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I’d planned to make Goat Cheese Tarts and a Lemon Chess Pie, both of which called for wheat flour in the crust recipes, but my friend eats a gluten-free diet because he has celiac disease. I used chestnut and corn flour to create a crust that could be used for both sweet and savory dishes. [...] I unearthed a bag of frozen chicken leg quarters, and I had fresh carrots and beets in the kitchen. I decided to experiment with a very good raspberry vinegar, and it turned out to be an inspired choice. I also had the impulse to braise the chicken in the oven instead of boiling it on the stove, and this caramelized the carrots, onions and beets perfectly. It was a winter night’s dream, served over fragrant Jasmine rice. [...] Over the last thirty years, I’d have to say that this is my most-requested recipe. In my opinion, it’s everything a good Mexican green sauce should be — garlicky, blindingly spicy, piquant, fresh and green. I use this most often on poultry and pork and it’s also good on vegetable burritos and eggs. You can pour the sauce on meat, eggs, or vegetables after they are cooked, or simmer them in the sauce. (The simmering technique works very well for chicken.) It can also be used as a fresh salsa or a dip. Best of all, it freezes beautifully. Make a big pot and freeze it in ziplock bags so you can have a summery taste year-round. [...] Since childhood I’ve had an inexplicable emotional attachment to grape soda. Unfortunately, like other sodas, the commercial brands are unbelievably high in sugar, as well as low on natural grape juice. Some studies came out in the last couple of years, though, suggesting drinking grape juice lowers your risk of heart disease. Apparently, it works just like red wine, helping you avoid blood clots, reduce bad cholesterol, preventing damage to blood vessels in your heart, and helping maintain healthy blood pressure. Naturally this inspired me to rethink the grape soda issue, and I’ve come up with an alternative. This may be the easiest beverage recipe in the world. [...] Last year I was lucky enough to live in a house instead of an apartment, with a big garden and a lawn. The lawn, like many things about the house, was a bit ragged and in spring it came up more dandelions than grass. I thought about weeding, but we were only renting the place for a year—not enough time to see serious yard work pay off. So, instead, I decided to to eat them. I adapted my usual recipe for sesame & spinach salad, and it worked very well with the greens. [...] I learned a lot from my Berlin studio mate, Paula. One of those things was how to make a great curried egg salad. Before Paula gave me the recipe, I didn’t believe that apples and eggs had any reason to keep company. We regularly served this as an appetizer or side dish at our monthly buffets, where we gathered English-speaking artists together for food, drink and conversation. I miss Paula since moving to Bern, but at least I can still make the salad. [...] Cilantro (the fresh leaves of the coriander plant) is one of those flavors that people seem to either love or hate. I’m a lover, and so I sprinkle cilantro on all sorts of dishes, from carnitas to duck noodle soup. It’s a staple spice in Mexican, South Asian, and East Indian cuisies. This salsa is a cilantro party for the mouth, and it’s quick and easy to make. [...] 1. Heat oil on high in the bottom of a large stew pot. (Use a pot that has a tight-fitting lid — that will be important later.) When the oil is hot, add one-third of the pork to the pot and brown, stirring frequently. When the liquid from the first batch of pork is gone, add the second batch to the pot and, again, stir frequently to dissolve the liquid. Then add the third batch. (Cooking this way will prevent the meat from toughening when it is stewed, but it doesn”t require messy removal of each batch from the pot.) 2. When the outside of all the pork is seared, add the onions, apples, (and optionally, the potatoes). Turn the heat down to medium. Stir for about five minutes, or until the vegetables and fruit also begin to brown. Then add the garlic and caraway seeds and saute for another minute or two. You should smell both spices strongly as they begin to toast. 3. Pour in the chicken broth, apple cider vinegar and mustard and stir well. Add the cabbage and mix it into the liquid. (The liquid will not cover the cabbage.) Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn the heat down and let it simmer for an hour. Salt and pepper to taste. 4. Serve hot, in bowls. The stew keeps well and can be reheated easily. Like many stews, you may find it tastes even better the next day. [...] Yaro tells me that good Russian dark rye is impossible to find in Germany or in Switzerland, so I decided to try to make some. He shared his grandmother’s recipe for the starter, and I made up a batch. What I didn’t know, was that sourdough starter expands to many, many times its original size. I left it in a very large yogurt container and, three hours later, was horrified to find that it had crawled, like The Blob of science-fiction fame, all over the table and on to the floor. So just be sure that you put the mix in a very large bowl or glass jar. [...] Gazpacho is one of my standard favorites for a summer heat wave. It’s best when it’s had time to chill. I make it the day before I want to serve it because the flavors blend better on the second day. One of the things that’s so great about gazpacho is that it’s almost infinitely flexible — almost any vegetable will work nicely as either part of the broth, or as garnish. It’s also incredibly easy if you have a blender, taking only about a half an hour from start to finish. Here’s a basic recipe, but be creative and make it your own. [...] |
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