A bit of a hybrid episode, focusing mostly on how to make a pie crust, plus a little about quiche. There’s a lot of misinformation in pie crust tips and recipes — this episode covers all I’ve learned in three decades. NOT-shopping list All-purpose flour (or pastry flour, if you’re fancy; preferably not bread flour; definitely not cake flour)ButterLeaf lard (only if you happen to have access to it; I personally don’t approve of Crisco, but that’s an alternative, if you want really flaky crust)EggsMilk / cream / half-and-half / sour cream / creme fraiche (some combination of these so that you have a mix that’s roughly as fatty as a combo of half milk, half cream)Miscellaneous fillings (your fridge leftovers!), including cooked vegetables, herbs and possibly cheeses Basic Pie Crust The recipe is so simple I’ll mention it first: For 1 crust for a 9-inch pie plate1 cup all-purpose flour, plus a few more tablespoons for adjusting1/2 cup butter (1 stick) or a combination of butter and leaf lard, no more than half leaf lard1/4 cup ice waterPinch salt, if your butter is unsalted See the nifty pattern there? Very easy to remember. Now…all the magic is in the technique, which I go into in more detail in the podcast. Here is the short version, and a few photos. At all times, keep the butter/lard as cold as possible, and keep your kitchen cool. If you feel your fingers getting greasy at all, stop and put the whole bowl in the fridge for about 10 minutes. Measure the flour (and optional salt) into a large bowl. Set aside some flour for use later, when you’re rolling out the dough. Cut the butter into small cubes.  Toss the butter and the flour together, then pick up each piece of butter and quickly squish it flat between your thumb and fingers. (Use both hands to make it go faster.)    This is the texture you’re going for with the squished butter.    When all the butter has been squished, wash your hands. Possibly put the butter-flour mix back to chill, if it felt like the butter was getting too soft. Slowly drizzle in about half the cold water and stir the mixture with a fork to distribute the water.  Drizzle in more water, very gradually, and stir gently. The mixture will start to clump together. You will need to assess whether the dough is fine as is, or if it needs all the measured water (most common). The dough should look fairly moist, but it should not be sticky (a sign you added a bit too much water). If you’re baking in a dry climate, or depending on your flour, you may even need a smidge more water than 1/4 cup, but this is rare.    This is the texture you’re looking for after adding enough water.     Gently scoop the dough together and press it into a ball — does it hold? Don’t try to force it much, or your hands will warm the butter. If it’s too dry, it will fall back in pieces in the bowl, and you’ll need to add a tiny bit more water — really, a teaspoon at a time. If in doubt, chill again. Once you have a dough that holds together in a ball, cover it with a plastic bag or a bowl and stick it in the refrigerator again. You can hold it like this for hours, if you want. Half an hour is usually enough. (Take this time to get your quiche filling together.) I don’t have photos for rolling out, but it’s described fairly well in the podcast. Key tips are to knock the ball flat with your rolling pin first, before you actively start rolling. You’ll also want to press together the cracking edges a bit.  Roll evenly up and back on a floured surface. After one up-and-back, rotate the dough a quarter-turn or so. If it sticks, dust a little more flour under it (and don’t forget some on the rolling pin too!). You can measure by setting your pie plate in the center — you want a couple of inches all the way around. But you don’t want the crust much more than 1/8-inch thick.  To get the crust into the plate, fold it in half gently, then (optionally) in half again. Lay it in the plate, centered, and unfold gently.  Then comes the shaping. I usually do a fluted edge, pictured here. You can also fold the crust under all around and lightly press it with a fork.    This is my technique. It’s up to you!    When this is all done, put the pie crust back in the refrigerator to chill. Uncovered is fine, if you’re baking soon. Otherwise, cover it with a plastic produce bag so it doesn’t dry out.  I’m not a big fan of pre-baking (blind baking), as I say in the podcast, but it’s possible. If you do, you want to set parchment paper inside the crust and fill it with dried beans, to keep the bottom from bubbling up. (TBH, I always have trouble with my edges slumping down into the plate, which is part of the reason I rarely mess with pre-baking!)    Ready to go in the oven…    This is it! It’s what everyone should read if they need more pie knowledge and inspiration!    Finally, let me give a shoutout to the book I mention in the podcast, How to Build a Better Pie, by Millicent Souris. Having eaten many of Millicent’s pies back when she cooked at Queen’s Hideaway, I can vouch for Millicent’s talents and knowledge, and the detailed photos and real talk in the book are ideal for a beginner to see every single step in making a pie crust.  The finished pies are also refreshingly homemade-style, and not all Insta-perfect. The catch: it may be out of print, as it is not available through my usual affiliate, but a quick search reveals copies for sale! Basic Quiche Recipe    Golden brown!    I consider quiche a semi-fancy way to use up little bits of vegetables and things in my refrigerator. Some of the best combinations have been one-offs that I never seem to be able to recreate. I give amounts of vegetables, etc, by weight below, but it may be easier just to think in terms of large and small handfuls. For a standard 9-inch pie plate, you need less filling than you think! In the podcast, I used oyster mushrooms, chives and a little manchego cheese. For one standard 9-inch pie crust, unbaked3 eggs1.5 cups half-and-half (or milk and whole cream, or milk and sour cream, or whatever you have to fatten up whole milk)Salt and pepperYour choice of fillings, including some or all (by weight):4 oz. cooked vegetable filling, chopped in small pieces (asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, etc) or thin strips (greens like kale or spinach)2 oz. caramelized onions (well cooked, otherwise they can water down the custard)2-4 oz. cooked bacon or cubes of ham2-4 oz. grated cheeseSmall handful fresh herbs or chivesGrated nutmeg (optional: nice with some flavor combos, such as spinach and bacon) After your pie crust is prepared and chilling, preheat the oven to 450. (If you’re using a baked pie crust, set oven to 375.)  Whisk the eggs and milk/cream together until the eggs are well incorporated. Add a bit of salt and pepper (less salt if using salty cheese, more salt if using no cheese). Layer the fillings in the crust (add some herbs in the bottom first, to be held down by the other fillings, so they don’t all float to the top), grate in about half the cheese, and then give the egg mixture a good stir and pour it over. Scatter the remaining cheese on top, and grate on nutmeg (if using). Bake at 450 for 10 minutes (this is to bake the bottom crust a bit), then turn the heat down to 375 and bake until done, another 30 minutes or so. A knife inserted midway between the center and the crust will come out clean. The center will still be a tiny bit soft, but it will set up as it cools. Give it a good hour to cool. If you don’t finish this in a single meal, you can leave it out, covered (I just put a big bowl over the whole dish), overnight, if the weather isn’t hot. I usually wind up eating the rest by lunchtime. You can reheat slices in a skillet on low heat — which will also crisp up the bottom crust.

A bit of a hybrid episode, focusing mostly on how to make a pie crust, plus a little about quiche. There’s a lot of misinformation in pie crust tips and recipes — this episode covers all I’ve learned in three decades. <h2>NOT-shopping list</h2> <ul><li>All-purpose flour (or pastry flour, if you’re fancy; preferably not bread flour; definitely not cake flour)</li><li>Butter</li><li>Leaf lard (only if you happen to have access to it; I personally don’t approve of Crisco, but that’s an alternative, if you want really flaky crust)</li><li>Eggs</li><li>Milk / cream / half-and-half / sour cream / creme fraiche (some combination of these so that you have a mix that’s roughly as fatty as a combo of half milk, half cream)</li><li>Miscellaneous fillings (your fridge leftovers!), including cooked vegetables, herbs and possibly cheeses</li></ul> <h2>Basic Pie Crust</h2> The recipe is so simple I’ll mention it first: For 1 crust for a 9-inch pie plate 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus a few more tablespoons for adjusting 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) or a combination of butter and leaf lard, no more than half leaf lard 1/4 cup ice water Pinch salt, if your butter is unsalted See the nifty pattern there? Very easy to remember. Now…all the magic is in the technique, which I go into in more detail in the podcast. Here is the short version, and a few photos. At all times, keep the butter/lard as cold as possible, and keep your kitchen cool. If you feel your fingers getting greasy at all, stop and put the whole bowl in the fridge for about 10 minutes. Measure the flour (and optional salt) into a large bowl. Set aside some flour for use later, when you’re rolling out the dough. Cut the butter into small cubes. Toss the butter and the flour together, then pick up each piece of butter and quickly squish it flat between your thumb and fingers. (Use both hands to make it go faster.) This is the texture you’re going for with the squished butter. When all the butter has been squished, wash your hands. Possibly put the butter-flour mix back to chill, if it felt like the butter was getting too soft. Slowly drizzle in about half the cold water and stir the mixture with a fork to distribute the water. Drizzle in more water, very gradually, and stir gently. The mixture will start to clump together. You will need to assess whether the dough is fine as is, or if it needs all the measured water (most common). The dough should look fairly moist, but it should not be sticky (a sign you added a bit too much water). If you’re baking in a dry climate, or depending on your flour, you may even need a smidge more water than 1/4 cup, but this is rare. This is the texture you’re looking for after adding enough water. Gently scoop the dough together and press it into a ball — does it hold? Don’t try to force it much, or your hands will warm the butter. If it’s too dry, it will fall back in pieces in the bowl, and you’ll need to add a tiny bit more water — really, a teaspoon at a time. If in doubt, chill again. Once you have a dough that holds together in a ball, cover it with a plastic bag or a bowl and stick it in the refrigerator again. You can hold it like this for hours, if you want. Half an hour is usually enough. (Take this time to get your quiche filling together.) I don’t have photos for rolling out, but it’s described fairly well in the podcast. Key tips are to knock the ball flat with your rolling pin first, before you actively start rolling. You’ll also want to press together the cracking edges a bit. Roll evenly up and back on a floured surface. After one up-and-back, rotate the dough a quarter-turn or so. If it sticks, dust a little more flour under it (and don’t forget some on the rolling pin too!). You can measure by setting your pie plate in the center — you want a couple of inches all the way around. But you don’t want the crust much more than 1/8-inch thick. To get the crust into the plate, fold it in half gently, then (optionally) in half again. Lay it in the plate, centered, and unfold gently. Then comes the shaping. I usually do a fluted edge, pictured here. You can also fold the crust under all around and lightly press it with a fork. This is my technique. It’s up to you! When this is all done, put the pie crust back in the refrigerator to chill. Uncovered is fine, if you’re baking soon. Otherwise, cover it with a plastic produce bag so it doesn’t dry out. I’m not a big fan of pre-baking (blind baking), as I say in the podcast, but it’s possible. If you do, you want to set parchment paper inside the crust and fill it with dried beans, to keep the bottom from bubbling up. (TBH, I always have trouble with my edges slumping down into the plate, which is part of the reason I rarely mess with pre-baking!) Ready to go in the oven… This is it! It’s what everyone should read if they need more pie knowledge and inspiration! Finally, let me give a shoutout to the book I mention in the podcast, How to Build a Better Pie, by Millicent Souris. Having eaten many of Millicent’s pies back when she cooked at Queen’s Hideaway, I can vouch for Millicent’s talents and knowledge, and the detailed photos and real talk in the book are ideal for a beginner to see every single step in making a pie crust. The finished pies are also refreshingly homemade-style, and not all Insta-perfect. The catch: it may be out of print, as it is not available through my usual affiliate, but a quick search reveals copies for sale! <h2>Basic Quiche Recipe</h2> Golden brown! I consider quiche a semi-fancy way to use up little bits of vegetables and things in my refrigerator. Some of the best combinations have been one-offs that I never seem to be able to recreate. I give amounts of vegetables, etc, by weight below, but it may be easier just to think in terms of large and small handfuls. For a standard 9-inch pie plate, you need less filling than you think! In the podcast, I used oyster mushrooms, chives and a little manchego cheese. For one standard 9-inch pie crust, unbaked 3 eggs 1.5 cups half-and-half (or milk and whole cream, or milk and sour cream, or whatever you have to fatten up whole milk) Salt and pepper Your choice of fillings, including some or all (by weight): 4 oz. cooked vegetable filling, chopped in small pieces (asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, etc) or thin strips (greens like kale or spinach) 2 oz. caramelized onions (well cooked, otherwise they can water down the custard) 2-4 oz. cooked bacon or cubes of ham 2-4 oz. grated cheese Small handful fresh herbs or chives Grated nutmeg (optional: nice with some flavor combos, such as spinach and bacon) After your pie crust is prepared and chilling, preheat the oven to 450. (If you’re using a baked pie crust, set oven to 375.) Whisk the eggs and milk/cream together until the eggs are well incorporated. Add a bit of salt and pepper (less salt if using salty cheese, more salt if using no cheese). Layer the fillings in the crust (add some herbs in the bottom first, to be held down by the other fillings, so they don’t all float to the top), grate in about half the cheese, and then give the egg mixture a good stir and pour it over. Scatter the remaining cheese on top, and grate on nutmeg (if using). Bake at 450 for 10 minutes (this is to bake the bottom crust a bit), then turn the heat down to 375 and bake until done, another 30 minutes or so. A knife inserted midway between the center and the crust will come out clean. The center will still be a tiny bit soft, but it will set up as it cools. Give it a good hour to cool. If you don’t finish this in a single meal, you can leave it out, covered (I just put a big bowl over the whole dish), overnight, if the weather isn’t hot. I usually wind up eating the rest by lunchtime. You can reheat slices in a skillet on low heat — which will also crisp up the bottom crust.

