Add fresh veggies: Such as avocado, cucumber, carrots, bell peppers, radishes, or red onion.
Add fresh or dried fruit: Such as fresh apples, berries, grapefruit, grapes. Or dried cranberries or apricots.
Add jarred veggies: Such as sun-dried tomato, roasted red peppers, or artichoke hearts.
Add beans: Such as chickpeas or white beans.
Add croutons.
Use a different cheese: In lieu of Parmesan, feel free to add crumbled blue cheese, feta cheese or goat cheese.
Use different nuts/seeds: Such as pepitas, pine nuts, walnuts, pecans or sunflower seeds.
and make this one your own:
Add a protein: Cooked chicken, steak (or barbacoa), pork (or carnitas), shrimp, salmon, tofu (or sofritas) would all be great in this salad.
Add extra fresh veggies: Such as bell pepper, cucumber, jicama, radishes or corn.
Add extra jarred veggies: Such as sun-dried tomato, roasted red peppers, or artichoke hearts.
Add fruit: Such as diced fresh mango, pineapple, orange or grapefruit.
Add beans: A handful of black or pinto beans would also be delicious in this salad.
Add tortilla chips: I love also crumbling a handful of corn tortilla chips into this salad!
Trader Joe’s Wonton Dipping Sauce;
2 T soy or tamari sauce
2 T water
1/2 T rice or white vinegar
1 T brown sugar
few drops of sesame oil
finely sliced scallions for garnish
If you think you don’t like gazpacho, I beg you to try this version, which is inspired by the pureed style of gazpacho that originated in the Andalusia region of Spain. In addition to ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, olive oil, bread, and garlic, my version has a roasted pepper which adds a little bit of roasty-toasty depth to the bright flavors. Cilantro, serranos, and a bit of balsamic kick things up a notch, and the blender assures a lovely texture.
You’ll need time for chilling the soup; it can be made a day ahead. It should be served very cold. Don’t forget the garnishes for the contrasting textures.
Beefsteak tomatoes vary a lot in size, be sure to use the final measurement of 3 cups chopped in the recipe. Don’t be tempted to use more than 3 cups, though, or the proportions will be out of whack.
This recipe was originally published in Fresh From the Farm: A Year in Recipes and Stories, by Susie Middleton
Rub the sage sprigs with your hands to release their essence before using them
Dark meat is always juicier, but if you prefer breast, braise it 6 to 8 minutes less or it will be dry. Rosemary, savory, or thyme is a good stand-in for sage, and any type of black olive will do.
Add cubed, trimmed celeriac. Parsnip, & little potato. Grate a clove of garlic into hot mixture.
Parsley and/or dill or not
The mashed rutabagas have a buttery texture, and the amount of seasoning is just wonderful! I always forget that peeling and chopping a rutabaga is not as intimidating as it first appears. I just lopped off the ends and then peeled the waxy skin off using a Y-peeler
These potato croquettes are the perfect way to use leftovers. If your mashed potatoes are high in liquid (such as milk), the mixture will give off steam as it fries, which may cause the croquettes to fall apart. You may wish to fry one potato croquette as a tester before you shape the entire mixture, to check the texture and seasoning. If your tester falls apart, mix in a couple more tablespoons of flour, allow it to sit for five minutes, then fry another tester until you’re satisfied with the results.
We use sodium citrate, a salt that’s a key ingredient in the production of processed cheese, to keep the sharp cheddar silky and smooth even when heated and combined with liquid. Sodium citrate can be purchased online. We pair a pilsner or lager, beers that are light in flavor and color, with the bite of sharp cheddar, but you can use whatever type of beer and cheese you like. Leftover beer cheese can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days. It reheats well in the microwave.
Serve over lettuce, or w tortilla chips, or in a taco shell.
Add ground or shredded chicken or turkey
In a pressure cooker (instant pot). I put it in for 20 minutes and immediately released the pressure when it was done, and it turned out perfectly! I added an extra 1/4th cup water because I was afraid of the burn sign
in New York, Mel’s bar director Matt Reysen takes a seasonal approach to the bar’s Gin Tonica, the current version calls on blood orange gin, Cappelletti and a citrusy elderflower tonic water.
This bubbly, rose-tinted aperitivo drink from New York’s Maialino ( vicino ) reads like a cross between a Negroni and a Gin & Tonic. Instead of Campari, beverage director Patrick Smith turns to Mulassano Bitter, a lighter Italian red bitter with a slightly lower ABV, to reinforce the drink’s refreshing profile, alongside Cocchi’s Vermouth di Torino Extra Dry, a newer aromatized wine from the cult-favorite producer. For Maialino, a restaurant with a notable vermouth service, the chance to spotlight an interesting vermouth in a recipe was an exciting one. “I like the fact that the E Tonico is sort of a bridge from the vermouth service to the cocktail menu,” says Smith.
WHEN I APPRENTICED at Taillevent in Paris, the pastry chef spiked his chestnut cakes with vintage rum. I prefer to drizzle them with melted chocolate or eat them with chocolate ice cream or Milk Chocolate Sorbet. The dense, rich consistency of these mini cakes may remind you of flourless chocolate cake—except they’re less sweet. They keep well, so the recipe makes three. Wrap the extras tightly in plastic and stash them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months for a ready-made treat when a friend drops by for coffee. Unwrap and pop them into a 350°F oven for 6 to 8 minutes before serving. Chestnut cream is a sweetened chestnut puree. It’s available—as are candied chestnuts (marrons glacés)—from gourmet shops and online sources including amazon.com, which carries my favorite brand, Clément Faugier chestnut spread with vanilla.
To form the falafel and drop them into the oil, you will need a 1¾-inch (2-tablespoon) spring-loaded ice cream/dough scoop. Our favorite way to eat falafel is to stuff them into fresh pita bread along with slices of ripe tomato, cucumber and onion, then drizzle on lemony tahini sauce.
Don’t try to shortcut the soaking time for the chickpeas. They require at least 12 hours at room temperature to soften properly. After processing the chickpeas with the other ingredients, be sure to chill the mixture for at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours; this helps ensure the falafel hold together during frying. When adding portions of the mixture into the hot oil for frying, hold the scoop just above the surface of the oil to avoid splashing. Finally, don’t overcrowd the pot during frying, which will result in greasy falafel.
On a recent trip to Istanbul, we tasted Turkish hummus, which is served as a meze as well as for breakfast, and as a sandwich, tucked into pocket bread. It was softer in texture, nuttier with tahini, spiked with cumin and more lemony than the Middle Eastern-style hummus that we know and love. It also was generously garnished—with tomatoes, pickles, red pepper, raw onion, walnuts, parsley, spices and spice-infused oil. For best flavor, it’s essential to start with dried chickpeas, but they need at least 12 hours of soaking, so plan accordingly. Baking soda added to the cooking water softens the legume so it purees smoothly, so don’t omit this key ingredient. The Aleppo pepper that infuses the oil for drizzling onto the hummus brings subtle heat and vibrant color. If not available, substitute with 1 teaspoon sweet paprika and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Serve warm or at room temperature, finished with garnishes of your choice and with warm flatbread.