While not nearly as sweet as bananas, plantains do have a sweet flavor. In this soup we keep that sweetness at bay by using firm plantains with green skins rather than riper brown-skinned ones--the sugars will have not yet developed, so the fruit will add starchy body to the soup without too much sweetness.
Your cookbook inventory is not complete without a volume or two from best-selling cookbook author and food writer Nancy Harmon Jenkins. For the olive oil...
Couscous is a great secret weapon for busy nights because it needs only a 5-minute soak to be ready for the table. If you don't like scallops, peeled deveined jumbo shrimp make a tasty substitute.
Meet my California-inspired sloppy Joe. Load it up with whatever toppings you like, or pour the filling over noodles. It's incredible on mac and cheese. —Devon Delaney, Westport, Connecticut
