Recipes Archives : Page 2 of 21 : TRAVEL/FOOD

Spain: The Cookbook by Simone And Inés Ortega

“In this book, Simone and Inés Ortega offer us a wealth of gastronomic experience and wisdom and it will quickly transport you to the heart of Spain,” writes Ferran Adrià, former head chef of the legendary El Bulli restauranthttp://www.elbulli.info/ who is considered one of the best chefs in the world, in the introduction to Spain: The Cookbook (Phaidon Press). “This is a timeless book. When you read it, you suddenly realize the glories of the food in front of you, those that, until now, you’ve not fully appreciated. Ours is a splendid cuisine, born out of the pleasure of eating, and it is also one that is perfect for those who have little time to cook., but who don’t want to give up the enjoyment of eating well and, thus, of feeding their souls as well as their stomachs.”

A huge and wonderful door-stopper of a book with almost 1000 pages, much of which are recipes, drawings, and photos, this is the definitive book on Spanish cookery. It’s hard to imagine a recipe or one similar that can’t be found within the pages. Because the information contained here is so voluminous, finding what you want is made easy in the way the recipes are divided into such chapters as “Cold Plate Suggestions,” “Fried Dishes, Savory Tartlets, Little Turnovers and Mousses,” and “Eggs, Flans and Souffles.”

In the chapter, “Menus from Celebrated Spanish Chefs,” there are recipes from chef/restauranteur José Andrés who has restaurants in Chicago, Washington, D.C., New York, and Las Vegas, José Manuel Pizarro, restauranteur and author of such cookbooks as Spanish Home Kitchen, and Carme Ruscalleda, the chef-owner of Carme Ruscalleda near Barcelona. Among the recipes she shares are those for her Apricot Sponge and Quick Prawn Soup.

Lively sketches by Javier Mariscal, some 500 in all, accompany full-color food photos and illustrate not only such dishes as Caviar canapes and roasted mixed vegetables but also how to cut up an octopus or de-fin a fish.

The 1080 recipes vary in complexity though many are exceedingly accessible. Sausages in Cloaks (Salchichas Encapotadas) and Eggs en Cocotte with Mushrooms both have only five ingredients and Soft Cheese and Paprika Canapes just three. Some of the dishes won’t be familiar to most American home chefs such as Hare with Chestnuts, Woodcock with Cognac, and Lambs’ Feet with Tomato. But even if we’re not going to cook such fare, it takes us further into our exploration and understanding of Spanish cuisine.

Originally published over 40 years ago under the title 1080 Recetas de Cocina, millions of copies have been sold and it’s easy to understand why. The cookbook is both compelling—a page-turner as the authors take us into the home kitchens of their country—and informative with menu plans, cooking tips, and a glossary.

Author Simone Ortega was considered to be one of the foremost authorities on traditional Spanish cooking and had a career in food writing that spanned more than half a century. Her daughter, Inés Ortega, is also a food writer and collaborated with her mother on subsequent editions of the cookbook.

It’s easy to see why the popularity of this cookbook, which is said to be found in almost every home in Spain, endures. Its recipes and illustrations beckon us to expand our skills in Spanish cuisine.

The following recipes are from Spain: The Cookbook published by Phaidon Press.

Brussels Sprouts Au Gratin (Coles de Bruselas Gratinadas)

2 1/2 to ¾ pounds Brussels sprouts
1 classic Bechamel sauce (see recipe below)
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°F

Bring a pan of salted water to a boil and drop the Brussel sprouts into the water, cooking until tender but not falling apart. Remove from heat, rinse in cold water.

Make Bechamel sauce.

Place Brussels sprouts in an oven-proof dish. Sprinkle with the cheese.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes and the cheese has melted. Serve immediately straight from the dish.

Classic Bechamel Sauce (Salsa Bechamel Corriente)

2 ounces butter
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 tablespoons plain all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
Salt

Melt the butter with the oil in a pan and stir in the flour. Gradually stirring the milk, a little at a time and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Add salt to taste and simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly for eight to 10 minutes.

If a thinner sauce is needed, add more milk. If the bechamel needs to be thicker, simmer the sauce longer until it reaches the required consistency.

