...

Smooth, tasty, hearty and thoroughly nutritious are just some of the ways to extol the virtues of a delicious, homemade Acorn Squash Soup.  One shouldn't pass up the opportunity to whip up a batch of this seasonal soup since it is so simple to make with just a handful of ingredients.  I've shown you how to perfectly roast these winter squashes in order to coax the full flavor from them, and it is these which serve as the foundation for a most savory fall dish.  My preferred way to prepare this type of soup, which is not dissimilar to Butternut Squash , is by enhancing it with a few traditional ingredients and giving it just a hint of spice for a bit of depth.  I never want any one ingredient to overwhelm or dominate the flavor of the acorn squash, because it is too good to play a secondary role.  You can experiment with your favorite type of fresh herbs when making the soup, but be judicious about the amount you add so that you create a perfect balance...

W inter squashes make great additions to our diets during the fall and winter, because they're so naturally good for us & also very easy to prepare at home.  Produce aisles at farmers markets change dramatically this time of year, but rest assured, everything is highly delicious, nutritious and wonderfully pleasing.  Acorn squashes can be cooked any number of ways from steaming, braising & boiling, to roasting & pan frying.  At my home I try to roast as much as I can when the temperatures dip outside, sometimes combining a roasted vegetable with a roasted main course to make things easier for me.  Let's be honest, these types of suppers are comforting for a lot of us during the season. Roasted Acorn Squash Packed with vitamins A, B6 & C, this winter squash is also rich in potassium, folate & fiber.  They're best suited for roasting in halves or in wedges flavored with some fresh herbs and a little drizzle of olive oil, along ...

Black beans are among my favorite legumes because they are earthy, meaty, tender and downright tasty.  Their flavor is incomparable.  Served as a vegetarian main course, the beans will provide you with a lot of good iron and protein which are essential to our every day diets.  As a side dish, black beans are a delicious accompaniment to so many things such as chicken, pork, beef, shrimp and of course, sausages of all kinds.  At home we love the combination of hearty chicken or turkey sausages and black beans, served with vegetables and a rice pilaf. I make a small pot of black beans at least once or twice a month here at home, using them several ways for lunches or dinners.  Although I have nothing against canned beans or legumes of any sort (I do stock them in my pantry for emergencies or last minute preparations), I find it so easy to make my own from scratch.  With only 4 ingredients one has the ability to create something delicious withou...