Quarantine Episode 8: Pie Crust and Quiche

Lentils with Moroccan spices are incredibly good and simple, and they stand up to a lot of substitutions. Alongside, a raw beet salad makes a sweet, crunchy counterpoint. Sound quality on this is pretty rough — our kitchen has been inhabited by a mysterious hum! NOT-shopping list Brown lentils (or any kind except pink lentils)OnionGarlicRed bell pepperTomato paste (or fresh or canned tomato)ParsleyCilantroDry ginger (or fresh, but dry is more typical)CuminCorianderPaprika (not smoked) or other mild red chiliTurmericOlive oilRaw beetCider vinegar (or other vin, and/or lemon juice)HoneyMild firm white cheese, such as halloumi (or feta)Zaatar (optional)Arugula (optional) Moroccan-Style Lentils    They don’t look like much, but they taste fabulous — trust!    I learned this recipe from Cafe Clock in Fes (though, as I say in the audio, it’s entirely possible I’m not remembering it properly!). It’s a very typical side dish at restaurants and made at home a lot as well. You can do it in a pressure cooker, as most Moroccans do, to make it even faster. I have made it sometimes without red bell pepper, or without cilantro, without ginger, without onion…it’s always been good! It tastes even better the next day, and it freezes very well, so you could also make a double batch and store some.  Makes 4-5 portions1 cup brown lentils1 small onion4 cloves garlic1/2 red bell pepperLarge handful each fresh parsley and cilantro (or more — if you need to get rid of some tired herbs)Olive oil1 heaping Tbsp tomato paste (or 1 small tomato, chopped, or equivalent canned)1 tsp powdered ginger1 tsp ground cumin1 tsp ground coriander1 tsp paprika (or less  of a spicier red chili)Salt and pepper    How fine? This fine.    Rinse lentils and set aside. Chop a medium onion (rough or fine, your choice) and the garlic. Cut the bell pepper in 1/4-inch dice. Chop the parsley and cilantro together, quite fine.  In a heavy-bottomed pot (preferably not cast iron, because it could react with the tomato past in the recipe), add enough oil to cover the bottom easily. Turn the heat to medium and layer in the ingredients: onion, garlic, red bell pepper, lentils, then herbs. On top of this, add the spoonful of tomato paste, and then add the spices, spoonful by spoonful. Lay them out one by one, so you can keep track of what you’ve put in. Add salt (a fair amount) and pepper.    Remember what this looks like!    Add enough water to cover everything by about one knuckle depth. No need to stir — just leave as is and cover. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook until the lentils are tender but have not lost their shape. This can take anywhere from 20 to 35 minutes, depending on the lentils’ age and type.  Moroccans usually eat this with soft bread, but it goes well with rice as well. Raw Beet Salad    The pink just beginning to spread…    As I say in the audio, I recommend this mostly if you have a food processor. Hand grating a beet is a major pain and can be quite messy. But with a fo-pro, it’s short work.  In this particular preparation, I added a little zaatar, which is totally optional. Black olives are a    **If you don’t have a machine, the easiest way to deal with beets is to roast them whole, unpeeled: put them in a small tray with about a tablespoon of water and a drizzle of olive oil, and then cover them tightly with foil and roast at 400 degrees or so until they’re soft. When they’re cool, the skin will slip right off. Serves 2, with a bit left over1 medium beet1 small clove garlic~2 Tbsp olive oil~2 Tbsp cider vinegarDrizzle of honeySalt and pepper~2 oz. mild white cheese (mozzarella, halloumi and feta are all good)Small handful parsleySmall handful arugula (optional) Large pinch zaatar (optional) Wash beet and trim ends (no need to peel), then shred in food processor. Chop the garlic clove very fine or run through a press into a small bowl. Mix in the oil, vinegar, optional lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper. Whisk these together well. Place the grated beets in a small salad bowl and pour the dressing over and toss to coat. Depending on the kind of cheese you’re using, cut into small cubes or crumble, and add to the salad bowl. Coarsely chop the parsley and mix in; add the arugula if using.  Add optional zaatar to taste — if you are sensitive to the “dusty” taste of beets, you should go light, or not use it at all, as it seems to bring out that flavor.  Toss all together. Beets can handle sitting for a while in the dressing — so you can make this ahead. But add the herbs later.

Lentils with Moroccan spices are incredibly good and simple, and they stand up to a lot of substitutions. Alongside, a raw beet salad makes a sweet, crunchy counterpoint. Sound quality on this is pretty rough — our kitchen has been inhabited by a mysterious hum! <h2>NOT-shopping list</h2> <ul><li>Brown lentils (or any kind except pink lentils)</li><li>Onion</li><li>Garlic</li><li>Red bell pepper</li><li>Tomato paste (or fresh or canned tomato)</li><li>Parsley</li><li>Cilantro</li><li>Dry ginger (or fresh, but dry is more typical)</li><li>Cumin</li><li>Coriander</li><li>Paprika (not smoked) or other mild red chili</li><li>Turmeric</li><li>Olive oil</li><li>Raw beet</li><li>Cider vinegar (or other vin, and/or lemon juice)</li><li>Honey</li><li>Mild firm white cheese, such as halloumi (or feta)</li><li>Zaatar (optional)</li><li>Arugula (optional)</li></ul> <h2>Moroccan-Style Lentils</h2> They don’t look like much, but they taste fabulous — trust! I learned this recipe from <a href="https://www.cafeclock.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cafe Clock</a> in Fes (though, as I say in the audio, it’s entirely possible I’m not remembering it properly!). It’s a very typical side dish at restaurants and made at home a lot as well. You can do it in a pressure cooker, as most Moroccans do, to make it even faster. I have made it sometimes without red bell pepper, or without cilantro, without ginger, without onion…it’s always been good! It tastes even better the next day, and it freezes very well, so you could also make a double batch and store some. Makes 4-5 portions 1 cup brown lentils 1 small onion 4 cloves garlic 1/2 red bell pepper Large handful each fresh parsley and cilantro (or more — if you need to get rid of some tired herbs) Olive oil 1 heaping Tbsp tomato paste (or 1 small tomato, chopped, or equivalent canned) 1 tsp powdered ginger 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp paprika (or less of a spicier red chili) Salt and pepper How fine? This fine. Rinse lentils and set aside. Chop a medium onion (rough or fine, your choice) and the garlic. Cut the bell pepper in 1/4-inch dice. Chop the parsley and cilantro together, quite fine. In a heavy-bottomed pot (preferably not cast iron, because it could react with the tomato past in the recipe), add enough oil to cover the bottom easily. Turn the heat to medium and layer in the ingredients: onion, garlic, red bell pepper, lentils, then herbs. On top of this, add the spoonful of tomato paste, and then add the spices, spoonful by spoonful. Lay them out one by one, so you can keep track of what you’ve put in. Add salt (a fair amount) and pepper. Remember what this looks like! Add enough water to cover everything by about one knuckle depth. No need to stir — just leave as is and cover. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook until the lentils are tender but have not lost their shape. This can take anywhere from 20 to 35 minutes, depending on the lentils’ age and type. Moroccans usually eat this with soft bread, but it goes well with rice as well. <h2>Raw Beet Salad</h2> The pink just beginning to spread… As I say in the audio, I recommend this mostly if you have a food processor. Hand grating a beet is a major pain and can be quite messy. But with a fo-pro, it’s short work. In this particular preparation, I added a little zaatar, which is totally optional. Black olives are a **If you don’t have a machine, the easiest way to deal with beets is to roast them whole, unpeeled: put them in a small tray with about a tablespoon of water and a drizzle of olive oil, and then cover them tightly with foil and roast at 400 degrees or so until they’re soft. When they’re cool, the skin will slip right off. Serves 2, with a bit left over 1 medium beet 1 small clove garlic ~2 Tbsp olive oil ~2 Tbsp cider vinegar Drizzle of honey Salt and pepper ~2 oz. mild white cheese (mozzarella, halloumi and feta are all good) Small handful parsley Small handful arugula (optional) Large pinch zaatar (optional) Wash beet and trim ends (no need to peel), then shred in food processor. Chop the garlic clove very fine or run through a press into a small bowl. Mix in the oil, vinegar, optional lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper. Whisk these together well. Place the grated beets in a small salad bowl and pour the dressing over and toss to coat. Depending on the kind of cheese you’re using, cut into small cubes or crumble, and add to the salad bowl. Coarsely chop the parsley and mix in; add the arugula if using. Add optional zaatar to taste — if you are sensitive to the “dusty” taste of beets, you should go light, or not use it at all, as it seems to bring out that flavor. Toss all together. Beets can handle sitting for a while in the dressing — so you can make this ahead. But add the herbs later.

