Mushroom smash burgers and seis leches cake

"I made this. I cannot stop eating it. Help."

View in browser|nytimes.com May 6, 2024 Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Smash your mushrooms By Melissa Clark Even hearing the words "smash burger" makes my mouth water. I can just see myself with a spatula, pressing the patty until it sizzles and hisses, its edges browning alluringly in a halo of hot fat. And then that first juicy bite. Ali Slagle captures that crave-inducing sorcery in her new recipe for mushroom smash burgers. Thick and meaty portobello caps, fried under a weight, flatten to chewy, crisp-edged perfection. Further enhanced by a slice or two of melty cheese, your favorite burger condiments and a toasted bun, they make a burger you'll be thinking of days later. And it's a whole lot easier than the usual, multiple-ingredient veggie burger. Featured Recipe Mushroom Smash Burgers View Recipe → I use that same spatula-squish move when cooking fried rice to give it an extra-crunchy crust. Give that technique a try with Ham El-Waylly's take on arroz chaufa, a Peruvian-Chinese (Chifa) staple of stir-fried rice, this one made with chicken and red bell peppers. You can watch Ham make his dish here. Speaking of crispy stir-fries, here's my piquant and speedy green beans with pork and chiles, seasoned liberally with soy sauce, ginger, and coriander seeds for aromatic pops of flavor. Make it vegan by substituting chopped mushrooms for the pork. Or use a different ground meat — chicken, turkey, beef or lamb all work equally well. It's a simple dish that delivers a five-star bang. For something meatless starring eggs, Krysten Chambrot has adapted a dish of chile oil-fried eggs with greens and yogurt from the beloved — and sadly, bygone — MeMe's Diner in Prospect Heights. These spice-laced eggs sit on top of a mound of tender sautéed greens and yogurt, garnished with a handful of salted peanuts, sesame seeds, and pumpkin or sunflower seeds for a crunchy, nutty contrast. If you want a speedy fish dinner, let's go with Lidey Heuck's baked salmon, a minimalist miracle that calls for a pantry-friendly mix of brown sugar, paprika, and garlic (powdered or fresh) for topping the fillets. This melts into a heady glaze as the salmon bakes, its rich flesh firming just enough to flake with a fork. It goes with pretty much any side, whether that's rice, noodles, couscous, or whatever vegetable to you care to throw onto another sheet pan in the same oven. Me, I'm partial to Lidey's green beans, flecked with pancetta and lemon zest. For dessert, my seis leches cake takes the classic tres leches three milks further, with the addition of coconut milk, sweetened condensed coconut milk and dulce de leche. You do have to set aside some time to let the cake absorb all those milks (it needs at least eight hours in the fridge), but this fluffy, puddinglike confection is worth the wait. To get these and the thousands of other recipes available at New York Times Cooking, you'll want to subscribe (and thank you if you already do). For technical issues, send an email to cookingcare@nytimes.com; there's someone there who can help. And I'm at hellomelissa@nytimes.com if you want to say hello. That's all for now, I'll see you on Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT WHAT TO COOK Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Arroz Chaufa (Fried Rice With Chicken and Bell Pepper) By Ham El-Waylly 45 minutes Makes 2 to 4 servings Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times Stir-Fried Green Beans With Pork and Chiles By Melissa Clark 20 minutes Makes 4 servings Julia Gartland for The New York Times (photography and styling) Chile-Oil Fried Eggs With Greens and Yogurt Recipe from MeMe's Diner Adapted by Krysten Chambrot 30 minutes, plus cooling Makes 4 servings Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. Baked Salmon By Lidey Heuck 20 minutes Makes 4 servings David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Seis Leches Cake By Melissa Clark 1 hour, plus cooling and chilling Makes 18 servings Sign up for the Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter Fresh dinner ideas for busy people who want something great to eat, with NYT Cooking recipes sent to you weekly. Get it in your inbox Sign up for The Veggie newsletter Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties. Get it in your inbox ADVERTISEMENT Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Cooking from The New York Times. To stop receiving Cooking, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to NYT CookingGet the NYT Cooking app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018