cookbooks Archives : TRAVEL/FOOD

Mister Jiu’s

Asian cooking, cooking, James Beard Awards, Uncategorized

He cooked in Italy, honed the seasonal California-Mediterranean style in the kitchen of the Zuni Café, and learned Californian contemporary cuisine with Italian influences at Quince. But when it came right down to it, Brandon Jew of Mister Jiu’s in San Francisco who won the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: California in 2022, missed his grandmother’s cooking.

“What I remember from eating my grandma’s food is after eating, you feel good,” says Jew whose original family name was spelled Jiu but was changed when the family moved here when going through customs. “That sensation is what I want people to experience. Understanding that chefs back in old China—they were considered doctors too, where they were healing people and giving remedies to fix your ailments. A lot of it was basically what they were feeding you. I try not to take it too seriously, but there are things I feel like as a chef, I feel like it’s my responsibility to make people feel good afterwards too.”

But those years cooking Cal weren’t wasted.

“Cantonese cuisine and California cuisine really align in how ingredient-driven the food is and how minimal—the goal is to do as little to a perfect ingredient,” says Jew, author of Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown: Recipes and Stories from the Birthplace of Chinese American Food (Ten Speed Press). “Finding that perfect ingredient and thinking of the cooking method to showcase its natural flavors the most, to me, is very Cantonese and Californian. I’m using that mentality to bridge the two together.”

A bio major, Jew says it starts with the ingredients.

“There are just some classic things we want to reinterpret,” he says. “There isn’t a lot of specific recipes for a lot of things. Chop suey just doesn’t have really any recipe to it. We’re taking the creative freedom to do our version of that, or even something like egg foo young.”

The following recipes are from Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown: Recipes and Stories from the Birthplace of Chinese American Food.

LION’S HEAD MEATBALLS

Anything that needs slow braising will do well in a clay pot. The porous clay distributes an encompassing gentle heat all while sealing in the juices. The slightly alkaline clay also keeps proteins loose and tender. I appreciate a clay pot for its kindness to cooks. It holds heat so well that you can set it aside off-heat for an hour or two and come back to find everything inside still nice and toasty. And if you don’t have one, a small Dutch oven with a tight lid will do. Lion’s head (獅子頭, shī zi tóu in Mandarin) are a classic Chinese meatball (the bumpy texture looks like the curly manes of mythical lions). We use savory ingredients ingredients—mushrooms, seaweed, and a blend of pork—that compounds the sīn flavor exponentially. Use whatever delicious fungi you’ve got. Sometimes I drop a handful of fresh cordyceps (蟲草花, chóng căo huá) sautéed with garlic, or shave matsutake as in this recipe. For the bacon, choose an intensely smoky kind. You can use a meat grinder or hand-chop everything old-school.

Active Time — 1 hour, 15 minutes

Plan Ahead — You’ll need about 3 hours total, plus time to make Chicken Stock; pre-soak the clay pot for 2 hours

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Special Equipment — Meat grinder (optional), soaked 9-inch clay pot or a small Dutch oven

Lion’s Head Meatballs

3 oz / 85g nettles or stemmed lacinato kale
1 tsp neutral oil
Kosher salt
4 oz / 115g skin-on pork belly
12 Savoy cabbage leaves, thick stems trimmed
12 oz / 340g pork shoulder, cut into 1½-inch pieces
3 oz / 85g pork back fat
3½ oz / 100g medium-firm doufu
4 tsp peeled and minced ginger
1½ Tbsp light soy sauce (生抽, sāng chāu)
1 Tbsp powdered milk
1¼ tsp freshly ground white pepper
1 tsp fish sauce
1½ cups / 360ml Matsutake Broth (recipe follows)
2 Tbsp neutral oil
3 oz / 85g fresh wild mushrooms (such as matsutake, black trumpets, or chanterelles), chopped if large
½ rosemary sprig, about 2 inches long
Kosher salt
3 Tbsp toasted pine nuts
1 fresh matsutake mushroom, very thinly sliced or shaved with a mandoline

To make the meatballs: While wearing thick gloves, strip the leaves from the nettles and discard the stems.

In a wok or a medium frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the neutral oil until shimmering. Add the nettles and a pinch of salt and cook until wilted but still bright green, about 1½ minutes. If using kale, this will take about 3 minutes. Finely chop and set aside.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Line a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels.

Remove the skin from the pork belly. Add the skin to the boiling water and blanch for 30 seconds to firm up. Using tongs, remove and set aside. Add the cabbage leaves (work in batches, if needed) to the water and blanch until just wilted, about 30 seconds, then transfer to the prepared baking sheet to drain.

Place the pork skin, pork shoulder, belly, and back fat in a single layer on a plate and put in the freezer until the surface is just frozen but the center is still soft enough to be ground, about 15 minutes.

If using a meat grinder, grind the fat and skin through a fine grinding plate (⅛-inch / 3mm holes) into a large bowl. Switch to a coarse grinding plate (¼-inch / 6mm holes). Regrind about half of the fat-skin mixture back into the large bowl, then grind the shoulder and belly through the same grinding plate. Mix gently to combine. Regrind about half of the pork mixture again. Grind the doufu through the coarse grinding plate into the large bowl.

If chopping by hand, separately mince the pork belly skin, pork belly, pork shoulder, pork fat, and doufu using a chef’s knife or cleaver (two if you got ’em). Transfer to a large bowl as each one has formed a sticky paste and then mix well.

Add the nettles, ginger, soy sauce, powdered milk, 1½ tsp salt, pepper, and fish sauce to the bowl and use your hands to mix until well combined and a sticky paste forms but the meat is not overworked.

Divide the mixture into six portions. Roll each portion into a ball that is firmly packed and smooth. Wrap a cabbage leaf around each meatball, leaving the top exposed (save the remaining cabbage leaves for the clay pot). Refrigerate until ready to cook, up to 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Place the wrapped meatballs in a single layer in a soaked 9-inch-wide clay pot or small Dutch oven. Tuck the remaining cabbage leaves between the meatballs, then add the broth. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Transfer the pot to the oven and bake uncovered until the meatballs are browned and cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm a wok or a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the neutral oil and let it heat up for a few seconds. Add the mushrooms and rosemary, season with salt, and stir-fry until the mushrooms are browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Discard the rosemary.

Spoon the stir-fried mushrooms and any oil left in the pan over the meatballs and top with the pine nuts and shaved mushroom. Serve immediately.

MATSUTAKE BROTH

Makes 1 ½ cups / 360ml

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, sear the bacon until dark golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the onion to the pan and sear until very browned on one side, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-low; add the seared bacon, chicken stock, both dried mushrooms, and kombu; and simmer until reduced to 1½ cups / 360ml, about 1 hour.

Fit a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Strain the broth and discard the solids. Stir the fish sauce into the broth. Let cool, transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

SIZZLING FISH

On a weekly basis, my mom would cook corned beef with cabbage, or chicken à la king, or sausage lasagna. It was too expensive to travel internationally, but we got to eat all over the world from our kitchen table. When she cooked food from her childhood, though, she would make us this steamed fish, topped with ginger, green onions, and fermented black beans. The flavor of steamed fish in Cantonese cuisine is all about sīn tìhm (鮮甜), the essential flavor of a fresh ingredient in combination with a pure, smooth sweetness. The final lashing of hot oil in this dish infuses the green onions and ginger into the flesh of the fish and enriches the soy. Take care not to overcook the fish; I like to turn off the heat in the last minutes of cooking and let the steam finish the job. The flesh should pull off the bone in tender morsels, not flake. I always score round, fleshy fish to help it cook evenly. Then I steam the fish only until the thickest flesh right behind the gill area is not quite opaque or, as Cantonese cooks say, “translucent like white jade.”

Active Time — 20 minutes

Makes 4 servings

Special Equipment — Steamer, 9-inch pie plate

1 Tbsp fermented black beans (optional)
One 1½-lb / 680g whole fish (such as black bass or Tai snapper), gutted and scaled
large handful aromatics (such as thinly sliced ginger, green onion tops, and/or strips of fresh citrus zest)
¼ cup / 60ml high-smoke-point oil (such as peanut oil)
2 Tbsp premium soy sauce (頭抽, tàuh chāu) or light soy sauce (生抽, sāng chāu)
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and thread cut
3 green onions, thread cut (white parts only)
Young cilantro sprigs for garnishing

In a small bowl, cover the black beans (if using) with water, let soak for 30 minutes, and then drain.

Prepare a steamer in a wok or a large, lidded pot following the instructions on page 167 and bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, using kitchen shears, cut off the gills and the fins (careful, sharp!) on the top, bottom, and sides of the fish. Run your fingers over the skin, especially near the gills and belly, toward the head to check for any last scales; remove the scales with the edge of a spoon or the back of a knife.

On both sides of the fish, make eight 2-inch-long parallel slits into the flesh, not quite deep enough to hit bone, starting about 1 inch from the gills. Place the fish in a pie plate. (The fish can hang over the edges so long as everything fits in the steamer. If not, cut the fish in half to fit and hope none of your guests are superstitious.) Tuck some of your chosen aromatics into each slit, then stuff the remaining aromatics in the cavity. Top the fish with the black beans.