Quarantine Episode 7: Moroccan-Style Lentils and Raw Beet Salad

Schnitzel, cutlets, tonkatsu, milanesa: thin, breaded pan-fried cuts of meat are fun to make. Serve with a sweet-creamy cucumber salad and buttery potatoes (TBH, a little bit of an afterthought!). Yes, this episode is a sonic nightmare, and we’re slipping behind schedule, but oh well, aren’t we all? NOT-Shopping List Pork loin (or other boneless cut); chicken or turkey breast works tooFlourEggBread crumbs (DIY, or panko)CucumbersRed onions (or shallots, or even chives)Sour cream (or full cream, set with a little lemon juice)SugarVinegarMustardDillLemon (optional)PotatoesButterOil for pan-frying Pork Schnitzel    Cutlets / schnitzel / milanesa: delicious no matter what you call them.    What’s not to like about little breaded slices of meat, pan-fried till crispy? They’re good hot, and also nice to have a few extra for sandwiches (Japanese-style on white bread with mayo, or go all out for a Puebla-style cemita). I use pork (I buy every year from Walnut Hill Farm in Vermont), but you can use any kind of meat, as long as it is relatively tender and you trim away any tough connective tissue. Chicken or turkey breasts work well.  The trick is to pound the meat thin, so it cooks through in just the time it takes for the breading to crisp and turn brown.  For bread crumbs, make your own by blitzing day-old bread in a blender or food processor until relatively fine — but ideally not powder-fine. (Premade fine bread crumbs like those from Progreso are OK, but not ideal texture, IMO.) Panko is quick and easy! Serves 2-3 people1 lb. pork fresh ham steak or loin~1/2 cup flourSalt and pepper2 eggs~1 cup panko or bread crumbs~1/2 cup vegetable oil or lard for frying If necessary, slice meat thinner — start with 1/3-1/2-inch thick pieces, if possible. Then pound the meat so it’s about 1/4 inch thick. A dedicated meat mallet is nice, but you can use, say, the bottom of wine bottle or the edge of a heavy ceramic plate. If using a plate, be careful not to mash deep ridges in the meat, and go back and forth on the meat in different directions.  (If using chicken or turkey breasts, don’t slice — just pound.) Set up an assembly line: 1) a plate with the flour, salt and pepper; 2) a wide shallow bowl with the egg — start with one; you may not need the second — beaten with a fork till the white and the yolk are well blended; and 3) the bread crumbs on a plate. Finally set up a rack (ideally) or another big plate to set the breaded cutlets on at the end. Dip each slice of meat into flour, then egg, then crumbs. Try to use one hand the flour and crumbs, and the other hand for the egg, to keep your fingers from getting all gummed up.  Let the cutlets sit for 15-30 minutes to dry a bit and let the crumbs kind of glue on.  In a cast-iron or other heavy skillet, heat your oil — you want it about half an inch deep in the pan, or even a little less. Set up a plate with paper towels to put the cooked cutlets on — or a clean rack.  When a little bit of breading sizzles, start easing your cutlets into the oil. Fry for a few minutes on one side, until nice and brown, then flip. The whole process takes maybe six minutes. Keep the oil heat steady by adding a new cutlet each time you take one out, and when you’re near the end, with fewer cutlets, you’ll want to lower the heat on the burner a bit more to compensate.  Serve with another sprinkle of salt and a squeeze of lemon. German-Style Cucumber Salad    The perfect foil for crispy schnitzel: creamy, sour, a little bit sweet.    This is roughly based on “Tamara’s mom’s cucumber salad,” from the cookbook I wrote with Tamara Reynolds (here), and it’s the standard combo with schnitzel. Generally good in the summer with all kinds of things. Serves 2 people2-3 Tbsp sour cream1 Tbsp red wine or cider vinegar1 tsp sugar1/2 tsp mustardSqueeze of lemon (optional)Salt and pepper2 thin-skinned Persian cucumbers2-3 Tbsp sliced red onionBig handful fresh dill (or a large pinch dried) Make the dressing by combining the sour cream, vinegar, sugar, mustard and salt and pepper. (Lemon is optional, but is a bit fresher.) Adjust to taste — you want a little sweetness and a little heat.  Thinly slice the cucumbers in rounds and the onion in paper-thin half rings — just enough onion to give a little color to the salad. Then top with the dressing. Let sit for about 15 minutes, so the cucumbers start to soften. If they sit longer, you may need to adjust the flavors in the dressing again. Boiled Potatoes with Butter Peel (optionally) potatoes and boil them. Add butter and salt when they’re done. Optionally sprinkle some parsley on. Sure, you could do more — but no need, given the rest of this dinner. 

Schnitzel, cutlets, tonkatsu, milanesa: thin, breaded pan-fried cuts of meat are fun to make. Serve with a sweet-creamy cucumber salad and buttery potatoes (TBH, a little bit of an afterthought!). Yes, this episode is a sonic nightmare, and we’re slipping behind schedule, but oh well, aren’t we all? <h2>NOT-Shopping List</h2> <ul><li>Pork loin (or other boneless cut); chicken or turkey breast works too</li><li>Flour</li><li>Egg</li><li>Bread crumbs (DIY, or panko)</li><li>Cucumbers</li><li>Red onions (or shallots, or even chives)</li><li>Sour cream (or full cream, set with a little lemon juice)</li><li>Sugar</li><li>Vinegar</li><li>Mustard</li><li>Dill</li><li>Lemon (optional)</li><li>Potatoes</li><li>Butter</li><li>Oil for pan-frying</li></ul> <h2>Pork Schnitzel</h2> Cutlets / schnitzel / milanesa: delicious no matter what you call them. What’s not to like about little breaded slices of meat, pan-fried till crispy? They’re good hot, and also nice to have a few extra for sandwiches (Japanese-style on white bread with mayo, or go all out for a Puebla-style <a href="https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/04/pueblan-style-cemita-sanwiches-mexican-recipe.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">cemita</a>). I use pork (I buy every year from <a href="https://walnuthillfarmvt.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Walnut Hill Farm</a> in Vermont), but you can use any kind of meat, as long as it is relatively tender and you trim away any tough connective tissue. Chicken or turkey breasts work well. The trick is to pound the meat thin, so it cooks through in just the time it takes for the breading to crisp and turn brown. For bread crumbs, make your own by blitzing day-old bread in a blender or food processor until relatively fine — but ideally not powder-fine. (Premade fine bread crumbs like those from Progreso are OK, but not ideal texture, IMO.) Panko is quick and easy! Serves 2-3 people 1 lb. pork fresh ham steak or loin ~1/2 cup flour Salt and pepper 2 eggs ~1 cup panko or bread crumbs ~1/2 cup vegetable oil or lard for frying If necessary, slice meat thinner — start with 1/3-1/2-inch thick pieces, if possible. Then pound the meat so it’s about 1/4 inch thick. A dedicated meat mallet is nice, but you can use, say, the bottom of wine bottle or the edge of a heavy ceramic plate. If using a plate, be careful not to mash deep ridges in the meat, and go back and forth on the meat in different directions. (If using chicken or turkey breasts, don’t slice — just pound.) Set up an assembly line: 1) a plate with the flour, salt and pepper; 2) a wide shallow bowl with the egg — start with one; you may not need the second — beaten with a fork till the white and the yolk are well blended; and 3) the bread crumbs on a plate. Finally set up a rack (ideally) or another big plate to set the breaded cutlets on at the end. Dip each slice of meat into flour, then egg, then crumbs. Try to use one hand the flour and crumbs, and the other hand for the egg, to keep your fingers from getting all gummed up. Let the cutlets sit for 15-30 minutes to dry a bit and let the crumbs kind of glue on. In a cast-iron or other heavy skillet, heat your oil — you want it about half an inch deep in the pan, or even a little less. Set up a plate with paper towels to put the cooked cutlets on — or a clean rack. When a little bit of breading sizzles, start easing your cutlets into the oil. Fry for a few minutes on one side, until nice and brown, then flip. The whole process takes maybe six minutes. Keep the oil heat steady by adding a new cutlet each time you take one out, and when you’re near the end, with fewer cutlets, you’ll want to lower the heat on the burner a bit more to compensate. Serve with another sprinkle of salt and a squeeze of lemon. <h2>German-Style Cucumber Salad</h2> The perfect foil for crispy schnitzel: creamy, sour, a little bit sweet. This is roughly based on “Tamara’s mom’s cucumber salad,” from the cookbook I wrote with Tamara Reynolds (<a href="http://www.books2read.com/DinnerParty" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>), and it’s the standard combo with schnitzel. Generally good in the summer with all kinds of things. Serves 2 people 2-3 Tbsp sour cream 1 Tbsp red wine or cider vinegar 1 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp mustard Squeeze of lemon (optional) Salt and pepper 2 thin-skinned Persian cucumbers 2-3 Tbsp sliced red onion Big handful fresh dill (or a large pinch dried) Make the dressing by combining the sour cream, vinegar, sugar, mustard and salt and pepper. (Lemon is optional, but is a bit fresher.) Adjust to taste — you want a little sweetness and a little heat. Thinly slice the cucumbers in rounds and the onion in paper-thin half rings — just enough onion to give a little color to the salad. Then top with the dressing. Let sit for about 15 minutes, so the cucumbers start to soften. If they sit longer, you may need to adjust the flavors in the dressing again. <h2>Boiled Potatoes with Butter</h2> Peel (optionally) potatoes and boil them. Add butter and salt when they’re done. Optionally sprinkle some parsley on. Sure, you could do more — but no need, given the rest of this dinner.

Quarantine Episode 6: Pork Schnitzel with German Cucumber Salad and Some Potatoes

A short episode focused just on the principle of ladhera — Greek-style ‘oil-cooked’ vegetables, especially green beans. A good side dish, or a simple, satisfying dinner with bread and cheese. NOT-Shopping List Fresh green beansTomato of some kind (paste, diced, fresh)Garlic or onion (or scallions or shallots, or even chives)Fresh herbs (parsley and dill together is most common)Olive oil Oil-Cooked Green Beans (Ladhera)    They might not look like much, but these beans taste fantastic!    As I say in the podcast, the vegetables are flexible and so are the proportions, depending on what you have. Once you have the technique down, you can apply it to all kinds of other things. Use the seasons and what you have as your guide; a common winter dish in Turkey is celery root and carrots. You can do one vegetable or a combo (as in this Turkish summer dish). And you may even start to notice it in more cookbooks and restaurant menus! (It often ends up translated as “oily things” on Greek menus.) Green beans are classic, and also perhaps the most impressive transformation — they’re completely different from boiled or steamed ones. For 2-3 portionsOlive oil1 lb. fresh green beans1 bunch each fresh parsley and dill3-4 cloves garlic (or 1 small onion)1/3 cup diced tomatoesapprox 2 tsp kosher salt In a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, pour in several generous glugs of olive oil. You want a substantial slick on the bottom of the pan. Rinse and trim the ends off the green beans — no need to dry. Rinse the herbs and rough chop — OK if some stems are in. Peel and roughly chop the garlic or onion.     All the ingredients layered in the pot and ready to go.    Heat olive oil briefly, then turn down to medium-low. Add the prepared ingredients in layers, without stirring: garlic, green beans, tomato, herbs. On top, add a substantial amount of salt.  Cover with a lid and turn to the lowest possible heat. Let cook without stirring for 45 minutes. At this point, you can stir and test for doneness — depending on your stove, you might need another 15 minutes or so. Beans should be fully limp and velvety. You could also bake these in the oven, for about 45 minutes at 300 degrees or so. Serve at room temperature or lukewarm, with an optional squeeze of lemon (if you like more acidity) and/or another drizzle of olive oil.

