Blistered Romanos with Roasted Tomato Gochujang Sauce

Romano beans are a true summer treat! They stay sweet and crisp even after braised, and these romano beans get a serious flavor boost from a roasted tomato, garlic, and gochujang sauce. It’s sweet, a little spicy, and crunchy (thanks to the roasted almonds). Best of all, it’s easily made vegan (though I would highly…

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Black Garlic Salsa Verde

Say hello to your new favorite summer sauce. Here, Italian salsa verde, a piquant mixture of parsley, capers, anchovies, lemon, and EVOO, gets a savory boost from the addition of fermented black garlic. It goes well on just about anything, but is particularly delicious smothered on grilled or roasted vegetables, fish, and steak, or slathered…

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Radicchio Salad with Balsamic, Chili Crisp, and Black Garlic

I’ve made a lot of recipes over the years, and but this may be my favorite. Radicchio is tossed is a sumptuous mixture of balsamic vinegar, chili crisp, and black garlic, resulting in a sticky sweet and deeply savory glaze that perfectly balances radicchio’s bitterness. Did I mention its vegan and gluten free? Recipe Notes…

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Roasted Maitakes with Gochujang Butter

These gochujang and butter roasted maitakes pack some serious wow factor as a vegetarian dinner centerpiece. Due to maitake’s loose structure, the craggy fronds get crisp and deeply caramelized, while the stems remain lusciously tender and buttery. This has quickly become a house favorite, as it’s easy to throw together, while boasting some serious funky-umami…

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Crispy Fish with Celery Olive Salsa Verde and Charred Broccolini

Fish and green sauce go hand in hand, so this crispy skin sea bream with celery and olive salsa verde and charred broccolini is a perfect table centerpiece. Recipe Notes If you are new to crispy skin fish, I will outline the technique below. However, I highly recommend reading through this tutorial first. You will…

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Simmered Squash with Pickled Pine Nuts and Chili Oil

We all love a roasted squash dish in the winter, but this recipe is here to prove that simmered squash, in all its soft, comforting glory, deserves a spot at your dinner table. I was inspired to embrace mushy squash after having an incredible banchan from Joodooboo in Oakland: winter squash simmered in anchovy dashi.…

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Roast Chicken Breasts with Miso Kumquat Chutney

To me, kumquats taste like pure sunshine. Their sweet skins (which are completely edible) balance their bracingly sour juice, making for a perfect bite. This roast chicken breast with miso kumquat chutney is a great example of using the fruit’s brightness to break up the richness of a winter meal. The chutney itself is a…

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Black Bean Soup with Sichuan Peppercorns and 5 Spice

This black bean soup is a distant cousin of the classic tex-mex standard. Plump beans float in a thick and heavenly broth, spiced heavily with tingly Sichuan peppercorns and Chinese 5 spice. Top with togarashi and creme fraiche (or avocado) for a filling and easily vegan supper for a slow rainy Sunday. Sichuan Peppercorns –…

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Crispy Shredded Brussels with Za’atar, Pomegranate, and Feta

We all know that shredded brussels are great for salads, but did you know you can roast them up nice and crispy as well? The brussels get sweet and tender in the oven, which pairs well with pomegranate, feta, mint, and lots of za’atar. How to Shred Brussels Sprouts You can buy pre-shredded brussels in…

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Hondashi BLT

Want to make your BLT tomatoes taste more intense and tomato-y? Season them with hondashi, aka instant dashi granules!  Hondashi: the secret to instant umami Kombu (a dried seaweed) and bonito flakes (dried and fermented tuna) are the two primary ingredients in dashi: the umami-forward and slightly smoky soup base that flavors some of Japan’s…

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Silken Zucchini Soup with Calabrian Chili Oil

This humble zucchini soup has a secret. It’s delectably creamy and silky without using any cream. The secret ingredient? Silken tofu! I like to use a little butter for flavor, but you can certainly keep this soup 100% vegan by using dairy free butter or olive oil. The silken tofu not only adds texture, but…

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Crudo with Yuzu Kosho and Tomatillos

What’s better than a perfectly chilled crudo in the summertime? Here, sashimi grade fish bathes in a flavor-packed elixir of seasonal tomatillos and spicy yuzu kosho. A note on “sashimi grade” Because we’re barely cooking the fish here, you want to source the freshest fish possible. While there is absolutely nothing “legal” about the term…

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