Gastronomer's Guide

The Perfect Cookbook For Busy Folks on a Budget: Caroline Wright's Twenty-Dollar, Twenty-Minute Meals

2013-05-06T21:40:00.002-04:00

Have you ever held a book in your hand and just knew right away that there was something special about it? That's the case with Twenty-Dollar, Twenty-Minute Meals by newly minted cookbook author Caroline Wright. Having had the pleasure of working with Caroline at Everyday Food, I knew that she was bound for larger things and it was no surprise to find out she was working on this cookbook. I

Butternut Squash, Red Lentil, and Chickpea Stew

2013-01-16T21:40:00.000-05:00

You can find a version of lentil stew or soup in almost every country. It's a dish that's popular because it's hearty, filling, and inexpensive. Some would call it food for the poor, but lentils stand for more than just that. Many cultures give it significant meaning, equating the small legumes with coins, symbolizing prosperity. Besides that, lentils are very nutritious, delicious, and

Coconut Shortbread Snowflake Cookies

2012-12-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

Baking season is in full swing and it seems that everywhere you turn there are cookies. Everyone loves biting into a sugary Christmas cookie. But I think the best part about cookies is making them yourself, and getting kids and even the adults involved. Baking batches of all different types of cookies is my specialty at Christmas. I bring them to parties at the office and share them with

Pecan and Maple Pie with Whole-Wheat Crust

2012-11-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving would not be complete without pie for dessert. And I think that everyone would agree that the classic pies of pecan, pumpkin, sweet potato, or apple are just as important as the main meal itself. Even when we are stuffed to the brim with turkey and all the sides, there is always room for dessert. Pumpkin pie is my favorite, but right behind it is pecan pie. I love all nuts, but

Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Crust

2012-10-03T00:30:00.000-04:00

I have a special fondness for pot pie. It's one of those all-in-one meals that always hits my comfort spot. And it's a welcome dish to eat on a cold and rainy day like the ones we're having this season. The origins of pot pies can be traced back to the English settlers who brought their love for pies to America. In the States I had never eaten a savory pie. It was always the frozen pies that

Fresh Fig Tart with Honey-Orange Custard

2012-09-20T00:20:00.000-04:00

For a long time, the closest I had ever come to what I thought was a real fig was the dried kind or Fig Newtons. It wasn't until a family friend gave us a fig tree that I learned figs are actually fresh before they are dried. Not only that, but I discovered that fresh figs were worlds apart from the dried ones. We weren't the only family with a fig tree in the neighborhood. Italian and

Roasted Ratatouille

2012-09-13T22:11:00.000-04:00

I've always had a fondness for ratatouille. Maybe it's because of the funny name? But really I just adore the combination of summer vegetables. In fact I've loved ratatouille even before the animated Disney film came about. But I fell in love with it even more after seeing it. This popular dish from France is a summer specialty and it's very characteristic of the fresh cuisine of Nice, from

Plum Crostata

2012-09-05T00:00:00.000-04:00

Plums are such a special fruit with so many uses. For me their flavor is most unique: they are sweet near the skin but tart by the pit. The color too is deeper toward the skin and paler near the pit. All stone fruits are spectacular, in my opinion, but I adore plums for this uniqueness. I love eating plums when they're so ripe that their juices squirt right out when you bite into them and run

White Peach Sherbet

2012-08-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

If anyone asks what my favorite fruit is, I always answer peaches, but not just any peach. White peaches are my absolute favorite fruit. Besides eating peaches as they are, my other favorite ways to enjoy them are in desserts. I love this peach galette, a foolproof fruit tart recipe that I rely on every summer. But I also love to make sorbets, ice creams, and sherbets. What could be a better

Summer Squash Stuffed with Vegetables and Quinoa

2012-08-01T21:54:00.000-04:00

Everyone loves summer squash and zucchini—they're easy to cook, eat, and grow. But when you don't have the space, the farmers' market is a great place to get your favorite vegetables. I know I always leave with at least a bagful of fresh produce. Everyone recognizes long green zucchini or crook-necked yellow squash, but there are so many more shapes and sizes to choose from. And each size or

White Gazpacho

2012-07-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

Even before cucumbers are in season, one of the first things I think of making with them is gazpacho. So when they do come in season—and right now my garden is producing some of the best cucumbers—it's only natural that I make one of my favorite cold raw soups. Gazpacho is very popular this summer and it seems to be on many restaurant menus in New York. So why not make your own? An Andalusian

Seedless Red Currant Jelly

2012-07-17T16:11:00.000-04:00

Red currants, the beautiful ruby red berries, aren't the easiest to find. Luckily I've grown up with a bush in my parents' backyard. Every summer we pick each and every single last berry to make jars of jelly that we can enjoy the rest of the year long. It's great that we have such treasures at our fingertips. Commonly red and black currants are made into jellies. In fact black currant jelly

Fava Bean, Herb, and Avocado Salad on Bruschetta

2012-07-12T00:00:00.000-04:00

Since eating fava beans for the first time last year, I've come to love the legume as much as the bean-eating crowd. Italians love their beans and Tuscans in particular are known as mangiafagioli or bean-eaters. Among their favorites are cannelini or white beans and fava beans, which are even more popular in Puglia. Favas, or broad beans as they are also known, are prized in their raw or near-raw