A short episode focused just on the principle of ladhera — Greek-style ‘oil-cooked’ vegetables, especially green beans. A good side dish, or a simple, satisfying dinner with bread and cheese. <h2>NOT-Shopping List</h2> <ul><li>Fresh green beans</li><li>Tomato of some kind (paste, diced, fresh)</li><li>Garlic or onion (or scallions or shallots, or even chives)</li><li>Fresh herbs (parsley and dill together is most common)</li><li>Olive oil</li></ul> <h2>Oil-Cooked Green Beans (Ladhera)</h2> They might not look like much, but these beans taste fantastic! As I say in the podcast, the vegetables are flexible and so are the proportions, depending on what you have. Once you have the technique down, you can apply it to all kinds of other things. Use the seasons and what you have as your guide; a common winter dish in Turkey is <a href="https://ozlemsturkishtable.com/tag/turkish-style-vegetables-cooked-in-olive-oil/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">celery root and carrots</a>. You can do one vegetable or a combo (as in this <a href="https://ozlemsturkishtable.com/category/vegetables-cooked-in-olive-oil/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Turkish summer dish</a>). And you may even start to notice it in more cookbooks and restaurant menus! (It often ends up translated as “oily things” on Greek menus.) Green beans are classic, and also perhaps the most impressive transformation — they’re completely different from boiled or steamed ones. For 2-3 portions Olive oil 1 lb. fresh green beans 1 bunch each fresh parsley and dill 3-4 cloves garlic (or 1 small onion) 1/3 cup diced tomatoes approx 2 tsp kosher salt In a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, pour in several generous glugs of olive oil. You want a substantial slick on the bottom of the pan. Rinse and trim the ends off the green beans — no need to dry. Rinse the herbs and rough chop — OK if some stems are in. Peel and roughly chop the garlic or onion. All the ingredients layered in the pot and ready to go. Heat olive oil briefly, then turn down to medium-low. Add the prepared ingredients in layers, without stirring: garlic, green beans, tomato, herbs. On top, add a substantial amount of salt. Cover with a lid and turn to the lowest possible heat. Let cook without stirring for 45 minutes. At this point, you can stir and test for doneness — depending on your stove, you might need another 15 minutes or so. Beans should be fully limp and velvety. You could also bake these in the oven, for about 45 minutes at 300 degrees or so. Serve at room temperature or lukewarm, with an optional squeeze of lemon (if you like more acidity) and/or another drizzle of olive oil.

Quarantine Episode 5: Greek-Style Green Beans

Alevropita is a quick baked pie with feta, done in about 20 minutes, and marouli salata (lettuce salad) is a very simple, very springy complement. Together it makes a good light dinner or lunch that comes together in less than 45 minutes (if you’re not busy talking). NOT-Shopping List Flour (wheat, but substitutions possible)MilkEggFeta cheese (or whatever you might have)Butter (sheep or goat, if you can get it)LettuceFresh dill (or dried, or whatever herbs you have — just think green!)Green onions (or chives)Olive oilLemon Alevropita (Quick Greek Pita)    Pita is always cut in squares. Don’t ask me why. I don’t make the rules.    This is a popular snack in northern Epirus, the mountainous region of northwestern Greece. It’s very quick and easy, and it keeps (don’t refrigerate; just cover) for a couple of days. You can also add different toppings (although Greeks never do; it’s always feta), or experiment with different flours. Sourdough starter could sub for some of the liquid and flour.  The only tricky part is figuring out what to cook it in, as you want the batter to spread fairly thin. Probably the thinnest you can go, for this quantity, is two 9-inch skillets, or one large pan with the equivalent area, which is 123 square inches (about 820 square centimeters). Get out your measuring tape and your calculators (area of a circle = pi x radius squared, remember?). Greeks use round pans a lot, but I’ve seen it baked in big rectangular trays too. For round pans, note that just a small change in diameter makes a relatively large change in area. A 9-inch skillet and an 8-inch skillet, for instance, gives you only 112 square inches. The resulting pitas wind up noticeably thicker and chewier and will take a bit longer to bake. Serves 2-31/2 cup milk1/2 cup water1 egg1 cup flourlarge pinch salt3 oz. feta cheese3-4 Tbsp butter (sheep or goat, ideally; cow is fine) Preheat oven to 350 F. Whisk together the liquid with the egg, then whisk in the flour and salt until the lumps are gone and you have a reasonably thick batter. (The whisk should briefly leave a trail.) Crumble the feta (or whatever cheese or toppings you’re using) into a small bowl. When the oven is warm, put your skillets or your large pan in the oven with the butter: 2 Tbsp in each skillet, or, if you’re using one large pan, you probably need only about 3 Tbsp. When the skillets are hot and the butter is melted, pull them out and divide the batter between them. Scatter the feta or other toppings over. Bake for at least 15 minutes (thicker pitas will take a bit longer), until the edges are crispy and brown and pulling away from the sides of the pan, and there are a few brown spots on the surface. Ideally, the bottom should be crispy enough that you can pick the whole thing out of the pan. Ideal crust, about as thin as you want to go.Showing off. If I were a real Greek granny, this would be 3X the size.Possibly you could throw a good one like a frisbee. If you are baking a thicker pita (if you only have a relatively small pan/skillet), or you have used toppings that give off liquid, you may want to finish by browning the surface under the broiler. Marouli Salata (Greek Spring Lettuce Salad)    Marouli salata: spring in a bowl, basically.    Simple, green, but not dull. A real testament to how slicing things a specific way can make all the difference. If you only have dried dill, try soaking it in the lemon juice while you prep the rest of the salad, to rehydrate it a bit. Serves 2-3 peopleHalf a head of freshest lettuceBig handful fresh dill2-3 green onions or chivesOlive oilHalf a lemonSalt and pepperRinse and dry your lettuce, then stack the leaves and slice crosswise into ribbons, between 1/4 and 1/2 inch wide. (That’s it! That’s the trick.) Chop your dill roughly (perfectly OK if some of the stems get in) and slice up your green onions (white and green parts both) and add to the lettuce. Drizzle generously with olive oil, toss and add salt and pepper. Finish by squeezing half a lemon over and tossing again.

Alevropita is a quick baked pie with feta, done in about 20 minutes, and marouli salata (lettuce salad) is a very simple, very springy complement. Together it makes a good light dinner or lunch that comes together in less than 45 minutes (if you’re not busy talking). <h2>NOT-Shopping List</h2> <ul><li>Flour (wheat, but substitutions possible)</li><li>Milk</li><li>Egg</li><li>Feta cheese (or whatever you might have)</li><li>Butter (sheep or goat, if you can get it)</li><li>Lettuce</li><li>Fresh dill (or dried, or whatever herbs you have — just think green!)</li><li>Green onions (or chives)</li><li>Olive oil</li><li>Lemon</li></ul> <h2>Alevropita (Quick Greek Pita)</h2> Pita is always cut in squares. Don’t ask me why. I don’t make the rules. This is a popular snack in northern Epirus, the mountainous region of northwestern Greece. It’s very quick and easy, and it keeps (don’t refrigerate; just cover) for a couple of days. You can also add different toppings (although Greeks never do; it’s always feta), or experiment with different flours. Sourdough starter could sub for some of the liquid and flour. The only tricky part is figuring out what to cook it in, as you want the batter to spread fairly thin. Probably the thinnest you can go, for this quantity, is two 9-inch skillets, or one large pan with the equivalent area, which is 123 square inches (about 820 square centimeters). Get out your measuring tape and your calculators (area of a circle = pi x radius squared, remember?). Greeks use round pans a lot, but I’ve seen it baked in big rectangular trays too. For round pans, note that just a small change in diameter makes a relatively large change in area. A 9-inch skillet and an 8-inch skillet, for instance, gives you only 112 square inches. The resulting pitas wind up noticeably thicker and chewier and will take a bit longer to bake. Serves 2-3 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup water 1 egg 1 cup flour large pinch salt 3 oz. feta cheese 3-4 Tbsp butter (sheep or goat, ideally; cow is fine) Preheat oven to 350 F. Whisk together the liquid with the egg, then whisk in the flour and salt until the lumps are gone and you have a reasonably thick batter. (The whisk should briefly leave a trail.) Crumble the feta (or whatever cheese or toppings you’re using) into a small bowl. When the oven is warm, put your skillets or your large pan in the oven with the butter: 2 Tbsp in each skillet, or, if you’re using one large pan, you probably need only about 3 Tbsp. When the skillets are hot and the butter is melted, pull them out and divide the batter between them. Scatter the feta or other toppings over. Bake for at least 15 minutes (thicker pitas will take a bit longer), until the edges are crispy and brown and pulling away from the sides of the pan, and there are a few brown spots on the surface. Ideally, the bottom should be crispy enough that you can pick the whole thing out of the pan. <ul><li>Ideal crust, about as thin as you want to go.</li><li>Showing off. If I were a real Greek granny, this would be 3X the size.</li><li>Possibly you could throw a good one like a frisbee.</li></ul> If you are baking a thicker pita (if you only have a relatively small pan/skillet), or you have used toppings that give off liquid, you may want to finish by browning the surface under the broiler. <h2>Marouli Salata (Greek Spring Lettuce Salad)</h2> Marouli salata: spring in a bowl, basically. Simple, green, but not dull. A real testament to how slicing things a specific way can make all the difference. If you only have dried dill, try soaking it in the lemon juice while you prep the rest of the salad, to rehydrate it a bit. Serves 2-3 people Half a head of freshest lettuce Big handful fresh dill 2-3 green onions or chives Olive oil Half a lemon Salt and pepper Rinse and dry your lettuce, then stack the leaves and slice crosswise into ribbons, between 1/4 and 1/2 inch wide. (That’s it! That’s the trick.) Chop your dill roughly (perfectly OK if some of the stems get in) and slice up your green onions (white and green parts both) and add to the lettuce. Drizzle generously with olive oil, toss and add salt and pepper. Finish by squeezing half a lemon over and tossing again.

Quarantine Episode 4: Quick Greek Pita and Spring Salad

A special short episode on the simplest and best way to prepare artichokes, which are in season now. Accidental music credit: Peter Moskos, practicing his autoharp downstairs. NOT-shopping list Globe artichokesSaltVinegarButterMayonnaiseGarlicLemon juice Simplest and Best Boiled ArtichokesSorry, stock photo because I already ate our own artichokes!The only secret here is salt. Heavily salted water is what brings out the distinctive tongue-numbing effect of artichokes. So set a big pot of water on to boil; add even more salt than if you were boiling pasta — like several tablespoons. While the water is heating, trim the artichokes. Optionally, prepare a bowl of cold water with a couple of glugs of vinegar, or a good squeeze of lemon juice. Storing the cut artichokes in this acidulated water will help keep the cut surfaces from turning black. With a heavy knife, cut off the top inch or so of each artichoke. Then with scissors, trim the pointy thorn ends off the remaining outer leaves that are below where you made the cut. Trim any tiny leaves off the stalk, and then cut just the smallest bit off the end of the stalk, just to cut away whatever is dry or brown (the stalk is delicious; you don’t want to waste it). Optionally then slice the artichokes in half vertically — this gives you more flexibility on portions, and it’s also easier to check when the artichokes are done cooking. If you’re doing this, though, you definitely want to dunk them in acidulated water. Put them in the boiling water cut side down if sliced in half; if they’re whole, you can put a small plate in on top to keep them submerged. Boil for about 10 minutes, and then start checking for doneness. If still whole, you can try pulling off a leaf — if it comes easily, it’s done. Or you can poke a knife in to the heart, at the base of the stalk. If it slides in easily, it’s done. If you’ve cut your artichokes vertically, you can poke into the heart directly. You can also see the color of the heart change, from light to dark. If in doubt, err on the side of cooking more, as not-quite-done leaves are a chore to nibble the ends off. While the artichokes are boiling, melt some butter. About 2 tablespoons for person/artichoke is plenty. You can also make some garlic mayo. It’s nice to squeeze a clove of garlic into about a tablespoon of lemon juice and let that sit, to take the burning edge off the garlic, then mix that in with a good-size dollop of mayonnaise. This makes it a bit more of a runny sauce, rather than straight globby mayo (although some people like that just as well!).  For truly pedantic instructions on how to eat the damn things, you’ll have to listen!

