Working Lunch

Shrimp and asparagus risotto

2010-06-13T08:54:00.000-07:00

Today brought a quick and easy early summer meal, when there are still a few bunches of local asparagus coming through and the craving turns to something more refreshing. Risotto is one of the best basic recipes; like a white dress shirt, it can be dressed up and down according to whim or necessity. I had a bunch of asparagus in the fridge that was slouching towards the other side of fresh. We

Mapo tofu

2010-06-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

There's the most fantastic Sichuan restaurant near work, and although the rumor is that they have an extremely shady ownership, they make really, really good food. In particular, they make a version of Mapo tofu that is sublime. I like tofu anyway, but this dish would convert the most ardent soy-haters. The sauce is a piquant mix of chili, ginger, and fermented black beans, coupled with silky

Pasta with sausage and saffron

2010-05-02T17:33:00.000-07:00

I've been out of the blogging game for a couple of weeks. Work is busy, so during the week my blogging would be very boring unless you want to hear about bowls of cereal before bed or a plate of crackers, cheese, hummus and whatever else I can rustle up from the fridge (just like canapes, I like to tell myself).Weekends, therefore, are prime cooking time. If I don't get a meal or two, or a post

Perfect chocolate chip cookies

2010-04-18T19:11:00.000-07:00

With my recent purchase of my now beloved Tramontina cookware, an issue of Cook's Illustrated, which extolled the virtues of said cookware, was tucked inside the box. I love the magazine, for its pleasingly retro, low-tech, no ad feel. Also, there's a beautifully illustrated back page of seasonal varieties of fruit and vegetables. The magazine does a complete investigative journey into each

Linguine with mussels

2010-04-11T15:16:00.001-07:00

I can eat a lot of mussels, especially when as delicious as my previous recipe. However, even I cannot work my way through two pounds of them, so I had a large batch left over the next night. I thought I'd reincarnate them in a different dinner.The basic recipe made this easy enough. The mussels were already cooked, their garlicky, briny liquid extra flavorful for having bathed the mussels

Moules marinieres

2010-04-04T18:27:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful spring weekend. The sun was shining, the trees finally burst into bud, and summer clothing was out in full force. The streets were thronged with people who took their first run of the season, and later in the day they were thronged with people who had their first blisters of the season.Something in the air made me think of a day at the beach. Clean, sharp flavors and the ocean.

Chilly day Chili

2010-03-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

Did anyone else experience the apocalyptic weather known as the nor'easter that blew in on Saturday? I had to go outside to go to work (boo hiss) and do some errands. Far from being productive, I spent most of the day huddling in doorways, afraid to step into the gale. More than once I did the full revolution in the revolving doors, convinced when I began to leave that it wasn't as bad as it

Betty Robertson's Buttermilk Cake

2010-03-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

After showing off my bee-yoo-tiful Kitchenaid in the last post, I decided I needed to do some actual baking with it. A little house-warming, too, was in order. I have heard that real estate agents put cookies in the oven or leave vanilla out to make the house smell warm, inviting, and homey. Even though most of my possessions are still in boxes, and my items of furniture have yet to be counted

Long time no blog: new year, new life, New York

2010-01-31T13:44:00.000-08:00

Hello world. I know you've missed me (or at least those related to me say so, but then blood ties demand such allegiance). I know I have missed cooking, writing, and reading, three things I have sorely neglected as of late. My cooking, in these hectic days, has amounted to hummus and crackers, popcorn, or plating some take-out. I think I have had a reasonable excuse. As some of you may know,

Pear and maple syrup cake

2009-12-13T01:54:00.000-08:00

It was last Sunday afternoon that I decided I must have a cake. I have written about this before: the gloomy Sunday slide into darkness that must be staved off by hook or by crook. I try to go out for a walk through the flower market on Columbia Road -- lined with shops selling furniture and trinkets from India and Thailand, each one a little bit less authentic than the last as they all carry

