kitchen adventures
In summer, there’s very little that’s more refreshing than a Japanese cucumber salad (sunomono). You’ll need seasoned rice vinegar – look for it at a grocery that carries a large selection of Asian ingredients. If you have only plain rice vinegar, then add a bit of sugar and a bit of soy […]
It was Auguste Escoffier who devised the now-famous dessert, Pêche Melba, in the early 1900s. It consisted of fresh peeled peaches, slightly sugared, with raspberry purée, served over vanilla ice cream in a swan carved of ice. The dish has become a classic, though usually the icy swan bowl is […]
Sometimes you need to work a bit of household magic: make a meal appear out of nowhere, fast. This quick and splendid spaghetti with clam sauce for 2 is a perfect example. Keep spaghetti and a can of clams in your pantry, and if you also have garlic, a lemon, a bit of […]
Tomato beef is one of those summer dishes that uses garden produce and what’s on hand. It’s a fake stir-fry: things are cooked one layer at a time, bundled into a large bowl, then mixed and served. Don’t be alarmed by the length of the recipe – it’s all chop […]
Sometimes you want a small cake: just enough to serve one or two friends. Make a small-batch vanilla cake! I use a 6-inch round cake pan, and the finished cake fits perfectly on a luncheon plate. This cake can be ‘dressed up’ in a lot of ways: split and layered with whipped […]
Pasta with asparagus and mint – is this a combination you’ve ever thought of? Here’s a nice little vegetarian supper for two. It is a quick dish, with a few tricks to enhance the flavor. The asparagus is chopped small, to cook quickly for freshest flavor. The cream is heated […]
There are times when you absolutely require chocolate just as soon as possible. There are also times when you need just a few cookies, not a big batch. We’ve got you covered here for both: chocolate coconut macaroons in a small batch. These delightfully shaggy macaroons are made from ordinary pantry ingredients: […]
Stir-fried beef is infinitely variable. This version, beef and broccoli for 2, adds green onions and a savory sauce that’s reminiscent of Mongolian Beef, and being a small batch, cooks quickly. Good knife work is critical: the beef should be sliced very thinly, and in bite-sized portions. Sirloin steak is […]
I know that many people think that cream and mushroom soup, and fried onions from a can, make a great casserole. And maybe they’re right, but it’s not the right size for a serves two feast! I adapted this from Alton Brown and from Smitten Kitchen, to whom I am […]
The tenderloin (fillet of beef) is the tenderest part of the beef. It can be costly – but it’s a dream to cook, and there is almost no waste. It’s actually quite easy to cook! Look for a center-cut Chateaubriand trimmed of fat and silver skin, which may require a […]
Challenged to use eggs in a dish that will showcase them, and especially benefit from the use of Davidson’s Safest Choice Eggs, which are pasteurized, I immediately thought of oyako donburi. This is Japanese comfort food in a bowl. Donburi means, quite literally, ‘bowl’ – and in Japanese food, it […]