Issue 14: A Bowl of Comfort

Posted by Alison Sickelka

A warming bowl of soup or stew is just what's needed when the temperature drops. Everyday Food's Chicken Gumbo makes a hearty and comforting meal, especially when served with crusty bread alongside or over rice.

The recipe was from the July/August 2004 issue and called for fresh okra, which wasn't available this month, so I substituted the frozen variety. I'd never worked with okra before (fresh or frozen), so I don't know if that altered the taste, but I wasn't the biggest fan of the vegetable. It wasn't crisp or overly flavorful. Is it because I used frozen? I'm thinking so. I'll have to try using fresh next time.

Don't get me wrong -- the soup had a lot of flavor from the sausage, onion, and chicken thighs -- my sister and I went back for seconds. I've also never cooked with chicken thighs before. They are delicious and are more affordable than the breasts. I plan to explore their uses further.

Issue 13: Cooking for One

Posted by Alison Sickelka

Cooking for one doesn't have to be Easy Mac or single-serve frozen dinners. Nor does it have to be tedious or time-consuming.

I dined solo at home frequently when I first moved to New York City over a year ago. Since my sister moved in with me earlier this summer, I have done it less, but there are still nights where I find myself torn between the instant gratification of takeout or tackling a one-person meal.

Cooking for one presents interesting obstacles: If you cook too much food, you either have to throw it out (never a good option in fiscally unsound times) or eat the same leftovers for a few days. Few groceries come in single-serve sizes, outside of canned soup and the aforementioned Easy Mac. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are great, but now and then you need a real meal.

Fortunately, Everyday Food features a "Cooking for One" idea with each issue. The June 2004 issue contained their second such recipe: Sauteed Pork Chops with Wilted Kale. When my sister told me she had a work event last Tuesday, I decided it was the perfect time to try it out.

Issue 12: A Meal in the Bank

Posted by Alison Sickelka

Who knew your freezer could hold more than frozen pizzas? Thanks to Caroline and several commenters, I have begun to realize the genius that is homemade frozen food.

It turns out, it can become an integral part of your meal planning.

I have always viewed the freezer as a no-man's land where you find frozen pizzas and packages of broccoli to be eaten as a last resort. One of my favorite movies featured a daughter of a frozen food industry king who constantly tried coming up with new ideas for him ("I have two words for you: Frozen popcorn.")

But since I started working with the Everyday Food editors, I've started to devote time to freezer appreciation. And this week's recipe was no exception.

Issue 11: An Experiment in Risotto

Posted by Alison Sickelka

With the rise of food prices, it's nice to have something left over after a meal for an inexpensive lunch or dinner the next day. But I've found that most leftovers get a little less tasty with each reheating.

But that's not the case with leftover risotto. I had never made risotto before, and I found that not only was I missing out on a rich Italian comfort food, I was also missing out on one of the most creative leftover innovations -- risotto balls! (Or arancini, if you want to sound a little more polite.)

It's culinary genius, really. I was all set on just reheating my leftover risotto at work the next day, but was inspired by Sandy's Stretch It posts to Google leftover risotto and see what others were up to.

Turns out, quite a bit. After watching a video about arancini and reading through a few recipes, I was excited to go home and reinvent what had been last night's delicious supper.

Oh, right. Back to the original dish -- the risotto.

Issue 10: Marinate Your Meat

Posted by Alison Sickelka

I don't own a proper meat mallet, but I just might have to get one. I made rolled flank steaks for this week's recipe, and I have to say, it was a huge hit.

The beef had a delicious flavor thanks to the marinade, and the peppers and mozzarella paired perfectly with it. However, my flank steaks weren't exactly rolled.

The recipe directs you to pound the meat to a 1/2-inch thickness with a meat mallet or heavy skillet. I tried to use my skillet to do it, but decided I was making too much ruckus without a lot of return. Taking pity on my neighbors, I stopped, thinking I could roll it at the thickness it was.

