This cozy soup is my Polish-inspired take on kapuśniak, a traditional soup made with sauerkraut, potatoes, and smoked sausage. My version keeps the spirit of Slavic culinary traditions but relies on minimal, everyday ingredients. As a hunter, I almost always have venison in the freezer, so that’s what I like to use in place of…
One of the things I love most about recipe development is that you can start a recipe off with one idea and end up with something very different. This soup, for example, began as a riff on Olive Garden’s chicken gnocchi soup, but somewhere along the way nostalgia hit. The aromatic smell of leeks cooking…
For many of us, chicken-fried steak is imbued with nostalgia. This iconic Texas dish satisfies a rumbling stomach, and it hits the spot when you crave something comforting. It was designed to transform tough, cheap cuts of meat into something delicious. Its humble roots epitomize scratch cooking and harkens back to a time when people…
It’s human nature to root for the underdogs. I see it time and time again in movies, books, and sports, but somehow we overlook the unsung heroes when it comes to food. The internet goes crazy for ramps and morels each spring, but what about the humble radish? Or flank steak, a cut of beef…
I’ve recently become obsessed with roasting chicken leg quarters to get that crispy, savory skin and juicy meat we all crave. You get all the best parts of a classic roasted chicken (dark meat + crackly skin), and it’s way easier to make. Roasted chicken leg quarters might be the perfect protein when cooking for…
For an easy weeknight meal the whole family will love, try this spicy pasta dish with hot Italian venison sausage and vodka sauce. It’s a recipe I keep on repeat and even make in bulk to freeze for those busy nights when I don’t have time to cook. You can make it with loose pork…
This recipe is a cross between two Italian classics: porchetta and milk-braised pork. When I saw the beautiful fat cap on the pork shoulder I picked up from my local butcher shop, I knew it needed to be scored and heavily seasoned with porchetta spices. After browning it much like a skin-on duck, (starting in…
Is there anything better after a successful day of fishing than fried fish and an ice-cold beer? The answer is no, unless you add some vinegary “chips” and an herbaceous tartar sauce for dipping. Homemade french fries are a bit of work, but they’re very good. This is the kindof meal you should make with…
This recipe might as well be called “the hangover cure” because that’s exactly what it does. It’s a shatteringly crispy turkey cutlet that’s been marinated in dill pickle juice and served with buttermilk ranch. It definitely made me feel better after a night with one too many glasses of wine. I like to use turkey,…
I didn’t think steak au poivre could get any better than it already is until I added mustard! Steak au Poivre is French for peppercorn steak. The meat is dredged in coarsely ground peppercorns and cooked in a hot skillet to create a delicious golden crust. I’ve taken it a step further by adding mustard…