Place the pie plate in the steamer, cover, and steam until the eyeball is opaque and the flesh of the fish is white and flaky at the thickest part near the head and first slit, 10 to 12 minutes.

While the fish is steaming, in a small heavy-bottom saucepan over low heat, slowly warm the oil.

When the fish is ready, remove it with the pie plate from the steamer. (Reassemble as a whole fish if you cut it in two.) Drizzle with the soy sauce, then top with the ginger and green onions. Turn the heat under the oil to high and warm until it just starts to smoke. Immediately pour the oil over the fish, getting as much of the ginger and green onions to sizzle as you can. Garnish with the cilantro and serve with a spoon big enough for drizzling the juices.

TAIWANESE-STYLE EGGPLANT

For this recipe, I prefer medium Chinese eggplants, the pale purple, slender ones that are ten to twelve inches long, over similar-looking but more bitter varieties. This calls for oil-blanching and, because eggplant is basically a sponge, brining them for an hour first until they are saturated but not bloated. During frying, the water turns to steam and makes the eggplant creamy and not at all oily.

Cooking is really the study of water. It takes water to grow everything, of course, and so the amount of water that remains in an ingredient after it is harvested or butchered dictates how it will heat through in the pan, whether it will soften, seize, crisp, or caramelize. You’re adding water when you use stocks, vinegars, or alcohol. You’re creating barriers to water with starches. How you cut ingredients and the order in which you add them to the pan is about controlling how and when they release the water inside them. Even the shapes of cooking vessels are about releasing or retaining moisture. When cooking with a wok, changes to water happen so quickly that split-second timing is essential.

Active Time — 25 minutes

Plan Ahead — You’ll need 1 hour for brining

Makes 4 servings

Special Equipment — Deep-fry thermometer, spider

2 medium Chinese eggplants
5 qt plus ¼ cup / 1L water
1 Tbsp kosher salt
2 qt / 1.9L neutral oil
3 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp fish sauce
2¼ tsp granulated sugar
5 garlic cloves; 2 thinly sliced, 3 finely chopped
5 red Fresno chile, cut into thin rings
¼ cup / 5g packed Thai or opal basil leaves, torn in half if large

Trim and discard the eggplant ends, then cut into thick wedges, like steak frites—first cut crosswise into three 3-inch chunks, then halve those lengthwise repeatedly until you have 1-inch-thick wedges.

In a large bowl, combine 1 qt / 950ml of the water and the salt and whisk until the salt is dissolved. Add the eggplant, making sure it is submerged, and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

Fill a 5-quart or larger Dutch oven with the neutral oil and secure a deep-fry thermometer on the side. Set over medium-high heat and warm the oil to 375°F.

Meanwhile, drain the eggplant and dry very well with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ¼ cup / 60ml water, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Set this sauce aside.

Add the sliced garlic to the oil and fry until crisp and light golden brown, about 30 seconds. Use a spider to transfer them to a paper towel to drain.

Check that the oil in the Dutch oven is still at 375°F. Set up for the second fry by setting a dry wok or large skillet over high heat.

Carefully slide all the eggplant into the oil. Stir until the eggplant has darkened and caramelized at the edges, about 1 minute. Remove the eggplant with the spider and drain well over the Dutch oven, then transfer to the screaming-hot wok.

Immediately add the chopped garlic and most of the chile rings (reserve a few for garnish) to the eggplant in the wok and toss everything to combine. Add the reserved sauce and continue to toss until the sauce thickens to a glaze and the eggplants are browned at the edges, about 1 minute. Add most of the basil leaves and toss until wilted.

Transfer the contents of the wok to a serving platter. Crumble the fried garlic and scatter it over the eggplant with the rest of the basil and chile rings. Serve immediately.

Chinese Homestyle: Everyday Plant-Based Recipes for Takeout, Dim Sum, Noodles, and More by Maggie Zhu

Asian cooking, Plant Powered, Uncategorized

Enjoy the bold flavors of Chinese food with 90 accessible plant-based recipes for the Western cook and kitchen. No wok required!

With her popular blog, Omnivore’s Cookbook, Maggie Zhu is the go-to person for traditional Chinese recipes designed for the Western home cook, and over the past few years, she has been incorporating more plant-based cooking into her diet. In Chinese Homestyle, Maggie shares a wide range of foolproof vegan recipes that pack all the flavor and none of the meat.

Building on a foundation of plant-based and vegetable-forward dishes found in Chinese cuisine, these umami-rich recipes are inspired by the comforting, everyday dishes Maggie grew up eating in northern China and discovered in her travels throughout the country, along with takeout favorites she became familiar with after moving to the United States.

Made with fresh ingredients and minimal oil and sugar, the salads, soups, stir-fries, braises, dumplings, and more are not only delicious, but also demonstrate the impact of aromatics, the benefits of using homemade sauces and condiments, how to cook tofu for maximum flavor and texture, and versatile cooking techniques, and include:

Homemade Sauces and Condiments
Appetizers and Salads
Orange Cauliflower
Char Siu Bao
Cumin Potato Baked Buns
Egg-less Egg Drop Soup
Shanghai Scallion Oil Noodles
Tofu, Tempeh, and Seitan
Hearty Seasonal Mains
Easy Seasonal Sides
Creamy Red Bean Ice Pops

In Chinese Homestyle, Maggie shares 90 foolproof plant-based recipes that pack all the flavor and none of the meat. Building on a foundation of plant-based and vegetable-forward dishes found in Chinese cuisine, these umami-rich recipes are inspired by the comforting, everyday dishes Maggie grew up eating in northern China and discovered in her travels throughout the country, along with takeout favorites she became familiar with after moving to the United States.

For both those just learning to cook Chinese food or looking at upping their skills, Zhu’s cookbook–like her website–offers step-by-step instructions, stunning photos, and information for stocking your Chinese pantry.

About the Author

Maggie Zhu started her website, Omnivore’s Cookbook, in 2013. Born and raised in Beijing, she moved to Austin, Texas, in 2015. Now she’s a full-time New York–based blogger, writer, recipe developer, and photographer. Having grown up with a mother who always did the cooking, Maggie’s culinary adventure started in 2007, when she moved to Japan and needed to cook to survive. Learning and sharing Chinese food has become a way for her to connect with her roots and the rest of the world.

Her mission is to help more people get to know real Chinese food and expose less-known regional cuisines, such as Northern and Xinjiang food, to a broader audience. More importantly, she wants to show you how easy it is to cook with wholesome ingredients to create delicious dishes that are like the ones served in Chinese restaurants.

Sesame Noodles

“My mom whips up sesame noodles on a hot summer night when she doesn’t feel like standing in front of a hot stove,” says Zhu about this family recipe. “With its nutty, savory sauce that has hints of sweetness and spiciness, this dish is always a crowd-pleaser. You can serve it without any toppings as a side dish; you can top it with fresh produce and serve it as an appetizer at a summer grill party; or you can load it with more toppings to serve as a main, just like my mom does.”

YIELD 2 to 4 servings PREP 10 minutes COOK 10 minutes

4 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste (or unsalted natural peanut butter or tahini)
2 to 4 tablespoons warm water
2 tablespoons light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
2 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup (or sugar)
2 teaspoons Chili Oil, or to taste
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, grated
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground Sichuan peppercorns
1 pound (454 g) Handmade Noodles or fresh wheat noodles or 9 ounces (255 g) dried wheat noodles
Cucumber, julienned, for topping (optional)
Carrot, julienned, for topping (optional)
Radish, julienned, for topping (optional)
Toasted white sesame seeds, for garnishing

Place the sesame paste in a medium bowl and slowly add the warm water, a little at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula until the water is fully incorporated and a smooth paste forms.

Add each liquid ingredient—the soy sauce, vinegar, maple syrup, chili oil, and sesame oil—one at a time, stirring to fully incorporate each ingredient before adding the next one.

Add the ginger, garlic, and Sichuan pepper and stir to mix well. (You can make the sauce ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.)

Boil the noodles according to the package instructions if not using handmade noodles. Strain in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Strain well and transfer to individual serving bowls.

Serve the noodles with the sauce on the side and toppings of your preference. Let everyone assemble their own bowls, adding their preferred toppings and stirring in a few spoonfuls of the sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds.

The sauce in this dish is so flavorful and versatile that you can use many types of wheat noodles for a great result. For a traditional taste, use lo mein noodles, but Japanese udon and somen noodles also work well with this dish.

The yield for this recipe depends on many factors, such as a number of toppings, the type of noodles, and personal taste. This recipe is a good starting point and can generally make two large servings with some fresh produce toppings. Double the amount of the sauce if you plan on using more toppings.

Handmade Noodles

This recipe is an easy way to enjoy freshly made noodles at home. You can make a few batches and freeze them for later. Their chewy texture and nice aroma make them superior to dried noodles, and you can use them to make any recipe in this chapter. But my favorite way
to use them is as wide noodles in Biang Biang Mian

YIELD 2 pounds (907 g) PREP 30 minutes plus 1 hour resting time COOK 10 minutes

3 1/2 cups (500 g) bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup (240 ml) room temperature water
Vegetable oil (optional)

To knead the dough by hand: Place the flour in a large bowl. Slowly add the room temperature water and mix with a silicone spatula until the flour is fully absorbed. Knead by hand until a dough forms and the bowl is clean of flour. Dust a work surface with flour and transfer the dough onto it. Knead until the surface of the dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. The dough should feel very tough and should be able to be easily lifted from the bowl without sticking to the bottom.