A special short episode on the simplest and best way to prepare artichokes, which are in season now. Accidental music credit: Peter Moskos, practicing his autoharp downstairs. <h2>NOT-shopping list</h2> <ul><li>Globe artichokes</li><li>Salt</li><li>Vinegar</li><li>Butter</li><li>Mayonnaise</li><li>Garlic</li><li>Lemon juice</li></ul> <h2>Simplest and Best Boiled Artichokes</h2>Sorry, stock photo because I already ate our own artichokes! The only secret here is salt. Heavily salted water is what brings out the distinctive tongue-numbing effect of artichokes. So set a big pot of water on to boil; add even more salt than if you were boiling pasta — like several tablespoons. While the water is heating, trim the artichokes. Optionally, prepare a bowl of cold water with a couple of glugs of vinegar, or a good squeeze of lemon juice. Storing the cut artichokes in this acidulated water will help keep the cut surfaces from turning black. With a heavy knife, cut off the top inch or so of each artichoke. Then with scissors, trim the pointy thorn ends off the remaining outer leaves that are below where you made the cut. Trim any tiny leaves off the stalk, and then cut just the smallest bit off the end of the stalk, just to cut away whatever is dry or brown (the stalk is delicious; you don’t want to waste it). Optionally then slice the artichokes in half vertically — this gives you more flexibility on portions, and it’s also easier to check when the artichokes are done cooking. If you’re doing this, though, you definitely want to dunk them in acidulated water. Put them in the boiling water cut side down if sliced in half; if they’re whole, you can put a small plate in on top to keep them submerged. Boil for about 10 minutes, and then start checking for doneness. If still whole, you can try pulling off a leaf — if it comes easily, it’s done. Or you can poke a knife in to the heart, at the base of the stalk. If it slides in easily, it’s done. If you’ve cut your artichokes vertically, you can poke into the heart directly. You can also see the color of the heart change, from light to dark. If in doubt, err on the side of cooking more, as not-quite-done leaves are a chore to nibble the ends off. While the artichokes are boiling, melt some butter. About 2 tablespoons for person/artichoke is plenty. You can also make some garlic mayo. It’s nice to squeeze a clove of garlic into about a tablespoon of lemon juice and let that sit, to take the burning edge off the garlic, then mix that in with a good-size dollop of mayonnaise. This makes it a bit more of a runny sauce, rather than straight globby mayo (although some people like that just as well!). For truly pedantic instructions on how to eat the damn things, you’ll have to listen!

Quarantine Episode 3: All About Artichokes

RIP, Southwest Airlines in-flight magazine, where I found this surprisingly delicious and easy pasta sauce recipe 20-plus years ago. Alongside: a very simple carrot-celery-almond salad. And DIY vinaigrette. It all takes a lot longer than it should, but hey, there’s some proper podcast banter at the end. NOT-shopping list ground beef (or any ground meat, really)milk (must be real dairy milk, alas, but you could use a smaller amount of half-and-half, or even a little bit of yogurt or yogurt whey, or some buttermilk…)olive oilgarlicanchovies (filets in oil, salted, or anchovy paste; could also use dried mushrooms if you have that instead; maybe even…miso?!)tomato pastenutmeg (ideally whole, so you can grate fresh)parmesan or other hard grating cheese for pasta (skip it if you have to)spaghetti or any pasta shape, reallycarrotsceleryalmondsfresh herbs, if you have them (dill, parsley, even cilantro)vinegarmustard Midnight Meat Sauce for Spaghetti    This is a relatively dry “sauce.”    This recipe was published in the Southwest Airlines inflight magazine (which recently shuttered — RIP!) in the late 1990s or early 2000s. I clipped it out and stuck it in my recipe scrapbook, and it has been my go-to way of transforming just a smidge of ground meat into a really rich-tasting pasta topping. And it all takes only about 20 minutes to prepare (never mind the slow timing in the podcast). The recipe here is double the quantity of the published recipe. 3-4 servings1/2 pound ground beef (or other meat; suggestions in audio)2 cups milk4 cloves garlic2-4 anchovy filetsOlive oil3-4 tablespoons tomato pasteNutmeg for gratingParmesan or other hard cheese for garnish1/2 lb. spaghetti Combine the meat and milk in a bowl and use a fork to break the meat up into smaller pieces. Let this soak while you get the rest of the ingredients (and any other part of your dinner) ready. The longer it soaks, the better the texture. Half an hour will do the trick, though. Put on your pasta water, well salted, to boil. Finely chop the garlic, and if you’re using salt-packed anchovies, filet them.  (If you’re using dried mushrooms as a substitute umami flavor, set some in a small bowl and pour over boiling water. Let soak about 15-20 minutes, then pick out and dice very fine. You can use some of the soaking water in the sauce too, but be careful to not pour in grit from bottom of bowl.) In a shallow nonreactive (stainless steel) saucepan, heat a generous glug of olive oil on medium heat. Add the garlic and stir and fry briefly, then add anchovies. Turn eat to low and let simmer until anchovies dissolve — you can help break them up with the back of a spoon. Add tomato paste and raise heat to medium. Stir and fry for a minute, just to cook off a little excess liquid and any raw taste — the olive oil should be bubbling through. Add the meat and milk, and turn heat up and stir well, breaking up any big lumps with a spoon. After it’s bubbling well, turn down to a simmer. Let cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes. In the end, the meat should be very fine-grained, and much of the liquid cooked away. Serve over al dente pasta (for timing, most spaghetti takes ~10 minutes). Grate over fresh nutmeg, or stir in a pinch of ground nutmeg. Grate cheese. Serve immediately. Crunch Salad    Chunks should be small enough to make a nice mixed bite of all ingredients.    This is a satisfying salad to make with stuff that usually hangs out in your bottom fridge drawers for weeks. In the audio, I mention that cilantro is a good option, and if you take it, it’s nice to add a pinch of cumin to the dressing. It’s also totally fine without any herbs at all. For each person1 medium carrot1 rib celerySmall handful almondsFresh herbs (dill, parsley, cilantro)Vinaigrette (scroll down the page) Wash and peel carrot; rough-chop or dice in small pieces. (You want every bite to have some of everything, so chop accordingly.) Chop celery in roughly the same size.  Rough chop almonds and toast in a dry pan over med-high heat until fragrant, with some brown spots. Add to celery and carrots. Rough chop herbs, if using, and add to salad, then dress with vinaigrette.

RIP, Southwest Airlines in-flight magazine, where I found this surprisingly delicious and easy pasta sauce recipe 20-plus years ago. Alongside: a very simple carrot-celery-almond salad. And DIY vinaigrette. It all takes a lot longer than it should, but hey, there’s some proper podcast banter at the end. <h2>NOT-shopping list</h2> <ul><li>ground beef (or any ground meat, really)</li><li>milk (must be real dairy milk, alas, but you could use a smaller amount of half-and-half, or even a little bit of yogurt or yogurt whey, or some buttermilk…)</li><li>olive oil</li><li>garlic</li><li>anchovies (filets in oil, salted, or anchovy paste; could also use dried mushrooms if you have that instead; maybe even…miso?!)</li><li>tomato paste</li><li>nutmeg (ideally whole, so you can grate fresh)</li><li>parmesan or other hard grating cheese for pasta (skip it if you have to)</li><li>spaghetti or any pasta shape, really</li><li>carrots</li><li>celery</li><li>almonds</li><li>fresh herbs, if you have them (dill, parsley, even cilantro)</li><li>vinegar</li><li>mustard</li></ul> <h2>Midnight Meat Sauce for Spaghetti</h2> This is a relatively dry “sauce.” This recipe was published in the Southwest Airlines inflight magazine (which recently shuttered — RIP!) in the late 1990s or early 2000s. I clipped it out and stuck it in my recipe scrapbook, and it has been my go-to way of transforming just a smidge of ground meat into a really rich-tasting pasta topping. And it all takes only about 20 minutes to prepare (never mind the slow timing in the podcast). The recipe here is double the quantity of the published recipe. 3-4 servings 1/2 pound ground beef (or other meat; suggestions in audio) 2 cups milk 4 cloves garlic 2-4 anchovy filets Olive oil 3-4 tablespoons tomato paste Nutmeg for grating Parmesan or other hard cheese for garnish 1/2 lb. spaghetti Combine the meat and milk in a bowl and use a fork to break the meat up into smaller pieces. Let this soak while you get the rest of the ingredients (and any other part of your dinner) ready. The longer it soaks, the better the texture. Half an hour will do the trick, though. Put on your pasta water, well salted, to boil. Finely chop the garlic, and if you’re using salt-packed anchovies, filet them. (If you’re using dried mushrooms as a substitute umami flavor, set some in a small bowl and pour over boiling water. Let soak about 15-20 minutes, then pick out and dice very fine. You can use some of the soaking water in the sauce too, but be careful to not pour in grit from bottom of bowl.) In a shallow nonreactive (stainless steel) saucepan, heat a generous glug of olive oil on medium heat. Add the garlic and stir and fry briefly, then add anchovies. Turn eat to low and let simmer until anchovies dissolve — you can help break them up with the back of a spoon. Add tomato paste and raise heat to medium. Stir and fry for a minute, just to cook off a little excess liquid and any raw taste — the olive oil should be bubbling through. Add the meat and milk, and turn heat up and stir well, breaking up any big lumps with a spoon. After it’s bubbling well, turn down to a simmer. Let cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes. In the end, the meat should be very fine-grained, and much of the liquid cooked away. Serve over al dente pasta (for timing, most spaghetti takes ~10 minutes). Grate over fresh nutmeg, or stir in a pinch of ground nutmeg. Grate cheese. Serve immediately. <h2>Crunch Salad</h2> Chunks should be small enough to make a nice mixed bite of all ingredients. This is a satisfying salad to make with stuff that usually hangs out in your bottom fridge drawers for weeks. In the audio, I mention that cilantro is a good option, and if you take it, it’s nice to add a pinch of cumin to the dressing. It’s also totally fine without any herbs at all. For each person 1 medium carrot 1 rib celery Small handful almonds Fresh herbs (dill, parsley, cilantro) <a href="https://www.rovinggastronome.com/cookinginrealtime/rerun-ep-1-pasta-with-yogurt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vinaigrette</a> (scroll down the page) Wash and peel carrot; rough-chop or dice in small pieces. (You want every bite to have some of everything, so chop accordingly.) Chop celery in roughly the same size. Rough chop almonds and toast in a dry pan over med-high heat until fragrant, with some brown spots. Add to celery and carrots. Rough chop herbs, if using, and add to salad, then dress with vinaigrette.