Shredded chicken in mole, roast acorn squash and pinto beans

2009-12-05T09:04:00.000-08:00

Was this the world's easiest dinner? It seemed like it. It was definitely the easiest leftovers and made a fine lunch the next day.After I made my mole sauce the first time around, I froze half of it for another use. When we had some friends around for dinner, I knew it was the perfect opportunity. I could whip up an impressive meal with practically no effort (but they didn't need to know

Butternut squash, roast beets and grilled halloumi salad

2009-11-29T02:01:00.000-08:00

In winter, my salad consumption drops dramatically. This is partly because I think winter is for hot cocoa, soups, casseroles, and other foods that warm you from the inside out. Partly, I think it's because we all know that animals couldn't hibernate based on a salad diet, so it seems to go slightly against nature. However, I don't actually want to put on 30 pounds and sleep for 4 months, so

Roast figs with goat's cheese and balsamic-honey glaze

2009-11-22T01:12:00.001-08:00

As I'm sure you can all guess, since figs are well and truly out of season by now, this picture is from a dinner more than a few Saturday nights ago. However, I had sort of forgotten that I had taken the photo, so it's now getting its moment of glory (or its second moment, after the original making when -- yes, I will brag -- it elicited great acclaim) until now.Figs -- I love figs. I couldn't

Cauliflower with paprika, tomatoes and chickpeas

2009-11-11T14:34:00.000-08:00

I saw this recipe for cauliflower with tomatoes and pimenton in the New York Times earlier this year and it has become one of my go-to recipes whenever I have any cauliflower on hand. The sweetness of the cauliflower, which melts into the rest of the dish as it softens, is perfectly complemented by the sweetness in the pimenton. The tomatoes lend some acidity to the dish and provide a base for

Roast duck legs with red wine and dried plums, roast potatoes and cabbage

2009-11-08T03:35:00.000-08:00

I had a pair of duck legs in the freezer, a souvenir of a trip to the Blackheath farmer's market where I slightly over-shopped and came back with more food than possible to consume before it all went bad. Luckily, the cooler nights and longer evenings call for something rich and comforting, something a little bit special. A Saturday night in was the perfect opportunity to cook up a duck feast.I

Pattypan squash stuffed with sausage and white beans

2009-11-02T14:49:00.000-08:00

Last of the summer squash, those fresh, thin-skinned varieties that (sometimes) grow to massive proportions, forgotten under a large leaf in the garden. I have no garden, but I do have a vegetable box that brings me such treats, often revealing a surprise. Such as the giant pattypan squash that arrived recently.What to do with two large pattypans? These are the squash that look like they came

Pasta with fresh basil and tomatoes confit

2009-10-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

This is hardly a recipe, but it's one of my favorite uses for my tomato confit. In the same way that I love a fresh tomato pasta, as the heat of the spaghetti cooks the tomatoes, with maybe just a little garlic and olive oil, the tomato confit makes for a slightly more robust version. In this dish, the intensity of the tomatoes is balanced out by a good handful of fresh basil. Especially in

Tomato confit

2009-10-26T08:33:00.000-07:00

Most of the time I think tomatoes are one of nature's most perfect foods. Rarely can anything beat a fresh, ripe tomato (sprinkled with a little salt and pepper). Straight from a garden, with that dusty flavor of sunshine, I could eat them like apples. I think it's a shame to do anything to them. However, there are times when cooking is a necessity, or a luxury. Perhaps when tomato season

Mark Bittman's Mexican chocolate tofu pudding

2009-10-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

Anyone sensing a theme? I seem to be stuck on Mexican food, though this is not a bad thing. Who doesn't like cumin, cilantro, chili pepper, cinnamon? (And is all Mexican food alliterative?) However, after my mole recipe and pico de gallo salad, I thought I should do something for dessert.I like cooking with tofu. It has a great texture, ranging from silky soft to firm and crumbly. Better

Pico de gallo and quinoa salad

2009-10-06T14:24:00.000-07:00

Hello again. I'm back after another hiatus. September was a busy month: three countries, four time zones, a birthday, a wedding, several amazing dinners out, and (oh yes) crunch time at work. But I'm back now and raring to go with a few new recipes.First up, a sort of non-recipe that turned out to be inspired (in my humble opinion). I had made fajitas with the required accompaniments, i.e.

