From James's kitchen
Tested, annotated, and worth returning to. Browse dependable recipes for everyday cooking, relaxed weekends, and occasions worth sharing.
Dinner · 89 recipes
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49This is a great way to prepare filet mignon for an elegant at home dinner. It’s best to have all of the ingredients prepped, measured, and set aside – it makes the recipe much easier to follow. Use a nice Cabernet, there will be plenty leftover to enjoy wit…
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50This is a great comfort food recipe that’s easy to prepare and is a nice change of pace from the traditional chicken pot pie. It reminds me of the recipe for Fish Pie from J. Sheeky’s in London - a great restaurant in the West End. They use a mix of salmon,…
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51This is an easy sauce that works on any type of pasta. The mushrooms give the sauce a hearty, slow cooked flavor. To obtain the best texture, be careful not to break up the meat too much when cooking it with the milk in step 4. With additional cooking and s…
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52This makes a cozy supper for two using leftover pot roast (see recipe - Click here for French Style Pot Roast recipe ).
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53Sometimes I forget how much I like a good pot roast. Perfect for a Sunday dinner especially in the fall and winter months. This dish is somewhere between a beef stew and a Boeuf Bourguignon and is best served with potatoes or buttered noodles.
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54This is a perfect summer pasta dish, based on the Italian classic Insalata Caprese. The success of this recipe depends on a few high-quality ingredients, including ripe, in-season tomatoes, fresh basil, and the best olive oil.
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55Boneless chicken breasts are pretty common for dinner but can get a bit boring. I’m always looking for new ways to prepare them and this apricot version is a nice change of pace. I like to serve the chicken with green beans and brown rice.
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56This is a great recipe for two, but can easily be increased to feed a crowd. Barilla no boil lasagna noodles work best in this recipe and you can easily make them ahead and refrigerate until ready to bake.
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57This is a great summer pasta recipe and perfect for a Labor Day Cookout. It makes good use of leftover chicken, or use an already cooked rotisserie chicken from the store.) It has all the flavors of summer, with a southwestern flair – cilantro, red peppers,…
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58I first had this dish when I was about 11 years old and thought it seemed so fancy. It’s basically just a more elegant version of chicken pot pie, but it does make an impressive entrée. Vol-au-vent (French for “flying in the wind” to describe its lightness)…
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59I was recently in St Petersburg Russia and had a great lunch at Tsar Restaurant (note: avoid bottled water, each one cost $25). I decided to try the Chicken Kiev, which was pretty common on the restaurant menus in St. Petersburg, and it seemed so “Russian”…
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60Serving polenta with tomato sauce or your favorite Bolognese is pretty common in parts of Italy. My friend David introduced me to a wonderful restaurant in Carefree, Arizona – Café Bink ( http://www.cafebink.com ) – that offered a delicious version of this…
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61This intense flavorful rub is great for any type of steak, but I prefer rib eye for barbecuing. This recipe is for indoor cooking, but you can also cook them on a charcoal or gas grill over high heat. Be sure and let the steaks rest before carving – I usual…
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62On a recent trip to Sao Paulo, I had an excellent lunch with friends at Restaurant Spot. The NY Times described the crowd as “mostly well-dressed office workers or business people… but it's the evening crowd, however, that keeps Spot buzzing when musicians,…
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63I was walking through my local farmer’s market today and saw a new vendor called the Maine Connection Seafood Company. The prize on their table was fresh Maine lobster – flown to LA the same day that it is caught from the family run fishing business. Of cou…
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65I was visiting my dear friend David in Carefree Arizona when I first discovered this recipe. It was neatly written by his mother, Jane, on a small piece of paper tucked away in a kitchen drawer and titled “Bill Blass’s Meatloaf”. Though I never had the plea…
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67This is a quick and easy recipe that pairs well with the rustic mashed potatoes that were featured on One For The Table - http://bit.ly/6ePKz5 . Cook’s Country suggests starting the pork chops in a cold skillet, which allows them to heat up slowly and hold…
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68This is one of my favorite winter casseroles based on a recipe from The Best Make-Ahead Recipe Cookbook - http://bit.ly/6BfSwv . You can make it in one large 9x13 pan or prepare two 8x8 square pans, and bake one and freeze one for another time. To freeze, w…
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69I’ve tried many brisket recipes and this has become a longtime favorite. The method comes from a Cooks Illustrated recipe that requires a few hours of unattended cooking, as well as advance preparation. After cooking, the brisket must stand overnight in the…
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70This is great comfort food on a chilly winter night. Although just about any mild beer will work in this recipe, O’Doul’s non-alcoholic beer works very well.
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71This is a fast and easy dish to prepare and it’s so delicious. The creamy mustard sauce is great on any fish fillet – red snapper, tilapia, grouper. It's one of the recipes featured in Ina Garten's new cookbook "Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics " - http://b…
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72Some friends challenged me to make Boeuf Bourguignon after seeing the film Julia & Julie. I started by studying Julia Child’s recipe, which is very close to the version I’m posting here. I then consulted one of my favorite French cookbooks, Country Cooking…
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