Extensive collection of national outlets name Louisville a top place to visit
As fans of Bourbon City raise a glass to mark the end of 2024, it’s time to recap and celebrate a momentous year in the city’s dynamic tourism industry.Louisville was frequently in the winner’s circle over the past 365 days, earning top travel accolades from national travel media heavyweights such as TripAdvisor, Travel + Leisure, and Airbnb, among others.
Louisville started out 2024 on a high note, being named to Travel + Leisure’s list of ‘50 Best Places to Travel to in 2024.’ Contributing to Louisville’s historic year was the back-to-back hosting of the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby and the 106th PGA Championship, helping Louisville earn a spot on Travel Pulse, Condé Nast Traveler, and The Manual’s lists of ‘Best Places to Travel to in May.’ Both TripAdvisor and Airbnb marked Louisville as a top “trending destination” in the United States, with the online platforms using reviews and booking data to affix Louisville to the prestigious lists.
Throughout 2024, Bourbon City upheld its status with an outpouring of accolades for its vibrant culinary and cocktail scene. Louisville’s restaurant reputation is sizzling, with Travel + Leisure highlighting it as one of the ‘Best Food Cities in the U.S.’ and Cheapism proclaiming it as one of ‘America’s Best Food Cities.’ The hip and artsy NuLu neighborhood earned recognition from AFAR magazine as one of the ‘Best Food Neighborhoods in the USA,’ with numerous NuLu restaurants also receiving individual accolades.
The LEE Initiative, co-founded by Top Chef contestant and recent ‘Culinary Class Wars’ competitor Edward Lee, received a James Beard Humanitarian award, marking the Louisvillian’s second James Beard Award win. Lee also received a shout for his Butchertown restaurant Nami, which was named to USA Today’s ‘2024 Restaurants of the Year’.
Several of Louisville’s beer and bourbon festivals were also recognized nationally. The sixth annual Bourbon & Beyond music festival hada record attendance of 210,000 attendees over the four-day weekend, including 60,000 on a single day. This marked the festival’s highest single-day attendance ever.
Fort Nelson Distillery. Photo Jane Simon Ammeson.
Garden & Gun magazine highlighted festivals Bourbon & Beyond, Garden & Gun Distilled and the Bourbon Boule as three of the ‘Seven Standout Southern Bourbon Festivals,’ while Tailspin Ale Fest captured a spot on USA Today’s 10Best ‘Beer Festivals in the US.’
Louisville’s powerful reputation as a convention destination was also widely recognized with a trifecta of awards including winning the Groups Today Readers’ Choice U.S. ‘Destination of the Year,’ a MeetingsToday’s ‘Best Destination Marketing Organizations in the South,’ and a ConventionSouth Readers’ Choice Award.
Some of Louisville’s top national accolades for 2024 include:
“Best Places to Travel in 2024” – Travel + Leisure
“Best Places to Go in 2024” (Kentucky) – Frommer’s
“The World’s Best Travel Destinations in 2024” – Culture.org
“The South’s Best Cities 2024” – Southern Living
“Trending Destinations – United States” – TripAdvisor
“Top Trending Destinations Locals Love” – Airbnb
“Most Up-and-Coming Neighborhoods in the U.S.” (Butchertown) – TravelMag
“Best Places to Travel in The South This April” – Southern Living
“Best Places to Travel in May” – Conde Nast Traveler
“Where to Travel in May 2024” (Churchill Downs) – Travel Pulse
“Best Places to Visit in May”– The Manual
“Best Places to Honor Black History in 2024” – U.S. News
“These 10 Destinations Elevate Black Culture Year-Round” – The Points Guy
“Awesome and Unique Bachelorette Party Destinations” – Purewow
“Best Vacations in the U.S. to Explore America’s Adventure Capitals” – Men’s Journal
“2024 Readers’ Choice Awards” (Destination of the Year) – Groups Today
Visit the city’s official tourism website for the complete list of Louisville-based accolades received in 2024, including those for hotels, restaurants, and festivals.
There was a time when Sonja and Alex Overhiser thought of cooking as just one of many daily chores—necessary but utilitarian on par, say, with laundry or taking out the trash. But then they discovered that cooking could be fun when done together, first just the two of them and now with the addition of their young children.
This realization started an evolution where sourcing ingredients and preparing meals went from drudgery to companionship and then morphing into developing recipes and what became their vocation with the success of their International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) award-winning blog,A Couple Cooks. Now they also have their very popular social media sites including Instagram with its 108,000 followers and Pinterest (96,000 followers). Recently, the two have released their second cookbook, a beautiful glossy tome titled A Couple Cooks: 100 Recipes to Cook Together (Chronicle Books 2004; $40).
“This collection is for any pair sharing the kitchen, whether you’re newlyweds, partners, couples with kids, empty nesters, family members, or friends,” the Overhisers write in their book. “The recipes span all of life’s occasions, from a dinner date to an artisan bread baking project to a big table of friends and family. Each one is designed for two cooks, by two cooks.”
For them, cooking isn’t just a way to get food on the table, it’s a process to be savored and enjoyed, a way to create memories while working together chopping vegetables, stirring pots of sauce, assembling casseroles, or just waiting for bread dough to rise.
Their recipes span numerous occasions with chapter titles such as Mornings, Drinks, Sweets, Sides, Gatherings, and Just for Two. The first chapter of the book, Everyday Dinners, features four-serving recipes that were created to be used repeatedly, making them perfect for busy times. And write the Overhisers, if you’re a two-person household, you’re in luck because the extra leftovers can be used for lunch or another dinner.
