[Photographs: Elizabeth Barbone] I think of tarts the same way I think of sandwiches: you can fill them with almost anything and they taste great. And just as a good sandwich requires good bread, a tart needs a good crust....
t's a uber creamy cheesecake, probably the creamiest I've ever had, so when you fold the caramelized bananas into the cheesecake batter, then bake in a water bath, it comes pretty close to a smooth, creamy banana pudding texture.
Chinese Wide Noodles with Barbecue Pork and Dried Mushrooms is a Chinese comfort-food favorite. This quick version of char siu pork amps up pork tenderloin with a marinade of sweet-salty hoisin sauce and aromatic five-spice powder. Then slivers of this meat meld with meaty wood ear mushrooms among chewy noodles bathed in a salty-sweet sauce.
It was delicious, sweet and fragrant with vanilla and almond, smooth from the addition of the creamy coconut milk remeniscent of vanilla frosting...it was heavenly!
Using the cilantro stems for the base of the sauce (instead of throwing them in the trash) is a flavorful way to stretch a buck or two. If you can't find skin-on boneless chicken thighs, purchase bone-in and bone them yourself or have the butcher do so.