Bechamel’s Tricks

To prevent lumps forming when making bechamel, remove the pan from the heat when stirring in the flour. Stir briefly with a wooden spoon, return the pan to the heat and proceed as normal.

Cover the surface with a disc of wax paper lightly greased with butter to avoid skin forming on top of the bechamel sauce prepared in advance. Bechamel sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days or frozen.

To reheat, put into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water oops come on

Raw Mushroom Salad

1 pound 10 ounces mushrooms
6 tablespoons sunflower oil
Juice of two lemons
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt and pepper

Separate the mushroom caps and stalks. Slice the stalks and caps and put into a bowl. Pour in the oil and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and mix well. Sprinkle with the parsley and shell in the refrigerator for two hours 24 servings.

Celebrate love this Valentine’s Day with romantic, handcrafted cocktails that are as fresh and vibrant as the occasion itself

Cocktail Recipes, Valentine's Day

Easy to make at home, these cocktails will impress someone special.

Strawberry Harvest

Blending bright citrus, muddled strawberries, and a hint of rhubarb bitters with American Harvest Organic Vodka creates a perfectly balanced sip.

2 oz. American Harvest Organic Vodka
0.75 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
0.75 oz. Simple Syrup
0.25 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
2 dashes Rhubarb Bitters
2 Strawberries (muddled)

Method

Muddle strawberries, add ingredients, shake, and strain into a coupe or martini glass. Garnish with a strawberry slice.

Fall in Love

2 oz. Beach Whiskey Bonfire Cinnamon
.5 oz. Amontillado Sherry
25 oz. Maple Syrup
2 drops of Almond Extract
2 dashes of Vanilla Bitters

Method

Fill a rocks glass to top with ice. Add all ingredients to glass. Stir and add garnish.

Garnish with a star anise float.

Solstice Sour

2 oz. American Harvest Organic Vodka
3/4 oz. Concord Grape Syrup
3/4 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice

Add ice and ingredients to a shaker.

Shake and strain into chilled coupe glass.

Garnish with a lemon wedge.

About American Harvest Organic Vodka

Using only the finest ingredients, including artisan red winter wheat grown on third-generation family farms and pristine water from the protected aquifers of the Snake River Plain, American Harvest Organic Vodka is hand-managed by a process created to ensure a rare vodka that is organic, gluten-free, and non-GMO.

JAPAN: THE VEGETARIAN COOKBOOK by Nancy Singleton Hachisu

Asian cooking, Cultural Immersion, Phaidon

Nancy Singleton Hachisu dives deep into the Japanese food scene, having married a Japanese farmer and learning the intricacies of cooking various vegetables and other ingredients that most of us aren’t familiar with.

The author of several cookbooks including Japanese Farm Food, winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2012: USA Winner for the Best Japanese Cuisine Book, Preserving the Japanese Way: Traditions of Salting, Fermenting, and Pickling for the Modern Kitchen, and Food Artisans of Japan, Hachisu is meticulous in her receipt development and helping us understand the intricacies of Japanese gastronomy. Her latest is Japan: The Vegetarian Cookbook (Phaidon 2023).

For those who want to learn, Hachisu’s recipes require attention to detail and buying foods we may have trouble sourcing. But the results, for those who like a kitchen challenge, are well worth it and as someone who has been following Hachisu and using her cookbooks for years, I can assure you it gets much easier.

It’s a fascinating take on Japanese cuisine from Hachisu, a native Californian who moved to Japan to stay there just for a year and immersed herself in Japanese food culture. Love intervened and after meeting an organic farmer, she married and moved to the rural Saitama Prefecture.

That was more than 30 years ago, time enough for Hachisu to raise a family in an 85-year-old traditional Japanese farmhouse and become proficient in both culture and cooking.

The book is so very niche that it’s almost like being in her kitchen and on her farm, giving us an amazing insight into a tiny slice of Japanese farm culture.