Holy Mole!

2009-09-13T01:37:00.000-07:00

This week's BSI challenge comes from London Foodie in New York, who chose chocolate (what? no one had picked chocolate yet?!). I love chocolate in all forms -- cakes, cookies, bars, beverages -- but today, for once in my life, my sweet tooth was not clamoring for a treat. Plus, I figured there would be cakes and sweets aplenty. Therefore, I thought I'd sneak chocolate into something a little

Italian job and fresh mozzarella and tomato salad

2009-09-05T06:34:00.000-07:00

By popular demand, a few photos and memories of my vacation in Italy. I'm almost loath to post these because it's like reviewing your favorite local restaurant: you want to spread the word because it's amazing, but it's partly amazing because nobody goes there, and if you spread the word you'll never be able to get a table again. But Italy is less easy to get to, so I'm not as worried.My "

Oatmeal pancakes with cranberry relish

2009-09-05T03:07:00.001-07:00

The story of my Italian holiday will have to wait because of a happy intersection between my Saturday breakfast and Blogger Secret Ingredient. This week's host, Johnstone's Vin Blanc, chose oats as the ingredient of the week. Now, I love oats. I have oatmeal frequently, make my own granola, and have a not so secret addiction to granola bars. Really: they are that good.But this week, I wanted

Mid-summer ratatouille with polenta

2009-09-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

I have been on vacation in Italy (just to gloat a little) and had intended to set something up to publish automatically while I was away, just in case everyone missed me, but in the pre-holiday craziness I forgot. Better than forgetting to turn off the oven, but I apologize to everyone who pined away for my posts in my absence. More about Italy soon, but having just flown back in this afternoon

Zucchini "spaghetti" with broad beans, pancetta and lemon cream

2009-08-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

Growing up, a favorite dinner was zucchini spaghetti, which was a clever way of getting us kiddies to eat our vegetables. Zucchini grated into pasta and cheese was not only palatable, but popular. I still crave it to this day. But this day, with zucchini on my hands and spaghetti on my mind, the cupboard was bare. No pasta to be had. What was I to do?I decided to make my zucchini my

Chocolate cake with mocha buttercream

2009-08-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

Sunday, bloody Sunday. Unless you have a great day out planned, or you really, REALLY love your job and can't wait to go into work on Monday morning, Sundays have the potential to be one really long afternoon of dread. In my case, a very long and stressful previous week, coupled with my partner in crime being called into work (yes, I know -- working on a weekend beats my sitting-at-home dread

Curried chicken with rhubarb and lentils

2009-08-14T23:30:00.000-07:00

In June, in the height of rhubarb season, this recipe appeared in the "A Good Appetite" column in the NY Times. I didn't get around to making it right away, but kept it in mind as I laid away some rhubarb in the freezer for its eventual use in this dish. Rhubarb season is too short, I think, and I love it so much in crumble, pie, and compote that I would hardly dare to use it in a savory

Lime & coconut panna cotta with blueberries

2009-08-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

This week's BSI challenge, hosted by My Kitchen Addiction, is lime. The lime is certainly a good challenge ingredient: a little bit sweet, a little bit tart, but with an alluring (if elusive) flavor and scent. What to make to capture both? I first thought about the key lime pie, imagined lime squares, paused briefly on some lime-based ceviche, but finally decided I was going to make a creamy,

Pasta primavera

2009-08-07T15:30:00.000-07:00

Pasta primavera means springtime pasta, but pasta estate doesn't sound quite so appetizing, if more seasonally appropriate. This is high summer pasta -- when the tomatoes start to burst open, the summer squash is in full swing, and you can smell a basil plant a mile away. Yes, and the living is easy: this dish can be made in 10 minutes, provided you can chop quickly enough.The beauty of this

