Coconut Green Curry Sugarsnap Peas
22 May 2012

Coconut Green Curry Sugarsnap Peas

by | posted in: Beans, gluten-free, Recipes, vegan, vegetarian | 4

It’s not your ordinary side of peas, carrots and potatoes, but they go together just as well as always. Here, instead of your standard frozen peas, are a cache of just-in-season sugarsnap peas, with their edible, crunchy pods. Something about their shape, especially once split open, reminded me of an oblong shellfish, like mussels. I love mussels in a coconut green curry-infused broth. So why not fresh snap peas, in all their green sweetness, for something like that instead?

Grilled Asparagus with Red Lentil Puree, Mint & Yogurt
18 May 2012

Grilled Asparagus with Red Lentil Puree, Mint & Yogurt

by | posted in: Beans, gluten-free, Recipes, Sides & Salads, vegan, vegetarian | 4

Grilled asparagus is such a pure, seasonal delight it really needs little embellishment to serve. But if you want to round it out to a light meal, here’s an easy and healthful way. I went Middle Eastern with the accoutrements for this dish, blending up a creamy red lentil base and lavishing it with some tangy yogurt, fresh mint and lemon. Combined with some char on the asparagus, it’s both cooling and savory, a satisfying snack indeed.

Blanched Broccoli Rabe Greens with Soy-Dashi Sauce
16 May 2012

Blanched Broccoli Rabe Greens with Soy-Dashi Sauce

by | posted in: Recipes, Sides & Salads, vegan, vegetarian | 3

My latest favorite way to eat my greens is in the Japanese style of ohitashi, which is to blanche, shock, squeeze out, and pour over with a soy sauce and dashi mixture. It’s an easy way to stock up on your greens for the day, which there are plenty of in the spring. It softens the leaves, but also the stalks, which are typically left on and are delightful to crunch on dressed in this sauce.

On Cooking and Travel
13 May 2012

On Cooking and Travel

by | posted in: Recipes, Ruminations | 0

There come times when you’ve just got to get out of dodge. But, if you’re like me, after maybe a day or two of this blissful relaxing and twiddling your fingers uselessly, creating knots in your hair for no reason, realize that you’ve just got to cook something. Often, this need is subsided by indulging in a fine, luxurious restaurant’s fare — an open kitchen all the better to vicariously cook there, too. But let’s say you do this, and … Read More

Spring Chicken Sandwich
3 May 2012

Spring Chicken Sandwich

by | posted in: Meat & Poultry, Recipes | 5

Why settle for sad tomatoes shipped in from somewhere it wasn’t ripened on the vine just because you’re craving a sandwich? We all love a juicy slab of beefsteak tomato at its peak of flavor on bread, but it ain’t going to happen in the spring. Fortunately, there are plenty of ingredients in their prime now, and with a little imagination — and acceptance — you may just forget the bloated, blood-red things even exist.

Fried Rice with Asparagus & Peas
30 Apr 2012

Fried Rice with Asparagus & Peas

by | posted in: gluten-free, Grains, Recipes, vegetarian | 8

I go away for one week and return to find that, not only have asparagus made their annual arrival in local markets, but everyone’s had more than their share of it already. “I’ve eaten asparagus for the past four days,” moaned a friend at the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket Saturday. “I’m over it.” Well, I have some catching up to do, so rather than dawdle on an elaborate preparation of it, whipped up this quick, ridiculously easy go-to favorite of … Read More

Apple-Rhubarb Strudel
23 Apr 2012

Apple-Rhubarb Strudel

by | posted in: Desserts, Recipes | 4

Never pass up the chance to buy rhubarbs whenever you can. Even if you only have the means or capacity to get a few stalks. You don’t have to make a whole pie; and you can always put them up as a jam. So bright and tart-tasting, easy to prepare, and limited to a short window of spring, rhubarb is worth the risks of getting creative with — or adding to whatever you’re making anyway.

Fresh Zucchini and Broad Bean Salad
16 Apr 2012

Fresh Zucchini and Broad Bean Salad

by | posted in: Beans, gluten-free, Recipes, vegan, vegetarian | 2

What a delight to find zucchini so early in the season at the Greenmarket last weekend. There was just one small crate of them at Grand Army Plaza early in the morning, and I snagged two ripe ones with shiny, lizard-green skins that appeared to be stretched across their juicy flesh like balloons. With such prime, squeaky-fresh zucchini like this, I don’t even want to cook them. I just want to slip a knife through them, and toss the lime … Read More

Spaghetti with Anchovies, Kale & Breadcrumbs
11 Apr 2012

Spaghetti with Anchovies, Kale & Breadcrumbs

by | posted in: Pasta & Noodles, Recipes, Seafood | 6

If you’re looking to scrape together a meal from seemingly nothing, here’s one way to really hit it out of the park. In fact, breadcrumbs really do need to be scraped, swept or otherwise salvaged from a scattered mess on the counter to do this dish right. Minced anchovies and garlic create a tasty olive oil infusion to coat the pasta with, and some spare greens like kale, or just a shower of fresh parsley for garnish, combine for a healthy … Read More

Spicy Szechuan Potato Salad with Cucumbers
9 Apr 2012

Spicy Szechuan Potato Salad with Cucumbers

by | posted in: Recipes, Sides & Salads, vegetarian | 5

This was a strange idea, for sure. One the one hand, it’s a rich and satisfying, all-American summer party staple, and on the other, fiery-hot, exotic fare. My inspiration for this potato salad was dan dan noodles, a savory and slightly sweet Szechuan noodle dish laced with red chili oil, pungent preserved greens, and Szechuan peppercorns. Actually, I was supposed to bring a potato salad to a party and couldn’t find much else to flavor it with in my fridge.

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