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TRUST ME...Oldies But Goodies
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Hi Reader, Confession: I grew up in the real Golden Age of TV. Swansea wasn’t exactly Hollywood, so my TV diet consisted of endless loops of The Brady Bunch, All in the Family, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. (Yes, I can still sing the theme songs on demand—don’t tempt me.) The thing about rewatching these classics is that even though you know the joke—Marcia getting hit with a football, Sammy Davis's appearance, and Chuckles the clown's funeral—it still lands. Every. Single. Time. That’s how I feel about certain recipes. They’re the oldies but goodies. My mom's chicken com vinha d'alhos, Vovó Costa’s sugar fritters, even that questionable tuna casserole from the ‘70s (heavy on the questionable). You know what’s coming. You can practically cook them with your eyes closed. And yet, when the fork reaches your mouth, it’s like the laugh track kicks in—comforting, familiar, and just what you needed. This week, I’m leaning into the reruns—the recipes we have on repeat at home. Because sometimes the best food isn’t about surprise or innovation—it’s about the edible equivalent of sinking into a couch dent that’s shaped perfectly to you. How to Rock the “Oldies but Goodies”
WHAT'S INSIDE...
Dutch Oven-Roast Chicken and Shallots⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 from 16 votes This simple roast chicken is nestled on a bed of shallots and garlic and roasted until golden and crisp-skinned. It's an easy hands-off meal that's perfect for entertaining.☞ Try this recipeDate BarsThese scrumptious date oatmeal bars have a crispy buttery topping and a sweet date filling.☞ Try this recipeApplesauce Bread⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.9 from 129 votes This applesauce bread with cinnamon is an easy quick bread that's only subtly sweet yet contains all the flavors of fall. It's ready with just 10 minutes of effort and a little patience while it bakes. Perfect for a last-moment sugar fix or slip a slice (or two) in the kids' lunch box.☞ Try this recipeCreamy ColeslawThis sweetly creamy coleslaw recipe differs in some ways from the old-fashioned slaw Cousin Shari used to make though the amount of sugar is adjustable. As for other descriptions of this tangy dressing, well, it isn't quite a vinaigrette, yet it isn't really a sauce, either. It really can't be classified as anything else than dressing for slaw.☞ Try this recipeHoney Glazed Chicken With Garlic ConfitThis simple roast chicken meal is made with chicken pieces that are basted with honey and balsamic vinegar, and then roasted in garlic confit with lemon slices. It's perfect for entertaining or special occasion meals.☞ Try this recipePumpkin Cake With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.92 from 37 votes This pumpkin cake with maple cream cheese frosting is spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. All the essential pumpkin spice flavors tempered with the creamy coolness of cream cheese frosting. One of my most popular cakes.☞ Try this recipeSuper Moist Apple Cake⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.82 from 11 votes This super moist apple cake is made with different baking apples--Granny Smith, Macintosh, and Cortland. Plenty of cream, vanilla, and butter make for one of autumn's best desserts ever.☞ Try this recipeRicotta-Sweet Potato BeignetsThese ricotta-sweet potato beignets have a wonderful crisp gold-brown crust and tender insides, like a dessert version of hush puppies.☞ Try this recipeInside-Out Sweet PotatoesInside-out sweet potatoes are, quite simply, the best thing to happen to Thanksgiving since sweet potato casserole.☞ Try this recipePotato Latkes With Apple-Date ChutneyThese potato latkes are, per tradition, blissfully crisp outside, tender inside. And the wonderfulness doesn't stop there. A dollop of sweet apple-date chutney takes the place of the usual applesauce and the requisite plain sour cream takes on a holiday lilt thanks to a pinch of ground cinnamon.☞ Try this recipe |
Leite's Culinaria
Why, hello! Leite's Culinaria is the James Beard Award-winning site that helps home cooks and bakers put dinner on the table and laughs in the kitchen. Hungry for more? Join more than 30,000 food lovers and subscribe.
Hi Reader, Before November turned to Thanksgiving, the month was always about dinners that stuck to your ribs and fogged the kitchen windows until you could finger-paint on them. My mother had an uncanny way of knowing just when the chill in the air crossed from “brisk” to “bone-deep.” That’s when she’d pull out the stockpot. Suddenly, a chicken became three meals, beans lost their anonymity in a garlicky stew, and cabbage was transformed into something that could make you forget it was,...
Hi Reader, In my family, turkey wasn't a thing for Thanksgiving. My dad, for whatever reason, didn't like it. Instead, we had capons, which I happily ate until he told me they were "emasculated chickens." After that, I was Team Side Dishes. My grandmother’s dressing, my mother’s mashed potatoes, my godmother's French stuffing, the obligatory green beans that no one touched but everyone felt guilty omitting. You wanna do WHAT to me? Of course, back then, it was chaos. My mother swore she had...
Hi Reader, I’ll admit it: For years, I thought pumpkin’s sole purpose was pie. And not even a pie I liked all that much. (Yes, I said it. Send unto me thy angry and indignant electronic correspondence.) Then I met You Know Who. The man is mad about pumpkin. I mean totally loony (which I can say, given my numerous and varied mental health diagnoses over the decades). It started innocently enough. He wanted a pumpkin pie. Sure, I said. Back then, I was still cooking from the back of boxes and...