The photos that accompany each recipe are lush and the dishes themselves easy to make. But to help readers who aren’t familiar with spending time together in the kitchen, they also suggest ten recipes that are perfect for beginners including Salmon Piccata, Banana Baked Oatmeal with Maple Tahini Drizzle, Warm Goat Cheese with Jam, and Glazed Applesauce Spice Cake.
There are suggestions for wine pairings, storage, assigning cooking roles, and building the perfect meal. Each recipe also notes whether it meets certain dietary requirements such as gluten-free, pescatarian, vegetarian, and vegan. Also, helpfully, the recipes are often adaptable as the authors explain how to tinker with such dishes as their Lemony Orzo Skillet with Chickpeas & Broccoli which can become vegan by omitting the Parmesan shavings and using their Lemon Tahini Sauce instead.
User tips show how to plan a dinner party, setting up a bar cart, essential kitchen gear, growing fresh herbs, styling attractive table settings, and even planning a date night in.
In keeping with the Overhiser’s emphasis on user-friendly, they show how to increase the serving size of recipes expanding their recipe for Chocolate Ganache Tart for Two to one that can be served as a party dish and, if vegan friends are coming over, how to substitute coconut milk for the heavy cream and dairy-free dark chocolate for regular dark chocolate.
Note, even though this book is designed to be used by two, it can also be used by just one person as well without any fuss or big changes.
Blistered Green Bean Almondine
Our secret to green beans: blister them in the broiler instead of the stovetop or the oven. It’s fast and easy and adds a charred finish to the tender beans. Even better, they maintain their brilliant bright green color.
Combine the tender, charred beans with nutty toasted almonds, butter, and garlic, and it’s enough to make this side dish take over as star of the plate. Nutmeg adds a floral complexity as a finishing touch—don’t leave it out!
SERVES 4
1 lb [455 g] green beans, trimmed
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ cup [25 g] sliced almonds
1 Tbsp salted butter
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
Freshly grated whole nutmeg, or 1 pinch ground nutmeg (see Tips)
Heat the broiler to high heat. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Add the green beans, olive oil, and kosher salt and toss with your hands until evenly coated. Spread the beans into a single layer.
Broil, removing the pan from the oven and stirring every few minutes, until all the beans are tender and charred, 7 to 12 minutes. Check often, since each broiler is different (see Tips).
In a large dry skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds until they start to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and turn off the heat. In the same skillet with no heat, melt the butter, then add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute (the residual heat from the pan cooks the garlic).
Return the toasted almonds to the skillet with the garlic butter, add the broiled green beans, and toss to combine. Finish with a few grates of nutmeg from a whole nutmeg. Taste and add more salt if desired. Serve immediately.
Tips
All broilers work differently; some may cook much faster than others. The first time you make this recipe, check early and often.
Use a microplane grater to add a hint of fresh grated nutmeg to add a unique, heightened element. Otherwise, ground nutmeg works as a substitute.
Haricots verts or French green beans also work here. Since they are thinner, cut the cooking time by half and cook until browned.
For Vegan
Substitute olive oil for the butter.
Storage
Leftovers will keep, refrigerated, for up to 2 days; reheat in a skillet before serving.
Sweet Heat Salmon
SERVES 2
One taste of this thick, glossy sauce and you’ll want to drizzle it on everything. This quick salmon is great for spicing up date night— although we make it on the regular because it’s just that good. Stir up the sauce, pop the salmon in the broiler for 10 minutes, then brush with more of that luscious glaze before serving.
If you can handle the heat, feel free to add more hot sauce; this recipe comes out mildly spicy as written.
Two 6 oz [170 g] salmon fillets, skin on, about 1½ in [4 cm] thick
2 Tbsp salted butter
½ Tbsp Louisiana- or picante-style hot sauce (such as Valentina, Cholula, Tabasco, or Frank’s) (see Tips)
½ Tbsp sriracha
2 tsp honey
½ tsp soy sauce or tamari
Minced chives, or green onion tops, for garnishing
Allow the salmon to come to room temperature, about 20 minutes (see Tips).
In a small saucepan, melt the butter, then stir in the hot sauce, sriracha, honey, and soy sauce. Taste and add additional hot sauce if desired. Pour half of the sauce into a small bowl.
Preheat the broiler to high.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly oil it. Put the salmon on the foil skin side down and sprinkle it with several pinches of kosher salt. Brush the top and sides of the salmon with half of the glaze.
Broil the salmon until just tender and pink at the center, 7 to 10 minutes (thinner salmon will need only 4 to 5 minutes). The internal temperature should reach at least 125°F to 130°F [50°C to 55°C] when measured with a food thermometer at the thickest point.
Remove from the oven and brush with the reserved half of the glaze. Garnish with chives and serve.
Tips
This recipe has a mild-to-medium heat level; increase the hot sauce to your liking to make a spicier dish. Keep in mind that the final dish will taste less spicy than a taste of the sauce directly from a spoon.
It’s important to bring the salmon to room temperature for even cooking in the broiler. If the fish is too cold, it can blacken on the outside without fully cooking through on the inside.
Repurpose this dish as a salmon salad:
Flake the cooked salmon and use it to top chopped romaine with tomatoes, croutons, and Creamy Parmesan Dressing.
Wine Pairing
A dry Riesling is the perfect match for this dish. Its crisp acidity and subtle minerality balance the spicy sweetness of the sauce. For a nonalcoholic pairing, try a zero-proof Riesling (we like Leitz Eins Zwei Zero Riesling).
