Spontaneous sandwiches - Try mixing condiments, switching up ingredients
When the heat of summer has you ditching cooking in favor of sandwiches, don’t settle for the same old carbs-meat-and-cheese.
NOURISH: Salad that’s started fights
Many summers ago, I was at a barbecue where one guest accused another of having stolen a recipe for green bean salad. I was quick to put an end to the conversation. Few recipes are 100 percent original, and the pairing of green beans and feta is hardly unusual. The match is a natural, so naturally there are many versions of this salad. I’ve tried to perfect mine by using only the zest of the lemon, so the beans don't discolor; by adding chopped sweet onions to keep that ingredient from biting; and by choosing dill, which goes nicely with the feta.
Bison makes for lean burgers - Buffalo meat has less fat than most beef, still performs well on the grill
One sure-fire way to please my daughter is to feed her a hamburger. But, of course, we worry about serving ground beef, with its high saturated fat content.
Meatless meals for skeptics - New cookbook will tempt even carnivores
Vegetarian cooking outgrew its Birkenstocks long ago, but as Americans combat obesity and even financial strain, meatless meals are becoming mainstream. Several excellent new cookbooks explore the complexities of vegetarian cuisine in ways that will tempt even the most devout carnivores.
Mix savory, sweet with chilled soup
This chilled soup from Maria Elia’s “The Modern Vegetarian” is a surprisingly delicious blend of sweet and savory.
DIY DRESSINGS - Homemade salad coatings control ingedients, cost
ABOUT YES, YOU CAN COOK!
This monthly column is meant to empower you, the cook. There are few efforts more satisfying than preparing a meal to nourish the people you care about. To know that you have the resources within yourself to bring joy to others by cooking “from scratch” is not only empowering, it fosters community and the loving act of sharing.
Turn fruit into fireworks - From macerated to grilled to frozen, keep desserts fuss-free
With so many fruits in peak season by July Fourth, summery desserts almost make themselves.
Won over by cheap steaks - Save money on barbecue without losing flavor by picking right cuts
In the old days, say about this time last year, it wasn’t so hard to throw a bang-up backyard barbecue: You just picked up some nice, thick 28-day dry-aged prime New York strip steaks, lighted a fire, grilled to medium rare and then made an extended curtain call, trying to appear humble as your guests stomped and cheered.
Texas-style smoked brisket
This recipe calls for hickory chips and the use of a smoker, or a charcoal grill converted to a smoker. Hickory chips are available at many well-stocked markets as well as at barbecue supply stores. The barbecue sauce makes about 6 cups, more than is needed for this recipe. Any remaining sauce will keep up to 1 week, refrigerated.
Single pan with color, crunch
Here’s a one-pan dish that delivers color, crunch and tropical flavor without taking up too
Cooking crab in cattle country
ABOUT “YES, YOU CAN COOK!”
This monthly column is meant to empower you, the cook. There are few efforts more satisfying than preparing a meal to nourish the people you care about. To know that you have the resources within yourself to bring joy to others by cooking “from scratch” is not only empowering, it fosters community and the loving act of sharing.
Fresh fruit flavor without the fat
Frozen desserts are a great way to beat the summer heat, but all the fat in ice cream makes it more suitable for an occasional treat than a daily cooler.
Italian take on carrot salad
This Italian twist on carrot salad uses almost no fat and just a few ingredients, yet it is deliciously flavorful and has a wonderful texture.
Set daiquiri mixes aside this summer
When strawberry season hits, it’s time to shelve those syrupy daiquiri mixes.
5 KITCHEN ESSENTIALS - Cheap tools to cook on a budget
Sure, you’re cooking more at home now. That’s what a furloughed paycheck, a pink slip or a benefits cut will do: make restaurant meals seem indulgent.