Pico de gallo, guacamole and fresh fruit smoothie

2009-08-02T09:48:00.003-07:00

Family guest post part deux:Growing up in my family, we always sat down for dinner together. Barring softball or baseball practice, gymnastics or Tae Kwon Do, we pretty much always ate, talked, laughed, sulked, tried to leave early to read my book, or otherwise spent time together. We don't have so many family meals now, living in three different cities on two continents, but we still manage to

Blueberry and peach galette

2009-07-29T22:57:00.000-07:00

Another post from guest chef Momster. (Yes, that would be my mother.) My regular calls home are on the weekends due to the 8 hour time difference. Every Saturday afternoon in London, I call home to California and, depending on the time, I either catch her before or after the Farmer's Market. During the summer, she comes back with varieties of peach, plum, pluot; blackberries, blueberries,

Broccoli with peanut sauce two ways

2009-07-26T05:21:00.000-07:00

At the last minute, I found this week's Blogger Secret Ingredient on Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog. Being somewhat of a working stiff these days, I don't always discover the BSI in time to ponder, prep and post an appropriate recipe. This week, I found out Sunday morning of the closing date. That meant I had some time to cook and lunch to think about, so I did what any blogger in my position would do:

Beet and goat's cheese risotto

2009-07-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

Part deux of my quest to use up my beets:Election day 2008 was one of the great days in recent memory. I am a big fan of our new president for many reason, including but not limited to the fact that on the following day no fewer than 15 people of varying British and European origins in my office came by to congratulate me, as though I personally had something to do with it (in a

Beet, feta and herb salad

2009-07-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

This recipe was inspired by a dish at Mohsen, my favorite Persian restaurant in London (or in the world). There, along with flatbread, smokey eggplant dip, and hummus, they serve a plateful of fresh herbs, feta and radishes. Rolled up in a flatbread, or just eaten by the sprig, the intensity of flavors transports you away from the rather uninspiring view of the Earl's Court Homebase across the

Greens Casserole with Tofu Topping

2009-07-07T23:06:00.000-07:00

The other night, drowning in veggies quickly going limp in the fridge and totally uninspired (a lethal combination) I found in this recipe from the Abel & Cole website an answer to my prayers. A good, quick dinner, this was a welcome change from the usual stir fry or vegetable soup. I threw everything but the kitchen sink into my pan: carrots, cauliflower, chard, cabbage, a last nub of

Potato and thyme gnocchi with garlic mushrooms

2009-07-03T13:52:00.000-07:00

I actually managed to find this week's BSI in time to think about making something. Better yet, this week's ingredient -- potato -- coincided nicely with a veritable explosion of said veg in my cupboard. An overly-zealous potato packer in the veg box, combined with several weeks of cooking less than normal, equals enough spuds to stave off a potato famine. Fate intervenes courtesy of Chez What?:

Samphire and salmon risotto

2009-06-28T14:32:00.000-07:00

More samphire! I didn't use up my entire supply in the salad I made, so in it had to go into another marine-themed dish. Why take it out of its natural environment? I'm sure it would perk up pork or beef up beef (sorry), but anything that grows by the ocean would have to be married to fish. It would be a saline match made in heaven. This particular vegetable would take a particular type of

Some blog

2009-06-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

I started this blog to share my recipes with my mother and grandmother since I was emailing them anyway. I never imagined my readership would extend beyond those obligated by love and blood relations. Lo and behold, a few others actually read what I have to say. Yes, this is my Sally Field "You like me, you really like me" moment: I, ahem, have been given an award.Thank you Resh! (and for

Samphire, shrimp, grapefruit and avocado salad

2009-06-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

I recently had to kill an hour in Borough Market in London. That situation is not among life's hardships. In fact, several hours have been known to have expired while I whiled away an afternoon among the vegetable, cheese, and meat stalls. Apparently in business since at least 43AD (but who's counting?), Borough is the market to beat all markets -- at least in England. The great markets of

