Rutabagas might not look like much — a discolored turnip, a rounded daikon — but they have a fierce flavor that certainly sets them apart from the rest of the root vegetable pack. Pungently bitter when raw, their tight-walled, yellow flesh dissolves after long simmering, releasing earthy aromas and a subtly sweet taste. It pairs perfectly with cream, butter and leeks, I think, and your kitchen will never have smelled better from the combination.
Not exactly the same thing as shrimp ‘n grits, but then, these little carrots might just fool you upon first glance. Talk about making something exciting out of two not very exciting, (laughably) non-exotic, and non-expensive ingredients. Hey, you gotta start somewhere.
Winter is a time to get back to your roots. I’m not talking about taking up knitting or studying Yiddish or something else important and having to do with your heritage. I’m talking about root vegetables. They’re abundant — probably the only produce that’s abundant — when the ground is frozen, and they’re widely adaptable to many cooking techniques. They also claim a wide range of flavors, from spicy (horseradish) to sweet (parsnip), bitter (turnip), zesty (ginger), fresh (celeriac) and … Read More
Vegetarian dumplings were once a strict equation to me: finely shredded cabbage, minced five-spice tofu, chopped scallions, and maybe some shiitake mushrooms, or clear strands of bean starch noodles. This simple formula I had been raised to identify as the proper filling for a meat-free (and admittedly inferior) version of the favorite comfort food. It wasn’t until more recent years that I realized this colorless, choppy mixture didn’t need to be just so… or just so inferior.
I made unagi recently. And I didn’t produce the Japanese specialty by unwrapping a vacuum-packed fillet of fully prepared, barbecued eel — I went to a seafood market after having dim sum with friends in Chinatown, took home a sack of fresh eel, and prepared it from that. This was a huge step for me, because I love the taste of eel in sushi or with rice, but am terrified by the appearance of a fresh, uncooked eel.
No doubt, it’s been a great year for food. One thing that I’ll remember 2011 for is that it marked a time when fusing “Asian” food with Western finally became became okay. I mean that it became more widely accepted, and for the most part, was done with more thoughtfulness and sophistication than in the past. It was a year when restaurants of other cuisines began using Asian ingredients with more dexterity; mixing distinct Asian cuisines amongst one another was … Read More
If there’s one thing I love, it’s seeing an entire community of chefs, food writers, and the ecstatic eating public go bonkers over one single dish. Last night at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), it was latkes. And it was a madhouse. I’ve finally recovered enough from serving as one of nine judges in the Third Annual Latke Festival sponsored by Edible Brooklyn and Great Performances to post a recap, along with a coveted recipe by one of the … Read More
It might seem a bit more challenging to whip up a simple pasta dish when all the choicest, go-to ingredients are out for the season. Until only recently, eggplants and tomatoes were still around in NYC Greenmarkets, thanks to a fair-weathered fall. But now — and especially felt by this weekend’s gusty winds — it’s clear that the party is over. Coarse, rubbery greens reign supreme in this season, and ecru-colored heads of cauliflower, like snow-capped mountains, foretell of colder … Read More
Now you can have your apple and pumpkin pie in one. The crust? The baked peel of a squash half holding it all, and a crunchy, oat-based crumble top. There’s no rolling, not much mixing, and not much peeling and chopping, either. And you might be inspired to stuff and bake more things inside hollowed miniature, less-conventional winter squashes, too.
just fon-don’t Somebody’s got to be a Scrooge. It’s only been a few short weeks after giving thanks, but I’ve already made a list of holiday gifts I’d have to say, “No, thanks” to, and imagine that many other moderate to serious cooks would, too. We, the avid, maybe obsessive foodies who liken ourselves to chefs, appreciate that so many try to give us the perfect gift to further our hobbies with for the holidays. It’s not about disrespect. But … Read More