Quarantine Episode 2: Midnight Meat Sauce for Spaghetti and Crunch Salad

Cucumber Raita

By popular demand, Cooking in Real Time is back after nearly 11 years, with a pretty long and rambling session of cooking basic rice and legumes, with plenty of shortcuts and substitutions from limited pantries. NOT-shopping list rice, ideally basmati, but whatever you haveone big onion, or one small one, or whatever you havegarlicfresh ginger (dry ground ginger is OK in a pinch)ghee (clarified butter) or vegetable oilwhole spices: black pepper, fennel, cumin, black mustard seeds, or…yeah, whatever you haveground turmericground cuminhing (asafetida), of course only if you happen to have itcurry leaves (if you just happen to have them)yellow split peas, lentils, beans, etc, etcplain yogurtcucumber (or some veg you can eat raw)tomato, fresh or cannedgrated coconut (if you have it)spinach, frozen or fresh, if you likefresh cabbagelime or lemon Simple Indian-spiced buttery rice pilaf    Not a model pilaf — so clumpy! But tasty.    In the recording, I lament the fact that I don’t have any basmati rice, so I’m using Japanese short grain rice. That pretty much sets the tone of use whatever you have. The idea here is just to cook rice that has some nice spice and onion flavor. I use fennel and black pepper for the spices, but you could sub in a stick of cinnamon and a couple of cloves along with the pepper. If you don’t have whole spices, you can use ground, but don’t let the fry in the oil for more than a couple of seconds. 3-4 servings1 cup rice1 small onion or half a large one2-3 Tbsp ghee or vegetable oil1 Tbsp each whole black peppercorn and fennel seedsSalt Rinse rice and let it soak while you slice the onion — long vertical slices is fine, but half-rings is more “Indian” looking. Rinse the rice again and let it drain.  In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, melt the ghee or add the vegetable oil. The bottom of the pot should have a decent layer. When the fat is hot (look for a little shimmer), throw in the whole spices and stir for a few seconds, just until you can smell them.  Add the onion and turn the heat down a bit; add salt. Stir and cook until the onions have mostly softened (no need for color). Add the rice and stir and fry until the grains are well coated with oil/ghee. In an ideal world, with basmati, each translucent grain would start to turn a little opaque. You may want to turn the heat up a little for this, to cook away the water stuck on the rice grains. Add water in proportion to the kind of rice you’re using (1 1/4 cups is usually good for basmati; short-grain takes about 1 1/2 cups; brown rice can take up to 2 cups). Cover and turn heat to simmer and cook till tender.  When the water has cooked away, turn off heat and place a clean dish towel over the top of the pot, fixing it in place with the lid. This absorbs any extra steam that would make the rice gummy. South Indian Yellow Split Peas with Tomato and Coconut Great, inspiring book! Highly recommend.    This recipe is sort of from Chitra Agrawal’s Vibrant India book. I follow her basic technique and cut away some of the ingredients and sub some others. You can really use any legume (bigger beans, brown lentils, pink lentils, etc), adjusting cooking time accordingly. (Note of course that bigger beans will need to be presoaked, or pressure-cooked, which takes more time/planning.) The add-ins are up to you and whatever you have. The building blocks are simply beans+ginger+spices, with everything else according to your preferences/pantry stock.    If you want to use canned beans, that’s also possible. In this case, add the ginger and turmeric (and possibly curry leaves) to the spice-onion mix, then gently stir in the beans to heat through. You will need a bit of liquid: vegetable or chicken stock, maybe, or even coconut milk, which is especially silky with the beans. Serves 3-41 cup yellow split peas (toor dal)1-inch knob fresh ginger (or 1 Tbsp dry ginger)2 sprigs fresh curry leaves (totally optional)1 tsp ground turmeric1 small onion (or half a larger one)2 cloves garlic2 Tbsp ghee (or vegetable oil)1 Tbsp each whole cumin seeds and black mustard seedsPinch of hing (asafetida)Salt1/4-1/3 cup grated coconut1 small tomato, or about 1/2 cup canned diced tomato and juices1-1 1/2 cup frozen leaf spinach (or small bunch of fresh spinach) Optional first step: toast the split peas in a dry pan, until they darken slightly and are fragrant. (Agrawal says this is to cut down on their natural stickiness.)  Add enough water to the pot to cover the split peas by about an inch (between your first and second finger knuckle, is my usual test). Grate in the ginger — or if you’re nervous about your knuckles, like me, grate some and slice the rest into thin coins. Add the curry leaves and turmeric, and set the heat to medium-low, to simmer until the peas are soft. Slice the onion in half-rings and roughly chop the garlic. Assemble the other ingredients, as you’ll be adding them one after the other.     Stirring the spice-onion-coconut mix.    In a wide-bottomed pan or skillet, heat the ghee (or oil) and when it is shimmering, add the whole spices and the hing (if you happen to have it!). Stir just until the mustard seeds turn gray, and you can smell the cumin. (You can use ground cumin, if you have only that; it needs just a second in the oil. Be ready to add the onions quickly.) Add the onions and a couple of pinches of salt and lower the heat a little, stirring and frying until the onions start to soften. Add the coconut, if using, and stir until it gets a little toasty, or it’s starting to stick too much, whichever comes first. Then add the tomatoes. You should have a pretty thick mess of flavor!    The finished dal, lightly spotted with tomato.    When the peas are soft enough, you will probably have a fairly brothy, almost soupy, mix. Squash the peas a bit with the back of a spoon, up against the side of the pot. Then add the spice-onion mix and stir. Finally stir in the spinach, turn the heat to low and cover and let sit just for 3-4 minutes until spinach is defrosted/wilted.  Pull out curry leaves (or at least the most obvious ones) before serving.  Cucumber-Cumin Raita For 2-3 servings, combine 3 very large spoons of plain yogurt with finely chopped cucumber, a large pinch of salt and a small pinch of ground cumin. Add a generous squeeze of lemon or lime if you have it.  You can sub in grated carrots, or even raw beets, or any other vegetable that’s good raw, as long as it’s chopped quite small. Simple Cabbage Salad I can’t believe I never did this in the first series of episodes! Just slice cabbage very thinly, drizzle over olive oil, and, right before serving, squeeze over fresh lemon juice (best) or red-wine vinegar (also decent). Generously salt and pepper. Optional grated carrots. It all tastes so much better than it seems like it should. Thanks and much love and health to everyone! Please send questions/suggestions to zora@rovinggastronome.com. I’d love to hear what’s in your pantry and any other cooking quandaries you might have.

By popular demand, Cooking in Real Time is back after nearly 11 years, with a pretty long and rambling session of cooking basic rice and legumes, with plenty of shortcuts and substitutions from limited pantries. <h2>NOT-shopping list</h2> <ul><li>rice, ideally basmati, but whatever you have</li><li>one big onion, or one small one, or whatever you have</li><li>garlic</li><li>fresh ginger (dry ground ginger is OK in a pinch)</li><li>ghee (clarified butter) or vegetable oil</li><li>whole spices: black pepper, fennel, cumin, black mustard seeds, or…yeah, whatever you have</li><li>ground turmeric</li><li>ground cumin</li><li>hing (asafetida), of course only if you happen to have it</li><li>curry leaves (if you just happen to have them)</li><li>yellow split peas, lentils, beans, etc, etc</li><li>plain yogurt</li><li>cucumber (or some veg you can eat raw)</li><li>tomato, fresh or canned</li><li>grated coconut (if you have it)</li><li>spinach, frozen or fresh, if you like</li><li>fresh cabbage</li><li>lime or lemon</li></ul> <h2>Simple Indian-spiced buttery rice pilaf</h2> Not a model pilaf — so clumpy! But tasty. In the recording, I lament the fact that I don’t have any basmati rice, so I’m using Japanese short grain rice. That pretty much sets the tone of use whatever you have. The idea here is just to cook rice that has some nice spice and onion flavor. I use fennel and black pepper for the spices, but you could sub in a stick of cinnamon and a couple of cloves along with the pepper. If you don’t have whole spices, you can use ground, but don’t let the fry in the oil for more than a couple of seconds. 3-4 servings 1 cup rice 1 small onion or half a large one 2-3 Tbsp ghee or vegetable oil 1 Tbsp each whole black peppercorn and fennel seeds Salt Rinse rice and let it soak while you <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kVZxd8JdYk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">slice the onion</a> — long vertical slices is fine, but half-rings is more “Indian” looking. Rinse the rice again and let it drain. In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, melt the ghee or add the vegetable oil. The bottom of the pot should have a decent layer. When the fat is hot (look for a little shimmer), throw in the whole spices and stir for a few seconds, just until you can smell them. Add the onion and turn the heat down a bit; add salt. Stir and cook until the onions have mostly softened (no need for color). Add the rice and stir and fry until the grains are well coated with oil/ghee. In an ideal world, with basmati, each translucent grain would start to turn a little opaque. You may want to turn the heat up a little for this, to cook away the water stuck on the rice grains. Add water in proportion to the kind of rice you’re using (1 1/4 cups is usually good for basmati; short-grain takes about 1 1/2 cups; brown rice can take up to 2 cups). Cover and turn heat to simmer and cook till tender. When the water has cooked away, turn off heat and place a clean dish towel over the top of the pot, fixing it in place with the lid. This absorbs any extra steam that would make the rice gummy. <h2>South Indian Yellow Split Peas with Tomato and Coconut</h2> <a href="amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1607747340/rovinggastron-20(opens in a new tab)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Great, inspiring book! Highly recommend. This recipe is sort of from Chitra Agrawal’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1607747340/rovinggastron-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vibrant India</a> book. I follow her basic technique and cut away some of the ingredients and sub some others. You can really use any legume (bigger beans, brown lentils, pink lentils, etc), adjusting cooking time accordingly. (Note of course that bigger beans will need to be presoaked, or pressure-cooked, which takes more time/planning.) The add-ins are up to you and whatever you have. The building blocks are simply beans+ginger+spices, with everything else according to your preferences/pantry stock. If you want to use canned beans, that’s also possible. In this case, add the ginger and turmeric (and possibly curry leaves) to the spice-onion mix, then gently stir in the beans to heat through. You will need a bit of liquid: vegetable or chicken stock, maybe, or even coconut milk, which is especially silky with the beans. Serves 3-4 1 cup yellow split peas (toor dal) 1-inch knob fresh ginger (or 1 Tbsp dry ginger) 2 sprigs fresh curry leaves (totally optional) 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 small onion (or half a larger one) 2 cloves garlic 2 Tbsp ghee (or vegetable oil) 1 Tbsp each whole cumin seeds and black mustard seeds Pinch of hing (asafetida) Salt 1/4-1/3 cup grated coconut 1 small tomato, or about 1/2 cup canned diced tomato and juices 1-1 1/2 cup frozen leaf spinach (or small bunch of fresh spinach) Optional first step: toast the split peas in a dry pan, until they darken slightly and are fragrant. (Agrawal says this is to cut down on their natural stickiness.) Add enough water to the pot to cover the split peas by about an inch (between your first and second finger knuckle, is my usual test). Grate in the ginger — or if you’re nervous about your knuckles, like me, grate some and slice the rest into thin coins. Add the curry leaves and turmeric, and set the heat to medium-low, to simmer until the peas are soft. Slice the onion in half-rings and roughly chop the garlic. Assemble the other ingredients, as you’ll be adding them one after the other. Stirring the spice-onion-coconut mix. In a wide-bottomed pan or skillet, heat the ghee (or oil) and when it is shimmering, add the whole spices and the hing (if you happen to have it!). Stir just until the mustard seeds turn gray, and you can smell the cumin. (You can use ground cumin, if you have only that; it needs just a second in the oil. Be ready to add the onions quickly.) Add the onions and a couple of pinches of salt and lower the heat a little, stirring and frying until the onions start to soften. Add the coconut, if using, and stir until it gets a little toasty, or it’s starting to stick too much, whichever comes first. Then add the tomatoes. You should have a pretty thick mess of flavor! The finished dal, lightly spotted with tomato. When the peas are soft enough, you will probably have a fairly brothy, almost soupy, mix. Squash the peas a bit with the back of a spoon, up against the side of the pot. Then add the spice-onion mix and stir. Finally stir in the spinach, turn the heat to low and cover and let sit just for 3-4 minutes until spinach is defrosted/wilted. Pull out curry leaves (or at least the most obvious ones) before serving. <h2>Cucumber-Cumin Raita</h2> For 2-3 servings, combine 3 very large spoons of plain yogurt with finely chopped cucumber, a large pinch of salt and a small pinch of ground cumin. Add a generous squeeze of lemon or lime if you have it. You can sub in grated carrots, or even raw beets, or any other vegetable that’s good raw, as long as it’s chopped quite small. <h2>Simple Cabbage Salad</h2> I can’t believe I never did this in the first series of episodes! Just slice cabbage very thinly, drizzle over olive oil, and, right before serving, squeeze over fresh lemon juice (best) or red-wine vinegar (also decent). Generously salt and pepper. Optional grated carrots. It all tastes so much better than it seems like it should. <h2>Thanks and much love and health to everyone! Please send questions/suggestions to zora@rovinggastronome.com. I’d love to hear what’s in your pantry and any other cooking quandaries you might have.</h2>

