Toasted Spelt Soup with Escarole

photo by Ditte Isager

yield
Makes 8 servings

This dish was inspired by pasta e fagiole, the classic Italian pasta and bean stew. Unlike macaroni, the grains stay nice and chewy, even when reheated days later.

Pulse onion in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl. Repeat with fennel, carrot, and celery, placing vegetables in bowl with onion.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot. Add pancetta and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add spelt and cook, stirring often, until grains are a couple of shades darker, about 3 minutes.

Add onion, fennel, carrot, celery, and garlic to pot; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 6–8 minutes. Add tomato paste and red pepper flakes, and cook until paste is slightly darkened, about 1 minute.

Add broth to pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until spelt is tender, 60–70 minutes. Stir escarole and beans into soup and cook until escarole is wilted and beans are warmed though, about 4 minutes.

Serve soup drizzled with oil and topped with Parmesan.

DO AHEAD: Soup can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Also try it with: Semi-pearled farro or wheat berries

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Carbonara (Guanciale, Egg, and Pecorino Romano)

More than forty years ago, I returned from a college semester in Rome to a New York still awash in thick tomato sauce. My Roman discovery, spaghetti alla carbonara, was still unknown, and my friends were skeptical of a sauce that wasn't red. Today Americans have adopted carbonara with a vengeance and feel free to vary it as they please. But while it is very tempting to add things to the basic carbonara, and far be it from us to step on your creativity, don't call it carbonara if you add mushrooms or peas or anything else.

The carbonara wars are even more heated than the amatriciana wars. Not even Oretta and I agree on every detail. Oretta feels some oil helps the guanciale to cook evenly, while I, from a North American bacon culture, find that starting the guanciale in a cold pan will render enough fat to obtain the same result without introducing another ingredient and another flavor, especially one that the inventors of the dish did not use. If you start playing with the formula to reduce the cholesterol, however, just skip it and make a broccoli sauce.

The more or less civil disagreements are over minor variations. There is debate over whether to use whole eggs or just yolks (it's unlikely the pastoral creators of the dish were going to whip up a meringue with the unused whites) and whether parmigiano is admissible—yes, it's widely accepted on grounds of deliciousness, but pecorino romano alone is more faithful to the lost original. Experts and aficionados pretty much agree that the meat of choice should be guanciale, with pancetta as understudy. Bacon, which is smoked, imparts an undesirable breakfasty taste. No butter, no cream—but a slosh of starchy pasta water can be used to smooth things out if you start to panic.

It is incorrect to speak of "carbonara sauce" because the dish belongs to the group of pastas that are inseparable from their condiment. The ingredients are prepped and ready for action, but the "sauce"—a golden cream studded with glistening guanciale bits—is created right on the pasta itself. And, careful, "cream" here means something creamy. There is no cream in carbonara. The charcoal makers of northern Lazio, Abruzzo, and Umbria used to make it outdoors. Do you think they used butter and cream?

This simple dish requires practice; don't make it for company till you've tried it in private. You will eventually develop your own moves and rhythm and find just the spot in your kitchen where everything will keep warm without cooking. Long ago I became devoted to the Salton Hotray®, an electric food warmer and popular wedding present in the era of my first marriage. I still love it for carbonara (and much else).

Use the best, freshest eggs you can find, and don't even think of making this dish with eggs from stressed-out battery chickens. You can taste the difference. If you can find real guanciale, so much the better. Once the eggs have been added to the pasta, do not let the pan touch the heat directly or you will wind up with scrambled eggs. A low setting on an electric food warmer, like my old Hotray, is safe and effective.

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Spicy Pork and Mustard Green Soup

photo by Ditte Isager

yield
Makes 4 servings

It might look like a lot when the greens are raw, but add them all anyway. They'll quickly wilt down to a silky texture.

Mix pork, garlic, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, red pepper flakes, and cumin in a medium bowl. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add pork mixture; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring and breaking up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, 8–10 minutes.

Add broth and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until flavors meld, 8–10 minutes. Add mustard greens, scallions, soy sauce, and fish sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender, 5–8 minutes; season with salt and black pepper.

Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions; drain.

Divide noodles among bowls and ladle soup over.

Also Try it With: Beet greens, kale, or turnip greens

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Mocha Mousse with Sichuan Peppercorns

photo by John Kernick

yield
Makes 4 servings

active time
15 min

total time
4 hr (includes chilling)

In an intriguing play on the combination of chocolate and chiles, this rich mousse gets its faint tingle from Sichuan peppercorns.

Grind peppercorns with mortar and pestle.

Bring cream, coffee, and pepper to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 30 minutes. Strain cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids.