CHILLED UME-TOFU SQUARES IN DASHI

Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus 2-3 hours pressing and chilling
Cooking times: 10-15 minutes
Serves: 4 squares
Vegan, Dairy-free, Nut-free

Junsai, harvested from ponds from May to September, are baby water lily buds called “water shield” in English. They have a natural gelatinous covering so add a cool, slippery element to summer dishes. They might be available at Japanese markets, otherwise just omit or substitute with blanched julienned green beans or cooked edamame. Salted sour “plums” (umeboshi, see page 350) have been prepared in Japan for a millennium, since the Heian period (794–1185), and are purported to have many health-improving qualities, including aiding digestion and combatting summer fatigue during the rainy season. The combination here makes a subtle, but lovely little bite.

INGREDIENTS

• 101⁄2 oz (300 g) cotton tofu or Japanese-style soft block tofu • 1 tablespoon hon kuzu
• 2 medium umeboshi
• Canola (rapeseed) oil, for greasing the pan
• Generous 3/4 cup (63/4 fl oz/200 ml) Konbu Dashi
• 1⁄2 tablespoon shoyu
• A pinch of flaky sea salt
• Scant 1⁄2 cup (31⁄2 fl oz/100 ml) baby water lily buds
• Boiling water

DIRECTIONS

Place the tofu on a dinner plate and weight with a small cutting board for 1 hour.

Smash the kuzu to a fine powder in a Japanese grinding bowl (suribachi, see page 354). Squeeze the tofu by handfuls to express excess moisture and drop into the suribachi. Mash into the kuzu until well incorporated.

Cut out the umeboshi pits (stones) and discard. Finely chop the umeboshi and fold into the smashed tofu.

Dampen a folded-up piece of paper towel with the oil and grease the bottom and sides of
a 5 1⁄2 × 4 1⁄2 × 2-inch (14 × 11 × 4.5 cm) nagashikan mold (see page 353) or a 4 3⁄8 × 8 1⁄2-inch (11.5 × 21 cm) loaf pan (bottom lined with parchment paper). Scrape the ume-tofu mixture into the pan and rap smartly on the counter to eliminate air pockets and make sure the tofu is evenly distributed into the pan.

Set a bamboo steamer over a large wok filled one-third of the way with water and bring to a boil. Place the pan in the steamer, cover, and steam over high heat for about 10 minutes until set. Remove from the steamer, blot off accumulated moisture, and lay a piece of plastic wrap (cling film) on the surface. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to chill.

In a small saucepan, stir the dashi, shoyu, and salt together over medium heat to dissolve the salt. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour to chill.

Place the junsai in a wire-mesh sieve and pour boiling water over for 10 seconds. Refresh
by running the sieve under cold water. Shake off excess water and set the sieve over a bowl to drain. Store in the fridge for 1 hour to chill.

Unmold the umedofu, cut into 4 squares, and place each on a small shallow individual dish. Stir the junsai into the cold dashi and spoon around the umedofu. Serve immediately as a light, palate-cleansing bite.

A Couple Cooks: 100 Recipes to Cook Together

Uncategorized

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.

For more information, follow the Overhisers at @acouplecooks and acouplecooks.com.

Kardea Brown’s The Way Home: A Celebration of Sea Islands Food and Family

Southern cuisine

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 creator of the pop-up New Gullah Supper Club and has appeared on Beat Bobby Flay, Chopped Junior, Cooks vs. Cons, Family Food Showdown and Farmhouse Rules, 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.

Recipes from Erin Clarke’s New Cookbook

Family & Kids Cooking, Healthy eating

The year was 2012, a time when not everyone—and their pet—had a blog. But Erin Clarke, new to Madison, Wisconsin and with a law student husband who was spending all his time studying, needed something to do and so decided to write one. Two years and a name change later, Clarke’s blog, WellPlated.com, was so successful that she quit her day job and devoted all her time to writing. In 2020, her first cookbook, The Well Plated Cookbook: Fast, Healthy Recipes You’ll Want to Eat was released, selling over 130,000 copies. Fast forward.

From Erin Clarke’s Well Plated.

She now has, if you’re into social media numbers like I am, 440,000 Instagram followers, 562,000 followers on Facebook, 37.2 K on YouTube, and her followers’ number (as of this week) 410, 200 on Pinterest. And now her latest cookbook, Well Plated Everyday: Recipes for Easier, Healthier, More Exciting Everyday Meals (Avery 2024), has just recently been released.

She didn’t think it was going to happen.

“When I finished my first cookbook, it was like never again, I gave every good idea I had,” Clarke told me in a phone interview recently.

