Course: Sides

Charred Cherry Tomatoes with Bell Peppers and Mozzarella

Sweetness and a kiss of char bring intrigue to this tasty salad at any time of the year. This recipe was inspired by one in acclaimed British chef April Bloomfield's cookbook, A Girl and Her Pig (2012). Compared to her recipe, which calls for roasting whole peppers and slow-roasting whole tomatoes before peeling them, ours […]

Simple Hibachi-Style Fried Rice

For a simple, comforting fried rice to accompany our Japanese Steakhouse Steak and Vegetables, we started by boiling the rice in plenty of water. This eliminated the need for leftover rice by effectively cutting the cooking time in half and rinsing away excess starch that can result in stickiness. To create the sweet and savory […]

Oaxacan-Style Vegetables in Chili-Garlic Sauce

  Some versions of Oaxacan chileajo contain meat, but in chileajo de verduras (also known as chileajo de legumbres), vegetables are the main attraction, along with the earthy, garlicky red chili sauce that coats them (chileajo translates from the Spanish as chili-garlic). Garnet-toned guajillo chilies are mild and fruity; we toast them in a little […]

Garlic Noodles

  These deceptively simple, yet devastatingly delicious garlic noodles were invented in San Francisco, at a restaurant called, Thanh Long, back in the 70s. Usually served with roasted Dungeness crab, the actual recipe is a very closely guarded family secret, but after lots of investigation, and even more experimentation, I think this is very close, […]

Chana Masala

Chana Masala is an Indian-Style Chickpea dish often served with basmati rice, or naan. Chana Masala is Hindi for “Spiced Chickpeas”. (Chana translates to chickpeas and masala translates to spice.) If you are wondering what the difference is between Chana Masala and Tikka Masala, Tikka usually refers to “meat”- so spiced meat dish.This authentic Chana […]

Hot Oil-Flashed Chard with Ginger, Scallions, and Chili

A classic Cantonese technique gives us a superior way to jazz up bitter greens. We tenderized Swiss chard with sizzling oil, a technique we learned from cookbook author Fuchsia Dunlop. Her recipe is modeled on a classic Cantonese method in which hot oil is poured over lightly blanched greens. We scattered fresh ginger, scallions and […]

Cast Iron Beer-Batter Cheese Bread

  The beauty of a quick bread is that it can be on the table in less than an hour, but that convenience isn't worth it if the final product doesn't taste good. Recipes for beer-batter cheese bread that we tried produced loaves that tasted sour, like stale beer, or had weak, negligible cheese flavor. […]

Spaghetti with Lemon Pesto

This pasta dish is modeled on the spaghetti al pesto di limone that Giovanna Aceto made for us on her family’s farm in Amalfi, Italy. The lemons commonly available in the U.S. are more acidic than Amalfi’s lemons, so to make a lemon pesto that approximates the original, we use a little sugar to temper […]

Greek Style Lentil Rice Pilaf (Pilafi me Fakes)

  This dish is made in some form all over Greece. This version of it is perfumed with spices such as coriander, cinnamon, and allspice. This is perfect to serve as the main course for a light meal or as a side dish.

Stuart Anderson’s Black Angus Cheesy Garlic Bread

Before there was Lone Star, Outback, or Ruth's Chris, a real rancher named Stuart Anderson was serving up huge cuts of delicious prime beef in his Seattle-based restaurant chain. The first Black Angus restaurant opened on April Fool's Day in 1964 and quickly became known for its huge, juicy cuts of prime rib.Early on, Stuart […]

Pasta & Peas

Pasta & peas, or pasta e piselli, is a traditional Italian dish passed down from Nonna’s (Grandmothers) all over the world. I have taken this authentic dish and made it slightly more Mediterranean with a small twist. Fresh basil has been replaced with mint for a unique flavor – did I defy tradition or improve […]

Cheesy White Bean-Tomato Bake

For those of you who love lasagna’s edges, where sticky tomato meets crisp cheese, this whole dish is for you — even the middle. A tube of tomato paste here mimics the deep flavors of sun-dried tomato. Frying a few generous squeezes caramelizes the tomato’s sugars and saturates the olive oil, making a mixture that’s […]

Pinch Me, Frenchie (Savory French Onion Inspired Monkey Bread)

"Because you can get a recipe for French onion soup anywhere, I made a point to not include one in this book. Still, I cannot deny its appeal. The thing is that with every bowl of French onion I’ve ever slurped, what I enjoy most is the little crouton at the top soaked with sweet, […]

Couscous with Shallots, Garlic, and Almonds

The “pilaf method” allowed the couscous in our recipe to brown gently and uniformly, and cook up fluffy and separate. We bumped up the flavor of our couscous recipe by using a combination of chicken broth and water, which we added to the pan after the couscous was toasted and by using almonds for textural […]