Oh, this eggplant lasagna? It was nothing.
My least favorite recipe instructions begin with "Working quickly … " I have enough pressure in my life. My favorite? "To save time … " Making part of a meal ahead of time is the gateway to one of the most satisfying parts of my week: Nailing a nice supper with whatever I happen to have on hand. I know "whatever I happen to have on hand" sounds all spontaneous and breezy. But friends, don't be fooled by someone whose outfits look casually put together. It takes planning to look like you just threw on something that happens to be fabulous. The same goes for someone who delivers something absolutely lovely to eat and says, "Oh, it was nothing." The appearance of effortlessness requires work. We here at New York Times Cooking don't mind a little work in the pursuit of the delicious (a phrase Sam Sifton makes us repeat in his mandatory 6 a.m. fly fishing lessons). My quest for seemingly effortless dinners requires a good supply of staples: butter and olive oil, vegetables in the freezer and plenty of dried pasta, garlic and onions. I simmer my chicken carcasses into stock, a surprisingly meditative kitchen practice. I buy extra chicken breasts to prep and freeze, so if I want to put together Eric Kim's Ritzy Cheddar chicken breasts on a whim, I can. (Of course, improvisation matters. Say, for example, I didn't have any Ritz crackers in the pantry. Hello, extra-toasty Cheez-Its!) All of this is to suggest you try Lidey Heuck's eggplant lasagna, which is like eggplant Parmesan's elegant sister. The biggest piece of the work is roasting the planks, carved from three Italian eggplants. But "to save time," they can be roasted beforehand. Chill them for a day or freeze them right on the tray, then wrap well. Featured Recipe Eggplant LasagnaThen, when you are casting about for dinner one night, you can build something terrific right from the freezer. I made mine with some homemade spaghetti sauce I had stashed. But, as Mother Ina says, store-bought is fine. Now, for the rest of the week. … MondayHam El-Waylly has this way of creating recipes that taste all Cheffy McChefferson but are actually easy to execute. His ham and cheese slab quiche is one of them. The fussiest part is baking the store-bought puff pastry into a sturdy crust using two sheet pans. The result is something you can eat with a lovely, crunchy green salad for dinner then pack into lunches the next day.
TuesdayI love telling people that we're having corn ribs for dinner. They think I'm so clever until they realize it's basically a dish that requires little more than fresh sweet corn, a good knife and a hot grill. In Melissa Knific's version, spears of corn get tossed in something that will remind you of barbecued potato chips in the best way. Also: Corn ribs are great with pork chops.
WednesdayI have loved watching cottage cheese rise to its worthy perch as the Betty White of dairy. Amelia Rampe's tomato and cottage cheese salad has helped me break burrata's hold on my tomato plate. It's a good reminder that with a few little flourishes like fresh herbs, and the right spice blend, something seemingly simple can become special. (If you don't want the everything bagel vibe, consider some crunchy dukkah.)
ThursdayChicken adobo, the classic Filipino chicken braise with vinegar and soy, is so personal. This comment from Nicole, a reader, on this new recipe from Naz Deravian sums it up perfectly: "No adobo is ever the same. We come from an archipelago where each region has their own variation! Some regions use turmeric, some use just vinegar without soy sauce. Heck, my lola's (grandma's) adobo is different from mine — hers is soupy and mine is saucy. I've always added a bit of sugar or oyster sauce. You do you! Thanks Naz, another adobo recipe to try!"
FridayI know I established myself as pro-cake in my last newsletter, but I want to give pie its due. (I debated this point live with the brilliant Kat Kinsman some years ago.) Here's the recipe for the frozen Key lime pie Meryl Streep slams into Jack Nicholson's face in the film adaptation of Nora Ephron's "Heartburn."
For those of you new to this newsletter, please consider subscribing to New York Times Cooking. It's a real bargain, given how many recipes you'll have access to. And if you're already a subscriber, we thank you. If our technology is vexing you or acting buggy, get in contact with cookingcare@nytimes.com. If someone doesn't get back to you, talk to Sam Sifton, who's back with you on Friday, at foodeditor@nytimes.com. This was fun, but I'm leaving you. It's not you, it's me (and the fact that this isn't my regular job). Remember the good times.
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Sunday, August 25, 2024
A lighter, brighter lasagna
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