Recipes
Green Bean Casserole Moderne
Ever since I developed this update of that sentimental favorite of yesteryear, the Green Bean Casserole, with fresh ingredients in place of the canned green beans, canned mushroom soup, and canned crispy onions, I have had a flood of requests for the recipe at this time of year. A favorite…
Fried Sweet Onion Rings
My favorite beer batter is the perfect coating for these crispy, deep-fried, sweet onion rings. You’ll find the recipe in my cookbook, Sara’s Secrets for Weeknight Meals (Broadway Books, October 2005). Make sure you don’t skip the step where you dust the onions with flour because the batter will slither…
Chicken Stock
I understand that most people are going to reach for a can of chicken broth on a weeknight (and yes, let’s be honest, even on a weekend) but I am hoping that one weekend, when you have a little time on your hands and you plan ahead at the supermarket…
No-knead Bread
Makes 1 loaf (1 1/2 pounds) Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery Time: About 1½ hours, plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising Ingredients 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast 1 1/4 teaspoons salt In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast and salt.…
Craig Smith’s Beef Jerky
Courtesy of Craig Smith Makes 40 to 50 Strips Ingredients (Craig says the yield is, “Never Serves Enough”) 1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or liquid smoke…
Craig Smith’s Beef Jerky
Courtesy of Craig Smith Makes 40 to 50 Strips Ingredients (Craig says the yield is, “Never Serves Enough”) 1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or liquid smoke…
Sweet Summer Corn Soup
Posted with permission of author, from Caprial’s Soups & Sandwiches by Caprial Pence. Ingredients 8 cups chicken, fish, or seafood stock 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large onion, diced 6 cloves garlic, minced Kernels cut from 12 ears fresh corn (about 10 cups) 1 cup dry white wine 2 cups…
Potato Gnocchi
Patricia Fairbanks of West Townsend, MA sent me this recipe. She says to plan on one cereal bowl per person and to be sure to cover the cooked gnocchi with sauce. My son, Sam, thought these were great. Ingredients 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed…
Avocado, Black Bean and Tomato Salad
A favorite from my friend and colleague Jean Anderson. Makes 4 servings Ingredients 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 large scallions, trimmed and finely chopped (include some green tops) 1 large garlic clove, minced 1 firm-ripe Haas avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced One 15 1/2-ounce…
Moroccan Vegetable Stew
I frequently get e-mails requesting a good dish to make for vegetarian guests. This is one of my favorites. So many vegetables and so many “meaty” ones go into this stew that my caveman husband did not think to utter his usual bon mot in these situations, namely, “Where’s the…
Fried Clam Sandwich
This hearty sandwich from Sara’s Secrets for Weeknight Meals (page 94) will make a memorable meal any time of the year. It is featured on Episode 102 of my public television show, Sara’s Weeknight Meals. Go to Weeknight Meals to find preparation, equipment, and ingredient tips. I just love fried…
Crispy Roast Duck with Mustard and Green Peppercorn Sauce
Roast Duck is one of my absolute favorites, but it is not easy to get it right. If you concentrate on achieving moist meat, the skin might not crisp up. If you concentrate on crisping up the skin, you risk drying out the breast meat. Still, the desired result is…
Det Burgers
Sandwiches are a perfect choice for weeknight meals and this generously-topped burger is one of my all-time favorites. My first official cooking job was in the mid-seventies at a bar in Ann Arbor, Michigan (where I went to college), called the Del Rio. They featured live jazz on weekends. It…
Balsamic Chicken
The balsamic vinegar in this recipe and you can use the regular old affordable supermarket variety provides a sweet and sour base and great depth of flavor to this very quick sauce. This sauce would go nicely on sautéed pork chops or a flavorful fish such as salmon or bluefish…
Butterscotch Bread Pudding
When I was a kid, one of my all time favorite desserts was coffee ice cream and hot butterscotch sauce. I’m not sure if I loved it for the slightly bitter coffee taste counterbalanced by the sweet buttery sauce or for the canned whipped cream and Day-Glo red cherries on…
Pumpkin Flan with Ginger Whipped Cream
One of our favorite neighborhood restaurants was La Taza de Oro, a great little Puerto Rican spot on Eighth Avenue in Chelsea. The menu always featured five or six entrees, accompanied by your choice of yellow or white rice and several different kinds of beans. (When Ruthie was three and…
Lottie Baumgartner’s Cinnamon Cheese Rolls
Lottie is a viewer who sent me a letter in response to a show I did on “Sara’s Secret’s” about using “homemade style” white bread in place of pastry. Lottie says these roll-ups taste like “cheese cake rolls.” We tested them and she is right. Thanks Lottie! Ingredients Makes 20…
Lottie Baumgartner’s Cinnamon Cheese Rolls
Lottie is a viewer who sent me a letter in response to a show I did on “Sara’s Secret’s” about using “homemade style” white bread in place of pastry. Lottie says these roll-ups taste like “cheese cake rolls.” We tested them and she is right. Thanks Lottie! Ingredients Makes 20…
Ginger Cream Scones
Ingredients Makes 1 dozen scones 2 cups unbleached flour 1/3 cup sugar 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup finely diced crystallized ginger 1 1/3 cups heavy cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Milk for glazing 1. Place the oven rack in the top third of the oven.…
Eggs Jeannette
From The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen by Jacques Pépin (Houghton Mifflin, 2003) When we were kids, eggs were a staple on our table. Meat or poultry showed up there once a week at the most, and more often than not, our “meat” dinners consisted of a delicious ragout…
Apricot Bread
This is a recipe that my sister Anne gave me. It is perfect for her busy schedule because it assembles quickly and then takes care of itself in the oven for an hour or more. Ingredients 2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon…
Watermelon Screwdriver
It’s summertime, the sun is blazing, and, if you’re lucky, you’re sitting on the beach or by the pool. But wherever you are, city or country, there’s one thing you want more than anything else: an ice-cold drink. This one fits the bill, especially if you take the trouble to…
Fresh Lemonade
This trio of summertime beverages can offer a time out from the latest heat wave. Try my Fresh Lemonade plain, with fresh berries, or crushed fresh mint. Special ice cubes intensify the flavor of my Watermelon Screwdriver and Frozen Café au Lait. The Fresh Lemonade recipe follows; you’ll find the…
Two Minute Eggnog
Ingredients Serves 4 to 6 2 pints premium-quality vanilla ice cream 1/2 cup rum, cognac, or bourbon or more to taste Pinch freshly grated nutmeg Place the ice cream in a large covered glasss or stainless steel bowl in the refrigerator to thaw. Stir in the rum or desired flavoring…