Cooking Together
Make a side dish together while the salmon comes to room temperature, then one of you can whip up the sauce while the other prepares and broils the salmon.
For Gluten-Free
Use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari.
For Dairy-Free
Use vegan or dairy-free butter.
Storage
Leftovers will keep, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.
A contemporary Southern cook from Charleston who channels the traditions and culture of her Gullah/Geechees heritage, Kardea Brown is the Emmy nominated award host of Food Network’s Delicious Miss Brown. The author of The Way Home: A Celebration of Sea Islands Food and Family with over 100 Recipes(HarperOne), Brown is a best selling New York Times author with over 455,000 followers on Instagram. Many of the recipes in her book are those that have been passed down through her grandmother and her mother and celebrate the cuisine of the Gullah/Geechees who originating from West Africa were enslaved on the rice, indigo and Sea Island cotton plantations. Settling along the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia, the Gullah/Geechees have retained many facets of their history including language and foodways. The book, featuring 125 recipes and an array of gorgeous full-color photos, is filled with easy-to-make recipes. Follow Kardea on Instagram.
The following recpes and photos are reprinted with permission from The Way Home.
Chicken & Dumplings
6 Tbsp (¾ stick) unsalted butter, divided
6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 stalks celery, sliced ½ inch thick
4 medium carrots, sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
½ bunch fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Dumplings
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp vegetable shortening
2/3 cup buttermilk
Heat a large braiser or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add 4 Tbsp butter. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; add to pan. Cook 3 minutes per side or until golden. Transfer to a plate.
Add remaining 2 Tbsp butter, onion, celery and carrots to pan; season with salt and pepper. Cook 3 minutes or until vegetables are coated with fat and slightly golden, stirring frequently and scraping up bits that cling to bottom of pan. Sprinkle with flour; stir until vegetables are coated. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add chicken stock, bay leaf and browned chicken along with any juices that have collected. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook 45 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through.
Dumplings
In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Using a fork, cut shortening into flour mixture. Slowly add buttermilk, gently mixing to incorporate.
Remove chicken from pot; shred with 2 forks. Return chicken to pot. Using 2 spoons, sprayed with cooking spray if desired, top stew with 1 Tbsp scoops of dough. Cover; simmer 15 minutes or until dumplings double in size. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf. Garnish with parsley.
Limpin’ Susan
3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into strips
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups sliced fresh okra or thawed from frozen
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the bacon to drain on paper towels. Add the shrimp to the bacon fat and cook until just barely seared, about 4 minutes. Remove to a separate plate. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Stir in the onion and garlic.
Cook until starting to soften, 2 to 3 minutes, then add the okra to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice (this will help cut the slime). Stir in the rice and saute until the onion is lightly browned, about 3 minutes more. Add chicken stock, salt and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to loosen any browned bits in the bottom of the skillet. Reduce the heat to low and add the shrimp back to the skillet.
Cover and cook until the rice is tender and cooked through, about 20 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking time, use a fork to stir the bacon into the rice. Fluff and serve.
Benne Wafers
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup toasted sesame seeds
Nonstick cooking spray, for your hands
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter for about 30 second, so that it is even softer. Add the sugar, vanilla, salt, baking soda and egg and beat until just combined. Add the flour and mix until smooth. Stir in the sesame seeds.
Drop the dough by tablespoonful onto the baking sheets, making sure to leave at least an inch between the wafers for spreading. Spray your hands or a spatula with nonstick spray and press the cookies down to keep them from doming.
Bake until golden brown and starting to crisp on the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow the wafers to cool for 1 minute on the baking sheets, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
The cuisine of Iran, with origins dating back centuries, is arguably one of the most sophisticated in the world, offering an incredible array of dishes. This cuisine hails from the lands of ancient Persia and has evolved through the ages to what comprises the myriad and distinct regional cuisines in present day Iran. Also shaping this cuisine is the variety of climates in Iran, the country’s terrain, and geography, with rich soil and plentiful sunshine, as well as the ethnocultural diversity of the country. From Persian Feasts(Phaidon 2024 by Leila Heller).
A beauty of a cookbook with its lush food photos set on backgrounds of Middle Eastern designs, Persian Feasts celebrates centuries of culinary and cultural history of a land that during the first Persian Empire stretched from the Balkans in Eastern Europe in the west to the Indus valley in the east. Now know as Iran, the cuisine is complex with each region having a distinct imprint upon the ingredients and how it is prepared.
Drilling down even further, according to author Leila Heller, each Iranian household holds itself to a high standard and has strong beliefs when it comes to Persian food. That said, anyone first attempting to cook these dishes at home should be assured by Heller’s statement that there is no wrong way or right way of making Persian food,
“The personal preferences do impact Persian recipes,” she writes. “For instance, some prefer sweetness over tartness, buttery over dry, and many will adjust seasoning spices and herbs accordingly.”
Making it even more accessible, most of the recipes in her book can be recreated at home from ingredients readily available in both neighborhood supermarkets and gourmet food stores. The more unique items—sumac, dried barberries dried and Persian limes and prunes—are available at Middle Eastern or Indian food stores as well as online.
Heller, president of the Leila Heller Gallery, a contemporary art gallery in New York and Dubai. She holds a bachelor of art degree from Brown University, a master’s degree in art from Sotheby’s Institute in London and a second master’s degree in art history and museum management from George Washington University. She lives in both New York and Dubai, bridging the gap between East and West through art, culture, and food. This book is another way for her to share her knowledge in these areas. Besides recipes, we learn about celebrations, festivities, and events and the foods involved in each.