To knead the dough with a mixer: Place the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly add the water. Let the mixer run at low speed until the dough becomes consistent and smooth, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the dough to a clean work surface. Knead a few times to shape the dough into a ball.

Dust a large bowl with flour. Transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes to 2 hours at room temperature, or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

Dust the work surface with flour and transfer the dough onto it. Knead it a few more times, then divide it into 2 equal-size pieces. Knead each piece into a ball. Work on one dough ball, keeping the other ball covered in the bowl to prevent drying out.

Dust the work surface again. Press the dough ball into a disc. Roll it with a rolling pin into a large, thin rectangle. If you’re going to make wide noodles, try to roll the dough as thin as possible; if you’re going to make thin noodles, the dough sheet can be a bit thicker (about 1/16 inch, or 1.5 mm). If the dough is hard to roll out, cover it with plastic wrap and let rest for another 30 minutes.

Dust the dough sheet with plenty of flour. Roll it up from the long side like rolling a cinnamon bun, then fold it over twice to form a multilayered long sheet.

Slice along the short side with a sharp knife to make noodles. Cut the noodle width according to your preference, from 1/16 inch (1.5 mm) to 1⁄2 inch (1 cm).

Unfold the noodles and shake off any extra flour. Align the noodles on the work surface or hang them on a rack to dry for 30 minutes.

To cook the noodles, bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Prepare 4 cups (960 ml) of cold water. Add a serving size of noodles, about 1⁄4 pound (113 g), to the boiling water and immediately stir with chopsticks (or tongs) so that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Cook until the noodles are cooked through, about 3 minutes. If the water starts boiling, add some of the prepared cold water to stop the boiling. Use a pair of tongs to transfer the noodles to a strainer. Run them under cold water to stop cooking. Repeat until all the noodles are cooked.

Serve the noodles in a bowl of broth or top them with sauce.

The cooked noodles will stick together when they get cold. If you’re not going to serve them immediately, pour a few drops of vegetable oil on them and gently toss by hand. If the noodles are already sticking together, rinse them with warm water and gently toss by hand.

To store uncooked noodles, dust the bottom of an airtight container with flour, generously sprinkle flour on the noodles, fold the noodles into the container, and cover. Store in the freezer for up to 1 month. To cook frozen noodles, cook them like you would fresh noodles. You don’t need to thaw them before cooking.

NOTE You can also use this dough to make super-wide noodles. Cut the noodles 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide, then use your hands to gently stretch out each noodle in all directions so that they will be slightly thinner and have a better texture once cooked.

Vegan Dumplings

The dumpling filling has a well-balanced texture with veggies, tofu, and rice vermicelli and is seasoned with plenty of aromatics, soy sauce, and just a dash of curry powder to enhance its richness.

Yield: 50 dumplings
Prep: 40 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes

1/4 cup (9 g) dried shiitake mushrooms (7 to 8 small mushrooms)
2 cups (480 ml) hot water, or as much as needed to cover mushrooms
2 tablespoons dried wood ear mushrooms (or 1/2 cup, or 75 g minced bamboo shoots)
1/2 package (1 1/2 ounces, or 45 g) dried rice vermicelli
5 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 cup (110 g) finely chopped carrots (about 4 medium carrots)
2 cups (140 g) shredded cabbage
3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon curry powder
½ block (8 ounces, or 227 g) firm tofu, crumbled by hand
1 teaspoon maple syrup (or sugar)
1/2 cup (30 g) finely chopped scallions
50 frozen dumpling wrappers, thawed
Dumpling dipping sauce or Chinkiang vinegar, for serving

In separate medium bowls, cover the shiitake mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms with at least 1 cup (240 ml) hot water each. Let the mushrooms soak until completely soft, 30 minutes or so.

Strain and gently rinse the mushrooms with water. Remove and discard the tough stems of the shiitake mushrooms and mince the caps; this should yield about 1/4 cup loosely packed minced shiitakes. Remove and discard the tough ends of the wood ear mushrooms, if any, and mince the mushrooms if they are big, or thinly slice them if small; this should yield about ½ cup loosely packed minced wood ear mushrooms. Cook the dried rice vermicelli according to the package instructions. Strain and measure 1 cup (176 g) cooked vermicelli. Coarsely chop the noodles into 1/2-inch (1 cm) pieces.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil over medium heat until hot. Add the garlic and ginger, stirring a few times to release the fragrance. Add the shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, and carrots and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add the cabbage, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and curry powder. Cook and stir for another 2 minutes, until the cabbage turns tender and all the liquid has evaporated. Transfer the contents to a large plate to cool.

Heat another 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil in the same pan. Add the tofu and cook for 1 minute, breaking it up into smaller chunks with a spatula. Add the vermicelli, the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and the maple syrup. Cook and stir until all the liquid has evaporated, 2 minutes or so. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool for a few minutes.

Once the tofu and cabbage mixtures have cooled to room temperature, add the cabbage mixture to the bowl with the tofu, add the scallions, and stir to mix well.

Prepare your workstation by placing the dumpling wrappers on a plate, the bowl of dumpling filling (with a spoon), a small bowl of water, and a large plate or tray to hold the folded dumplings.

Place a dumpling wrapper on the palm of one hand and, using the other hand, spoon about 1 tablespoon of dumpling filling on the center of the wrapper. Dip your finger into the bowl of water and use it to wet the edges of the wrapper, then fold the edges of the wrapper over the filling and seal them together. Press the edges again to seal well. You can use any method you are comfortable with to fold the dumplings.

To cook the dumplings, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the dumplings in batches in a single layer. Cook until the bottoms turn golden. Add 2 tablespoons water, cover, and cook until the dumplings are cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately transfer the dumplings to a large plate. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.

Serve the dumplings immediately with dumpling dipping sauce or a simple drizzle of Chinkiang vinegar.

Coastal: 130 Recipes from a California Road Trip

California, California Wine, Uncategorized

“Deep and meaty but also super bright with veg, Vietnamese bánh mì are perfectly balanced,” writes Scott Clark who with Betsy Andrews wrote Coastal: 130 Recipes from a California Road Trip, a fun cookbook about his adventures owning Dad’s Luncheonette, a historic train caboose turned restaurant on California’s narrow winding Highway 1, the coastal two-lane road traversing the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean in Half Moon Bay.

“They just do all the things you want in a sandwich,” continues Clark, who loves the food scene in this region of California. “I make a loose, ground pork sausage for my riff. It gives me a sausage roll vibe, and sausage rolls are near and dear to my East Coast heart. Generally, the carrots are vinegar-pickled on bánh mì, but an overnight lime bath really punches them up. Serrano chile and a gingery mustard give it a kick, while fish sauce brings the funk. Then you load up your sandos with herbs and vegetables. It’s a full-on drippy, multi-napkin meal. And that’s what we want. That’s the answer.”

Peppery Sausage Bánh Mì

Time: 30 minutes active; overnight total

Yield: 3 monster or 4 reasonably sized sandwiches

Special Gear: Meat grinder, if using

Ingredients:

Pickled Carrots

2 carrots, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
1/2 serrano chile, cut into thin rings
Fresh lime juice to cover (from 3 or 4 limes)

Sausage

4 ounces slab bacon
1 pound ground pork
1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons grated garlic
2 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper
1 ½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil

Ginger Mustard

1/2 cup Pickled Mustard Seeds (recipe below)
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Sandwiches

1 baguette, split lengthwise
12 crisp, just-washed romaine leaves
Half a cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks
1 bunch fresh cilantro, tough stems removed

To make the pickled carrots: In a medium bowl, mix the carrots and serrano, then add enough lime juice to cover them. Put the veg in the fridge to marinate overnight. They’ll keep, in the fridge in an airtight container, for up to 1 week.

To make the sausage: Using a medium die on your meat grinder, or pulsing in a food processor, grind the bacon. Put the bacon in a medium bowl, add the pork, fish sauce, lime juice, ginger, garlic, and pepper, and use your hands to mix everything together until it’s well combined. Cover it and stow it in the fridge to marinate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight. In a 9 in [23 cm] cast-iron pan over high heat, heat the sesame oil until it’s smoking. Add the sausage mixture, knock the heat down to medium-high, and fry it, stirring and breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until all the liquid has released and it’s well-seared and crumbly, 10 to 12 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a medium bowl.

To make the ginger mustard: In a blender or a food processor, combine the pickled mustard seeds and ginger and blitz them together for 30 seconds.

To make the sandwiches: Generously smear the ginger mustard on the cut sides of the baguette. Pile the sausage on the bottom half of the baguette, then top it with the romaine leaves, cucumber matchsticks, a generous amount of pickled carrots, and a heaping pile of cilantro. Cut into three or four pieces and serve.

