Sichuan Fish Stew (Shui Zhu Yu)
28 Feb 2014

Sichuan Fish Stew (Shui Zhu Yu)

by | posted in: gluten-free, Recipes, Seafood, Soups & Stews | 3

If you’re familiar with the dry-style stir-fries of Sichuan cuisine — Kung Pao chicken, or beef with cumin — this is its soupy antithesis. Translating literally to “water-cooked fish,” it’s fish slices gently poached in a not-so-gentle broth. No, it’s not just water in there. Infused with dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns and chili bean sauce, it’s a tingly, vermilion bath loaded with slivered vegetables like cabbage and celery, flavors melding. And because of its stew-like consistency, it’s perfect for winter … Read More

Egg Curry with Butternut Squash
20 Feb 2014

Egg Curry with Butternut Squash

by | posted in: Breakfast & Eggs, gluten-free, Recipes, vegetarian | 3

It occurs to me that this might as well be named Butternut Squash Curry with Eggs. But I was inspired by the notion of making egg curry, a staple peasant dish of India that can incorporate as many spice blends and vegetable additions as to envelop winter squash from a foreign terrain. It is a decidedly vegetarian main course in a distinctively vegetarian (and vegan)-friendly cuisine, and I first learned about egg curry from reading short stories by Jhumpa Lahiri, … Read More

Cannellini Stewed with Tomatoes and Pancetta
12 Feb 2014

Cannellini Stewed with Tomatoes and Pancetta

by | posted in: Beans, gluten-free, Recipes, Soups & Stews | 7

It’s more filling than a mere tomato sauce, but just as easy to make. I like to make versatile dishes in the winter; things that can keep well in the fridge, and keep on playing new roles well, too, albeit of a similar character. It’s not the Meryl Streep of foods, I guess: this bean and pancetta-studded tomato sauce wouldn’t exactly make a drastic turn in, say, Vietnamese cuisine. But it does wear many hats quite deliciously keeping within a … Read More

Fennel, Apple & Onion Relish
6 Feb 2014

Fennel, Apple & Onion Relish

by | posted in: gluten-free, Recipes, Sides & Salads, vegan, vegetarian | 5

I wasn’t sure what to call this condiment — it is a jarred, preserved sauce (so it could be called simply “preserves”). But it doesn’t have to be; it could also be used immediately, like any old sauce. It’s sweetened with sugar so it could be a jam, but it has enough savory complexity to qualify (I think) for a chutney. It also has a strong dose of vinegar so it might as well be an agrodolce — the tangy, … Read More