For those just beginning to experiment with Persian cuisine, several recipes stand out as a straightforward way to get acquainted with techniques and ingredients. For example, all the ingredients needed to make Chicken Saffron Frittata are familiar and the dish can be completed in seven steps. In her description of the dish, Heller helps acquaint us with the background of the frittata locally known as chegehertmeh and hails from the lush province of Gilan in northern Iran that borders on the Caspian Sea.
Smoked Eggplant with Tomato is another dish originating from the Caspian Sea region. Again, the ingredients are readily available, and many are already probably in a home chef’s pantry. The dish has seven short steps but is slightly different in that the eggplant is smoked over an open flame to give it the distinct flavor that makes this dish a winner. A refreshing summer dessert that’s both easy to make and gluten-free, Cardamom & Rose Water Pudding takes only four steps to make a pretty presentation. Yogurt Drink with Mint is even easier—five ingredients mixed in a blender.
Once a home chef has mastered these simple recipes, more complex dishes like Herb & Noodle Potage, Shirazi Rice with Cabbage and Meatballs, and Persian Noodle Rice will seem less daunting and becoming proficient in Persian cooking an easy undertaking.
2 tablespoons butter 2 cups (8 oz/225 g) dried barberries, rinsed 1 tablespoon sugar 2 cups (1 lb/450 g) dried Puy lentils 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup (6 1/2 oz/185 g) quinoa 1 cup (3 1/2 oz/300 g) finely chopped scallions (spring onions) 1/2 cup (1 oz/30 g) finely chopped cilantro (coriander), plus extra for garnish 1/2 cup (2 oz/55 g) finely chopped chives 1/2 cup (1 oz/30 g) finely chopped parsley 4 tablespoons finely chopped dill 3/4 cup (6 fl oz/175 ml) red wine vinegar or pomegranate molasses 2 tablespoons cumin seeds 1 tablespoon salt 2 teaspoons black pepper 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 1/2 cups (9 3/4 oz/275 g) pomegranate seeds, for garnish (optional)
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, then add the barberries and sugar. Mix for 2-3 minutes, until the sugar has melted.Pick over the Puy lentils to remove any debris.
Rinse the lentils under cold running water. In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, 4 cups (32 fl oz/950 ml) of water, and 2 tablespoons of oil. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20-35 minutes, until the lentils are cooked through. Drain, then set aside.
Rinse the quinoa under cold running water, then drain. In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa and 1 1/2 cups (12 fl oz/350 ml) of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until tender. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, lentils, scallions (spring onions), herbs, and barberries.
In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) of oil, vinegar, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Pour over the salad and toss well. Season to taste, then garnish with pomegranate seeds, if using.
This article originally appeared in the New York Journal of Books.
To say that Carolina Gelen, who immigrated to America from the Transylvania region of Romania three years ago, has taken this country by storm would be an understatement. An engineer by training but a cook with deep roots in her family’s culture and love of food, Gelen now has 1.3 million followers on Instagram, over 650,000 TikTok followers and 29.2 million likes, and 301,000 Facebook followers—all eager for her easy-to-follow recipes. And now Gelen’s first cookbook, Pass the Plate: 100 Delicious, Highly Shareable, Everyday Recipes (Clarkson Potter 2024), has just been released.
Coming from a Romanian family—on my father’s side—and learning to cook from my grandmother who would, in the typical Romanian fashion, make enough food to feed 20 if only four were coming for dinner, I was excited to interview Gelen and discuss not only the traditional cooking of my ancestors but also her American cuisine. Interestingly enough, Gelen has no formal culinary training, she grew up watching American cooking shows which is also how she learned to speak English.
“It also broadened my food knowledge and palette,” she says, noting that she worked in she in five-star restaurants after coming to the U.S.,
One of the first questions I asked was how the food scene in Romania differs from here.
“Eating out was something we did for a special occasion, once or twice a year, definitely not a nightly or weekly thing,” Gelen told me. “Where I grew up, I can only remember a single fast-food drive-through that wasn’t very popular–though I’m sure a few more opened up since. The supermarkets in Romania are well stocked, but they certainly don’t have as many options as the ones in the U.S. Not to mention the sizing of everything in the U.S. from restaurant portions to potato chip bags being so massive, I remember that being such a huge culture shock in the beginning. The post-shrinkflation American product sizing reminds me more and more of what I grew up with.”
Ingredients we take for granted—canned cranberries and pumpkin puree weren’t available in Romania. But there are things back home you can’t get here.
“If I go to any local European market, I can definitely stock up on Romanian favorites, but one thing I miss that I can’t find in the U.S. is the local sour cream vending machine from the farmers market in my town,” says Gelen. “I’m not a big drinker, but I do miss some of the wines and liqueurs friends and family would make at home and occasionally gift them to you. Sour cherry liqueur is the one I miss the most.”
Gelen relied upon her Romanian roots for some of the recipes in her book.
“Chicken and pearled couscous is one of my mother’s go-to dinners, so my one-pan garlicky chicken couscous is highly inspired by her endless versions of this pairing,” she says. “So are her bright pink root vegetable salad, a delicious charred eggplant dip we would make all year long, and a zingy sour veggie soup flavored with sauerkraut. Can’t forget the layered cabbage roll in a casserole or buttery cabbage noodles.”
Others, she says, aren’t exclusively Romanian but are adapted from her travels and experiences such as her Brie Mac and Cheese with Crunchy Panko or Fennel Caesar Salad with Garlic Lemon Panko.
I asked Gelen what recipes she would recommend for the fall.
