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.
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.
They might not be human, but fungi sure are fun — to eat. The woodsy, umami-rich flavor of mushrooms always gets my saliva glands going. The silky, slightly rubbery texture is titillating. I can’t decide which type is my favorite, but thoughtfully munching on different mushrooms one at a time from a spoonful of miso-based soup in attempt to identify one winner, I get lost in the sheer pleasure of it and forget.
I hope everyone saved their turkey bones from the Thanksgiving feast! (Oh yeah, and hope you had a nice Thanksgiving, too.) The roasted, crusty carcass is prime stuff for making stock with, and a bubbling pot of it going on the stove is a treasured pasttime for the day after for me (or day after-day after). As far as aftermaths of major holidays go, the post-Thanksgiving weekend is a relatively healthy, relaxing one (so long as you get pepper-sprayed at … Read More
Imagine this gloriously textured mess with a runny fried egg plopped on top, and you’ve just accurately captured my breakfast. (Now try to picture the gluey streaks of yolk goo and breadcrumbs stuck to my cheek. No, don’t.) This dish was a tasty way to enjoy what seems like a more hearty, slow-cooking dish very fast. It’s not quite a casserole, and it’s not simply roasted vegetables. It’s a gratin.