But ideas are never in short supply for Clarke who is so incessantly enthusiastic about all aspects of food that she jots her culinary thoughts whenever, including when dining in restaurants and in bed at night.

“I won’t go to sleep if I have an idea without writing it down,” she says. “And so, as time went on, a theme emerged about how much I enjoy cooking for people, and I became really hooked on the idea of creating recipes inspiring enough for days when you don’t feel like cooking and that are simple enough to make weeknight cooking exciting.”

She also wanted to ensure they were healthy, having long outgrown such fav food groups as Pop Tarts.

Describing herself as obsessed with food, Clarke says she’s extremely passionate about her recipes as well including those in her new book such as Sheet Pan Honey Orange Pistachio Salmon, Pumpkin Gingerbread Squares, and Creamy Harvest Chicken Pasta.

“I stand behind all of my recipes,” says Clarke who divides her time between Park City, Utah and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “I never put anything on my blog and certainly not in a cookbook that I don’t absolutely love. I like recipes made of nutritious and healthy ingredients that don’t require a trip to a specialty grocery store and that preferably can be ready in under an hour or even better in 45 minutes.”

Clarke’s love of cooking started early with two grandmothers who spend time in the kitchen with her, teaching her the exact way to measure and sift when it came to baking and such dishes as her ham casserole (thank you Grandmother Dorothy) and the green chili chicken enchiladas her Grandmother Sondra made for Christmas dinner every year.

There are other culinary influences as well—Ina Garten, Dorie Greenspan, and Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen.

When I ask if there’s anything else she’d like readers to know, Clarke is quick to respond about her goal for both of her cookbooks.

“I just hope that they become the most splattered and dirty and well used books in people’s kitchens,” she says. “Good cookbook should not stay in pristine shape and so though my new book is gorgeous, I hope people just use the heck out of it and that its appearance reflects that love. The messier the better.”

The following recipes and photos are courtesy of Erin Clarke’s new cookbook Well Plated Every Day: Recipes for Easier, Healthier, More Exciting Daily Meals.

Kind-of Cobb Salad

Serves 4 to 5
Total time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

For the Salad

2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 11/4 pounds)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus additional to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus additional to taste
1/3 cup raw pecan halves
2 small-medium sweet potatoes (about 11/4 pounds), scrubbed and 3/4 inch diced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
4 large eggs
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, or diced tomatoes of choice
1 medium avocado
1 head romaine lettuce, roughly chopped into bite- size pieces (about 4 cups)
3 cups baby arugula (about 3 ounces)
2 ounces goat cheese, or blue cheese or feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/3 cup)

For the Dressing

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1 medium lemon)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Place racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Line a baking dish or baking sheet large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Pat the chicken dry, then place in the baking dish and sprinkle all over with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Toast the pecans: Spread the pecans onto an ungreased rimmed baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until fragrant and toasted, stirring once halfway through. Roughly chop and set aside.

Roast the sweet potatoes: Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Place the sweet potatoes in the center. Top with 1 tablespoon of the oil, the soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss to coat evenly, then spread into a single layer. Bake on either rack for 25 to 30 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are caramelized on the outside and tender on the inside, turning once halfway through. Set aside.

Hard-boil the eggs: Bring a medium pot of salted water to a gentle boil. With a slotted spoon, gently lower the eggs into the boiling water. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle, steady simmer. Let the eggs simmer at this low, gentle boil for 8 minutes for slightly jammy yolks (or up to 9 minutes for fully set yolks). In the meantime, prepare a large ice bath. Use the slotted spoon to carefully transfer the boiled eggs into the ice bath. With the back of a spoon, gently crack each shell, then return the eggs to the water (this makes the eggs easier to peel). Peel and halve or thinly slice.

Once the chicken has rested 20 minutes, drizzle the top of it with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and rub to coat. Place in the oven with the sweet potatoes. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, until the chicken reaches 155 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest uncovered for at least 5 minutes (the chicken’s temperature will continue to rise as it rests). Dice.

Make the dressing: In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup with a spout, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, mustard, salt, and pepper.

Shortly before serving, slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Cut the avocado into 3/4-inch dice.