Swiss chard with black bean sauce

2009-06-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

At this time of year (ok, really at any time of year), we get bags and bags of different varieties of greens in our vegetable box. Lately it seems to be chard season. I have made chard in soup, chard in pasta, chard in frittata, chard in pretty much anything we can think of. If we were a Dr. Seuss story, we'd be the chard-belly Sneetches. Better than green eggs and ham, I suppose.In any event

Purple sprouting broccoli and canellini bean salad

2009-06-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Summer has finally started to emerge from its long winter nap here in the UK. Like Punxsutawney Phil, the warm weather comes out slowly and tentatively, as though it's not altogether sure it's going to stay. On the occasion that we get some sunshine and warmth on a weekend, the entire nation decamps to their closest park or beach, picnicking and playing outside, and returns to work on Monday

Gingered carrot soup

2009-06-06T01:22:00.000-07:00

I owe many debts to my teachers over the years. They have left me with poems that I will always know, mnemonic devices for calculating mathematical formulae, a discovery of certain books, and -- fundamentally -- a love for learning. Yes, I admit it: as much as I loved summer vacation, I also looked forward to September and starting school again. There was something so hopeful about new

Veggie and "meatball" stroganoff

2009-05-20T13:13:00.000-07:00

"Love food hate waste" is the name of a website after my own heart. I used to live somewhere with compost collection, but now have moved elsewhere, and -- living in a flat -- any bad, spoiled, or otherwise no good food is destined for the dump. A very sad end to their salad days to be sure.I try to minimize such waste. I freeze things whenever I can, try to be creative with my leftovers, and

Bad picture good curry

2009-05-17T04:45:00.000-07:00

Reading is a dangerous thing. When I read Murakami, I need to stock up on soy sauce, mirin, and ginger. When I read Balzac, out comes the brasserie and patisserie in my kitchen. I haven't yet mastered Russian cuisine, partially because I have never managed to get through Tolstoy or Dostoyevsky. One of these days...For some reason, the last few books I've read have been set in India in the

Strawberry and rhubarb bread pudding

2009-05-16T01:02:00.000-07:00

I had some old baguette and the last few inches of a loaf of homemade bread that were just on the far side of fresh, and not quite good enough for salvage in the toaster. I cut it up into cubes with the intention of making Barbara Kingsolver's asparagus and morel bread pudding (which I think came by way of Deborah Madison). Alas, no asparagus presented itself, so the bread went into the freezer

Sunday night oxtail stew

2009-05-09T00:09:00.000-07:00

It seems to me that, no matter how much you love your job, there will be the occasional feeling of the blues as the weekend draws to a close. The thought of getting up the following day and starting the whir of the working week is just too much. My perfect recipe for chasing away the Sunday afternoon dread is to spend some time in the kitchen. Often I come out with a cake or some bread, but

Spring super salad

2009-04-30T14:48:00.000-07:00

Following on from my rhapsody about salad dressing, I now have a beautiful beaker full of golden olive oil, velvety balsamic vinegar, nubbly whole-grain mustard, and a sprig of rosemary floating jauntily therein (ok, looking slightly bedraggled and drowned, but keeping up its spirits nonetheless). I need to find a salad to test it out.Some people speak of salads with a denigrating tone, talking

Favorite salad dressing

2009-04-24T14:46:00.000-07:00

With spring come the first tender greens and weather warm enough that we want to eat something cool for lunch or dinner. Yes, these are our salad days. Bowls of color, crisp and vital, bursting with life and the promise of new things to come. As much as I want to dive in, first -- in the words of Julie Andrews as Maria -- we must start at the very beginning: salad dressing.I know that many

Black bean soup

2009-04-04T15:05:00.000-07:00

Living in London, there are many things I miss about home. These include (but are not limited to) driving on the right, having a single tap for hot and cold water, not getting into awkward conversations about different definitions of the word "pants"... There are many gripes I could list (and, occasionally, do), but I generally manage to resist the urge, remembering that I live in a city that's

