Smoke, heat and indelible memories: Absent Friends Mezcal Cocktail

Mezcal supplies the smoke and Ancho Reyes liqueur the fire in this summery, spicy, cucumber-y cocktail. Recipe below.

ON THE FIRST NIGHT WE WERE IN MEXICO CITY, we set out from our room for a drink and a light dinner. It was nighttime, and the first time we’d visited the CDMX. The weather was perfect—a little cool, with a light breeze, and we were feeling that steady, quiet pleasure that we only get when we are exploring a place new to us. Continue reading “Smoke, heat and indelible memories: Absent Friends Mezcal Cocktail” →

Aptly named, make-it-again delicious: Weeknight Spicy Tofu Stir Fry

Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp adds crunchy, garlicky spiciness to celery, bell peppers, garlic, ginger and extra firm tofu in this quick vegan stir fry. Recipe below.

IN RECENT DAYS, WE’VE SEEN A NUMBER OF ARTICLES in which food writers and chefs stuck at home and even regular folks talk about the extras they need to have in their kitchen—not the basic pantry items like beans or tinned fish or unbleached flour, but basics-plus—the things that bring a dish to life, that are the foundations of their palates and styles. Preserved lemons, black garlic, 5-year cheddar, harissa paste, Plugra butter, fish sauce, Tabasco, gochujang. Continue reading “Aptly named, make-it-again delicious: Weeknight Spicy Tofu Stir Fry” →

Based on, based on, based on: Tuna White Bean Casserole

This twist on the classic comfort food tuna casserole swaps cannellini beans for pasta. The recipe, with many options and substitutions, below.

THIS IS AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE CONNECTEDNESS OF ALL THINGS. It’s based on a recipe in The New York Times by Melissa Clark, who in turn based her take on a recipe by London-based food writer Diana Henry, which in turn is a take on a French recipe, Breton tuna white bean gratin, which leads to that foundation stone of American home cooking, the tuna casserole. Continue reading “Based on, based on, based on: Tuna White Bean Casserole” →

Yes, that ridiculously easy, amazingly delicious bread: No-knead Bread

Five or six ingredients, including water, and no kneading, no fuss, produce a bread you’ll be happy to eat and proud to serve. Recipe—and a lively buttermilk variation—below.

HELLO. PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF PROCRASTINATION HERE, reporting from the land of quarantine. Finally, what? 14? years after Mark Bittman published the no-knead bread recipe in The New York Times, the single most popular recipe that paper has ever run, we’ve gotten around to making it. Continue reading “Yes, that ridiculously easy, amazingly delicious bread: No-knead Bread” →

Deliciously simple (simply delicious?) English Muffins

Turns out English Muffins are as easy to make as they are great to eat. You don’t even bake them—you cook them on your stovetop. Recipe below.

WHEN I UNDERSTOOD HOW EASY IT IS is to make English muffins, I regretted all the years in which I have never made them. The basic elements are few—flour, yeast, salt, buttermilk or yogurt. They have one hour-long rise and then a short ten-minute rest once they are shaped. You don’t even bake them—you cook them on the stovetop. And then you have these delicious things. Continue reading “Deliciously simple (simply delicious?) English Muffins” →

Deconstructing a classic Polish dish: Unstuffed Cabbage

The hearty Polish dish Stuffed Cabbage is easier to make and just as delicious when you unstuff it. Recipe below.

SO HERE WE ALL ARE, STAYING IN, looking after each other by staying apart from each other. Hiding. Staying well, healing, hunkering down and making do with what we’ve got and just getting through it. Continue reading “Deconstructing a classic Polish dish: Unstuffed Cabbage” →

Cinnamon Rolls, almost like my mother made

Un-iced and not overly sweet, this cinnamon roll is a perfect dessert, breakfast or anytime snack. Recipe below.

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]Y[/su_dropcap]ou know how sometimes someone says a thing to you that unexpectedly puts everything in a whole new light? That opens a doorway where, for the longest and most wearying time, you’d just seen the same dull wall? Continue reading “Cinnamon Rolls, almost like my mother made” →

A vegetarian Okra Stew offers balancing, restorative powers

This traditional, vegetarian Sudanese stew of okra, tomatoes, onion, garlic and cinnamon, topped with cinnamon-flavored couscous, is perfect for re-energizing—or just enjoying. Recipes below.

Alek Wek’s Balancing Okra Stew

[su_dropcap style=”flat” size=”3″]T[/su_dropcap]his refreshing, healthy recipe is by the model, author and Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Alek Wek. A traditional Sudanese dish, it originally appeared in the New York Times in 2018, part of its occasional My Detox series. Continue reading “A vegetarian Okra Stew offers balancing, restorative powers” →

A peppery, herbal Mexican liqueur stars in a bourbon cocktail: the Vaquero

A wintry bourbon cocktail is given a spicy, herby kick with Ancho Reyes Verde Liqueur, made with poblano peppers. Recipe below.

Vaquero cocktail

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]O[/su_dropcap]n our recent trip to Mexico City, mezcal was everywhere. Nearly every bar and restaurant served it, sometimes in elegant, interesting cocktails, but most often, neat, with a simple orange wedge, alongside little plates and charcuteries. The smoke, the herbiness and the slight sweetness are marvelous. Mezcal is so popular in the CDMX that it is even appearing in some beers. We came away knowing… well, a little more than before. Continue reading “A peppery, herbal Mexican liqueur stars in a bourbon cocktail: the Vaquero” →

For Hanukkah, for a sweet breakfast, for any reason: Chocolate-filled Challah

Semi-sweet chocolate and brown sugar add a delicious twist to challah, a traditional Jewish braided bread, creating an almost dessertlike loaf.

Chocolate-filled Challah

THE HOLIDAYS ARE OVERLAPPING AGAIN. This year, Hanukkah begins at sundown on December 22, just two days before Christmas Eve. Lucky for you, this chocolate-filled challah is a delicious, impressive, dessertlike bread you can make to celebrate everyone. You’ll find the recipe—and variations on a theme—right here.