Assemble the salad: On a very large serving platter, place the romaine and arugula. Drizzle lightly with some of the dressing, then toss to moisten and combine the greens evenly. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Arrange the diced chicken down the center in a straight line. In rows, line egg slices on one side and sweet potatoes on the other. Place the avocado next to the sweet potato and the tomatoes next to the eggs. Sprinkle the goat cheese and pecans all over the top.

Spoon on a little more dressing. Enjoy immediately, with additional dressing as desired. (You also can skip the fancy presentation—toss everything together in a giant bowl and have at it.)

Crispy Chicken Schnitzel

Yield: Serves 4

For the Cabbage

1 small head savoy cabbage or green cabbage
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Chicken

2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1¼ pounds)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a few additional pinches
¾ cup white whole wheat flour or
all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1½ cups panko bread crumbs
⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons canola oil, divided, plus additional as needed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

Prepare the cabbage: Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 450°F. Cut the cabbage into eight wedges: First, cut it in half lengthwise through the stem. Then lay each half flat on the cutting board and slice in half lengthwise. Finally, halve each quarter lengthwise. For easy cleanup, line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the cabbage in a single layer on top and brush with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Flip the cabbage over.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the honey. Brush liberally over the tops and sides of the cabbage, then drizzle any remaining over the tops. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast the cabbage for 20 minutes, then flip with a spatula and continue roasting until the cabbage is tender and the edges are dark brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Don’t worry if some of the edge pieces are super dark; they’re the yummiest parts. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 250°F.

Meanwhile, prepare the chicken: Split each chicken breast in half horizontally to create two thin cutlets. As you cut, carefully lay your hand on top and feel to make sure you are splitting it fairly evenly. Working one at a time, place a cutlet in a large zip-top bag or cover with plastic wrap. With a meat mallet, rolling pin, or the base of a skillet, lightly pound out the chicken until it is super thin – about ⅛ inch. Proceed slowly and gently to ensure you do not tear the meat. Repeat with the remaining cutlets. Season the chicken all over with 1 teaspoon of the salt.

Set up your dredging stations: In a wide, shallow dish (a pie dish works well), place the flour. Beat the eggs in a second shallow dish, then combine the bread crumbs and cayenne in a third. With tongs, grab one end of a chicken cutlet and dip the cutlet in the flour, then the eggs, then the bread crumbs, coating both sides and shaking off any excess as you go. Dip just one cutlet at a time and handle the meat as little as possible to keep it tender. Transfer to a clean plate and repeat with the remaining cutlets. Place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and keep it near the stove. Return the cabbage to the oven to keep it warm.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet and swirl it to melt. Working away from yourself, carefully lower two cutlets into the skillet, ensuring that they have some space between them (if the pan is crowded, cook them one at a time or they will be more dense). Cook on the first side until golden, about 3 minutes, then add another 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Flip and cook on the other side until it is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, sprinkle with a pinch of additional salt, and place in the oven to keep warm.

Add another 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet. Repeat with the remaining cutlets, adding the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter just before flipping. Serve with the caramelized cabbage and lemon wedges. Squeeze the lemon all over the chicken and cabbage, and season with additional salt to taste.

A version of this story previously appeared in the Northwest Indiana Times.

NYTimes: The 25 Most Influential Cookbooks From the Last 100 Years

Asian cooking, Books, Chefs, Desserts, Farm-to-Table, Gastronomy, Gourmet, Healthy eating, Historic foodways, Indian Food, Italian Cuisine, Mediterranean, Michelin, Michelin Star, Persian food, Pizza, Regional & Ethnic, Restaurants, Southern cuisine, Thai, Vegetarian

The 25 Most Influential Cookbooks From the Last 100 Years https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/15/t-magazine/most-influential-cookbooks.html?smid=nytcore-android-share

Southern Women Share Their Stories and Recipes in the New Cookbook When Southern Women Cook

Indian Food, Southern cuisine

When Southern Women Cook: 300 Recipes from Every Corner of the American South, with Stories About the Women Who Feed Us, with a foreword by Toni Tipton-Martin, and edited by Morgan Bolling, tells the stories of those who’ve made an impact on the cuisine and culture throughout history, and shines light on the torchbearers innovating it today. Interwoven with narratives from 70 diverse Southern women contributors, the recipes—from Texas barbecue to Gullah Geechee rice dishes to treasured hometown desserts—present the intricate patchwork quilt that is Southern cooking.