“The first one that comes to mind is my toasted farro apple salad with pecans and maple dressing,” she says. “This recipe screams fall, I cut the ingredients into small bite size pieces so you can eat this salad with a spoon. If you’re into meal prepping, it’s perfect as it stores well in the fridge. Top it with grilled chicken or seared steak and you’ve got lunch in five minutes. My second one would be the cheesy potato soup with rosemary croutons – it’s perfectly comforting, rich and filling. It feels like a warm hug in a bowl.”
Pass the Plate took over two years to complete.
“I wish I could capture and translate just how much love, effort and time goes into making a cookbook,” says Gelen. “A brief description–over the course of a year I developed and wrote 110 recipes with headnotes. I had a recipe tester who tested the recipes multiple times so by the time the cookbook went to print, between me, the tester and the culinary team cooking the food at the photo shoot, the recipes have been made at least five times ensuring they taste great and have no errors.”
She narrowed these down to 100.
“The most memorable moment was seeing everyone try the recipes during the photoshoot,” she recalls. “It was such a joy to see their reactions in real time to all the dishes in the book. I still get messages to this day with photos of them making their favorites since the photoshoot.”
Growing up, cooking meant family, love, and sharing. That feel is part of what inspires Gelen in her cooking today. “I’m inspired by the joy people get from eating the recipes I create. I love sharing my recipes with people all over the world,” she says. “That’s what keeps me inspired. It’s hard to put it into words just how rewarding it is seeing your recipes be part of someone’s celebration, holiday or everyday life.”
3 (15-ounce) cans butter beans or lima beans, drained and rinsed (see Note)
For Serving
Flaky salt
Extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Aleppo pepper or red chile flakes (optional)
Make the cheddar panko: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add the cheddar, panko, and melted butter to the baking sheet and toss lightly with your hands to combine. Shake the pan to even out the bread crumb layer. Bake until the mixture becomes crisp and turns a rich, golden color, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
Make the cheddar broccoli beans: In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and a big pinch of kosher salt and cook until translucent and soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, another minute. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is bright green but still firm, 5 to 6 minutes. Feel free to reduce the heat as needed, and if things start to brown too quickly at the bottom of the pan, add a splash of water to deglaze it.
Add the flour and toss to evenly coat the veggies. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until the broccoli is just tender, about 2 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheddar to the pan. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth, though a few chunks are okay. (Alternatively, carefully transfer the broccoli mixture to a blender and add the cheddar. Remove the center plug in the lid of the blender to let steam escape, and blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the pan. If you need extra liquid to help blend everything, add a splash of milk.)
Return the pan to medium heat and bring back to a simmer. Add the beans and a hefty pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are warmed through and tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Divide the bean stew among bowls and crumble the cheddar panko on top and top with flaky salt. If desired, garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, some black pepper, and Aleppo pepper.
Note: If you can’t get your hands on butter (or lima) beans, garbanzo or Great Northern beans will work just as well.
Slice the cabbage in half, through the stem. Tightly wrap the cabbage halves in aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake until super soft and tender all the way through, 45 to 50 minutes. Set aside to cool but leave the oven on.
In a medium skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until toasted and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring to coat the rice in the tomato paste, until the mixture darkens and begins to caramelize on the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes.
Create a space in the middle of the pan and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, plus the garlic, paprika, thyme, black pepper, and cayenne. Cook until very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the beef and a big pinch of salt and mix well to incorporate the spices into the beef. (We’re looking to use the warmth in the pan to help break up the beef and cook it a little, but not all the way through since it will cook in the oven.) Remove the pan from the heat.
Add all of the tomato sauce and the whole tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as you add them to the beef mixture. Add a few tablespoons of water to each of the cans to swish around and pick up whatever tomato sauce is still in the can. Add that to the pan and stir to combine. This will look like a weird, raw ragu, but remember, this is all getting baked together with the cabbage. Trust the process!
To assemble the cabbage roll cake, grease a deep 10-inch springform pan (see Note) with oil. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set the springform on the baking sheet.
Add a dollop of the tomato-beef mixture to the bottom of the pan and spread it in an even layer. Pull off about one-fourth of the leaves from the steamed cabbage. Chop any thicker cabbage core pieces and save them for the final layer. Layer the cabbage leaves over the sauce, letting them overlap as needed to fully cover the sauce.
Add a third of the tomato-beef mixture over the cabbage, followed by another fourth of the cabbage leaves in an even layer. Add another third of the tomato-beef mixture and top with another fourth of the cabbage leaves in an even layer.
Top with the remaining third of the tomato sauce, followed by the remaining fourth of the cabbage leaves, including the chopped cabbage cores on top.
Tightly cover the pan with foil and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and drizzle the cabbage with a few tablespoons of oil. Continue to bake until the top layer of cabbage is golden brown, about 15 more minutes.
Preheat the broiler. Place the oven rack about 4 inches from the heating element. Broil until the cabbage is nicely charred, 3 to 4 minutes. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Slice and serve like you would a lasagna or a cake. The reference photo stacks cabbage roll cakes, your cake should be half as tall.
Note: You can also use a regular 10-inch round pan, though the cabbage roll cake will be harder to remove from the pan. If you go that route, instead of struggling to flip the cake and pull it out onto a serving platter, simply serve it straight out of the pan.
Have a yen for mandu (Korean dumplings), bingsu (shaved ice with red beans and fruit), and traditional kimchi (tongbaechu-kimchi)? Two cookbooks by Emily Kim, better known as Maangchi (Korean for hammer and pronounced MAHNG-chee) opens up the world of Korean cuisine, making it easy for home chefs to cook their favorite dishes in their own kitchens.
