As a non-Chinese, white American cook who cooks a lot of Chinese and Chinese-style food, I have taken a particular interest in what happens to American ingredients when they’re used in a Chinese idiom. There’s been a fair amount written about “American Chinese food,” which as some of you probably know is its own culinary [...]
Sea salt caramels aside, Americans have been slow to warm to the idea of combining savory and sweet. There are occasional exceptions, like fruit-based salsas, or honey-mustard combinations, and of course sweet molasses-y barbecue sauces. But whenever I talk about things like, say, the classic French noisettes de porc aux prunes, which is an out-of-this-world [...]
Tagged apples, cauliflower, soupThis is what happens when I take my own advice. It could be what happens when you take my advice too, if you’re so inclined. Have some greens along with it. We had steamed gai lan. Fantastic.
Tagged chicken, home cooking, wednesday's supperThis is one of those dinners that is not for the kind of person who is afraid of mixing things on the plate. I caramelized zucchini in a tablespoon of olive oil with whole cloves of garlic — a medium heat, with infrequent stirring and a good stout pan, will get it done in a [...]
Tagged chiles, cucumber, dog, Eggs, garlic, monday's supper, pickles, saladsThis is a dish that falls squarely into the category that my friend Jeannette calls dolce far niente cooking. Perfect for hot weather, it is light and cooling but has strong, invigorating flavor. And, as the dolce far niente thing implies, it requires hardly any effort. You’ll want a couple-few cucumbers, a healthy-sized bunch of [...]
Tagged chiles, cilantro, cucumbers, salads, wednesday's supperWhooboy, it’s been a time around here, chickens. I’m deep, deep in the crunch, though not yet in the weeds thank God, with a book deadline July 15. So if postings get a little catch-as-catch can, fear not, it’s just that the book has eaten my head, my hands, and probably my cooking time, as [...]
Tagged chard, leafy greens, Mexican, monday's supper, pickles, porkOh, I took photos. But would they really express the satisfaction, a long day of writing behind me, an evening’s worth still to go, of spending a half an hour in the kitchen with the cool crispness of bok choy and cucumbers and scallions? Would they convey the sizzle of the tofu hitting the hot [...]
Tagged black beans, bok choy, cucumber, garlic, home cooking, leafy greens, soup, stir-fry, tofu, wednesday's supperSome of this weekend’s greens haul, a nice smallish head of napa cabbage, was cut into ribbons, sauteed with onions and garlic, and used as a base for a fava bean and ham hock broth. Some of the scraps of ham perch on top, for extra juju. Especially with a starchy broth like a [...]
Tagged beans, cabbage, home cooking, leafy greens, monday's supper, porkI’m dining alone tonight, my Belovedary down at Camden Yards watching the Orioles lose. It’s a nice night for it. Dining alone can be a challenge. Even I sometimes get tempted not to bother cooking if it’s just me, especially when I am, as I am tonight, working late on a deadline. I try, though, [...]
Tagged eating alone, Eggs, Friday's supper, garlic, home cooking, squashGoodness, Wednesday dinnertime already? That was how I felt when I walked into the kitchen tonight, with honestly no idea what to cook. But I had boiled a batch of chickpeas yesterday, and we had a pound of kale in the fridge. Beans love greens and greens love beans, but how to make it interesting? [...]
Tagged beans, fish, greens, kale, wednesday's supper