Recipes
Creamy Baked Polenta
I have recently been getting a lot of requests for this recipe from Sara’s Secrets for Weeknight Meals. The cornmeal mush known as polenta, one of the national dishes of Italy, emerged in its original form as the field ration of the Roman soldier. Although pulmentum was made of millet…
Thanksgiving Hens
Rock Cornish Game Hens, a cross between a White Rock Hen and a Cornish Hen, are underrated. Maybe it is because ounce for ounce they are a little more expensive than chicken or perhaps it is because they are a little scary for people who are used to chicken in…
Jean Anderson's Oven-Fried Chicken
This easy recipe from Sara Moulton Cooks at Home is ideal for entertaining. You can put it into the oven and it minds itself while you do other things. When I told my mentor and good buddy Jean Anderson that this book needed her chicken recipe — it’s become one…
Jean Anderson’s Oven-Fried Chicken
This easy recipe from Sara Moulton Cooks at Home is ideal for entertaining. You can put it into the oven and it minds itself while you do other things. When I told my mentor and good buddy Jean Anderson that this book needed her chicken recipe — it’s become one…
Butter-steamed Broccoli with Soy
One of the first restaurants I worked in was Cybele’s in Boston’s Faneuil Hall. We were on a very tight budget, so instead of making 1 or 2 special vegetables for each dish we would serve a one size fits all starch and vegetable and plop them on every plate.…
Homemade Pan Gravy
I always get lots of questions about making gravy, so I thought no matter what meat or poultry you are cooking, this recipe would come in handy when you head for the kitchen. I recommend making 1/2 cup gravy per person. You need that much gravy to pour over everything, and…
Dulce de Leche Rice Pudding with Toasted Almonds
When Haagen Dazs introduced its dulce de leche ice cream several years ago, the company hoped it would sell well to American Latinos, but I don’t think it had any idea that everyone would quickly end up loving it. Hey, what’s not to love! Long popular throughout South America, where…
Portobello Burgers with Red Pepper and Gorgonzola
I enjoy cooking and serving vegetable main dishes all year long. I love to let the vegetables shine in the center of the plate. You’ll find a whole chapter of meatless recipes in all three of my cookbooks. My Portobello Burgers are absolutely wonderful meatless sandwiches. In the center is…
Japanese Beef Fondue
This recipe is based on a Japanese dish called shabu-shabu, but I left out the kombu (dried kelp) and the tofu, then poked it here and pinched it there, so I can’t pretend that my version is even remotely authentic. But both recipes are built around poached beef. I’d almost…
“Fried” Catfish BLTs
The Husband tends to scorn the BLT as an “air sandwich.” Of course, it’s delicious—how can it not be as long as bacon is involved—but it’s hardly what you’d call filling. That’s why I’ve bulked up the traditional BLT with some “fried” fish. I’ve also tricked up the standard-issue mayo…
Pasta Pizza
I first learned about “pasta pizza” from Leslie Glover, one of Gourmet’s test cooks, who developed it for “In Short Order.” It is ridiculously simple and so tasty. Anytime you make angel hair pasta, just cook double the amount you need. The leftover pasta, recast as the star of this…
Two Melon, Prosciutto, and Feta Salad
This dish, from Sara’s Secrets for Weeknight Meals, is perfect for those warm summer nights when you don’t even want to switch on the stove. Melon and prosciutto is such a refreshing summertime appetizer that I wondered if there was a way to make it entrée-hearty without ruining its essential…
Carrot “Fettuccine” with Spicy Shrimp
This recipe from Sara Moulton Cooks at Home is the happy result of an unhappy incident. My friend and fellow chef Sandy Gluck was trying out for a job at a very fancy cutting-edge restaurant in New York City in the early eighties. One of the many reasons she decided…
Indian Scrambled Eggs with Pappadams
My favorite eggs are poached or fried (I love those runny yolks), but scrambled eggs are a close second, as long as they’re properly cooked. The right way to do it is slowly and at a very low temperature; this guarantees the eggs’ creaminess, but it also requires a measure…
Breakfast Strata
Although this recipe from Sara Moulton Cooks at Home is called Breakfast Strata and the dish was originally designed for a weekend brunch, it will solve your busy-night dinner problems as well. You set it up the night before and then just put it in the oven 60 minutes before…
Chocolate Caramel Peanut Truffles
Here is everything you want in one candy–chocolate, caramel, and nuts–and these truffles couldn’t be simpler to prepare. Make a big batch, box them attractively, and you have the perfect holiday gift. Makes about 40 truffles Ingredients 1 cup sugar 2/3 cup heavy cream 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped…
Poussin en Cocotte
The baby chickens called poussins by the French are often tastier than large supermarket chickens because they are not mass-produced. If you cannot find poussins for this recipe, use Cornish game hens, which are about the same size as poussins but more widely available. (Look for Cornish game hens in…
Grilled Asparagus with Lemon Truffle Vinaigrette
Posted with permission of author, from Girls at the Grill by Elizabeth Karmel The flavors of fresh lemon juice and white truffle oil are the perfect compliment to grilled asparagus. I didn’t think grilled asparagus could get any better until I created this “truffle lemonade” to dress up my favorite…
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…
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…
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…
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…