Quarantine Episode 1: Fennel Rice and Semi-South Indian Dal, with Cucumber Raita and Cabbage Salad

Chipotle Pesto

This week, it’s a menu for winter doldrums. I’m nursing a light cold with some chicken soup–and adding chipotle chiles and garlic for extra health-giving kick. On the side: a baked sweet potato, packed with vitamin C.  Shopping list  2 chicken thighs, bone-in 2 cups chicken stock Pasta (or pearl couscous or rice) Flour or corn tortillas Cashews Sweet potatoes 2 carrots Celery (optional) Grape tomatoes Small bunch cilantro 1 lime 1 onion 5 cloves garlic Butter Olive oil  Chicken Noodle Soup with Chipotle Pesto  This is basically a very generic chicken noodle soup, but with a handful of details that make it super-flavorful: with the fresh chicken and the toasted pasta (you could also use pearl couscous, orzo or even rice), it’s a lot richer than a soup made from just canned broth. All the trimmings (cilantro, the chipotle pesto on top, a squeeze of lime) make it semi-Mexican, but you can adapt the basic soup any way you like–take out the tomatoes, add different herbs and spices, mix up a different sort of pesto to dab on top… serves 22 chicken thighs, bone-inDrizzle olive oil1 onionSalt5 cloves garlic2 cups chicken stock2 carrots2 ribs celery (optional)Large handful grape tomatoes1/2 avocadoLarge handful noodles of your choice (elbows, etc.)2 chipotle chiles in adoboSmall handful cashews1 limeSmall bunch cilantroFlour or corn tortillas Chop one chicken thigh up roughly into 4 or 5 pieces, cutting through the bone if possible. Set a heavy soup pot on medium heat; add a small drizzle of oil, just to coat the bottom. Add both chicken thighs (the cut-up one and the whole one, skin-side down) and let brown. Chop the onion into rough slices and add to pot with chicken, alongside. Sprinkle a bit of salt over the onions and the chicken. Peel and chop the garlic coarsely. When the chicken is somewhat browned and no longer shows any pink, remove the whole chicken thigh and set it aside; leave the remaining pieces of chicken in the pot. Add the garlic to the onions and stir and fry briefly. Put the lid on the pot, turn the heat to low and let the chicken, onions and garlic steam for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Peel your carrots and slice them into half-inch chunks. (If using celery, cut into quarter-inch rings.) Slice the grape tomatoes in half (using this genius method). Cut the avocado into cubes (as at left) and set in your serving bowls. Check on your chicken in the pot–when the onions are soft, and the chicken has given off a little liquid, add the chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan as you stir the mixture together. Turn the heat up to medium-low and toss in the carrots. Also remove the skin from the whole chicken thigh and return the meat to the pot. Set a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add a tiny drizzle of oil. Add the dry pasta, stirring well to coat each piece with oil. Fry, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is toasted and brown, 3 or 4 minutes. Immediately remove the pasta to a small bowl, to keep it from browning further in the pan.  Make the chipotle pesto: Chop the chiles fine (scrape seeds out if you want less heat), along with the garlic and cashews. Add a generous squeeze of lime and extra adobo from the chipotle can to make a loose paste. Also rinse the cilantro and pick the leaves off the stems. After the carrots have been in the soup for about 5 minutes, add the tomatoes and the pasta. Let simmer until the pasta is al dente and the carrots are soft. Remove the thigh bone and the whole chicken thigh from the soup and let cool briefly; remove the meat and return it to the soup. Just before serving, heat up your tortillas: fry them briefly in a dry skillet (or the one you did the pasta in, with the extra oil wiped out), until they have a few brown spots and puff up (flour ones do this more). To serve the soup, ladle it over the avocado pieces. Top with a small dollop of the chipotle pesto, and a small handful of cilantro. Add another spritz of lime and enjoy with hot tortillas on the side. (They’re also good with honey for dessert…) Whole Baked Sweet Potatoes  This is a cinch. The only trick is remembering to put the sweet potatoes in the oven very first thing when you start cooking, so they have time to finish while you do the rest of the meal. Set your oven to 350 degrees. Rinse your sweet potato(es), scraping off any obvious chunks of dirt, but don’t sweat it too much. Poke each sweet potato 5 or 6 times with a fork. Stick ’em in the oven (optionally on foil or a tray, so the sweet drippings don’t drop and burn). Let bake for 35-40 minutes, until they’re nice and soft. Slice open and eat like a regular baked potato, with a dab of butter, and maybe some salt and pepper.  Reminder: a lot of my cooking advice is also available in How to Throw a Dinner Party Without Having a Nervous Breakdown, my cookbook with Tamara Reynolds. Available where all fine ebooks are sold. 

This week, it’s a menu for winter doldrums. I’m nursing a light cold with some chicken soup–and adding chipotle chiles and garlic for extra health-giving kick. On the side: a baked sweet potato, packed with vitamin C. <h2>Shopping list</h2> <ul><li> 2 chicken thighs, bone-in </li><li>2 cups chicken stock </li><li>Pasta (or pearl couscous or rice) </li><li>Flour or corn tortillas </li><li>Cashews </li><li>Sweet potatoes </li><li>2 carrots </li><li>Celery (optional) </li><li>Grape tomatoes </li><li>Small bunch cilantro </li><li>1 lime </li><li>1 onion </li><li>5 cloves garlic </li><li>Butter </li><li>Olive oil </li></ul> <h2>Chicken Noodle Soup with Chipotle Pesto</h2> <a href="https://www.rovinggastronome.com/cookinginrealtime/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/chixsoup-027.JPG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> This is basically a very generic chicken noodle soup, but with a handful of details that make it super-flavorful: with the fresh chicken and the toasted pasta (you could also use pearl couscous, orzo or even rice), it’s a lot richer than a soup made from just canned broth. All the trimmings (cilantro, the chipotle pesto on top, a squeeze of lime) make it semi-Mexican, but you can adapt the basic soup any way you like–take out the tomatoes, add different herbs and spices, mix up a different sort of pesto to dab on top… serves 2 2 chicken thighs, bone-in Drizzle olive oil 1 onion Salt 5 cloves garlic 2 cups chicken stock 2 carrots 2 ribs celery (optional) Large handful grape tomatoes 1/2 avocado Large handful noodles of your choice (elbows, etc.) 2 chipotle chiles in adobo Small handful cashews 1 lime Small bunch cilantro Flour or corn tortillas Chop one chicken thigh up roughly into 4 or 5 pieces, cutting through the bone if possible. Set a heavy soup pot on medium heat; add a small drizzle of oil, just to coat the bottom. Add both chicken thighs (the cut-up one and the whole one, skin-side down) and let brown. Chop the onion into rough slices and add to pot with chicken, alongside. Sprinkle a bit of salt over the onions and the chicken. Peel and chop the garlic coarsely. When the chicken is somewhat browned and no longer shows any pink, remove the whole chicken thigh and set it aside; leave the remaining pieces of chicken in the pot. Add the garlic to the onions and stir and fry briefly. Put the lid on the pot, turn the heat to low and let the chicken, onions and garlic steam for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. <a href="https://www.rovinggastronome.com/cookinginrealtime/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/chixsoup-032.JPG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Peel your carrots and slice them into half-inch chunks. (If using celery, cut into quarter-inch rings.) Slice the grape tomatoes in half (using <a href="https://www.rovinggastronome.com/cookinginrealtime/?p=257#tomato" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this genius method</a>). Cut the avocado into cubes (as at left) and set in your serving bowls. Check on your chicken in the pot–when the onions are soft, and the chicken has given off a little liquid, add the chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan as you stir the mixture together. Turn the heat up to medium-low and toss in the carrots. Also remove the skin from the whole chicken thigh and return the meat to the pot. Set a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add a tiny drizzle of oil. Add the dry pasta, stirring well to coat each piece with oil. Fry, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is toasted and brown, 3 or 4 minutes. Immediately remove the pasta to a small bowl, to keep it from browning further in the pan. <a href="https://www.rovinggastronome.com/cookinginrealtime/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/chixsoup-033.JPG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Make the chipotle pesto: Chop the chiles fine (scrape seeds out if you want less heat), along with the garlic and cashews. Add a generous squeeze of lime and extra adobo from the chipotle can to make a loose paste. Also rinse the cilantro and pick the leaves off the stems. After the carrots have been in the soup for about 5 minutes, add the tomatoes and the pasta. Let simmer until the pasta is al dente and the carrots are soft. Remove the thigh bone and the whole chicken thigh from the soup and let cool briefly; remove the meat and return it to the soup. Just before serving, heat up your tortillas: fry them briefly in a dry skillet (or the one you did the pasta in, with the extra oil wiped out), until they have a few brown spots and puff up (flour ones do this more). To serve the soup, ladle it over the avocado pieces. Top with a small dollop of the chipotle pesto, and a small handful of cilantro. Add another spritz of lime and enjoy with hot tortillas on the side. (They’re also good with honey for dessert…) <h2>Whole Baked Sweet Potatoes</h2> <a href="https://www.rovinggastronome.com/cookinginrealtime/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/chixsoup-024.JPG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> This is a cinch. The only trick is remembering to put the sweet potatoes in the oven very first thing when you start cooking, so they have time to finish while you do the rest of the meal. Set your oven to 350 degrees. Rinse your sweet potato(es), scraping off any obvious chunks of dirt, but don’t sweat it too much. Poke each sweet potato 5 or 6 times with a fork. Stick ’em in the oven (optionally on foil or a tray, so the sweet drippings don’t drop and burn). Let bake for 35-40 minutes, until they’re nice and soft. Slice open and eat like a regular baked potato, with a dab of butter, and maybe some salt and pepper. <a href="http://books2read.com/DinnerParty" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Reminder: a lot of my cooking advice is also available in How to Throw a Dinner Party Without Having a Nervous Breakdown, my cookbook with Tamara Reynolds. Available where all <a href="http://books2read.com/DinnerParty" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fine ebooks are sold</a>.