TONI TIPTON-MARTIN is Editor in Chief of Cook’s Country, a food and nutrition journalist, and the James Beard Award– winning author of Jubilee; Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs, and Juice; and The Jemima Code. MORGAN BOLLING is Executive Editor of Creative Content for Cook’s Country, a cast member of the Cook’s Country TV show, and a passionate Southern woman.

MORGAN BOLLING is Executive Editor of Creative Content for Cook’s Country, a cast member of the Cook’s Country TV show, and a passionate Southern woman.

Southern-Style Baby Lima Beans

Serves 4 to 6

Total Time: 1¼ hours

The beauty of this recipe is in its simplicity: Frozen baby lima beans are cooked low and slow, seasoned with a few strips of bacon and wedges of onion in the pot. The resulting beans and their smoky, thick, peppery broth are complex and deeply comforting. Stirring occasionally as the beans cook emulsifies the bacon fat into the broth, giving it a silky texture. This dish is great as a side or as a main course served over white rice. Do not thaw the baby lima beans before cooking.

4 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
4 cups chicken broth
1½ pounds frozen baby lima beans
1¼ cups water
1 onion, halved
1 teaspoon pepper
¾ teaspoon table salt

Cook bacon in large saucepan over medium heat until lightly browned and fat has rendered, 7 to 10 minutes. Add broth, lima beans, water, onion, pepper, and salt. Bring to boil over high heat.

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until beans just begin to break down and liquid is thickened, about 1 hour (liquid will continue to thicken as it sits). Discard onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Peruvian Imports

Lima beans, which originated in Guatemala, have been cultivated in Lima, Peru, for centuries—hence the name—and are a staple food there. By the 1500s, what we now call Peru had found trading partners throughout South, Central, and North America and also in Europe. As the beans were introduced to North America, they were adapted into regional recipes. Many versions of Native American succotash use this large, nutritious bean. Lima beans remain especially popular in the dishes of the American South. Some cooks use the terms “lima beans” and “butter beans” interchangeably, as the two beans come from the same plant. But other cooks know butter beans as the more mature larger white beans that are typically sold dried or canned, and baby lima beans as the smaller, greener beans that are typically sold frozen or canned.

Pat-in-the-Pan Buttermilk Biscuits

Makes 9 biscuits

When chef Virginia Willis did a demonstration at Cook’s Country in August 2018, the Southern cookbook queen left us with characteristically beautiful words: “Biscuits are like people; they are better when they rise together.” More than poetry, though, this sentiment referred to her preferred technique of baking biscuits touching each other on a baking sheet so they physically push each other up in the oven for a higher rise. Her demo inspired our own recipe for pat-in-the-pan biscuits. Following Willis’s lead, we use low-protein cake flour for tenderness, and baking powder and baking soda for lightness and lift. We pinch bits of cold butter into these dry ingredients; the butter pieces melt in the dough during baking, producing steam that creates a fluffy interior crumb.

We follow a tried-and-true Southern method for patting biscuit dough in a pan and scoring it so these biscuits can also rise together. We developed this recipe using Softasilk cake flour and a metal baking pan. This recipe can easily be doubled to yield 15 biscuits: Use a 13 by 9-inch baking pan and extend the baking time by about 15 minutes.

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
4 cups (16 ounces) cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons table salt
2 cups buttermilk, chilled

Cut 10 tablespoons butter into ½-inch pieces and freeze until chilled, about 15 minutes. Let 1 tablespoon butter sit at room temperature to soften. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease 8-inch square baking pan with remaining 1 tablespoon butter.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in bowl. Add chilled butter to flour mixture and smash butter between your fingertips into pea-size pieces. Gently stir in buttermilk until no dry pockets of flour remain. Using rubber spatula, transfer dough to prepared pan.

Lightly sprinkle extra flour evenly over dough to prevent sticking. Using your floured hands, pat dough into even layer and into corners of pan. Using bench scraper sprayed with vegetable oil spray, cut dough into 9 equal squares (2 cuts by 2 cuts), but do not separate. Bake until golden brown on top, about 30 minutes.