Pickled Mustard Seeds

Good stadium mustard is tangy and spicy but a little sweet and earthy too. With all that going on, it’s addictive. That’s what you get with these pickled seeds. They make so many foods that much better: runny eggs, rare steak, roasted marrowbones. Whole pickled mustard seeds slammed on a buttery bun with a sausage right off the grill? Boom! That is it.

Time: 30 minutes active; 2 days total

Yield: 2 cups

1 cup whole yellow mustard seeds

1 cup champagne, white balsamic, or apple cider vinegar

1 cup g] packed dark brown sugar

1 Tablespoon kosher salt 4 bay leaves

Rinse the mustard seeds in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Transfer them to a medium bowl, cover them with 2 cups of cold water, and leave them on the countertop to steep overnight.

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, simmer the remaining ingredients, along with ½ cup of water, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Drain the seeds, then add them to the saucepan and bring them to a boil. Knock the heat down to a rumbling simmer and cook for 20 minutes. The seeds will plump. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then pour into a jar, screw on the lid, and chill for 24 hours before using. The seeds will keep, in the fridge, for at least 1 month, and they only get better with time.

Simple Pleasures: Incredibly Craveable Recipes for Everyday Cooking

cooking, Uncategorized

“I have a couple of salmon recipes that are my go-to for those nights when I want to make something nourishing yet fun and delicious,” says Jodi Moreno about her recipe for Salmon Puttanesca, which appears in her newest cookbook, Simple Pleasures: Incredibly Craveable Recipes for Everyday Cooking (Gibbs-Smith). Moreno, a chef, culinary consultant, and food stylist, notes that this recipe checks off all the boxes and is quite simple to make.

“Full of all my favorite flavors—salty capers, briny olives, and anchovies—it’s no surprise that this is one of my staple recipes,” says Moreno, who is also the author of the James Beard-nominated cookbook, More with Less: Whole Food Cooking Made Irresistibly Simple.

The very elegant Moreno emphasizes simplicity when it comes to her cooking style, but that doesn’t mean plain or boring; her food is about the flavors and that’s also very apparent in her recipe for Sesame Crunch Chicken Salad with Marinated Cucumbers.

“This super-refreshing, satisfying salad has so many layers of flavor and texture,” she says. “By individually dressing each tier of the salad and layering them in a specific order, each bite is bursting with unique flavors. While the layering is super important, you can stray from the recipe by swapping out or adding certain ingredients. If there is another veggie you want to add to the salad, julienne it and throw in it with the cabbage. And if you want to substitute tahini (for an extra sesame kick) or plain whole-milk Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise in the dressing, that would be great as well—just make sure if you’re using tahini to thin it out with about 1⁄3 cup water before mixing with the other ingredients.”

The following recipes are from Simple Pleasures: Incredibly Craveable Recipes for Everyday Cooking by Jodie Moreno. Photography by David Alvarado. Reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith Books.

Salmon Puttanesca

SERVES 2

5 garlic cloves, minced
3 oil-packed anchovy filets
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
6 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as sunflower or grapeseed, divided
2 (8-ounce) skin-on salmon filets
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1⁄2 cup water
2 tablespoons capers
1⁄2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

TOPPINGS + ADDITIONS

Fresh lemon juice
Lemon slices
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Minced fresh chives

TO PREPARE THE PASTE for the sauce, place the minced garlic and anchovies on a cutting board and mince them until you create a very smooth paste. Add the oregano and crushed red pepper flakes and mince them in as well. Transfer the paste to a bowl and stir in 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, and set aside.

PAT the salmon dry and season lightly with salt and black pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large cast-iron pan (enough to coat the bottom of the pan) over medium-high heat. The pan should be hot enough so that the salmon sizzles when it hits the pan. Add the salmon, skin side down, cook for 2 to 3 minutes, flip, and then cook for 2 more minutes. Transfer the salmon to a plate while you cook the tomato sauce.

USING THE SAME PAN and oil you just cooked the salmon in, lower the heat to medium low, and add the anchovy-garlic paste. Cook for approximately 1 minute while stirring, until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the water and stir until everything is combined. Next, add the capers, olives, and lemon juice. Taste and season if necessary. Lastly, add the salmon back to the pan. Cover and cook for 4 minutes for medium rare or 8 minutes for medium well. Transfer the salmon to serving plates along with the sauce and finish with the garnishes of your choice.

Sesame Crunch Chicken Salad with Marinated Cucumbers

SERVES 4

FOR THE CUCUMBERS

1 to 2 baby cucumbers, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil, such as grapeseed or sunflower
1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt

FOR THE DRESSING

1⁄3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon sesame oil

FOR THE SALAD

1⁄2 roasted chicken, meat pulled from bones and shredded (about 2 cups)
1⁄2 head green cabbage (about 4 cups)
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 radishes, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon neutral oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

TOPPINGS + ADDITIONS

10 fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

IN A SMALL BOWL, toss the cucumbers with the oil, vinegar, and a pinch of salt and let them marinate for approximately 15 minutes while you make the rest of the salad.

TO MAKE THE DRESSING, place all the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk to combine.

ROUGHLY CHOP the shredded chicken. Transfer to a large serving bowl along with cabbage, scallions, radishes, jalapeño, and 1 tablespoon neutral oil. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the chicken and vegetables and toss to combine.

TOP with the marinated cucumbers, mint, basil, and a heavy sprinkle of the sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Dorie Greenspan Shares Recipes for Simple But Sensational Cakes in her Latest Cookbook “Dorie’s Anytime Cakes”

Cheesecake, Dorie Greenspan

From beloved James Beard Award–winning and New York Times bestselling author Dorie Greenspan—a vibrantly illustrated collection of recipes for simple yet most memorable cakes in Dorie’s Anytime Cakes (HarperCollins Harvest, $35).

Over the years, Dorie has created thousands of excellent recipes, yet she finds that of all of them, the ones she always comes back to are the simplest cakes. Some may have a dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of icing, but most of them are straight-from-the-oven cakes that taste great as-is.

And they’re cakes that you probably already have all the ingredients for in your pantry. The kinds of cakes you can whip up and set out so that anyone with a hankering can come by and cut a sliver or a hunk. Any time. Or at least until they’re all gone, which trust me, will happen quickly.

With her typical evocative writing and expert advice along with gorgeous illustrations by Nancy Pappas, Dorie’s Anytime Cakes celebrates the simple—but still exciting and special—with more than 100 recipes for easy-to-make, easy-to-love cakes.

There are recipes for all kinds of cakes, including loaves and rounds, muffins, crumbles, and Bundts—even savory cakes—plus frostings, fillings, and other flourishes:

· BFF Brownie Cake

· Morning, Noon, and Night Thanksgiving Cake

· Cafuné Corn Cake

· Simplest, Plainest, Most Old-Fashion—Also Best Tasting—Marble Cake

· Buttermilk Plum Cake

· Faux-caccia Squares

· Miso-Cheddar Scone Cake

· Feta, Sumac, and Za’atar Loaf

· The Devil’s Chocolate Cake

You’ll also find “Playing Around” suggestions throughout—Dorie’s inspirations for making each recipe to your own taste and right for all occasions. Flavor your sugar with citrus or tea for a special touch, spice your cake up with hot honey, or transform your plain cake into an impressive, layered party cake. Just like Dorie, you’ll return to baking these favorite cakes again and again.

Inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America, Dorie Greenspan is the New York Times bestselling and IACP award and James Beard Award winning author of fifteen cookbooks, including Baking with Dorie, Dorie’s Cookies, Around My French Table, Baking Chez Moi, and Baking: From My Home to Yours, and a Substack with a hugely devoted following, xoxoDorie Newsletter.

She lives and bakes in New York City, Westbrook, Connecticut, and Paris.

Matcha Latte Loaf / Makes 8 servings

Please, please, please use culinary-grade matcha powder for this cake. First-quality matcha (often labeled “ceremonial”) is very expensive and meant to be savored on its own in a tea. Its most prized characteristics would be lost in this cake.

A word on coconut milk: Look for full-fat coconut milk – it’s flavor is deep and its texture is satiny.

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups (238 grams) all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
7 tablespoons (3 ½ ounces; 99 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3 tablespoons neutral oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ cup (120 ml) full-fat coconut milk (shaken and mixed well before measuring)
4 teaspoons matcha green tea powder (see left), whisked if lumpy

DIRECTIONS:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 325 degrees F.

Coat the interior of an 8 ½ -inch loaf pan with baker’s spray or butter it, dust it with flour and tap out the excess.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.

Working g in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, or until creamy, scraping the bowl and beater(s) frequently—this is a batter that needs diligent scraping.

Drop the speed down to medium and add the eggs one by one, beating for a minute or so after each goes in.

With the mixer running, pour in the oil, followed by the vanilla, and mix until blended—the batter will be thin and satiny and have a pretty sheen.

Add one-third of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until they are almost incorporated, then mix in half of the coconut milk.

Stop the mixer, scrape, add half of the remaining flour mixture and beat until it’s almost blended in.

With the mixer still on low, pour in the rest of the coconut milk and, when it’s almost incorporated, add the last of the dry ingredients.