Humble wok is workhorse in the kitchen
My wok’s first stir-fry tasted of machine oil and ended up in the garbage, but a 20-minute scrubbing session was only half the battle. I had another month of failed dishes to get through while ingredients stuck like glue to an unseasoned surface. But each failure added another thin layer of opal that slowly progressed to a rich black patina, and soon I had a Teflon-slick surface on carbon steel.
True believer: Tribute to wine opener’s design
I have never heard anyone say they’d like to be reincarnated as an inanimate object, as opposed to a cat or Joan of Arc. But maybe that’s because they haven’t thought things through.
Balsamic booster
Here, a small bit of balsamic vinegar enhances the sweetness of fresh berries. It’s an old Italian kitchen trick, yet I’m always surprised by how well it works. Ricotta cheese, sweetened with confectioners’ sugar and spiked with lemon zest, maintains the Italian theme and is a nice change from the usual accompaniment of whipped cream.
This Father’s Day, grill up bratwursts with bacon
This is a WYSIWYG recipe: The ingredients in the title are all there is to it. It comes from the decidedly Dad food universe, courtesy of Bob Sloan, who has been making it for his family for about five years. It’s included in his latest “Dad” cookbook, which is all about uncomplicated grilling.
Low tech, smooth cup - Simple ceramic dripper produces better coffee than automated gadgets
When it comes to making coffee, I’ve been a serial gadgeteer. I’ve gone for the next best thing so many times I can barely keep track: the vacuum pot, the one-cup pod gizmo, the steep-overnight cold-press thing, the electric drip, the old-style percolator; of course the French press in glass, plastic and insulated variations. And when I take on a new method, I don’t necessarily give up on another, instead going back and forth like a highly caffeinated gadget-loving polygamist.
Best tools are close at hand
As the “camp cook” this past Memorial Day, I was offered a burger press for my Mediterranean lamb burgers.
No more mojitos - D.C. mixing specialists conjure up 3 subs for tired drink
It’s one of the divine pleasures of warmer days: backyard barbecuing or sunning at a patio bar somewhere, a summery cocktail in hand.
Mylan mixes tequila, splash of pilsner
There’s a thrill that comes from ordering a mojito. For a moment, your bartender stops ignoring you and throws himself into mashing your limes and mint - all that labor, time and care, for your drink alone.
L’Enfant trades Havana for D.C. history
The mojito can seem like the drink of the nightclub crowd, best served over ice and pumping techno music. In fact, the beverage is the definition of the classic cocktail, having been the potion of choice for Ernest Hemingway, Fidel Castro and Cubans everywhere long before the Nuevo Latino craze of the 1990s brought the drink to American hipsters.
Smashing flavor of summer berries
The Strawberry Smash was inspired by Alexandria, Va., bar owner Todd Thrasher’s love of berries from the local farmers markets.
YES, YOU CAN COOK! Homemade charm - Your guide to cooking healthy meals
ABOUT “YES, YOU CAN COOK!”
For great burger, take it slow - To make perfect patty, carefully consider flavors, cooking method, toppings
Don’t let the fast food chains hold a monopoly on America’s hamburger culture. A great burger is worth slowing down for.
Side salad for leaner summer
This dish fills my requirements for an easy summer salad: It is light, can be made a little ahead of time and goes with a variety of grilled fish, poultry and meats. There’s just enough oil to carry some flavor and just enough salt to season the dressing. The salad tastes vibrant hours or even a day after it is assembled.
Bold blue cheese flavor
The tangy, homemade pickled onion rings are great with the pungent Gorgonzola or Stilton cheese on this boldly flavored burger. If you like, an extra-sharp cheddar makes a good stand-in for blue cheese. Serve with steak fries and fresh tomato and cucumber salad.
Argentine chimichurri sauce adds zest
This burger, created by Bobby Flay, is topped with chimichurri sauce, a zesty sauce of parsley, garlic, red wine vinegar and olive oil that is used to garnish grilled meats in Argentina. Slices of red onion and slightly salty Spanish manchego cheese give the burger a strong, savory finish.