I was mistaken. Even after a (successful) hunt to find twine, my steak ended up being more steak with mozz and pepper topping than rolled and stuffed.

Issue 9: Takeout at Home

Posted by Alison Sickelka

I live in the takeout capital of the world. Convenience (and chicken tikka masala) is always just a phone call, 20 minutes, and a $20 bill away. But once it's gone, takeout food often leaves me feeling a little guilty.

First off, it ends up being more expensive than I intended. Sure, I think it'll only cost a few bucks, but tack on tax, a tip, and the fact that I rarely keep leftovers since they don't reheat that well, it's not really fiscally responsible. And like many right now, I'm on a tight budget.

Also, takeout is notoriously unhealthy, concocted of mystery meats and sauces that, while delicious, usually have way more sodium and calories than I need.

So when I saw Everyday Food's Beef and Orange Stir-Fry in the ninth issue of the magazine, I had to make it, figuring it would be perfect when the need for something exotic (yet convenient) struck.

So did it top local takeout joint's?

Everyday, From Day 1: Try, Try Again (Issue 8)

Posted by Alison Sickelka

Sometimes recipes take some tweaking. Not because they're bad -- oh, no. In fact, this easy paella made a tasty supper both times I made it. But it was way better the second time.

That's one of the great things about Everyday Food recipes -- they give tips for tweaking to your personal tastes and allow flexibility for creativity.

And get creative we did. I had never even heard of paella until a few weeks earlier when my friend Joanna and I visited a new restaurant in New York City, Socarrat.

It was my first experience with this Spanish staple, and it was amazing. So much so that when I saw the Everyday Food recipe for it, I knew I had to make it.

Paella sounds intriguing, complicated, and mysterious to those unfamiliar with it. Let me tell you, this version is delicious, simple, and, as the name implies, quite easy.

Everyday, From Day 1: Issue 7

Posted by Alison Sickelka

I have a thickening problem. It's nothing serious, don't worry. In fact, it has yet to affect me much beyond general frustration. But I could use some help with the diagnosis.

You see, this steak pizzaiola was the third dish in my ambitious endeavor to cook a recipe from each issue of Everyday Food that had a tomato-based sauce. And for some reason, my sauces repeatedly refuse to thicken.

Do I need to increase the cook time? Turn up the heat? Maybe dice my tomatoes more finely? Recite some incantation?

Advice is welcome. Fortunately, I don't think it's a life-threatening problem. In fact, loose tomato sauce hasn't even altered my enjoyment of the dishes I've made. In this dish, in fact, it was almost advantageous.

Everyday, from Day 1: Issue 6

Posted by Alison Sickelka

A dreary, rainy day demands comfort food. But with not only my own oven on the fritz, but also my backup (faulty kitchen is equipment taking over NYC), I needed a recipe that required a stove-top burner at most.

Conveniently, the September 2003 issue of Everyday Food has a section of skillet dinners ("There's no need to turn on the oven to make these one-pan meals from all over the world") that fit the bill.

Of the meals listed, Beef Stroganoff caught my eye. Back when I was in college, my sister Emily and I would occasionally cook supper together. We usually stuck to the same set of recipes, and beef Stroganoff was among them.

Could this Everyday Food recipe replace our go-to dish?

Everyday, from Day 1: Issue 5

Posted by Alison Sickelka

My cousin was visiting New York City for the first time this weekend, so I decided I would cook from Everyday Food issue 5 while she was here.

Since we would likely be eating a lot of meals out while she was here, I thought it would be nice to start off with a home-cooked one. She was scheduled to roll in Friday night shortly after I got off work, so I wanted something I could prep the day before and then just pop into the oven. Chicken enchiladas fit the bill.

I had some spare time Thursday night, so I headed to the store and spent the evening prepping the tortillas and making the sauce.

I'm not sure if it can really be called lucky that I decided to do a plan-ahead meal, but I definitely would not have had time to cook when I got off work.

Turns out my apartment was burgled Friday during the day.