My five-star three-cup chicken

"All I can tell you is that I can't wait to cook it again."

View in browser|nytimes.com May 10, 2024 Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. My five-star three-cup chicken By Sam Sifton Good morning. It's Mother's Day weekend for all those who celebrate, which is many of us, even if she's been gone a few years now and didn't like the holiday anyway. Mom's getting younger, in memory, and we're getting older to meet her at the pass. The relationship's deepening. It's easier to understand some of her tics and motivations now, her points of view. For instance: What a bother this holiday is, with its forced cheer, overpriced restaurant mimosas and saccharine greeting cards. Better to stay home, look at old pictures and cook delicious things. We'll get to tea sandwiches and cucumber sandwiches for Sunday brunch. In the meantime, though, how about a platter of three-cup chicken (above) for dinner tonight? This is Taiwanese home cooking of distinction, simple and flavorful, easy to riff on and excellent alongside a pile of fluffy rice. (The name comes from the three liquids used to flavor the dish: sesame oil, soy sauce and rice wine.) Take a look at the comments readers added to the recipe. My favorite: "I made a mistake by reading everyone's notes first to see the variations and suggestions. I finally followed the original recipe and all I can tell you is that I can't wait to cook it again. One of the best!" Featured Recipe Three-Cup Chicken View Recipe → Then, come morning, you can deliver mother breakfast in bed. Doing so on Saturday as well as Sunday is a pro move: She won't see the first one coming, and the pleasures of that are uncommonly fine. In this endeavor, Melissa Clark's French toast protocol is worth following. Go shortcut-style on Saturday, with her brown sugar sheet-pan French toast, crisped at the edges, and then follow it up the next day with her spectacular showstopper version of the same dish: lemon soufflé French toast. It's just one man's opinion, but both should be accompanied by fresh berries and oven-crisped bacon. Other things to cook this weekend: a curried roast chicken with grapefruit, honey and thyme; fresh and wild mushroom stew; bulgogi-style tofu; and a strawberry and cream layer cake for dessert on Sunday night, after, say, a Waldorf salad. Here's to you, Mom! If none of those suit, there are thousands of other recipes waiting for you on New York Times Cooking. You need a subscription to read them, of course. Subscriptions support our work and allow it to continue. If you haven't done so already, would you please consider subscribing today? Thanks. (Want to give a maternal figure a gift subscription? Here's how.) If you find yourself crosswise with our technology, please reach out for help. We're at cookingcare@nytimes.com and someone will get back to you, I promise. Or you can send me apples or arrows at foodeditor@nytimes.com. I can't respond to every letter, but I read every one I receive. Now, it's a far cry from anything to do with rhubarb or molasses, but my Dennis Lehane kick continues. I thought I'd reread his 2001 crime novel, "Mystic River," but doing so made me realize I'd actually never read the book, I'd only seen the 2003 movie, which I loved. The novel's great! Also on the criminal beat, "Deliver Me," a new limited series on Netflix that's set in Sweden. Children in deep trouble, adults trying to help (and harm), with lots and lots of "[tense music builds slowly]." The artist Frank Stella died last week at 87. Peter Schjeldahl wrote about him for The New Yorker. "What you see is what you see," Stella famously said. Here's Schjeldahl on that: "His was a formalist gospel, forbidding interpretation." Finally, there's a new Miranda Lambert single, "Wranglers." It's classic Lambert. She sets those jeans on fire. (They take forever to burn.) Enjoy that while you're cooking and I'll see you on Sunday. ADVERTISEMENT WHAT TO COOK Con Poulos for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Curried Roast Chicken With Grapefruit, Honey and Thyme By Colu Henry 1 hour 20 minutes Makes 4 servings Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Bulgogi-Style Tofu By Sam Sifton Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Waldorf Salad By Lidey Heuck 25 minutes Makes 4 servings David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Brown Sugar Sheet-Pan French Toast By Melissa Clark 4 hours 45 minutes Makes 6 to 8 servings Johnny Miller for The New York Times Strawberry and Cream Layer Cake By Claire Saffitz 2 hours Makes 8 to 10 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. 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