Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 4 cup flour
- 2 tspn baking soda
- 2 tspn salt
- 1¾ cup butter
- 2 egg 2 yolk
- 1¾ cup brown sugar
- 1¼ cup white sugar
- 2 tspn vanilla
- Pull eggs out of the fridge. Melt butter.
- Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream together sugars and butter. Beat in eggs, yolks, and vanilla.1
- Gradually fold in dry ingredients.
- Add chocolate chips. Cover and cool.2
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Arrange rounded spoonfuls of batter on parchment paper.3
- Bake 11 to 12 minutes, alone on the center rack.
- Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack or lined dish.
- Throw in a pinch of salt after mixing in the egg.
- Cover with plastic wrap. Keep in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Larger cookies will keep their texture for longer. Do not apply any excess pressure to dough.
Cheesy Beans
- 1 can black beans
- ½ white onion1
- 2 cloves garlic
- ⅓ bunch cilantro
- Oaxaca or variety Mexican cheese, shredded
- cayenne
- Mince onions and garlic. Chop cilantro to your liking.
- Bring beans to a boil.
- Add onions and garlic, reduce heat, and cover. Simmer until onions are translucent.2
- Salt the beans. Throw in a tiny pinch of black pepper and a bigger pinch of cayenne.
- Stir in cilantro.
- Return to heat and melt in cheese before serving.
- Use anywhere between ¼ and ½ onion per can of beans.
- For Country-Style Cheesy Beans, fry onion and garlic in half-canola-half-butter over medium heat. Add beans later.
Couscous Yumyum
- 2 stalks celery
- 2 medium carrots
- ¾ yellow onion
- 1 large clove garlic
- 1 cup couscous
- 1½ cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp harissa
- fresh parsley, basil
- Dice celery, carrots, and onion. Mince garlic.
- Sauté vegetables in olive oil until crisp-tender. Add garlic.
- Stir in couscous. Salt and pepper.
- Pour in broth and bring to a boil.
- Cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 to 8 minutes.
- Evenly stir in harissa and fluff to serve. Garnish with herbs.
Quickey Chickey
chicken breast, boneless, skinless
seasoned salt1
garlic powder
olive oil
unsalted butter
- Pat-dry chicken, cover with plastic wrap. Flatten to uniform thickness.
- Season both sides liberally with salt, seasoning salt, garlic powder, and black pepper.
- Heat butter and oil over high heat in a large, lidded braising pan or pot.
- When butter is melted, sear breast for about a minute.
- Flip, cover, and reduce heat to low. Start a 10-minute timer.2
- Keeping covered, remove from heat and allow to rest another 10 minutes.
- Lawry's® seasoned salt contains salt, sugar, turmeric, paprika, onion, and garlic.
- For the next 20 minutes, no diablerie: do not uncover, do not peek.
Ragù alla Salsiccia
- 1 lb mild Italian sausage
- large white onion1
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup red wine, preferably Pinot Noir
- 28 oz can pomodori pelati, San Marzano
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- bay leaf2
- fennel seed, dried oregano, herbes de provence
- parmeggiano reggiano, pecorino romano
- fresh basil
- Empty whole tomatoes and juice into a saucepan. Leave covered on a simmer through prep.
- Finely dice vegetables and mince garlic.
- Sweat onions in olive oil over medium-low heat.3
- Add garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper when onions begin taking on some color.
- Breaking apart sausage, sautée over slightly higher heat until it appears lightly cooked.
- Pour in wine and reduce.
- Remove tomatoes from oven. Add to ragù along with tomato paste and bay leaf.
- Cover and simmer for two hours. Serve over tubular pasta, topped with grated cheese and fresh basil.
- For a more authentic ragù, finely dice 1 carrot and 1 stalk celery as well. Cook with onion.
- Include a sprig each of fresh rosemary and thyme if available.
- Take your time here.
Red Lentil Dal
- 8 oz red lentils
- 2 tbsp rapeseed or canola oil
- 12 whole black peppercorns
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 white onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 5 cm ginger
- 10½ oz whole peeled tomatoes1
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp turmeric
- Rinse lentils until water runs clear. Blend tomatoes if using whole. Mince garlic, onions, and ginger.
- Bring cold water and lentils to a boil. Cover and simmer until just done.
- Drain and save any remaining lentil water.
- Let peppercorns and cloves release aromas in oil over medium heat for 2 minutes.
- Sweat onions until golden. Add garlic and ginger. Cook for an additional 4 minutes.2
- Stir in dry spices.
- Add tomatoes. Cover and simmer until tomatoes give off that vibe.
- Add lentils and any remaining lentil water.
- Simmer for at least 10 more minutes and serve.
- Alternatively, use tomato purée whose only ingredient is ripe tomatoes.
- Low heat and patience is key.
Thai Red Curry
- 2 shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 cm ginger
- bell pepper
- 4 chicken thighs, boneless1
- 2 tbsp red curry paste
- 1 tbsp lemongrass, chopped2
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1½ cup chicken or vegetable stock
- lime
- fresh cilantro
- Thinly slice shallots. Mince garlic and ginger.
- Chop bell pepper and chicken into 3-cm squares (that is to say, "bite-sized").
- Heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add shallots and turn heat down to low.
- When shallots begin to take on golden color, add chicken and increase heat to high.
- Sauté for 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add lemongrass, garlic, ginger, bell pepper, and curry paste.
- After about 3 minutes, pour in coconut milk and stock.
- Bring to a boil, stir in sugar, then simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Serve over rice, garnished with lime and fresh cilantro leaves.
- Alternatively, use a mix of two thighs, two drumsticks, and one breast, deboned.
- I use finely chopped lemongrass kept in the freezer. Lemongrass paste works great too.