Sour Cherry Pie

2012-07-10T01:11:00.000-04:00

Deep red, bright red, or blotchy white, all cherries, no matter the color, are among my favorite fruits. Eating them fresh is a pleasure, but cooking with them is even better. Sour cherries, tart in taste but full in flavor, are particularly the best to use in cooking or baking. Europeans love cherries in soups or pastries, as side dishes, or made into syrups and liqueurs. Sour cherries come in

Fish Tacos with Homemade Tortillas and Pico de Gallo

2012-07-05T21:24:00.001-04:00

For the longest time I didn't know what a real taco was. As a kid we ate tacos from the store-bought kit, and on rare occasion we might have fast food tacos from that place with the bell. But the first time I had real tacos was at a popular Mexican restaurant in New York during my college years. It just so happens that those first tacos were fish tacos. Since then they've been my all-time

Raspberry and White Chocolate Trifle Flag Cake

2012-07-02T00:00:00.000-04:00

The Fourth of July—or Independence Day as it is more officially known—has always been a celebratory day in my family. It's partly because my birthday is on the 2nd and the local Barnum Parade always takes place around that date. As a kid I remember getting up early and excitedly readying myself for the party and parade. My cousins would come over and we would spread a blanket on the sidewalk to

Stir-Fried Pork and Sugar Snap Peas with Coconut Rice

2012-06-27T00:00:00.000-04:00

Peas are one of my favorite vegetables to grow. Just plant them near something they can attach to and watch them emerge from the earth, their tendrils climbing and clinging, eventually bearing bulbous pods filled with green pearls. I grow two varieties: classic shell peas and sugar snap peas, which I use mainly for stir-frying. But I love them raw too. They make a nice addition to a salad.

Vichyssoise

2012-06-19T21:24:00.000-04:00

You may think soup is only a cold weather food, but that's not the case. Some of the best soups can be made when the weather is warmer—even on the hottest day of summer, of course, as long as it's chilled. One of my favorite cold soups is Vichyssoise with its combination of potatoes and leeks. It's rich in flavor but so light and creamy in texture. The soup's French name makes it sound much

Cajun-Style Grilled Shrimp Skewers

2012-06-13T21:24:00.000-04:00

Shrimp is of my favorite things to cook on the grill because it's always fast and comes out flavorful. A simple marinade is all you need to start a recipe and my go-to marinade these past few summers has gone the Cajun route. Instead of mixing up my own spices, I just use a good store-bought Cajun seasoning. Besides the shrimp I pack on lots of vegetables that do well on the grill, like peppers

Japchae or Korean Stir-Fried Glass Noodles with Vegetables

2012-06-06T21:42:00.000-04:00

Spinach wasn't a vegetable I always liked, especially as a kid. I refused to eat it no matter how convincing my mom might have been. And the Popeye cartoons didn't help change my mind either. As an adult, though, I love spinach. I'm not the biggest fan of it creamed, which is how my mom made it, but I love it sauteed for a side dish or used in main dishes. But have you ever thought of using

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Roast Rhubarb and Pickled Rhubarb

2012-05-29T00:13:00.000-04:00

Summer is fast approaching and more and more fruits and vegetables are coming in season. One of my favorite spring/summer crossover vegetables is rhubarb. I love its tart flavor and bright pink color. It complements a variety of sweet and savory dishes. It's most commonly known as pie fruit and is more often paired with strawberries than with any other fruit or vegetable. But I like it when it

Cornmeal-Crusted Fried Chicken Tenders with Dilled Fingerling Potato Salad

2012-05-22T00:00:00.000-04:00

Two of my absolute favorite foods are fried chicken and potato salad. There's something so unabashedly comforting about these two foods that have me admitting they're my favorite. I love them for two reasons: First, because my mom would make them every year on my birthday in July. Second, because they're both simple and easy to prepare. Who doesn't love fried chicken and potato salad? Just the

Green Garlic, Asparagus, and Mushroom Stir-Fry

2012-05-14T21:51:00.000-04:00

If you've been hoping to brush up on your stir-fry skills, there's no better time to do just that than now. Spring gives you the best opportunity with so many different vegetables to cook with—and they're all amazing in a stir-fry. There are green beans, broccoli, asparagus, and soon there will be peas, but in the meantime green garlic is what you should be looking for in the farmers' market.

Shaved Asparagus Salad

2012-05-08T21:55:00.001-04:00

Steamed, roasted or grilled—they're not the only ways to enjoy asparagus. Have you tried it raw? If you were to just bite in its pretty tough to eat. But that's where your vegetable shaver comes in. With it you can create thin ribbons of asparagus that are ready to eat—all without cooking. This salad is a great way to put a new spin on asparagus. You'll be surprised by the taste of it raw—it's

Radish Greens Pesto

2012-05-03T21:36:00.001-04:00

Pesto isn't just for basil, though traditionally that's what pesto is made of. The word pesto itself means "pounded" in Italian. Famous in Genoa, the pesto of basil, pine nuts, Parmesan and olive oil is a delicious sauce on pasta. But many herbs and/or greens can take the place of basil to create a flavorful pesto. In the past I've made it with parsley, cilantro and even ramp greens. This time