Maangchi, a YouTube star with 6.4 million followers, didn’t plan on becoming a celebrity chef.
But we’re glad she did because now we can cook Korean at home.
The New York Times described her as “YouTube’s Korean Julia Child,” calling Maangchi’s Big Book of Korean Cooking as one of the Best Cookbooks of Fall 2019 while Bon Appetit listed it among the “Fall Cookbooks We’ve Been Waiting All Summer For.” Publishers Weekly called Maangchi’s cookbook Real Korean Cooking, “an essential cookbook for anyone who wants to learn to prepare authentic Korean cuisine.”
Whether you want to dive deep into Korean cookery or keep it casual, Maangchi offers both essential techniques, pantry list, and a wide array of recipes. can watch 560–and counting videos–to learn how to make many of her dishes.
Chamchijeon (Tuna Pancakes)
1 5-ounce can of tuna
¼ cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons flour if using non-Korean tuna (1 tablespoon if using Korean tuna)
2 tablespoons canola oil
Strain out the liquid from a can of tuna and place it in a bowl.
*tip: You can use cheesecloth, paper towel, or just squeeze with your hands to get the excess liquid out
Add all ingredients except canola oil and mix well.
Heat up a non-stick pan and spread 1-2 tablespoons canola oil.
Scoop a spoonful of the tuna mixture with a spoon and place it on the heated pan.
Press slightly and round the edges with the spoon.
Make 6 small size pancakes with the tuna mixture.
When the bottom is cooked golden brown, turn it over and cook until both sides of the pancakes are golden brown.
Total cooking time is 3-5 minutes.
Transfer the cooked pancakes to a serving plate and serve with rice.
Pan Fried Tofu with Spicy Sauce (Dububuchim-yangnyeomjang)
“Among the side dishes made with tofu, Korean pan-fried tofu with seasoning sauce is one of the easiest to make and a favorite among all Koreans,’” says Maangchi about this recipe. “With just one block of tofu, you can create a delicious side dish in 10 minutes! The flavorful sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, soy sauce, garlic, minced onion, and green onion come together to enhance the taste, making it a very popular side dish.
“When I lived in Toronto, Canada, I often went to the St Lawrence farmers market on the weekend. It was in a big building, and in the basement there was a store where people were lining up every weekend to buy some special tofu. My friend was a regular customer at the store, so she let me taste it when she bought it. I was very surprised!
“Firstly, because it was so expensive, and secondly because it was a very simple tofu recipe. They were selling the tofu cubed and cooked with sauce for $7.99! The sauce was made with soy sauce and sugar or maple syrup.It seemed like a very easy recipe to make. I took my friend to a Korean store and bought a package of tofu for 99 cents. We came home and we cooked it together.
“She was very happy and since that time, she has been doing all kinds of experiments with her favorite tofu side dish. She invents her own sauce these days. : )Shortly after I started my YouTube channel, I posted this recipe along with a video, and now I have remade it with more precise measurements and updated proportions.Enjoy making it deliciously!”
Serves 3 to 4
1 block of tofu
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons gochu-garu (Korean hot pepper flakes)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon sugar (optional)
1 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Prepare the Sauce:
In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, gochu-garu, minced garlic, chopped onion, chopped green onion, sesame oil, and sugar (if using). Mix well and set aside.
Prepare the Tofu:
Cut the tofu into 8 equal pieces, each about ¼ inch thick.
Pat each piece of tofu dry with a cotton cloth or paper towels.
Cook the Tofu:
Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the tofu pieces one by one to the skillet. Be sure not to crowd them, so they don’t stick to each other. Turn down the heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, until the bottom turns crunchy and golden brown.
Flip the tofu pieces with a spatula and cook for another 5 minutes until both sides are light golden brown and crunchy.
Serve:
Transfer the cooked tofu to a serving plate.
Drizzle the seasoning sauce evenly over each piece of tofu.
Add seasoning sauce
Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and some additional chopped green onion.
Serious foodies have always raved about Tokyo’s fabulous food finds in a city where no matter the time of the place, there’s always a treat ready to be had.
Now, Brendan Liew and Caryn Ng, who established chotto, a pop-up Japanese café in Melbourne, Australia, where they introduced the art of traditional ryokan-style breakfasts, have written A Day in Tokyo(Smith Street Books), a cookbook highlighting the best of Tokyo’s round-the-clock cuisine and culture.
Lew has worked at the three-Michelin-starred Nihonryori RyuGin in Roppongi, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, and also studied the art of ramen-making in Japan before delving into kappo and modern kaiseki cuisine. In Melbourne, he worked at Kappo, Supernormal, Golden Fields and Bistro Vue. Together, Brendan and Caryn have traveled extensively through Japan’s countryside and major cities to explore, learn, and live the country’s culture and gastronomy.
As its name implies, the book is divided into chapters by the time of day starting with Early when the streets are silent. Recipes in this section include Kitsune Udon, a noodle dish made with deep-fried tofu, sea mustard, and sake and Funwari Hottokeki or Souffle Hotcakes.
Mid is a time when people head to their favorite ramen shops, curry houses, and depechika, department store basements filled with grocers, fishmongers, specialty pickle sellers, furikake or places to buy rice seasonings, wines, patisseries, umeboshi or stores selling pickled plums, and food stalls where one can buy rice balls, tempera, bento box meals, and other lunch items.
Late, when the sunsets behind Mt. Fuji and the neon lights of Tokyo flicker to life, is when Tokyo’s boisterous and lively night scene comes to life. Recipes include Chawanmushi, a savory egg custard and Kanikorokke or Crab Croquettes.