Meringues with mango sauce and creme fraiche

2009-03-18T14:26:00.001-07:00

Legend has it that a properly beaten bowl of egg whites will stay in the bowl if you lift it upside down over your head. While I am completely confident that this recipe will impress even the most demanding of dinner guests -- or even just dining companions -- I have never tested this theory. It's sort of like the idea that you test the doneness of spaghetti by throwing a strand against your

Paella

2009-03-11T15:58:00.000-07:00

Cooking is a family affair, and although I don't live with my family, my mother still sends me recipes, my grandmother searches out quinoa or spelt when I recommend them, and even my father gets in on the game. This particular recipe comes courtesy of a guest appearance by my mother, who cooked up a paella recipe that has been making the rounds of my family. It looked so good when she brought

Butter bean, Brussels sprouts and potato soup

2009-03-08T01:33:00.001-08:00

Maybe because my family didn't like Brussels sprouts, I never had them growing up. The first time I had one was at a nice restaurant, in my mid-20s, and it was cooked to perfection. Therefore I missed the revulsion that many people developed for the grayish-green, stinky, mushy sprouts of their childhood, and leapt straight into sprout love.For a while, we were getting a vegetable box from a

French onion and roast vegetable soup

2009-02-26T12:13:00.001-08:00

So I had made my three-minute Spelt bread and had resisted the temptation to eat the entire loaf, warm out of the oven. I thought that I would instead try to incorporate it into something slightly more substantial and meal-like. I had some yummy, smooth and nutty tasting Doddington cheese purchased from Neal's Yard Dairy and I could just taste it melted on the bread. A French onion soup would

Speedy, seedy spelt bread

2009-02-22T08:03:00.000-08:00

Bread may be my kryponite, my Achilles heel, my Watergate. When faced with a warm loaf, my willpower blows away like the chaff from the wheat. Bread recipes are the same. Almost as good as tasting the bread, is reading about making it. At least I try to rationalize the baking, so if I've spent the time mixing, kneading, and rising the loaf, then at least I've earned my daily bread. And so I

Lemon squares

2009-02-15T09:45:00.001-08:00

It's about this time of year that it seems like we somehow stumbled through the wardrobe into the eternal Narnian winter, with no hope of anything but cold and darkness for the rest of our days. We've just about used up our supply of optimism, rotated through all of our sweaters, worn out our hats, lost a few gloves, and gotten thoroughly bored of our

Lentil soup

2009-02-07T05:25:00.000-08:00

Monday was a snow day in London. We woke up to a great, whopping, six inches of snow, which paralyzed one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world. Yes, we are wimps. Living in the northeast for years, regularly getting storms that drop several feet of snow, I never once got to miss classes or work. A few inches of powder here? The entire city ground to a halt.Forced to stay home, make

Barley and quinoa stuffed squash

2009-01-31T14:19:00.000-08:00

I never seem to have enough time or energy, so I love anything that gives me a little extra. One pot meals? Fantastic -- less to clean up. Food that provides its own dish? Even better. Squash was made to become the golden bowl for any variety of fillings. Squash always seemed to be such a funny name for a plant that is, in fact, rather expansive. A few bits of trivia: the English word "

Celeriac and potato soup

2009-01-17T15:49:00.000-08:00

I think we are by now all familiar with my obsession with root vegetables. I'll go underground for just about anything, but suddenly my vegetable box kept turning up some gnarled and gnarly roots: celeriac. Smooth on one side, the other a mass of little, hair-like roots, the rough exterior hides the pale and delicate flavor on the inside. Celeriac is fantastic mashed with potatoes, but I like

Linguine with tuna and greens

2009-01-01T16:26:00.001-08:00

Admitting you have a problem is the first step to getting help, so here goes: I'm a canaholic. I know we're not supposed to use canned beans, canned tomatoes, or other things that we should be buying, canning, and boiling in bulk ourselves, but I just can't give up the habit. My shelf is stacked high with all varieties of beans, chopped tomatoes, whole tomatoes, anchovies, sardines, and, my