Give the batter a few turns with a flexible spatula and then scrape half of the batter into a bowl.

Sprinkle the matcha powder over one of the portions of batter and stir it in with the spatula, mixing until the batter is uniformly green and you’re no longer mesmerized by the beautiful swirling patterns you’re making.

You’re going to dollop the two batters into the pan and you can do this with a large spoon or a cookie scoop (my favorite tool) or two pastry bags (no need to insert any tips).

I like to drop some white scoops into the pan, fill the in-between spaces with green batter and then continue filling the pan by topping the white scoops with green and the green with white. But that’s just my game—you can make up your own.

When all the batter is in, run a table knife, a bamboo skewer or a long toothpick through the batter to marble it. Make just one or two passes—more than that, and you won’t have distinct marbling.

Bake for about 60 minutes check the cake at 55 minutes, but it will probably need more time), or until it’s risen and can be gently nudged from the sides of the pan; a tester poked into the center of the loaf will come out clean. And, yes, the top will crack.

Transfer the pan to a rack and let rest for 10 minutes, then run a table knife around the sides of the pan and unmold the cake. Turn the cake right side up and leave it on the rack to cool to room temperature.

Cocoa-Swirled Pumpkin Bundt / Makes 12 servings

Make sure that you choose pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which is sweetened and spiced. While there are different versions of pumpkin puree available—many supermarkets have their own brands—if you can, I suggest you buy Libby’s. It is the

most consistent, it has a beautiful color and, most important, it’s not watery—it always bakes well.

Ingredients:

For the Swirl:

3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of fine sea salt
Pinch of group cinnamon
¼ cup (50 grams) finely chopped dark chocolate or mini dark chocolate chips

For the Cake:

3 cups (408 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup (240 ml) neutral oil
1 ½ cups (300 grams) sugar
1/2 cup (100 grams) brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 can (15 ounces; 425 grams) pure pumpkin puree

DIRECTIONS:

To make the swirl:

Mix the sugar, cocoa powder, salt, cinnamon and chocolate together in a small bowl and keep at hand.

To make the cake:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F.

Coat the interior of a 12-cup Bundt pan with baker’s spray or butter it, dust with flour and tap out excess.

Working in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the oil and both sugars together on medium speed for a couple of minutes to blend well—the mixture should look slushy, like wet sand.

Still beating on medium, and scraping the bowl and beater(s) early and often, add the eggs one at a time, beating for about a minute after each one goes in. The mix will continue to look iffy until that last egg is in and then, as if by magic, it will become satiny.

Reduce the mixer speed and blend in the vanilla and pumpkin puree.

Turn the mixer off, add one-third of the dry ingredients and pulse the mixer on and off to get the blending going and to help prevent the counter from getting showered with flour.

Working on low speed, mix until the dry ingredients are almost incorporated. Turn off the mixer, scrape and add half of the remaining dry ingredients. Pulse, mix on low, stop and scrape again, then add the last of the dry ingredients, mixing on low until fully blended. Give everything a few last turns with a flexible spatula.

Scrape one-third to one-half of the batter into the pan and smooth it with the spatula.

Spoon the cocoa swirl over the batter—you can try to make an even layer and prevent the swirl from touching the sides of the pan, but it’s almost impossible, so relax.

Add the rest of the batter—it will only half fill the pan, but it will rise considerably in the oven.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the cake is beautifully puffed, is cracked around the top and pulls away from the sides of the pan when gently tugged. A tester poked into the center of the cake should come out clean—make sure you don’t hit the gooey swirl.

Transfer the pan to a rack and let the cake rest for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto the rack and allow it to cool to room temperature.

Once the cake is cool, you can dust it with confectioners’ sugar, or you can glaze or ice it.

Amá: A Modern Tex-Mex Kitchen

Restaurants, Tex Mex

“Fritos are a San Antonio delicacy, invented by Gustavo Olguin, who sold the recipe to the owner of a local confectionery shop for one hundred dollars during the Great Depression,” writes Josef Centeno and Betty Hallock in Ama: A Modern Tex-Mex Kitchen. “That guy then created the chip empire known as Frito-Lay. Frito pie, also a San Antonio delicacy, is the stuff of rodeos—usually a bag of the cornmeal chips split open along one side and stuffed with chili and cheese. The version served at Bar Amá is layered with carne guisada, baked in a small cast-iron casserole so the cheddar topping gets warm and bubbly, and garnished with crema, onions, and cilantro. Rather than a portable snack, it’s more like a sit-down meal to share.”

Bar Ama Cookbook by Josef Centeno & Betty Hallock for Chronicle Books

Centeno is the owner of Bar Amá, a Tex-Mex restaurant in Los Angeles as well as others including the Michelin-starred Orsa & Winston, both part of The Josef Centeno Group. His menu offerings at Bar Ama are inspired by his childhood food memories and the cooking of his great grandmother, Amá.

Carne Guisada Frito Pie

Serves 4

4 cups [240 g] Fritos corn chips
1 cup [260 g] carne guisada (page 63)
1 1/3 cups [135 g] grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup [60 g] crema Mexicana or sour cream
2 Tbsp finely diced red onion
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Heat the oven to 350°F [180°C].

In each of 2 small baking dishes or ovenproof casseroles, layer 1 cup [60 g] of the corn chips, 1/4 cup [65 g] carne guisada, and 1/3 cup [35 g] cheddar cheese. Add another layer of chips, carne guisada, and cheese. Bake in the oven until the cheese is melted, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and top each dish with 2 Tbsp crema, 1 Tbsp onions, and 1 Tbsp cilantro. Serve immediately.

Carne Guisada

Centeno describes carne guisada as his “bowl of red.” Except that he never eats it in a bowl but instead, always in a flour tortilla.

“Like chili con carne, this stewed beef is made with chunks of beef and dried chiles and spices, and it also contains tomatoes,” he explains. “But unlike chili con carne, it isn’t served with a bunch of other ingredients and garnishes. Tucked into a flour tortilla, it needs nothing else—just straight up carne guisada.”

Serves 6 to 8

2 ancho chiles
4 Tbsp [60 ml] olive or avocado oil
2 1/2 to 3 lb [1.2 to 1.4 kg] boneless short rib, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 in [4 cm] cubes
1 large onion, finely diced
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
1 Tbsp dried Mexican oregano, preferably Oregano Indio
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp chile powder
1 fresh bay leaf, or 2 dried
Fresh black pepper
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cups [720 ml] beef broth
1 cup [340 g] crushed San Marzano tomatoes

Using tongs, toast the ancho chiles over the open flame of a gas burner until slightly softened and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stem and seed the chiles and tear them into pieces. Set aside.

Heat 2 Tbsp of the oil in a Dutch oven or another large heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the beef and brown it on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add the remaining 2 Tbsp of oil to the pot. When the oil is hot, add the onion and salt and cook over medium heat, scraping up the browned bits of meat at the bottom of the pot, until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, serrano, oregano, cumin seeds, chile powder, bay leaf, and several grinds of black pepper and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.

Add the toasted chiles to the pot along with the flour and stir until incorporated. Add the beef broth and tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partly covered, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender and the sauce is thickened, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Taste and adjust the salt. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Vanilla Bean Semifreddo with Dulce de Leche

“This is an easy version of vanilla ice cream,” says Centano, “which we make at Bar Amá with cream and crème fraîche—no ice-cream maker necessary! We use it for raspados of shaved ice and hibiscus syrup, for fried ice cream, or to serve drizzled with dulce de leche or chocolate sauce.”

Serves 6 to 8

Vanilla bean semifreddo

6 egg yolks
1 1/2 tsp dark brown sugar
1/2 cup [100 g] granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups [360 ml] heavy cream
1/2 cup [120 g] crème fraîche
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean
Dulce de leche
One 14 oz [420 ml] can sweetened condensed milk

make the semifreddo: Put the egg yolks, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium-high to high speed until the mixture is pale yellow and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Set aside.

Combine the heavy cream, crème fraîche, and vanilla seeds scraped from the bean in a clean bowl, and with a clean whisk attachment, or a hand mixer with regular beaters, whip until soft peaks form.

Carefully fold the whipped cream mixture into the egg mixture. Pour into a container, cover, and freeze for 6 hours or overnight. Any leftover ice cream will keep in the freezer for up to 1 week.

make the dulce de leche: Peel the label off the can of condensed milk and put the can in a large pot. Add enough water to the pot so it comes within 2 fingers of the top. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 6 hours, checking the water level, and adding more as needed to keep the pot filled. Remove the can with tongs and set aside to cool overnight at room temperature.

Serve the semifreddo with a drizzle of the dulce de leche. Store any remaining dulce de leche in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Reprinted from Ama by Josef Centeno and Betty Hallock with permission by Chronicle Books, 2019

Vegana Italiana: Traditional Italian the Plant-Based Way; A Vegan Cookbook

cooking, Italian Cuisine, Uncategorized

“Arancini are breaded and fried rice balls, a typical Sicilian street food,” says Tara Punzone, owner of Pura Vita, the first entirely plant-based Italian restaurant in the U.S.

