Vegetable forward, feel good food
Think: the easiest salmon, marinaded quickly in soy and honey, then broiled until caramelized and tender, served with a swoosh of yogurt, a lime sesame herb salad, and a generous drizzle of a decadent buttery pine nut chili crunch. Can you get on board? Recipe notes The buttery pine nut chili crunch is a quick…
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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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This shrimp and bean stew gets a serious boost of flavor from ‘ndjua– the spicy and spreadable salami from Calabria. ‘Nduja-what? ‘Nduja is a spicy pork salami from the Calabria region of Italy. It gets it’s signature flavor from the region’s namesake product (and my all time favorite ingredient): Calabrian chilies. ‘Nduja also has a…
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This pasta has a secret, a savory smoky secret. At first glance, the sauce appears to be a standard tomato-cream concoction, when in reality it gets a serious boost of flavor from charred eggplant mash. You start the process the same way you would make baba ganoush: charring whole eggplants on the grill until the…
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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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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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Is there anything better than a perfectly seared crispy skin salmon? Here we pair the succulent fish with an umami forward and buttery miso corn puree and a subtly spicy tomato salad. Mastering Crispy Skin Salmon I love an easy marinaded baked salmon, but sometimes a perfect medium rare, pan seared fish with shatteringly crispy…
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Fig season has arrived! Celebrate these honey-scented fruits with a hearty salad of arugula, bacon, brioche croutons, pecans, and a creamy miso-mandarin dressing. For a vegetarian version, simply omit the bacon and cook the croutons in an oil of your choice. Why miso works Don’t fear the addition of miso in this recipe as you likely…
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This dish comes together with the help of a few Chinese pantry staples: sweet chinkiang vinegar, tingly sichuan peppercorns, umami-forward garlic black bean sauce, and shaoxing wine. If you don’t already keep these ingredients in stock, head to your local asian market to pick them up. They all last for awhile in the pantry and…
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In this recipe, the punchy flavors of tamarind and Vietnamese nuoc cham provide the perfect counterpart to buttery soft steamed fish. Nuoc Cham: the Vietnamese dipping sauce for Just about everything Made from fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, garlic, and chilies, nuoc cham acts as the perfect sweet/salty/sour counterpart to many of Vietnam’s most famous…
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When I make tomato salad, I find myself slurping up the salty tomato juice and oil mixture that remains at the bottom of the bowl. I wanted to create a soup based on this flavor profile, while still keeping it light and fresh for summer. Enter this braised cod, poached gently in an ethereally light…
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Classic tamago sando, but add kimchi. That’s it! Luxuriously creamy, funky, and a bit spicy, it’s only as difficult to make as plopping some eggs in boiling water and setting a timer. Japanese egg sandwiches are not complicated or revolutionary, but their magic lies in their ability to transport you to childhood memories of mayo-laden…
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