Let biscuits cool in pan for 5 minutes. Using thin metal spatula, slide biscuits onto wire rack. Brush tops with softened butter. Let cool for 10 minutes. Pull biscuits apart at cuts and serve warm.

Southern Chicken Spaghetti

Serves 8

Total Time: 1¾ hours, plus 15 minutes cooling

Lisa Fain, known as the Homesick Texan, defines Tex-Mex chicken spaghetti as “baked pasta with chicken and chile con queso” on her website. Typically this dish features shredded chicken, cheese, and some mix of mushrooms, peppers, and onions (and sometimes canned Ro-Tel tomatoes) intertwined in baked spaghetti.

According to Fain’s research, the earliest recorded recipe dates back to 1931. It was published in the Amarillo Daily News and featured a simple combination of chicken, cheese, and noodles, seasoned with a liberal dose of chili powder. The recipe evolved to include canned cream of mushroom soup and Velveeta, products of the convenience-food boom of the 1920s and 1930s that underscored the era’s casserole culture.

But this casserole’s history isn’t limited to Texas. New York Times food editor and restaurant critic Craig Claiborne noted his mother’s influence on his version of the dish—a childhood favorite—in his 1987 book, Craig Claiborne’s Southern Cooking. Claiborne speculated about its origins and compared the rich flavors of the dish to those of an authentic Italian ragù bolognese, due to its creamy tomato base and savory ground meat. His mother, Mary Kathleen Craig Claiborne, was “famous for it up and down the Mississippi Delta,” he said.

We keep chicken spaghetti easy by starting with a rotisserie chicken. Breaking the spaghetti in half makes the dish easier to serve and eat. A creamy sauce made with butter, flour, chicken broth, and half-and-half is flavored with mushrooms and other vegetables. A combination of American and cheddar cheeses gives this pasta bake an ultra creamy consistency with plenty of cheese flavor. For a spicier dish, use the larger amount of cayenne pepper. Use Dutch oven that holds 6 quarts or more.

1 pound spaghetti
1½ teaspoons table salt, plus salt for cooking pasta
8 ounces deli American cheese, shredded (2 cups)
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
12 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced ¼ inch thick
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups half-and-half
½ teaspoon pepper
¼-½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Loosely wrap half of pasta in dish towel, then press bundle against corner of counter to break pasta in half; repeat with remaining pasta. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain pasta and rinse thoroughly under cold running water; set aside. Clean and dry pot.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine American cheese and cheddar in bowl; set aside. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in now-empty pot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, and onion and cook until softened and liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer vegetables to separate bowl and set aside.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in again-empty pot over medium heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth, half-and-half, pepper, cayenne, and salt, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Bring to simmer and cook until sauce is thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.

Off heat, whisk 2 cups cheese mixture into sauce until smooth. Stir in spaghetti, vegetables, and shredded chicken until well combined.

Transfer mixture to 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spread into even layer, and cover tightly with greased aluminum foil. Bake until sauce is bubbling around edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese mixture over top, and bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Photography by Steve Klise.

Get Into The Spirit With These Hauntingly Good Halloween Cocktails

Cocktail Recipes, Drink, Halloween, Seasonal Recipes

These inventive and eerie drinks are perfect for celebrating the spooky season

As the air turns crisp and the days grow shorter, it’s time to stir up some fun with Halloween-inspired cocktails that will have your guests ‘howling’ with delight!

“Whether you’re hosting a haunted house party or cozying up for a spooky movie marathon, these eerie drinks are the perfect way to celebrate the spooky season,” says Daniel Ufland, founder of The Whisky Masters, a premier online whisky retailer.

With ghoulish garnishes, creepy color changes, and bewitching flavors, Daniel’s creative concoctions will bring a festive flair to Halloween.

Witch’s Brew White Russian

Ingredients:

2 oz. vodka

1 oz. Kahlua

1 1/2 oz. pumpkin spice creamer

Cinnamon stick

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

3 Tbsp. crushed graham crackers

Method: Combine the pumpkin pie spice and crushed crackers on a plate. After dipping the rim of each glass in water, dip them into the spice and cracker mixture. Then, add ice to each glass, pour in the vodka and Kahlua, and top it with the creamer. Stick in a cinnamon stick and sprinkle the pumpkin pie spice on the top to garnish.