RERUN Episode 26: Chicken Noodle Soup with Chipotle Pesto, plus Baked Sweet Potatoes

 This week, we cook a little risotto–it’s not as complicated or as fussy as you think. And it’s a very adaptable dish. On the side, we roast up some wee brussels sprouts and douse them in garlic and anchovies–what’s not to love?  Shopping list 1 slice bacon2 or 3 anchovy filets1 small butternut, kabocha or acorn squash1 pint brussels sproutsSage (fresh or dried)2 or 3 cloves garlic1 small onion1/2 cup short-grain riceOlive oilParmesan cheese1/4 cup almonds1 tablespoon butter Butternut-Squash Risotto  Learn to make risotto, and you’ve got an immensely versatile dish under your belt–you can throw just about anything in. This combination capitalizes on fall flavors–squash and sage, with a boost of bacon (though that’s optional). The nuts on top (almonds here, but you could use hazelnuts or even pecans) add a little extra protein, as well as essential crunch–it’s the variety of textures that take this from gooey side dish to main-meal material. Serves 2 generously1 small winter squash or pumpkin (see note below)Olive oilSalt1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth1 slice thick-cut bacon1 small onion2 large pinches dried sage (or 10-12 leaves fresh, chopped fine)1/2 cup short-grain rice (see note below)Parmesan1 tablespoon butterLarge handful (1/4 cup or so) almonds Preheat oven to 400. Slice squash into large wedges, scrape out seeds then cut off peel with a sharp knife. Cut squash into small pieces–1/2-inch square or so, though irregular sizes are fine, and even a bonus here, as the smallest ones will get quite soft and blend in with the risotto, and others will stay firmer and whole. Toss the pieces with a drizzle or two of olive oil, just to coat, and lay the pieces out on a baking sheet or (if not too crowded) a heavy skillet. Sprinkle with a bit of salt. Place in oven and roast for about 30 minutes, until the squash is soft all the way through.  Pour broth into a small saucepan and set on a back burner on low heat to warm. Cut bacon into 1/4-inch pieces and set to fry over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan–this is the pan you’ll be making your risotto in. Cut onion into thin slices. When the bacon is half-crispy, add the onions to the pan, along with a pinch of salt, and stir and fry. Add the sage and continue to cook, until the sage is fragrant and the onions are translucent and soft–this can take 5 minutes or so. When the onions are ready, add the rice. Stir and fry until the rice is coated with oil and somewhat translucent. Add a couple of ladlesful of warm stock and stir thoroughly to combine. If you have nothing else to do in the kitchen, continue to stir. (If you do have other tasks, you can leave the risotto unattended until you hear the liquid cooking away.) Continue to stir and add stock, ladleful by ladleful, as the rice absorbs the liquid and a velvety sauce forms around the rice. Depending on your rice, you may or may not use all of the stock–I usually wind up just adding everything I’ve heated up, and it usually turns out fine. When rice is al dente–it still has a bit of firmness to it–and the mixture is fairly loose (it will thicken as it sits), turn off the heat. Grate in a generous amount of Parmesan cheese, and stir in the butter. Put the lid on the pan and let the risotto sit for about 5 minutes. During this time, roughly chop your almonds and toast them in a dry skillet over high heat, just until lightly browned. Remove them from the hot skillet as soon as they’re browned to your liking. Stir the roasted squash into the thickened risotto, squishing up some of the smaller pieces. (How much squash you add depends on your taste–you might have some squash left over.) Place in serving bowls and sprinkle over the toasted almonds, along with a bit more grated Parmesan. Notes:Squash: You can use butternut, kabocha or acorn squash–anything that’s firm, orange and a bit sweet. In the podcast, I use a wedge of calabaza–a kind of pumpkin that’s used in Latin America and the Caribbean. Butternut squash is by far the most common, but it’s hard to find small enough squash so that you won’t be overwhelmed with it when cooking for just a couple of people–but leftover roast squash is not a bad thing to have around. (And please avoid that precut squash! Who knows how many days/weeks it’s been sitting around! Really, it takes very little time to peel and prep a squash.) Rice: Classic risotto recipes call for arborio rice, an Italian grain that’s hard to find and expensive when you do. I have found that Japanese sushi rice works quite well too–it happens to be much easier for me to buy, and it’s significantly cheaper. But any short-grain rice will work reasonably well. Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Anchovies and Garlic  As I say in the podcast, when in doubt with vegetables, roast them. Brussels sprouts roast up particularly well, getting a nice crunchy outside and sweetening a bit in the process. Even if you think you don’t like brussels sprouts, try them once this way–I think you’ll change your mind. Dousing them in anchovies and garlic (skip the anchovies if you’re veg, obviously–it will still be tasty) makes them incredibly savory, and a nice counterpoint to the sweetness of the squash in the risotto. Serves 21 pint brussels sproutsOlive oilSalt2 or 3 cloves garlic2 or 3 anchovy filets Preheat oven to 400. Trim bottom ends of brussels sprouts and slice in half lengthwise. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on a baking sheet, then lay out the sprouts, cut side down, rubbing each one in oil. Drizzle a bit of oil over the tops of the sprouts as well, and sprinkle with salt. Roast until the cut sides are nicely browned, about 30 minutes. Set a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour in a glug of olive oil. While it’s warming, chop your garlic cloves fine or squeeze them through a press. When the oil is hot, add the anchovy filets, mashing them with the side of your spoon, so they melt into small pieces. Add the garlic and stir and fry until fragrant. Put the roasted sprouts in a serving bowl, then pour the hot anchovy-garlic mixture over them and toss lightly.  Reminder: a lot of my cooking advice is also available in How to Throw a Dinner Party Without Having a Nervous Breakdown, my cookbook with Tamara Reynolds. Available where all fine ebooks are sold. 

This week, we cook a little risotto–it’s not as complicated or as fussy as you think. And it’s a very adaptable dish. On the side, we roast up some wee brussels sprouts and douse them in garlic and anchovies–what’s not to love? <h2>Shopping list</h2> <ul><li>1 slice bacon</li><li>2 or 3 anchovy filets</li><li>1 small butternut, kabocha or acorn squash</li><li>1 pint brussels sprouts</li><li>Sage (fresh or dried)</li><li>2 or 3 cloves garlic</li><li>1 small onion</li><li>1/2 cup short-grain rice</li><li>Olive oil</li><li>Parmesan cheese</li><li>1/4 cup almonds</li><li>1 tablespoon butter</li></ul> <h2>Butternut-Squash Risotto</h2> <a href="https://www.rovinggastronome.com/cookinginrealtime/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/squash-024.JPG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Learn to make risotto, and you’ve got an immensely versatile dish under your belt–you can throw just about anything in. This combination capitalizes on fall flavors–squash and sage, with a boost of bacon (though that’s optional). The nuts on top (almonds here, but you could use hazelnuts or even pecans) add a little extra protein, as well as essential crunch–it’s the variety of textures that take this from gooey side dish to main-meal material. Serves 2 generously 1 small winter squash or pumpkin (see note below) Olive oil Salt 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth 1 slice thick-cut bacon 1 small onion 2 large pinches dried sage (or 10-12 leaves fresh, chopped fine) 1/2 cup short-grain rice (see note below) Parmesan 1 tablespoon butter Large handful (1/4 cup or so) almonds Preheat oven to 400. Slice squash into large wedges, scrape out seeds then cut off peel with a sharp knife. Cut squash into small pieces–1/2-inch square or so, though irregular sizes are fine, and even a bonus here, as the smallest ones will get quite soft and blend in with the risotto, and others will stay firmer and whole. Toss the pieces with a drizzle or two of olive oil, just to coat, and lay the pieces out on a baking sheet or (if not too crowded) a heavy skillet. Sprinkle with a bit of salt. Place in oven and roast for about 30 minutes, until the squash is soft all the way through. <a href="https://www.rovinggastronome.com/cookinginrealtime/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/squash-026.JPG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Pour broth into a small saucepan and set on a back burner on low heat to warm. Cut bacon into 1/4-inch pieces and set to fry over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan–this is the pan you’ll be making your risotto in. Cut onion into thin slices. When the bacon is half-crispy, add the onions to the pan, along with a pinch of salt, and stir and fry. Add the sage and continue to cook, until the sage is fragrant and the onions are translucent and soft–this can take 5 minutes or so. When the onions are ready, add the rice. Stir and fry until the rice is coated with oil and somewhat translucent. Add a couple of ladlesful of warm stock and stir thoroughly to combine. If you have nothing else to do in the kitchen, continue to stir. (If you do have other tasks, you can leave the risotto unattended until you hear the liquid cooking away.) Continue to stir and add stock, ladleful by ladleful, as the rice absorbs the liquid and a velvety sauce forms around the rice. Depending on your rice, you may or may not use all of the stock–I usually wind up just adding everything I’ve heated up, and it usually turns out fine. When rice is al dente–it still has a bit of firmness to it–and the mixture is fairly loose (it will thicken as it sits), turn off the heat. Grate in a generous amount of Parmesan cheese, and stir in the butter. Put the lid on the pan and let the risotto sit for about 5 minutes. During this time, roughly chop your almonds and toast them in a dry skillet over high heat, just until lightly browned. Remove them from the hot skillet as soon as they’re browned to your liking. Stir the roasted squash into the thickened risotto, squishing up some of the smaller pieces. (How much squash you add depends on your taste–you might have some squash left over.) Place in serving bowls and sprinkle over the toasted almonds, along with a bit more grated Parmesan. Notes: Squash: You can use butternut, kabocha or acorn squash–anything that’s firm, orange and a bit sweet. In the podcast, I use a wedge of calabaza–a kind of pumpkin that’s used in Latin America and the Caribbean. Butternut squash is by far the most common, but it’s hard to find small enough squash so that you won’t be overwhelmed with it when cooking for just a couple of people–but leftover roast squash is not a bad thing to have around. (And please avoid that precut squash! Who knows how many days/weeks it’s been sitting around! Really, it takes very little time to peel and prep a squash.) Rice: Classic risotto recipes call for arborio rice, an Italian grain that’s hard to find and expensive when you do. I have found that Japanese sushi rice works quite well too–it happens to be much easier for me to buy, and it’s significantly cheaper. But any short-grain rice will work reasonably well. <h2>Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Anchovies and Garlic</h2> <a href="https://www.rovinggastronome.com/cookinginrealtime/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/squash-016.JPG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> As I say in the podcast, when in doubt with vegetables, roast them. Brussels sprouts roast up particularly well, getting a nice crunchy outside and sweetening a bit in the process. Even if you think you don’t like brussels sprouts, try them once this way–I think you’ll change your mind. Dousing them in anchovies and garlic (skip the anchovies if you’re veg, obviously–it will still be tasty) makes them incredibly savory, and a nice counterpoint to the sweetness of the squash in the risotto. Serves 2 1 pint brussels sprouts Olive oil Salt 2 or 3 cloves garlic 2 or 3 anchovy filets Preheat oven to 400. Trim bottom ends of brussels sprouts and slice in half lengthwise. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on a baking sheet, then lay out the sprouts, cut side down, rubbing each one in oil. Drizzle a bit of oil over the tops of the sprouts as well, and sprinkle with salt. Roast until the cut sides are nicely browned, about 30 minutes. Set a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour in a glug of olive oil. While it’s warming, chop your garlic cloves fine or squeeze them through a press. When the oil is hot, add the anchovy filets, mashing them with the side of your spoon, so they melt into small pieces. Add the garlic and stir and fry until fragrant. Put the roasted sprouts in a serving bowl, then pour the hot anchovy-garlic mixture over them and toss lightly. <a href="http://books2read.com/DinnerParty" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Reminder: a lot of my cooking advice is also available in How to Throw a Dinner Party Without Having a Nervous Breakdown, my cookbook with Tamara Reynolds. Available where all <a href="http://books2read.com/DinnerParty" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fine ebooks are sold</a>.

RERUN Episode 25: Butternut-Squash Risotto and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Anchovies and Garlic

I love this podcast and am delighted to have it back, thank you!!!! (And stay safe 😘)

So good to have her back!!

Great lessons and tips that cut through the fog.

Entertaining and no-nonsense

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