It's Sunday. And it's grey outside. And, yesterday, my blog almost died a slow and lonely death in the cyber-abyss. I don't know what happened, but someone, somewhere, decided that my innocent, I-l...
This traditional Asian stir-fry is fast, easy, and flavorful. A perfect week night meal that combines chicken, bean sprouts, and rice noodles with a crunchy peanut topping.
Serve with toasty French bread to sop up the sauce. To bake this when you are on vacation at the beach, purchase a large disposable roasting pan for easy cleanup.
Here's a recipe inspired by an idea from my good friend and baking colleague Dawn Woodward of Evelyn's Crackers. You start with brownies and then top them with a swirl of sweetened tahini that gives a delightful nutty depth of flavor and richness. Be sure to use untoasted sesame oil in the batter; the dark, toasted kind would be too strong.
Broiling the eggplant coaxes out a deeper, more complex flavor. We like to keep the antioxidant-packed skin on, but feel free to peel the eggplant before broiling. You can garnish the dish with extra basil leaves.
It's never a bad idea to have a good supply of dumplings on hand. Ours taste way better and are much lower in sodium than what you'll find at the store. Plus, they go from freezer to plate in only 10 minutes--what could be easier? Just cook what you need tonight, and stash the rest in the freezer for a busy night later.
Reserve half of the citrusy-sweet ricotta mixture to dollop over the warm scones. These crumbly, cakelike biscuits are best enjoyed the day they are made.
Although Wolfgang Puck is best known for putting smoked salmon, caviar and dill-flecked crème fraîche on his designer pizzas, he also loves this trio of toppings with his exceptionally crispy potato pancakes, a dish he makes frequently when cooking at home. All three garnishes are wonderfully decadent together; still, you can leave out the smoked salmon or the caviar.
