Teaming starchy white rice with the high-impact flavors of kimchi results in a dish that is temptingly delicious. On its own, kimchi can be cheekily sour, spicy, and pungent. It’s a concoction of salted and fermented vegetables that is a staple in Korean cuisine. Used in a stir-fry of sorts along with day-old cooked grains of rice, tames the flames…
Produce
For a meatless Monday meal, I often turn coarsely chopped greens (such as spinach, collard, chard or kale) into a delectable dish. How? I cook greens in just enough broth to make them tender-crisp, then toss in some cooked farro. The semi-pearled farro makes the concoction nutty and delectably chewy. It adds a subtle sweetness, turning a boring dish into…
Gnarled meringue goblins are sweet and crisp, with an initial crunch of a thick potato chip … But after a second or two in the mouth, that brittle texture melts, dissolving into diaphanous delight. The shapes are amusing. Piped from a pastry bag fitted with a plain 1/2-inch tip (or squeezed from the cut corner of a heavy plastic zipper-style…
A couple of years ago, a chef friend and I dined at Salt and Love, a busy Italian-style bistro in Manhattan Beach, CA. We thought the meal was delicious and both of us were eager to try to reproduce the scrumptious starter that we had shared. It was the Sugar Snap Pea and Burrata Salad, so fresh and tempting it…
BROCCOLINI – Tender-Crisp Yum Broccolini (sometimes labeled “baby broccoli”) is a cross between gai lan (Chinese Broccoli) and common broccoli. The stalks are as skinny as asparagus, the leaves and tender buds alluringly tender. Spicy Sauteed Broccolini (or Gai Lan) with Garlic Yield; 6 servings 1 1/2 to 2 pounds broccolini (sometimes called baby broccoli), ends trimmed 1 tablespoon extra-virgin…
Described as a new-age diner, Toast Kitchen + Bakery specializes in comfort food with a twist. It’s mostly a breakfast, brunch and lunch spot, but currently the eatery is offering “happy hour,” open until 7 PM for early evening meals. Green Tea Soba Noodles were the focus of the video that executive chef-co-owner John Park recently taped with me. Colorful…
Fresh Hatch chilies are available a few short weeks each year, in August and September. These delicious chilies are from the Mesilla Valley in New Mexico, they have thick walls with flavorful flesh – use them fresh or roasted – then peeled, seeded, and if you like, frozen. One of my favorite ways to use them, is to spike a…
A straightforward home-cooked Asian-themed noodle dish is so darn enjoyable. Recipe is only a blueprint. Feel free to sub different cooked meat (cooked turkey or pork is delicious), or opt to include a veg such as finely diced carrots or small pieces of fresh asparagus. Stir-fried noodles, with their semi-firm bite and springy personality, team deliciously with shredded cabbage. I…