The last chapter, Basics, shows how to cook rice, milk bread, and hot spring eggs as well as tempura flour and different types of dashi. This is followed by a glossary of common ingredients in Japanese cooking found in Asian and Japanese supermarkets or greengrocers.
“It would be impossible to dine at every restaurant in Tokyo in a single lifetime. Layer upon layer of dining establishments exist here, stacked on top of each other in high-rise buildings, hidden down long narrow alleyways, and crammed tightly together in warrens. Their only signposts are noren, small-calligraphed signs accompanied by delicately arranged sprigs of flowers or traditional Japanese lanterns hung outside the door,” write the authors in the book’s introduction. “Tokyo is a city where centuries-old restaurants can be found in between modern ones, where third, fourth, and fifth generations of chefs’ neatly pressed white jackets live the life of shokunin, (a word commonly translated as artisan, but which encapsulates so much more) going through the processes their forefathers went through before them.”
The 96 recipes are not necessarily difficult, indeed some are very easy. But for those unfamiliar with Japanese cooking, it may seem daunting. The best approach is to start with recipes like Bifu Shichu Hotto Sando (Beef Stew Jaffles), Tomato Salad with Lime Dressing, or Yakitori (skewers of marinated chicken) that don’t require a long list of unusual ingredients or a lot of steps. And then continue from there.
YAKISOBA PAN
YAKISOBA ROLLS
SERVES 4
Yakisoba pan is a quirky Japanese creation consisting of fried noodles stuffed in bread, specifically a hot dog roll or milk bun. The story goes that a customer of Nozawaya in Tokyo asked for the combination in the 1950s, and the invention has lined the shelves of Japanese bakeries and konbini (convenience stores) ever since.
4 Milk bread rolls (page 216) [below] or store-bought mini hot dog rolls
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or margarine, softened
300 g (10½ oz) Fried noodles (page 99) [below]
beni shōga (pickled ginger), sliced, to serve
Split the bread rolls in half and spread with the butter. Divide the fried noodles between the rolls and top with lots of beni shōga. Serve immediately (though it also tastes fine cold).
SHOKUPAN
MILK BREAD
MAKES 1 X 2.8 LITRE (95 FL OZ) LIDDED LOAF TIN OR 12 ROLLS
“Our Australian chef friend, who lives in Japan, once made sourdough bread for his Japanese wife and her family,” write the authors in the introduction to this recipe.
“He couldn’t easily find the kind he ate back home, and missed the rustic, country-style loaves. He is a good baker, but we can’t say for certain that his wife and her family were charmed by his efforts. The Japanese are completely smitten with milk bread, you see, and it’s worlds apart from the chewy loaves and hard crusts typical of European breads.
“Milk bread is soft, white, sweet and fluffy: the perfect foil for a multitude of fillings, from cream, custard and red bean to katsu (crumbed and fried cutlets; page 186), fried noodles (see page 121) and curry (see page 127). It is also delicious eaten on its own.
220 g (11/2 cups) bread flour, plus extra for dusting
165 ml (51/2 fl oz) milk
50 g (13/4 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
10 g (1/4 oz) salt
4 g (1/8 oz) dried yeast
60 g (2 oz) butter, at room temperature, diced
neutral oil, for greasing
Preferment
220 g (11/2 cups) strong flour
165 ml (51/2 fl oz) water
2.5 g (1/8 oz) dried yeast
Egg Wash
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
Start by making the preferment. Mix the ingredients together, then cover and leave for 24 hours at room temperature.
The next day, put the preferment in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add all the remaining ingredients, except the butter and oil. Knead on low speed using a dough hook for 5 minutes. Scrape down the side, add the butter and knead for another 10 minutes, or until the dough is very elastic, scraping down the side of the bowl every 2 minutes.
To make a loaf, when the dough is ready, scrape down the side of the bowl again, then cover and leave to rest in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. (To make rolls, skip to step 12.)
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide into three even pieces. Form each piece into a smooth ball, then cover and leave to rest for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, lightly grease a 2.8 litre (95 fl oz) lidded loaf tin with oil.
Lightly flour your work surface. Turn one rested dough ball over onto the work surface so the smooth side faces down. Using your hands or a rolling pin, stretch the dough to roughly the size of an A4 sheet of paper, or about 20 cm x 30 cm (8 in x 12 in). Fold the left side of the dough over two-thirds of the dough. Press down to remove any large air bubbles, then fold the right side all the way over to the left edge.
Take the top of the dough with both hands, then tightly roll from top to bottom to create a log. Seal the excess dough by pinching it together, then place, seal-side down, in the loaf tin. Repeat with the remaining two dough balls.
Slide the lid on the loaf tin and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Bake the bread for 20 minutes, then turn the oven down to 165°C (330°F) and bake for another 15 minutes.
Remove the loaf tin from the oven, carefully remove the lid and turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before slicing.
If using the bread for sando, use it within 2 days. It will be fine as toast for up to 5 days.
To make rolls instead of a loaf, after step 2, punch the dough down and shape into 12 evenly sized rolls. Place on a baking paper-lined tray, leaving a 10 cm (4 in) space between each roll. Cover the tray with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
In a small bowl, beat 1 egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of milk to make an egg wash.
Pour 250ml (1 cup) of water into a metal baking tin and place on the bottom of the oven. Brush the tops of the rolls with the egg wash and bake for 15 minutes, or until the rolls sound hollow when tapped. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool before using. The rolls will keep for up to 5 days.
