This Week’s Sunday Gourmand: Pakistan — Chicken Karahi Trio The Wheel of Countries landed on Pakistan this week, and it came with a little extra meaning attached. My nephew’s wife is Pakistani. So when the wheel pointed here, it felt less like a random spin and more like an invitation to finally pay attention to… Read more: OMFG! — Wheel of Countries Edition: Honoring My Pakistani Niece

Caprese Chicken on Ciabatta with a Marinated White Bean Salad There’s a particular satisfaction in a sandwich that doesn’t need to apologize for anything. No sauce hiding a lack of technique, no pile of extras covering up thin flavor. Just seared chicken, real mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, and basil, stacked between good bread that’s been treated… Read more: OMFG! — A Twist on the Caprese Salad That Warms the Cockles of Your Summery Heart

Kokoda: The South Pacific’s Answer to Ceviche (And Why It Works) Every cuisine seems to have its own version of curing raw fish in citrus, and kokoda is Papua New Guinea’s contribution to that global tradition. It sits somewhere between Peruvian ceviche and Fijian kokoda’s own island cousins, but it has a personality entirely its… Read more: OMFG! – Wheel of Countries Edition – Papua New Guinea: Kokoda

Seared NY Strip Stroganoff with Mushrooms and Tarragon Some dishes feel like they’re from another era entirely, the kind of meal that shows up in a black-and-white film with steam rising off the plate and someone pouring wine at the table. Stroganoff has that pedigree. We spun our “Wheel of Countries,” and it landed on… Read more: OMFG! – Wheel of Countries Edition – Russia: Beeman Strip Stroganoff

Salad Mechouia with Seared Ahi Tuna Sunday Gourmand | North African Fire-Charred Salad Fire does something to vegetables that no other cooking method can replicate. A bell pepper held directly over an open flame until it blackens and sags isn’t being destroyed; it’s being transformed. The char peels away to reveal flesh gone soft, sweet,… Read more: OMFG! – Some North African Flair, Salad Mechouia with Seared Ahi Tuna

For a long time, I’ve labeled my home‑cooked meal posts as “From the Home Kitchen.” It worked fine as a category, but it never really captured the personality or the point of why I share those dishes. I cook because I enjoy it, I like experimenting, and sometimes the food turns out so good that… Read more: Out with the Old, in with the OMFG!

Steak Diane avec Pommes à l’Ail et Haricots Verts Amandine Steak Diane is a dish with a reputation for drama, tableside flambé, formal dining rooms, a certain kind of occasion. That’s never been the interesting part of it. What makes Steak Diane worth cooking is the sauce: a Dijon-forward, wine-reduced pan sauce built on mushrooms… Read more: From the Home Kitchen – Wheel of Countries Edition – France: Steak Diane Redux

Poulet à l’Estragon avec Haricots Verts Amandine et Pommes Rôties aux Herbes French cooking has a way of making you feel like you owe it an apology for staying away so long. The techniques aren’t complicated. The ingredients aren’t exotic. But the payoff, that specific combination of depth and brightness that defines a well-built French… Read more: From the Home Kitchen – Wheel of Countries Edition – France: Poulet à l’Estragon, et al.

Sesame-Crusted Ahi Tuna, Seared Rare Eating within cardiac constraints doesn’t require eating down. This dish is the argument for that position. Sesame-crusted ahi tuna, seared rare, with a coconut aminos and ginger dipping sauce, and a cold rice noodle salad built on quick-pickled carrots and bell pepper. It looks like an occasion meal. It cooks… Read more: From the Home Kitchen: Sesame-Crusted Ahi Tuna with “Soy”–Ginger–Lime Sauce and Cold Rice Noodle Salad with Quick-Pickled Carrots & Bell Pepper

Rich, Grounded, and a Little Elevated: Chorizo & Beans with Warm Spices and Peach-Onion Relish There is a version of a chorizo-and-beans dish that is pure comfort food: heavy, one-note, and fine for what it is. This is not that version. What happens here is the same foundational pairing, but with enough deliberate thought and… Read more: From the Home Kitchen: Chorizo & Beans with Warm Spices and Sweet Onion & Peach Relish