Famous Nagano Kabucha & Shitake Soup by John Spottiswood

When I lived in Japan for 2 years I was introduced to many delicious foods. One of my most distinct food memories is of a hot, piping Kabucha (Japanese Pumpkin) soup I had in Nagano Prefecture after a very cold day of skiing. As is common in Japan, this was a small restaurant which was famous for and served almost nothing other than…

Superfast Summer Sauce for ? by Amos Miller

It's hot, you're hungry, you don't want to spend more than a few minutes at the stove. You have a main dish in mind. Try this. I use this quick sauce on a pasta, on grilled veggies, on a seared or grilled thin cut of meat - even on shrimp. Use your imagination! The key is that ALL ingredients hit the hot oil at the same time.…

Cabbage Stir Fry by Nancy Miyasaki

This is a wonderful dish with light but complex flavors. We typically serve this along with another dish as part of a Chinese style meal.

Moroccan Butternut Squash Soup by John Spottiswood

This is a fantastic winter soup to serve at home or for a party. It's got the sweetness of butternut squash soups you've had in the past, but with some spice and salt to counterbalance the sweetness. I loved it and hope you will too.This is adapted from Paula Wolfert's The Food of Morocco.

Chilled Italian Zucchini Appetizer by John Spottiswood

This is a fantastic recipe that I adapted from Marcella Hazen. She recommends serving this at room temperature, but I've had a similar broccoli appetizer at a great local Italian restaurant and they chill it, so I thought I would too. I think it would be great either way. If it's hot out, and a chilled appetizer would be nice, then…

Chopped Salad with Sweet Basil Dressing by John Spottiswood

A few months ago Lora Krulak sent Nancy and I her cookbook Veggies for Carnivores. The small book is packed with a lot of recipes and variations which are tasty and easy to make. One of our favorites was this salad recipe. We've used the dressing on multiple salads now, but the first we tried it on was this chopped salad. We had…

Garlic Ginger Green Beans by John Spottiswood

These are an excellent, healthy side dish to any grilled meat. I highly recommend them with the Chinese BBQ chicken recipe below, but honestly these would go well with just about anything. Unfortunately these were tapped out long before our chicken, so make more than you think you need. They are great the next day too!

Eggplant stuffed with tomato and garlic - Iman Bayeldi by John Spottiswood

The Turkish name for this recipe means "The Priest Fainted". I think the idea is that it tastes so good it made the priest faint. Anyway, it really is that good and pretty healthy too! This recipe was provided by Brian Bedrosian -- http://www.cookeatshare.com/chefs/brianb-208. Hopefully, with a little prodding from others too,…

Butter Lettuce and Avocado salad with Citrus Vinaigrette by John Spottiswood

I'm a sucker for fresh butter lettuce with citrus and avocado. I adapted this recipe (rather major adaptions) from a recipe in the America's Test Kitchen Menu's cookbook. I thought the salad, and the dressing in particular, was just amazing. The mayo, Dijon and honey balance nicely with tanginess of the tangerine juice. If you are…

Simple Cucumber and Tomato Salad by Nancy Miyasaki

This thinly sliced cucumber and tomato salad is fresh and delicious. Even the dressing is healthy. I usually serve it with my Chicken Biryani recipe. Enjoy!

Gingered carrots by Brett Ede

Roman-Style Spinach by John Spottiswood

This is a great new way I've learned to cook spinach. I wouldn't have thought of adding sweetness to spinach, but I really like the way the currants and pine nuts contrast with the slight bitterness of fresh spinach. This is a new winner that I'll be cooking frequently in the future!

Savory Rice with Lentil Curry - Khichuri by John Spottiswood

We made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious! This has everything I love about Indian food. The flavors are bold and vibrant but blend so well together, the warmth and texture are like comfort food, and the dish is quite healthy. If you like split pea or lentil soup, you should definitely give this a try some night instead.…

Marinated Asparagus by Robyn Savoie

This versatile recipe made with fresh asparagus can be made year around. Serve it cold or warm as side with any meal. My favorite way to serve this is grilling it. It produces rave reviews every time. Even from guests who may not be fans of asparagus.

Creamy Cucumber Salad by Salad Foodie

This refreshing salad is a departure from traditional marinated cucumbers, and perfect for summer cookouts and picnics. Cucumbers may be peeled or not. If seeding them is preferred, add an extra cucumber to make up for the loss of volume.