NAPORITAN PAN
NAPOLETANA ROLLS
SERVES 4
This is a twist on the Yakisoba roll (above), this time featuring spaghetti napoletana, a yōshoku (Western-style) favourite in Japan.
4 Milk bread rolls (page 216) [see Yakisoba recipe] or store-bought mini hot dog rolls
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or margarine, softened
200 g (7 oz) dried spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
125 ml (½ cup) tomato ketchup
125 ml (½ cup) tomato passata (pureed tomatoes)
chopped parsley, to garnish
Split the bread rolls in half and spread with the butter. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet, then drain.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, then add the onion and garlic and cook until soft. Stir in the ketchup and passata. Add the cooked spaghetti to the frying pan and mix well. Divide the spaghetti napoletana between the rolls and top with parsley.
Note
The napoletana rolls can be – and are usually – served cold.
Just discovered this article I wrote years ago about Fabio Viviani and Fabio’s 30-Minute Italian (St. Martin’s Press), which was new at the time, on the website “We the Italians.”
Fabio, best known for his participation in Bravo’s Top Chef seasons 5 and 8 – earning the “Fan Favorite” title -both his on-screen appearances and off-screen successes have propelled him to become one of the most influential culinary and hospitality names in the country.
A recurring guest on national television shows such as Good Morning America, The Rachael Ray Show, and numerous Food Network Shows, such as Cutthroat Kitchen: All-Star Tournament, which he won, off-screen Fabio is a regular headliner at global food events, and he has authored four successful cookbooks: Café Firenze Cookbook, New York Times Best-Seller Fabio’s Italian Kitchen, and Fabio’s American Home Kitchen.
Fabio’s online presence draws millions of viewers yearly with his own cooking show, Fabio’s Kitchen, now in Season 5.
He also has numerous restaurants throughout the United States.
“If hot fudge wanted to be a cake, this would be it,” writes Fabio in the introduction to this recipe which is both sinfully delicious and sinfully easy to make. “Yes, it’s a classic sponge cake, but a classic that is rich and chocolaty with hints of cinnamon, rum and espresso that bring home the indulgent chocolaty-ness of it all. I sometimes call this Butterscotch Chocolate Cake because after it’s baked it’s drizzled with a thick caramel sauce that’s lightly salted. Sinful.”
For the cake:
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons baking soda
¾ cup cocoa powder 2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup canola oil 2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla, extracted from pod
2 teaspoons rum 1 cup hot water
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
For the caramel:
Splash of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fleur de sel
¼ cup butter
½ cup heavy cream, plus 2 tablespoons
1 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round baking pans. Set aside.
In a large stand mixer, combine the cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, sugar and flour. Once combined, add buttermilk, heavy cream, oil, eggs, vanilla and rum; mix until smooth. Stir together the hot water and espresso powder. Pour slowly into the cake batter and stir until completely incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, until baked through and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool down completely.
While cakes are cooking, combine the vanilla extract, fleur de sel, butter, ½ cup of heavy cream and sugar in a sauce pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5–6 minutes. Cook until caramel in color, then add the final 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Stir for 20 seconds and let cool before glazing cake.
Have a question, story idea, or just want to chat, reach me at janeammeson@gmail.com
Entries for the 2024 James Beard Book Awards were accepted for all cookbooks and other nonfiction food and beverage books published in the U.S. in 2023. Books from foreign publishers were eligible if they bore a 2023 U.S. copyright date or were distributed in the U.S. during 2023.
This year’s winners, announced tonight at Columbia College, were:
Baking and Desserts Dark Rye and Honey Cake: Festival Baking from Belgium, the Heart of the Low Countries Regula Ysewijn (Weldon Owen)
Beverage with Recipes Slow Drinks: A Field Guide to Foraging and Fermenting Seasonal Sodas, Botanical Cocktails, Homemade Wines, and More Danny Childs (Hardie Grant North America)
Beverage without Recipes Agave Spirits: The Past, Present, and Future of Mezcals Gary Paul Nabhan and David Suro Piñera (W. W. Norton & Company)
Food Issues and Advocacy Resilient Kitchens: American Immigrant Cooking in a Time of Crisis: Essays and Recipes Philip Gleissner and Harry Eli Kashdan (Rutgers University Press)
General Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook Sohla El-Waylly (Alfred A. Knopf)
International The World Central Kitchen Cookbook José Andrés and World Central Kitchen with Sam Chapple-Sokol (Clarkson Potter)
Literary Writing The Migrant Chef: The Life and Times of Lalo García Laura Tillman (W. W. Norton & Company)
Reference, History, and Scholarship White Burgers, Black Cash: Fast Food from Black Exclusion to Exploitation Naa Oyo A. Kwate (University of Minnesota Press)
Restaurant and Professional Fish Butchery: Mastering The Catch, Cut, And Craft Josh Niland (Hardie Grant Books)
Single Subject Pasta Every Day: Make It, Shape It, Sauce It, Eat It Meryl Feinstein (Hachette Book Group)
U.S. Foodways Love Japan: Recipes from Our Japanese American Kitchen Aaron Israel and Sawako Okochi with Gabriella Gershenson (Ten Speed Press)
Vegetable-Focused Cooking Tenderheart: A Cookbook About Vegetables and Unbreakable Family Bonds Hetty Lui McKinnon (Alfred A. Knopf)
Visuals The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp Yudi Echevarria (Ten Speed Press)
Cookbook Hall of Fame
Pierre Thiam
Emerging Voice Mayumu: Filipino American Desserts Remixed Abi Balingit (HarperCollins)
