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At home in Switzerland, I can’t match Spanish weather most of the year, but I can cook foods that fill my kitchen with the flavors of Catalonia or Andalucia. Among those are bacalao (salt cod), olive oil, eggs, black eyed-peas, onions, capers, and garlic. Today I made a salad that uses all of them, and is a meal-in-a-bowl. [...] 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. [...] This particular recipe is for a low-cal rich-tasting soup with a Japanese flair, and it takes about 5 minutes to make. I use red miso, but you can also use yellow with great success. The quality of the miso makes a difference because it provides most of the soup’s flavor, so don’t stint. The nori should be as fresh as possible — old, stale nori tastes like cardboard. [...] I’m insulin resistant, so I try to stay away from simple carbs. I also like to eat a lot, at the same time that I know I have to watch calories. When I can come up with a recipe that satisfies both my flavor cravings and my desire to feel satiated, I’m a happy woman. [...] For me, this is soup season, and I’ve almost always got something hearty bubbling in the pot. This recipe came together perfectly for a main course on an otherwise dreary day. It’s the marrow bones that give this soup its signature flavor. And in Switzerland, where meat costs an arm and a leg, it’s easy on budget. [...] 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. [...] |
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