basil – Not Eating Out in New York

13 Jun 2018

Chicken and Basil Wontons

by Cathy Erway | posted in: Dumplings, Meat & Poultry, Recipes | 14

This wonton filling is proudly—if improbably—fashioned after san bei ji or Three Cup Chicken. This is one of the ultimate dishes from Taiwan, and one I love enough to try to twist into different forms any day. It starts with a deeply satisfying blend of soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine (the eponymous “three cups”), and it’s splashed with copious aromatics—garlic, ginger and basil. I wanted to get its zingy, herbal flavors inside a wonton for a refreshing filling based on … Read More

7 Aug 2012

Thai Basil Summer Squash

by Cathy Erway | posted in: Recipes, Sides & Salads | 8

I got the most interesting heirloom summer squashes the other day at the Greenmarket. Warted, striped, crook-necked, and very heavy for their size and dense in flesh, I didn’t think it too appropriate to make something just “everyday” with them. No, these specimens deserved the spotlight for a seasonal side dish of their own.

11 Jun 2012

Gnocchi with Fava Beans, Garlic Scapes & Basil

by Cathy Erway | posted in: Beans, Pasta & Noodles, Recipes, vegetarian | 5

Why have I not been making gnocchi every day? It’s luscious, filling, delicious and much easier than rolling out pasta at home. A classic potato gnocchi is simply flour and boiled potato, but it takes a certain tool (ricer) and timing to make a fluffy mound of warm, moist potato to absorb the flour. While you can do this any time of the year, fresh fava beans in the pod are only in season locally right about now. These lovely beans … Read More

7 Sep 2011

Fresh Veggie Summer Rolls with Shiso and Thai Basil

by Cathy Erway | posted in: gluten-free, Recipes, Sides & Salads, vegan, vegetarian | 8

The most enjoyable aspects of Vietnamese summer rolls are their coolness, contrast of textures, and copious fresh herbs. This suits us most in mid-to-late summer, when herbs are taking over the garden, humidity reigns, and late-season rain and tropical storms can feel like a monsoon. So take it from the Vietnamese, and have something cold and refreshing to keep you awake.

14 May 2011

Strawberry & Radish Salad with Balsamic Vinegar

by Cathy Erway | posted in: gluten-free, Recipes, Sides & Salads, vegan, vegetarian | 17

It didn’t take very much imagination to make this dish; I was admiring the bright, red berries just arrived in their teal cardboard cartons when I spied bunches of similar round objects sitting nearby at the Greenmarket. Craving something crunchy to off-set the strawberries’ sweet softness and juice, I had already picked up a bag of granola — and some yogurt, too. But radishes, in a fresh, crisp salad to surround them instead? I thought, hey, why not?

28 Jul 2010

Peach and Roasted Beet Salad

by Cathy Erway | posted in: gluten-free, Recipes, Sides & Salads, vegan, vegetarian | 22

I don’t know anything that doesn’t taste good with a slice of a fresh, juicy and tree-ripened summer peach. It doesn’t need anything to accompany it, but it sure can give other ingredients a boost. For example, ricotta or goat cheese with a peach slice on crostini. A bowl of vanilla ice cream with peaches. Grilled peaches on shishkabob sticks, in salsa and gazpacho, on a pizza instead of tomato slices, peanut butter and peach sandwiches. I’m eating buckwheat pancakes … Read More

5 Mar 2009

Lemony Egg Salad with Basil and Capers

by Cathy Erway | posted in: Recipes | 23

I will preface this by saying that I really wanted this recipe to be lemon and dill egg salad, but I couldn’t find any dill today. Stuff happens. Anyway, when I was chatting with Kate McDonough of The City Cook just before our stint on the Brian Lehrer Show last Friday, she mentioned that among the cheap lunch ideas some of her acquaintances were getting back in the habit of making was egg salad. We agreed that, even though egg … Read More

12 May 2008

Simple Tomato and Basil Pizza

by Cathy Erway | posted in: Grains, Recipes, vegetarian | 12

Today marked the first two of hopefully many bike laps of Prospect Park I’ll ride this year. I fear the flab. I really do. It also marked an occasion for some gentler, fresher, milder and lighter fare that I’ll hopefully see much more of this year. Thin-crust pizza that more resembles a salad with breadsticks? Yes, please. Even if it involves few more than three ingredients and a seriously scant amount of cheese, I’m still calling it a pizza now … Read More

25 Apr 2008

Basil Lemon Ice Cream

by Cathy Erway | posted in: Desserts, gluten-free, Ice Cream, Recipes, vegetarian | 15

Warning: it’s gritty. I did not take the advice from the Epicuious recipe I based this variation off of and expel the custard mixture of basil leaves with a “fine mesh strainer” before churning it into ice cream. That would have been more, well, refined. But then, aren’t home-cooked specialties supposed to be a little gritty? I should call this one Brooklyn Basil Lemon ice cream.