Punzone, who has been vegan since she was 13, grew up in an Italian family where the traditional foods from generational recipes were part of everyday meals. She wanted to keep those tastes and flavors which meant creating vegan alternatives for such dishes as lasagna and ziti that would please her family.

It meant creating plant-based cheeses and creams to substitute for such food items as mozzarella and ricotta, to obtain their texture and richness. It took a lot of trial and error, but success was watching family members enjoy what she cooked.

Now Punzone shares her recipes in her recently released cookbook “Vegana Italiana: Traditional Italian the Plant-Based Way; A Vegan Cookbook” with Gene Stone

Arancini

This recipe serves 6 To 8 and makes approximately 4 dozen Arancini.

“Normally, arancini are served as a snack or an appetizer, and in Sicily you can find people selling them out of carts everywhere,” she continues in her description of the dish. “You can make the risotto part of this recipe and eat it as risotto, but if you want more, why not try these amazing little treats? Stick the arancini in the fridge and reheat them in the oven at 350°F until the center is hot, about 15 minutes.”

1/4 cup, plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons vegan salted butter
2 cups finely diced yellow onion
1 cup finely diced shallots
1 cup finely diced celery
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons sea salt, plus
1 teaspoon to taste
2 cups carnaroli or Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups vegetable stock
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup Cashew Mozzarella (see below)
4 cups Cashew Cream (see below)
21/2 tablespoons egg replacer
4 cups panko breadcrumbs
Avocado, grapeseed, or rice bran oil for frying
Italian dipping sauce (your favorite brand)

Make the risotto: In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil and vegan butter over medium heat. Sauté the onion, shallots, celery, garlic, smoked paprika, and salt for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion is translucent.

Add the rice and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the wine and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly.

Slowly add the stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Bring the rice to a low boil.

When the rice is fully cooked, remove it from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil and mix well. Add salt to taste.

You can stop here if you just want to make risotto, a northern Italian specialty or make the arancini.

After the risotto has cooled, use a 2-ounce ice cream or dough scoop and divide the rice into little balls. If you don’t have a scoop, roll 1/4 cup of rice into balls with your hands.

Take 1/2 teaspoon of cashew mozzarella and insert it into the center of each rice ball. Using your hands, close up the rice balls neatly.

To make the batter, place the cashew cream in a bowl and add the egg replacer. Whip until thick.

Place the panko in a separate bowl. Dip each rice ball into the batter, letting the excess batter drip off.

Roll each ball in the panko, making sure to coat it all the way around. Set aside.

Add about an inch of the frying oil to a large frying pan.

Heat the oil to 360° to 375°F. Use a deep-fry thermometer to make sure the oil is hot enough.

Fry a few rice balls at a time. Do not crowd the pan. Make sure the balls do not touch, so they don’t stick together. Fry for approximately 3 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

Remove the balls from the oil and place them on paper towels to drain.

Tara Punzone’s recipe for Eggplant Parm can be found in her debut cookbook Vegana Italiana.

Cashew Mozzarella

Makes Approximately 7 Cups

“You should adjust the amount of tapioca you use depending on which dish you plan to use the mozzarella in,” says Punzone offering a tip in the introduction to this recipe. “For example, if you plan to use the mozzarella melted or soft, use about 1/4 cup tapioca. If you plan to make a caprese salad, you will want the cheese to be firmer.”

2 cups raw, unsalted cashews
1 quart filtered water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sea salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons refined coconut oil
1/2 cup tapioca starch

Soak the cashews in water for a minimum of 4 hours. Drain and rinse well before using.

Add the cashews, water, yeast, vinegar, salt, garlic powder, and coconut oil to the jar of a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

Pour the mixture into a saucepan.

Stir in the tapioca. Cook over low heat, stirring until completely combined. Reduce the heat so the cheese is at a low boil and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. The cheese should have a very thick consistency (you should have a hard time stirring it).

Remove from the heat and let cool.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Cashew Cream

“Cashew cream is the simplest way to make any vegan dish creamy; it will be a regular in your fridge,” says Punzone. “You can even use it in coffee instead of the store-bought chemical-filled alternatives.”

Makes 8 cups

4 cups raw, unsalted cashews
4 cups filtered water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Soak the cashews in water for a minimum of 4 hours. Drain and rinse them well.

Blend the cashews, water, and salt in a blender on high speed until completely smooth. Strain through a chinois or a nut milk bag if you have one, otherwise use as is.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Frittata

This recipe, which serves 4 to 6, is gluten-free.

“A frittata is such a funny thing,” says Punzone. “It’s basically an Italian version of an omelet, a dish that my family used to make to use up leftovers. Leftover pasta? Throw it in a frittata. Leftover vegetables? Throw them in a frittata. In fact, whatever’s left over, you just chop it up (or don’t chop it up) and throw it in. Super simple to make and delicious to eat! Nothing goes to waste.”

Frittata Base

2 cups chickpea flour
2 cups filtered water
1/4 cup extra- virgin olive oil,
plus 1 tablespoon for the pan
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Frittata Mix

1/2 cup baby spinach, cut into thin ribbons
2 tablespoons Cashew Mozzarella (see recipe above)
1 tablespoon chopped cremini mushrooms
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
Extra- virgin olive oil for drizzling
Maldon salt for garnish
Freshly ground black pepper for garnish
Basil leaves, torn, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl, combine the chickpea flour, water, 1/4 cup of the olive oil, the garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Whisk together until smooth. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a 1.5 to 2 quart cast-iron skillet. Using a brush or paper towel, coat the bottom and sides of the skillet with oil. Place the empty pan in the oven for 10 minutes to get the pan nice and hot. Remove the pan from the oven.

Pour the frittata base into the pan. Add the baby spinach, cashew mozzarella, and mushrooms. It is okay if these ingredients sink through the frittata base.

Top with the cherry tomatoes and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes, until the edges are golden-brown.

Once ready to serve, sprinkle

The above recipes are excerpted from VEGANA ITALIANA by Tara Punzone & Gene Stone. Copyright © 2025 by Tara Punzone & Gene Stone. Used by permission of Rodale Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher

Daily Meal: Sandra Bullock Owns This Texas Bakery (And The Menu Is Mouthwatering)

Bakery, cooking, Desserts, Farm-to-Table, Farms

https://www.thedailymeal.com/1949199/texas-bakery-owned-by-sandra-bullock-celebrity/

Food must run in the family as her sister, Gesine Bullock-Prado who lives in Vermont in a tavern built in 1793, has written several cookbooks including one of my favs, My Vermont Table: Recipes for All (Six) Seasons and a new one coming out this October titled My Harvest Kitchen featuring over 200 recipes.

Fun facts about the Bullock sisters…their mother Helga Meyer was an opera singer and their maternal grandfather a rocket scientist.

Southern Lights: Easier, Lighter, and Better-for-You Recipes From the South

cooking, Healthy eating, Southern cuisine, Uncategorized

“Throughout these pages, I’m going to (politely) refute the claim that Southern food is all bad for you and hopefully breathe new life into some tired, worn-out notions,” writes Lauren McDuffie in the first pages of her latest cookbook, Southern Lights: Easier, Lighter, and Better-for-You Recipes From the South (Gibbs Smith). McDuffie, an advocate of Southern cuisine, wants us all to know the entire truth of this regional way of cookery that many of us dismissively think of as fried and fat.

“Once you make your way through the stereotypes, past the overwrought, done-to-death, attention-seeking heavy hitters, the archives of Southern cookery shine with a special sort of brilliance,” continues McDuffie, noting that she is a home cook who has done the majority of her culinary learning in the South ranging from the foothills of central Appalachia to the sandy, abundant low country coastline.

McDuffie, who lives in Portland, Oregon now, created the award winning food blog: My KItchen Little: Recipes, Ideas, and Inspiration for Busy Home Cooks but her love of Southern cuisine and her ability to bring it to the fore was also apparent in her first cookbook, Smoke, Roots, Mountain, Harvest: Recipes and Stories Inspired by My Appalachian Home. The same passion is conveyed” in this magnificent cookbook with its luscious photos–McDuffie is also a photographer and her luscious color photos are a perfect accompaniment to the recipes that show us how to enjoy the rich heritage of Southern cuisine without the guilt and calories.

Southern Lights takes us into the world that McDuffie says she loves most– the people, places, things, and flavors that evoke feelings of home.

To accomplish this, McDuffie, an advocate for fresh and healthy, took a hard look at her kitchen pantry and asked herself a series of questions such as why she was using a particular oil or cut of meat in her cooking and what substitutions would work just as well when using her favorite recipes. From there she re-created favorite dishes incorporating different ingredients but yielding the same delicious results.

Her recipe for Frico Chicken in a Buttermilk Bath is a great example. Its origins are that perennial Southern classic—fried chicken brined in buttermilk and then deep fried in lard. A definite winner when it comes to taste. Not so in other respects. So what does McDuffie? She produces a healthier and low caloric alternative that really works.

Calling it a remix and noting that frico translates to fried in Italian, she describes this dish as similar to a simple baked cheese crisp that tops a boneless, skinless, and flattened chicken thighs browned in a minimum of oil. A surprising easy-to-make but sophisticated dish, it offers the crunch and flavor of buttermilk heavily battered chicken with no grease or guilt.