Cat on a hot red bike cake

2008-12-29T17:17:00.000-08:00

As I'm sure my readers have all noticed, feeling an inexplicable yet implacable void in their lives, Working Lunch has been on vacation. More specifically, at this most wonderful time of the year, I go back to California for two glorious weeks. Trips to the farmer's market, daily walks to get my latte fix, time spent (or rather gained) at the local cheese store -- yes, it is the gift that keeps

Turkey and butternut squash tagine

2008-12-07T02:48:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is a gift to us working cooks, but there comes a point when we open the fridge, see all that leftover turkey, and have to fight the urge to run to the Chinese takeout menu. Luckily, dressing up the turkey in more exotic flavors that take us away from the traditional realm of the American turkey feast, can do the trick.I think the strong taste of turkey really takes to heady, spicy

Best turkey ever

2008-12-01T14:20:00.000-08:00

A few days late, the turkey has landed. Living in London means that while all of my friends, relatives, and colleagues in our New York office have Thursday and Friday off work, getting their fill of of food, wine, and perhaps some masochistic Christmas shopping, I have to work. For two days. And then spend my whole Saturday prepping, cooking, and trying to fit a dozen people into my small flat

Wild rice, mushroom and turkey soup

2008-12-01T14:13:00.000-08:00

For me, the best part of cooking a turkey is not the juicy dark meat (yes, I am firmly on the dark side), the crispy skin, the unctuous gravy, or even the primeval and promethean thrill of cooking a very large animal (at least as large as most of us will ever cook), but rather the best part is the turkey stock I make after I finally give up trying to pull those last bits of meat off the carcass.

Sweet potato, kale and quinoa stew

2008-11-23T06:47:00.000-08:00

In music, variations on a theme is called genius. In art, being part of a series can elevate an ordinary work to the sublime. In food, repetition is usually considered boring. I, however, have lately found myself drawn to the same ingredients over and over. My current muses? Sweet potato, kale, and quinoa. Maybe it's the season, or maybe just the mood my tastebuds are in, but I seem to cook

Stir-fried vegetables with miso-coconut sauce

2008-11-15T15:40:00.000-08:00

Behind soup, a stir-fry is my favorite way to use up lots of vegetables, and quickly. Somehow I always end up with six spinach leaves, three cherry tomatoes, half a carrot, one green onion, or other odds and ends in the fridge. Individually, they don't amount to much, but added together they are truly greater than the sum of their parts. Sort of like most boy bands, or the X-Men.This

Roast vegetable and quinoa salad

2008-11-09T11:21:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season. Roast turkey, roast chestnuts, roast vegetables. Maybe it's my sweet tooth, but nothing satisfies like a plate of roast root vegetables. The way carrots, parsnips, onions, and sweet potatoes caramelize around the edges and grow soft in the center makes them like eating dessert for dinner, but wrapped up in the guise of a nutritious feast. I roasted a pan of vegetables to go

Kale with white beans

2008-11-09T09:46:00.000-08:00

Greens and beans were made for each other, especially when the marriage is ministered by garlic and given away by bacon. One of my favorite seasonal greens is curly kale, and try saying that five times fast. For this quick dish, originally a dinner and then eaten as lunch the next day, I had to use my "before" picture instead of after packing it for work. It just looked so much better, and I

Masoor dal

2008-11-09T09:14:00.000-08:00

I realize the risk I am taking in calling my most likely inauthentic Indian dish by its authentically Indian name, but what can I say -- I need to get my thrills somehow, and a bungee jump wasn't in the cards on a Tuesday night.Anyway, I am currently experiencing a glut of lentils due to some unfortunate over-purchasing, and, it being cold and miserable outside (i.e. England), I crave warming

