Finally, finally, fall is truly here. We’ve turned on the heaters, we’ve put on our sweaters, and baked goods are emerging from the oven. Without a doubt, this apple cake is not only the best thing I’ve baked so far this fall, but one of the best things I’ve ever baked: big chunks of flavorful…
Ethiopian Huevos Rancheros (Firfir with Egg)
Dear readers, I have found the holy grail! I have often lamented – as regular readers may know – about the lack of a usable Ethiopian cookbook in English.
Berbere: Ethiopia’s Signature Spice
Earlier, I posted a suggested method for Ethiopian injera. (I’m still working on getting it consistent enough to post a real recipe.) Injera, both staple bread and eating utensil, is critical for an Ethiopian meal. Almost as critical is berbere, a lush and complex spice blend that flavors many Ethiopian dishes, including the iconic chicken…
Fresh Corn and Green Chile Fritters
Oh, the end of summer. How I love the cooling days, the longer evenings, the patches of yellow leaves in the cottonwoods. And how I love the harvest. This is the most wonderful time of year to just go to the growers’ market, co-op, or grocery store, see what’s fresh and beautiful, take it home,…
Migas: Eggs Scrambled with Salsa and Tortilla Chips
Well, there you go. I gave you the recipe. It’s in the title. Scramble eggs with salsa and chips. Go to. What, you’re looking for more detail? Okay. I’ve been making migas for years, since our grad-school days when we spent four years in a tiny high-ceilinged apartment like a cracker box stood on end….
Super-Rich, Super-Easy Vegan Chocolate Mousse
This is one of the greatest bang-for-your buck recipes I have ever come across. It rests quietly in the pages of Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything under the unassuming name “Chocolate Tofu Pudding.” I don’t even remember why I first decided to try it- it must have been because he said it was the…
Homemade Thai Yellow Curry Paste, plus Chicken or Tofu in Yellow Curry
My friend Michelena makes incredible Mexican mole, from scratch. Friends beg her for jars of the thick, luscious sauce. (Well, I did, anyway.) The process takes her two days.
Sichuan Hot-and-Numbing (Ma La) Chile Oil
Until the last decade, the classic Sichuan flavor combination ma la (numbing and hot) was hard to come by in the United States. Sichuan peppercorns, the only common source of the numbing, tingly sensation called ma in Chinese, were banned from import to the US because they could transmit a kind of citrus canker. Fortunately,…
Salmon Rice Bowl with Soy-Wasabi Sauce (Sake-Don)
My recent obsession with Kokoro Japanese Restaurant finally bled over into my own kitchen. I wanted more Japanese food, but I wanted it to be as quick and simple as it was delicious. Paging through my copy of Japanese Soul Cooking, I saw a gorgeous picture of a bowl of vibrant red tuna slices brushed…
Fried Apples with Cinnamon
There’s nothing in the world like waking up to a beautiful, elaborate breakfast. I assume. Occasionally my sweetie brings me a Frontier breakfast burrito and orange juice in bed on special occasions, and I’ve had room service breakfast a few times. But for the most part, if I want an elaborate breakfast, there’s no button…