Like pulled pork sandwiches. McDuffie gives us a very creative take by substituting spaghetti squash (yes, you read that correctly) for the pork in her recipe for “Pulled” BBQ Spaghetti Squash Sandwiches.

“This has got to be one of the most unusual sandwiches I’ve ever made, but man is it a hit in my house,” writes McDuffie in the introduction to this dish. “Tangled strands of roasted spaghetti squash mimic the fatty pork in a classic meaty version, making for a lighter, more nutritious way to get your fix.”

The squash mixture is then topped with Halloumi cheese (smoked Gouda or cheddar can be used instead) along with coleslaw and barbecue sauce.

Voila! A low cal, high flavor profile meal and just one of many in McDuffie’s latest cookbook.

Honey-Caramelized Tomato Upside-Down Cornbread

“People get very territorial about their cornbread in the South, a fact that I have always found completely charming,” says McDuffie. “Home cooks are devoted to their recipes and food traditions in a way that serves to sustain them, carrying them across generations. There is so much heart on the table, always. Cooks hold on tight to them, their family recipes, and it’s really the most beautiful thing. This recipe happens to be a favorite version of cornbread in my house. The jammy, juicy-sweet tomatoes suspended on top really do steal this show, and the olive oil makes it pretty special. Feel free to sub a different cooking oil, though, as olive oil ain’t cheap. I highly recommend serving this in thick slices, slathered with lots of Salty Butter–Whipped Honey.”

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Natural nonstick cooking spray
12 ounces cherry or
grape tomatoes
6 tablespoons honey, divided
1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt, plus
more as needed
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup cake flour
1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2⁄3 cup olive oil or canola
or vegetable oil
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1⁄4 cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Adjust the rack to the middle position. Spray an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, allowing some overhang for easy removal (think of them as handles).

Put the tomatoes, 3 tablespoons of the honey, and a good pinch of salt in a nonstick skillet set over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes just burst and are tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the cake pan, juices included, and spread in an even layer.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, remaining 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt, cake flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a mixing bowl with ahandheld m ixer, combine the oil, the remaining 3 tablespoons of honey, and the eggs. Add half of the dry mixture and mix until combined. Add half of the buttermilk and mix until just combined. Repeat with the remaining halves of each and gently pour the batter into the prepared pan over the tomatoes (it shouldn’t be more than three-fourths full).

Bake until lightly golden and set, 35 to 45 minutes (use a knife or toothpick to test the doneness—it should come out clean). Cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before inverting the cornbread onto a serving plate, tomatoes facing up now.

Salty Butter-Whipped Honey

Sounds sinful, right? I can assure you that this isn’t nearly as rich as it sounds. This drippy, sticky-sweet thing is my lighter take on a simple honey butter where, instead of infusing a lot of butter with a little honey, we’re going to infuse a lot of honey with a little butter. Just be sure to use a good-quality raw honey.

Makes about 1 cup

8 ounces honey
2 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
Salt to taste

In a blender, combine the honey, butter, and salt and blend until creamy and smooth. Transfer to a lidded storage jar or container. This buttery honey will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Frico Chicken in a Garlicky Buttermilk Bath

“I’ve taken the things I love most about classic Southern fried chicken and remixed them into something that is just as satisfying, but much lighter—a true win-win,” writes McDuffie about this recipe. “A frico (which means “fried” in Italian) is simply a baked cheese crisp, and here we’ll use them to almost mimic the salty crunch of fried chicken skin. Rather than rich bone-in, skin-on cuts, we’ll use leaner boneless and skinless thighs—my favorite protein of them all. The garlicky buttermilk-fortified bath in which they cook mimics my go-to fried chicken brine, helping the chicken stay tender and juicy. It also happens to be an easy, one-pan, 30-minute meal. So there’s that.”

Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 1⁄2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 heaping cup diced sweet onion
10 ounces fresh baby spinach
3 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1⁄2 cup dry white wine (optional)
1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes
1⁄2 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Equally space the Parmesan into 6 (1⁄4-cup) mounds on the baking sheet. Use your measuring cup to gently press down on the mounds and work them into round, circular disks (they don’t have to be perfect). Bake until flattened and just beginning to brown lightly around the edges, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and set aside. They will firm up as they cool.

Pour 2 teaspoons of the oil into a large pan over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and brown really well on the first side; this takes 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes (they will finish in the sauce). Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Pour the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil into the pan. When it’s hot, add the onion and spinach and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until the spinach is fully wilted and the onion is soft. During the last minute, add the garlic.

Stir in the wine (if using) and cook for about 1 minute to reduce it. Add the tomatoes and buttermilk and slide the chicken back into the pan. Simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce the sauce and to finish the chicken.

Lay the Parmesan fricos over the chicken just before serving. They will melt and sort of adhere to the chicken, mimicking salty chicken skin in the best way.

Recipes excerpted from Southern Lights: Easier, Lighter, and Better-for-You Recipes from the South by Lauren McDuffie. Photographs by Lauren McDuffie. Reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith Books.

JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION® ANNOUNCES 2025 MEDIA AWARD WINNERS

James Beard Awards, Uncategorized

The James Beard Foundation® is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 James Beard Media Awards, presented by Capital One, honoring the nation’s top food authors, broadcast producers, hosts, journalists, podcasters, and social media content creators. The full list of winners, which includes Book, Broadcast Media, and Journalism, can be found below and on the James Beard Foundation website.

James Beard Award winner®, Emmy-nominated producer, TV host, and New York Times best-selling author Padma Lakshmi hosted the 2025 Media Awards ceremony on Saturday, June 14, 2025 at Columbia College Chicago. Presenters also included luminary food media personalities such as Nyesha Arrington, Molly Baz, Rose Levy Beranbaum, Dr. Jessica B. Harris, Francis Lam, Adam Richman, Alexander Smalls, Andrew Zimmern, and others.

“Congratulations to the 2025 Media Award winners, whose compelling narratives shape our food culture and set the standard of excellence in culinary storytelling and reporting,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO, James Beard Foundation. “We’re honored to celebrate phenomenal work that will surely impact how people cook, think about food, and engage with our shared culinary landscape for years to come.”

2025 marks a notable milestone: the 35th anniversary of the James Beard Awards. This year’s ceremonies commemorate the transformative role the Awards have played in recognizing excellence and shaping the evolution of American food culture, while reaffirming the Foundation’s commitment to leading and supporting the industry for years to come.

“The Media Awards celebrate all those who expand our understanding of food through exceptional storytelling that educates, entertains, and inspires,” said Dawn Padmore, VP of Awards, James Beard Foundation. “A heartfelt thanks to our subcommittee members and judges for their dedication and the thoughtful consideration they put into these awards. Their time and expertise are deeply appreciated.”

BOOK AWARDS

The James Beard Foundation began honoring excellence in food media more than 30 years ago, with the first Book Awards presented in 1990. This year’s Book Awards recognize cookbooks and other nonfiction food- or beverage-related books that were published in the U.S. in 2024. Books from foreign publishers must bear a 2024 U.S. copyright date and/or must have been distributed in the U.S. during 2024.

“Congratulations to this year’s winners, who have taken us on journeys through kitchens and communities worldwide,” said Genevieve Villamora, chair of the James Beard Foundation’s Book Awards program. “From technical mastery to cultural storytelling and preservation—these books represent the very best in culinary publishing, proving that great food writing comes in many forms.”

The 2025 James Beard Book Award winners are:

Baking and Desserts: Books with recipes focused on the art and craft of baking, pastries, and desserts, both sweet and savory items, including ingredients, techniques, equipment, and traditions

Sift: The Elements of Great Baking by Nicola Lamb (Clarkson Potter)

Beverage with Recipes: Books with recipes focused on beverages, such as cocktails, beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, or juices.

The Bartender’s Pantry: A Beverage Handbook for the Universal Bar by Emma Janzen, Jim Meehan, and Bart Sasso (Ten Speed Press)

Beverage without Recipes: Books without recipes that focus on beverages, such as cocktails, beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, or juices; or books that cover these subject areas where recipes are not the focus of cooking, not just a single topic, technique, or region.

Sake: The Art and Craft of Japan’s National Drink by Yoshiko Ueno-Müller (Prestel)

Bread: Books with recipes focused on the art and craft of making bread, including ingredients, techniques, equipment, and traditions.

Richard Hart Bread: Intuitive Sourdough Baking by Richard Hart, Henrietta Lovell, and Laurie Woolever (Clarkson Potter)

Food Issues and Advocacy: Books that focus on investigative journalism, food policy, food advocacy, deep dives, and critical analysis of the changing social landscape around food.

Ruin Their Crops on the Ground: The Politics of Food in the United States, from the Trail of Tears to School Lunch by Andrea Freeman (Metropolitan Books)

General: Books with recipes that address a broad scope of cooking, not just a single topic, technique, or region, and are accessible to a general audience.

Pass the Plate: 100 Delicious, Highly Shareable, Everyday Recipes: A Cookbook, Carolina Gelen, (Clarkson Potter)

International: Books with recipes focused on presenting cuisines of the world in their cultural context: their history, distinctive characteristics, and techniques.