Photo courtesy of Carlos Felipe Ramírez Mesa

Chameleon’s Curse Margaritas

Ingredients:

2 cups sliced purple cabbage

4 cups boiling water

8 oz. tequila

4 oz. triple sec

3 oz. lime juice

1 c. lemonade

4 lime wedges

1/4 cups kosher salt or coarse sea salt

Method: Pour the boiling water over the purple cabbage in a large bowl and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Strain out the cabbage and let the water cool; it should look bluey-purple. When the water has cooled, freeze it in ice trays.

Then, combine the tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and lemonade in a large pitcher. Wet the rim of each glass with a lime wedge and then dip it in salt. Replace the lime wedge, add the purple ice cubes and pour in the margarita.

“The purple cabbage-infused ice cubes will turn the margarita pink and purple, changing colors as you drink,” says Daniel. “But don’t worry; the cabbage cubes won’t affect the taste!”

Ghostly Glowing Gin

Ingredients:
3 oz. gin

1/2 oz. lemon juice

1 tsp. grenadine

1 handful ice

Tonic water

Method: Shake the gin, grenadine, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker without ice. Then, pour into a glass over ice and top with tonic water. “These cocktails should glow white under a blacklight for a spooky Halloween vibe. For extra fun, you can add a glow stick to each drink as a stirrer,” suggests Daniel.

Poison Apple Shot

Ingredients:
1 oz. sour apple schnapps

1 oz. whisky

1/2 oz. pomegranate juice

1/2 oz. cranberry juice

Juice from 1 small lime

1 tbsp. granulated sugar

Method: Stir the schnapps, whisky, and both juices well in a pitcher. Squeeze the lime juice into one bowl and add the sugar to the other. Take each glass and dip the rim first into the lime, then the sugar. Then, you’ll be ready to pour and serve.

Cursed Lagoon Curacao

Blue Curacao is perfect for a spooky Halloween cocktail. Photo courtesy of Senior & Co.

Ingredients:

1 oz. light rum

2 oz. coconut rum

1 oz. Blue Curacao

1 handful ice

Pineapple juice

Method: Add the Blue Curacao and both rums to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well for about 30 seconds. Then, pour the mixture into a glass and top it off with pineapple juice.

“The Blue Curacao will give this drink a spooky blue glow like a witch’s potion!” says Daniel.

Daniel Ufland, founder of The Whisky Masters, commented:

“You can easily tweak these fun cocktails to suit your taste or make them family-friendly! For a spooky mocktail version, swap out the alcohol for flavored syrups or juices. Adjust the sweetness by adding more fruit juice or dialing up the spice with a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg.

“When it comes to serving, presentation is everything on Halloween! Use themed glasses like skeleton-hand goblets or potion-style bottles. Rim your glasses with black sugar or edible glitter instead of salt for a magical touch. Add playful garnishes like candy eyeballs, gummy worms, or black licorice ‘straws’ for an eerie twist.

“For extra flair, serve your drinks with glow-in-the-dark stirrers or spooky straws for that mysterious, bubbling cauldron effect! Don’t be afraid to get creative – frozen berries can double as ‘bloody eyeballs,’ and edible glitter can add a mystical shimmer to any drink. Halloween is all about having fun and letting your imagination run wild, so go ahead and brew up some ‘books’ that match your spooky vibe!”

About The Whiskey Masters

The Whisky Masters is a premier online whisky retailer offering a curated selection of fine and rare whiskies. Catering to both seasoned connoisseurs and newcomers, the company provides an extensive range of products from renowned distilleries worldwide. Their collection includes limited editions, rare collectibles, and exclusive releases, all aimed at enhancing the whisky-tasting experience. The Whisky Masters prides itself on exceptional customer service.

Featured photo courtesy of Carlos Felipe Ramírez Mesa

Persian Feasts: Recipes & Stories from a Family Table

Persian food, Phaidon, Uncategorized

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.

Lentil & Quinoa Salad with Herbs

By Leila Heller, “Persian Feasts: Recipes & Stories from a Family Table”

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.