Driving home from work the other day, I was musing about whether I could make a plate with cheese and grapes swapping forms. I figured I could make an agar gel of the grapes and spherify a triple-cream cheese. I still like the idea, but I couldn't quite envision what other components it needed.
That got …
I love to stir-fry asparagus. I most often serve it in a Chinese fermented black bean sauce. The slightly funky saltiness of the preserved beans seems to be a perfect complement to the sweet-bitter crispness of the vegetable.
I recently picked up my first jar of Guilin Chili Sauce, and as soon as I tasted …
I made gnocchi the other day, and yes my daughter helped. We ate most of them with a simple tomato sauce. They were good but a bit on the heavy side. I haven't really mastered the art of ultra-light potato gnocchi. If you have a hot tip on how to achieve pillowy lightness, please share. …
Challah French toast bread pudding
We’ve been more regular about celebrating Shabbat on Friday nights over the past year. My Friiday night menus rarely really go with challah though, so we often end up most of a loaf left over. This is no cause for sadness though, because challah (along with its …
Vietnamese Lemongrass Green Beans and Tofu
More easy, weeknight-accessible goodness. Serve this with the Coconut Rice and a salad with a nice lime-based dressing and you are eating well tonight. The idea here is maximum flavor, provided by substantial quantities of lemongrass, ginger and garlic.
If you haven't worked with lemongrass before, you need to know …
This is my skillet. Sure, I have lots of others pots – small saute pans, sauciers, stock pots, paella pans, a beloved Dutch oven, griddles, you name it. But this big cast-iron skillet is the absolute workhorse in my kitchen. I’ve had it for at least 20 years, and I’d say it has been the …
Coconut rice
If you like the flavor of coconut, this coconut rice is a killer side dish. It is about two minutes more work than normal rice, and it is a great change of pace because the rice goes from being the neutral canvas for other components to stealing the show. It uses both coconut …