The Balkan Kitchen: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of the Balkans, Irina Janakievska (Quadrille)

Literary Writing: Narrative nonfiction books, including memoirs, culinary travel, culinary tourism, biography, reflections on food in a cultural context, and personal essays.

Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves by Nicola Twilley (Penguin Press)

Professional and Restaurant: Books written by a culinary professional or restaurant chef with recipes that may include advanced cooking techniques, the use of specialty ingredients and professional equipment, including culinary arts textbooks.

Convivir: Modern Mexican Cuisine in California’s Wine Country by Rogelio Garcia and Andréa Lawson Gray (Abrams)

Reference, History, and Scholarship: Includes manuals, guides, encyclopedias, and books that present research related to food or foodways.

McAtlas: A Global Guide to the Golden Arches by Gary He (Self-published)

Single Subject: Books with recipes focused on a single ingredient, dish, or method of cooking

Jang: The Soul of Korean Cooking (More than 60 Recipes Featuring Gochujang, Doenjang, and Ganjang) by Nadia Cho, Mingoo Kang, and Joshua David Stein (Artisan)

U.S. Foodways: Books with recipes focused on the cooking or foodways of regions or communities located within the United States.

Our South: Black Food Through My Lens by Ashleigh Shanti (Union Square & Co.)

Vegetable-Focused Cooking: Books on vegetable cookery with recipes that are meatless, vegetarian, or vegan.

Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking: Vegan Recipes, Tips, and Techniques by Joe Yonan (Ten Speed Press)

Visuals: Books on food or beverage with exceptional graphic design, art, or photography.

McAtlas: A Global Guide to the Golden Arches by Gary He (Self-published)

More information about the Book Awards eligibility and criteria can be viewed here.

BROADCAST MEDIA AWARDS

The Broadcast Media Awards were established in 1993 to recognize nonfiction works in English that exemplify excellence and keep with the mission and values of the James Beard Foundation. This year’s winners spotlight food and beverage topics appearing widely for the first time in the U.S. in 2024 across digital and terrestrial media—including radio, television broadcasts, podcasts, documentaries, online sites, and social media.

“We’re honored to recognize those whose thoughtful production and authentic storytelling bring our dynamic food culture to life,” said Cynthia Graubart, chair of the James Beard Foundation’s Broadcast Media Awards program. “Congratulations to the 2025 winners for offering a unique lens into the people, trends, and traditions that shape how we experience food and dining.”

The 2025 James Beard Broadcast Media Award winners are:

Audio Programming: This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related radio or podcast program.

Loading Dock Talks with Chef Preeti Mistry

“Cream Pie with Telly Justice” Airs on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms

Audio Reporting: This award recognizes excellence in reporting and narratives about food and/or food issues in radio or podcasts. This work is issue or deadline-driven, investigative, topical, or timely in nature.

Post Reports

“Bacon: The Best-Kept Secret in Washington” Airs on: Post Reports

Commercial Media: This award recognizes excellence in food- or beverage-related media including video production, audio programming, or other media that is clearly developed and marketed with prominent visual branding, is sponsored or commercially funded, and/or contains paid advertising. It may be broadcast, streamed, accessed online, or through an app.

La Mera Mera Tamalera, Airs on: YouTube

Documentary Visual Media: This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related documentary that is at least 15 minutes long.

MARCELLA, Airs on: PBS American Masters

Docuseries Visual Media: This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related docuseries.

World Eats Bread, Airs on: National Geographic Channel

Instructional Visual Media: This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related video production with instruction and/or education as its primary intent, whether broadcast, streamed, accessed online, or through an app.

G.O.A.T., Airs on: MasterClass

Lifestyle Visual Media: New in 2025, this category honors excellence in food-centric talk shows and lifestyle programs that explore food or beverage alongside broader societal and cultural themes. Entries can range from interview-based shows featuring chefs and food personalities to those that delve into food history, science, and culture. This year, submissions to the Competition Visual Media category were included for consideration within the Lifestyle Visual Media category.

Relish, Airs on: PBS, Passport, TPT, TPT-2 and YouTube

Social Media Account: This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related social media account or platform.

Little Fat Boy, Airs on: Instagram, TikTok, Substack and YouTube

Travel Visual Media: New in 2025, this category celebrates excellence in food- or beverage-focused travel shows. Entries should showcase the unique culinary culture and traditions of a specific region or country, highlighting the connection between people, food, regions, and communities.

Drink: A Look Inside the Glass, Airs on: Apple TV, Prime Video, Tubi, and Roku

More information about Broadcast Media Awards eligibility and criteria can be viewed here.

JOURNALISM AWARDS

The Journalism Awards were established by the James Beard Foundation in 1992. This year’s Journalism Awards recognize works in English and cover food- or drink-related content which were published—or self-published—in 2024 in any medium.

“The reporting by the 2025 Journalism Award winners shows so poignantly how food plays an integral role in every aspect of our lives,” said Rochelle Oliver, chair of the James Beard Foundation’s Journalism Awards program. “Thank you to these journalists for their dedication to deepening the conversation around culture, history, community, and sense of identity from a culinary lens.”

The 2025 James Beard Journalism Award winners are:

Beverage: This award recognizes distinctive style, thorough knowledge, plainspoken prose, and innovative approach in a single article on alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages.

“Want to Make Spirits in Thailand? Good Luck.” by Craig Sauers, Punch

Columns and Newsletters: This award recognizes the work of an individual or team/group that demonstrates thought-provoking opinion and a compelling style on food- or drink-related topics.

“The farm bill hall of shame”; “The essential workers missing from the farm bill”; “Tribal nations want more control over their food supply” by Teresa Cotsirilos, Bridget Huber, and Claire Kelloway, Food & Environment Reporting Network and Mother Jones

Craig Claiborne Distinguished Criticism Award: This award recognizes discerning criticism or commentary that contributes to the larger discourse on food, drink, and related topics. An entry consists of three pieces that can include restaurant reviews, cultural critiques, or analyses that demonstrate thought-provoking opinion and compelling style.

“New tasting menu dinners at Honeysuckle Provisions are provocative and delicious”; “The enduring, confusing, and always delicious Octopus Cart is still puffing along after 34 years”; “Loch Bar, a new high-end seafood spot on Broad, swings big and misses” by Craig LaBan, Philadelphia Inquirer

Dining and Travel: This award recognizes exemplary and comprehensive service journalism that relies on both critical voice and thorough research to bring a variety of dining options into perspective, whether in a single city, a region, or a country.

“Gastro Obscura’s Feast” by Anne Ewbank, Diana Hubbell, and Sam O’Brien, Gastro Obscura

Feature Reporting: This award recognizes excellence for engaging writing and in-depth reporting in food and/or drink features.

“We Need to Talk About Trader Joe’s” by Adam Reiner

TASTE

Food Coverage in a General Interest Publication: This award recognizes excellence in food and/or drink writing, reporting, and presentation in a general interest site or print publication. Judges evaluate each entry for overall breadth and depth of coverage.

The Bitter Southerner

Foodways: This award recognizes the importance of culture and history in food journalism. Entries in this category explore the connection between what we eat and who we are, with an emphasis on reporting.

“As Detroit sees a future in urban agriculture, some pushback harkens to a dark past” by Lyndsay C. Green, Detroit Free Press

Health and Wellness: This award recognizes excellence in food- and/or drink-related health and wellness coverage. Entries explore a variety of topics that may include (but are not limited to) addiction, aging, chronic disease, diet, mental health, mind-body connection, nutrition, and reproductive health.

“Florida Banned Farmworker Heat Protections. A Groundbreaking Partnership Offers a Solution.” Grey Moran. Civil Eats

Home Cooking: This award recognizes excellence in service journalism with a practical focus for the home cook. The award honors imaginative and substantive entries that use fresh, innovative approaches—both written and visual—to illuminate cooking methods, ingredients, and recipes.

“The Art and Science of Kimchi” by Andrea Geary, Cook’s Illustrated

Investigative Reporting: This award recognizes excellence in investigative reporting on environmental, political, business, or policy issues regarding food and/or drink.

“The North Koreans behind global seafood”; “The Whistleblower” by Ian Urbina and the Staff of The Outlaw Ocean Project, The Outlaw Ocean Project and The New Yorker

Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award: This award recognizes the work of an individual who engages readers through enterprising food and dining coverage in a specific region, which also displays versatility in form, including reviews, profiles, cooking, quick hits, and hard news reporting.

“Etta’s Five Bankruptcies Have Left a Collective Mess”; “White Sox Fans Came for the Losses, Stayed for the Milkshakes”; “Namasteak, USA” by Ashok Selvam, Eater Chicago

MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award: This award recognizes a single article of exceptional literary merit on the subject of food and/or drink published in any medium.

“The City that Rice Built” by Jeff Gordinier and George McCalman, Food & Wine

Narrative Photography: New in 2025, this award recognizes exemplary storytelling through the use of photography within food culture. An entry is composed of images from one published piece that captures a visual narrative with skill, perspective, and style.

“The Only Constant is Chuck’s” by Rory Doyle (Self-published)