This dish became a house favorite before it ever had a name. In this episode, I’m sharing the story behind it and why I’m finally writing it down after years of making it from memory.

I talk about how the idea started with something Marty ate constantly during a summer in Israel and how he asked me to recreate it at home. From there, it blended with one specific version of pan con tomate that we fell in love with in Barcelona, and over time it evolved into something somewhere in between that I call Tomato Water Salad.

This is part of a bigger trend for me right now, paying attention to the things that I make without a written recipe and capturing them so other people can cook them too, especially my teenagers as they learn their way around the kitchen. Tomato Water Salad is simple, fresh, deeply tomato-forward, and still the best tomato dish I make to this day.

Links from this episode:
Baked Ham
Boneless Ham
Chili Recipe
Beef Stew Recipe
White Chili
Baked Chicken Thighs
Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
The recipe in the picture, which isn't my not-written-down Tomato Water Salad, is here Grilled Fish with Tomato Salsa

Connect with me:
COOKforTWO.us
And if you're a member, check out the upcoming live events here.

Email Me! CookTheStory@gmail.com
Subscribe to the Podcast
Join the ROTD Facebook Group, the COOKforTWO Facebook Group, and here's COOKtheSTORY on Facebook and on TikTok and Instagram
Websites: CookTheStory.com and TheCookful.com
Christine’s Newsletter

I grew up making these in my parents’ deli, and the secret to a great Reuben is simple: warm up the filling, dry out the kraut, and lightly toast the inside of the bread so it never turns soggy. Recipe: Classic Reuben Sandwich from COOKtheSTORY.

Here are the links mentioned in this episode: #ad
Classic Reuben Sandwich
Christine on The Takeout giving advice about making Reuben Sandwiches
Thousand Island Dressing Recipe
Skirt Steak (Showing how to cut skirt steak against the grain. Look at the video where the concept of the grain is shown very clearly and you'll be able to apply that to slicing corned beef).
The All New Chicken Cookbook

Here's the Recipe Of The Day podcast episode page with all of our recipe links, and you can subscribe to the show there too.

Join my COOKforTWO Community here!

Follow me on social media TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest
Newsletter: CookTheStory.com
Websites: COOKtheSTORY.com and TheCookful.com

Have a great day! -Christine xo

Looking for beef stew with meat that’s actually tender, not just cooked through? This is one of those recipes where patience pays off. Recipe: Beef Stew Recipe from TheCookful.

Here are the links mentioned in this episode: #ad
Beef Stew Recipe
My Favorite Chili Recipe
Instant Pot Pot Roast
The All New Chicken Cookbook

Here's the Recipe Of The Day podcast episode page with all of our recipe links, and you can subscribe to the show there too.

Join my COOKforTWO Community here!

Follow me on social media TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest
Newsletter: CookTheStory.com
Websites: COOKtheSTORY.com and TheCookful.com

Have a great day! -Christine xo

This white chicken chili recipe brings big flavor in about 35 minutes with chicken breasts, white beans, and green chilis. Recipe: White Chicken Chili from COOKtheSTORY.

Here are the links mentioned in this episode: #ad
White Chicken Chili
Classic Chili Recipe
The All New Chicken Cookbook

Here's the Recipe Of The Day podcast episode page with all of our recipe links, and you can subscribe to the show there too.

Join my COOKforTWO Community here!

Follow me on social media TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest
Newsletter: CookTheStory.com
Websites: COOKtheSTORY.com and TheCookful.com

Have a great day! -Christine xo

No guest this week. Just me in my kitchen.

My interview laptop is still broken, so instead of talking to someone else, I’m talking to you. In this episode, I share the meal I make all the time but have never written down. It’s not on my sites. There’s no official recipe. It’s just something I do when I want a treat of a dinner and don’t feel like overthinking it.

It’s a pan-fried chuck eye steak on a bed of garlicky salad, and the salad gets tossed with the steak juices right from the pan. That’s basically the whole trick. It’s simple, really good, and exactly the kind of thing I make for just me or for me and Marty.

I also talk a bit about the random kitchen wisdom that sticks with you, like how my grandmother always kept canned milk around, what I realized about shelf-stable milk when I was living in Belgium, and why UHT or evaporated milk just works better for me right now.

It’s a very me-centered episode. A little rambling, a little practical, and all about making dinner in a way that fits real life.

Links:
This is not the exact salad I make, but it's sort of close. I actually put red wine vinegar and a bit of olive oil in a bowl, use a rasp (micro plane) to grate in a clove of garlic, whisk, add spring mix, toss, taste, add more vinegar or more oil or more spring mix, toss, add coarse kosher salt, toss, taste.

This is how I cook chuck eye steaks, sort of. I don't put butter in the skillet. Instead, I put grapeseed oil on the steaks themselves. I also try to season the steaks with kosher salt and a good sprinkle of garlic powder at least an hour before cooking them. If it's less than an hour, I skip the garlic powder because it won't have time to hydrate and tends to burn.

Other recipes I mentioned:
Classic Potato Soup
Chicken Salad Sandwiches

COOKforTWO.us

And if you're a member, check out the upcoming live events here.

Email Me! CookTheStory@gmail.com
Subscribe to the Podcast
Join the FROTD Facebook Group, the COOKforTWO Facebook Group, and here's COOKtheSTORY on Facebook and on TikTok and Instagram
Websites: CookTheStory.com and TheCookful.com
Christine’s Newsletter

The best chicken salad sandwiches have simple ingredients, perfect bite-sized pieces of chicken, and not too much fuss. Recipe: The Best Chicken Salad Sandwich from TheCookful.

Here are the links mentioned in this episode: #ad
The Best Chicken Salad Sandwich
Basic Chicken Salad Recipe
Air Fryer Chicken Breast
Baked Chicken Breasts
Poached Chicken Breasts
The All New Chicken Cookbook

Here's the Recipe Of The Day podcast episode page with all of our recipe links, and you can subscribe to the show there too.

Join my COOKforTWO Community here!

Follow me on social media TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest
Newsletter: CookTheStory.com
Websites: COOKtheSTORY.com and TheCookful.com

Have a great day! -Christine xo

This homemade potato soup is a budget-friendly recipe that only needs a few ingredients. And since it’s ready in 30 minutes, it’s perfect comfort food for busy weeknights. Recipe: Classic Potato Soup from COOKtheSTORY.

Here are the links mentioned in this episode: #ad
Classic Potato Soup
Easy Loaded Potato Soup
The All New Chicken Cookbook

Here's the Recipe Of The Day podcast episode page with all of our recipe links, and you can subscribe to the show there too.

Join my COOKforTWO Community here!

Follow me on social media TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest
Newsletter: CookTheStory.com
Websites: COOKtheSTORY.com and TheCookful.com

Have a great day! -Christine xo

This classic chicken salad proves that you don’t need fancy add-ins or complicated steps to get incredible flavor and texture. Recipe: Chicken Salad Recipe from TheCookful.

Here are the links mentioned in this episode: #ad
Chicken Salad Recipe
Thermoworks Chicken Temperature-Time Guide
The All New Chicken Cookbook

Here's the Recipe Of The Day podcast episode page with all of our recipe links, and you can subscribe to the show there too.

Join my COOKforTWO Community here!

Follow me on social media TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest
Newsletter: CookTheStory.com
Websites: COOKtheSTORY.com and TheCookful.com

Have a great day! -Christine xo