Autumn vegetable ragout

2008-11-02T07:09:00.000-08:00

The name of this dish is, as always, primarily descriptive, but also gives it that little bit of French flavor I get when I think of eggplant, tomatoes, bell peppers, leeks, garlic. The basis for this dish were the two eggplant that came in this week's vegetable box. I started out thinking I would make a ratatouille, but neither the vegetable box nor the local grocery store provided the

Granola bars

2008-10-26T11:12:00.000-07:00

In the great British tradition, I often have elevenses to tide me over until lunch and tea in the afternoon to keep up my strength. To prevent a direct transfer of pounds from my wallet to my thighs, I try to resist running across the street for cakes, cookies, or chocolate. My answer is to keep an assortment of somewhat healthy snacks. I love my granola and I love granola bars, but it was a

Vegetable Frittata

2008-10-26T07:01:00.000-07:00

One of the best things to do with leftovers is to make them into a frittata. Whether you have some extra pasta, a cooked potato or two, a few mushrooms or cherry tomatoes that aren't quite enough for a salad, the frittata makes them into a complete meal. The following recipe makes two servings, but with a small omelette pan and only two eggs you could easily make it a single.3 eggs1/4 C milk1

Provencal sweet potato and chickpea stew

2008-10-26T05:05:00.001-07:00

I love Autumn with its crisp weather, falling leaves, and vague frisson of back-to-school excitement even for those of us truly past school days (but once a dork, always a dork). But what I love most about it is the seasonal foods. It is true that nothing can beat a sun-fragranced tomato or a mid-summer corn cob, but in consolation for taking away daylight and warmth in the fall, nature kindly

Granola

2008-10-26T04:16:00.000-07:00

Though this is Working Lunch, I also have a working breakfast almost every day. The sad fact is that if I ate breakfast at home, I would not only be hungry again by 10:00, necessitating two working lunches, but I leave early enough that I would also have to eat at an hour when I can barely walk straight, let alone chew. Therefore I usually have my breakfast when I get in to work, and it almost

Mediterranean rice salad

2008-10-19T05:23:00.000-07:00

I almost always have some sort of grain lurking in the fridge. Whether it's leftover rice from dinner, extra couscous, buckwheat, or some pasta spirals that couldn't quite fit onto our plates, these can form the basis of a filling salad. I love using the nuttier grains like brown rice, which absorbs the flavors around it as it sits in the fridge. Brown rice also holds its texture well, and

Southeast Asian cole slaw

2008-10-19T05:07:00.000-07:00

This slaw is great for using up cabbage or other crunchy vegetables. The dressing is incredibly flavorful and the whole thing improves by refrigerating overnight. This also slightly "cooks" the cabbage, making it less bitter. The dressing makes enough for two servings, but is easy to scale up or down. The amount of vegetables can vary by how much you would like to make. I like to add the

Grilled mushroom, broccoli and spelt salad

2008-10-19T03:58:00.000-07:00

I can't take all the credit for this yummy salad. The original recipe, on which this is based, is from the side of a box of spelt from Trader Joe's, and was so good that my mother had to send the box to me in London. And yes, the original is mighty tasty, but I can't leave a recipe alone so this is my slightly simplified, but still amazing, version of the dish.Note: the original calls for

Buckwheat Greek Salad

2008-10-13T14:50:00.000-07:00

I have become obsessed with buckwheat. Is is a perfect grain -- nutty, toothsome, and cooking in under 10 minutes. It is unrelated to wheat and therefore tolerated by those with wheat sensitivities. With a low GI index, it is a great way to bulk out salads. Plus, you can use it for stuffing pillows (uncooked, that is). AND, an individual buckwheat is called a groat. It doesn't get better!

Butternut squash and black eyed pea chili

2008-10-13T14:33:00.000-07:00

Soup can be a tricky dish to take to work. Primarily, the fear of a spill is generally enough to make anyone avoid carrying it. Plus, liquids are heavy. However, a delicious, warming, homemade bowl of soup in the middle of an otherwise dreary working day puts those fears to rest. (That and a really good, leak-proof piece of tupperware.) I like to cook soup for dinner and take the leftover