Melt chocolate in a large bowl. Stir in cream. Cool slightly.

Beat egg whites with sugar using an electric mixer until they just hold stiff peaks. Fold into chocolate mixture gently but thoroughly.

Spoon mousse into glasses and chill at least 3 hours.

Cooks' notes: •The egg whites in this recipe are not cooked.
•Mousse can be chilled up to 3 days.

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Citrus Salad with Fennel Vinaigrette

photo by William Abranowicz

yield
Makes 8 servings

Think of the crunchy, granolaish sesame clusters as seedy croutons for this juicy and bracing salad.

For sesame clusters:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk egg white in a small bowl until slightly foamy; whisk in sugar, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Add sesame seeds and toss to coat.

Spoon sesame mixture in clumps on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 10–12 minutes. Let cool.

DO AHEAD: Sesame clusters can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

For dressing and salad:
Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add chopped fennel, shallot, ginger, and fennel seeds and cook, stirring often, until tender (do not let brown), 8–10 minutes. Mix in vinegar and honey. Let cool; season with salt and pepper.

Finely grate 1 teaspoon zest from 1 orange; set aside. Using a sharp knife, cut all peel and white pith from all oranges; discard. Cut between membranes to release segments into a medium bowl; discard membranes.

Toss greens, parsley, fennel fronds, oranges, and dressing in a large bowl. Serve topped with sesame clusters and reserved orange zest.

DO AHEAD: Dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

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Crispy Chicken with Shallots

photo by Ditte Isager

yield
Makes 4 servings

Rubbing the marinade onto only the flesh side puts it in direct contact with the meat and lets the skin get extra-crisp with no fear of burned bits.

Pulse garlic, mint, oil, and 1 cup parsley in a food processor until very finely chopped; season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Season chicken with salt and pepper and spread herb paste over flesh side. Place, skin side up, on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet; chill at least 3 hours (the dryer the skin, the crisper it'll get).

Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Pat chicken dry and place, skin side down, in a large ovenproof skillet, preferably cast iron. Set over medium-high heat and cook, undisturbed, until skin is golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Add shallots to skillet and transfer to oven. Roast, turning shallots once, 20–25 minutes. Turn skin side up and roast until skin is very crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh registers 160°F, 8–10 minutes longer. Serve chicken with shallots, parsley, and any pan juices.

DO AHEAD: Chicken can be rubbed with herb paste 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

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Shakshuka

photo by Quentin Bacon

yield
Serves 4 to 6

In Israel the word shakshuka is synonymous with breakfast. It's best with a slice or two of challah bread to sop up the juices. This is a version of my dad's recipe, except that he used to mix the eggs together, because my older sister refused to eat the egg whites. Here is the recipe I prefer.

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and sauté over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the bell peppers and jalapeño and cook just until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and sauté for another 2 minutes.

2. Slowly pour in the tomatoes. Stir in the bay leaf, sugar, salt, paprika, cumin, pepper, and caraway and let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes. Layer the Swiss chard leaves on top.

3. Crack the eggs into the tomato mixture. Cover and simmer for approximately 10 minutes or until the whites of the eggs are no longer translucent.

Excerpted from Balaboosta by Einat Admony (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2013. Photographs by Quentin Bacon.

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Mustard-Crusted Branzino

photo by Hirsheimer & Hamilton

yield
Makes 4 servings

active time
10 minutes

total time
25 minutes

Butterflying branzino is a great way to fast-track when cooking a whole fish. Ask your fishmonger to do it for you.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Whisk oil, mustard, garlic, and thyme in a small bowl. Using your fingertips or a rubber spatula, mix in breadcrumbs, squeezing or pressing to saturate bread, until evenly coated; season with salt and pepper.

Open up fish and place, skin side down, in a large ovenproof pan or on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Top with breadcrumb mixture, pressing to adhere. Roast until breadcrumbs are golden brown and fish is cooked through, 10–15 minutes.

Serve fish with lemon wedges.

Per serving: 490 calories, 27 g fat, 1 g fiber

Nutritional analysis provided by Bon Appétit

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Roasted Fingerlings with Preserved Lemon

photo by Hirsheimer & Hamilton

yield
Makes 4 servings

active time
5 minutes

total time
35 minutes

Preserved lemons add a wonderful salty-sweet hit to these simple potatoes, but if you don't have them on hand, you can use regular lemons instead. Thinly slice the peel of one lemon, then toss with the potatoes before roasting.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss potatoes, oil, and rosemary on a large rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing halfway through, until soft and golden brown, 25–30 minutes. Toss warm potatoes with preserved lemon peel.

1 Dish, 4 ways

Roasted fingerling potatoes are an always-excellent side—and a wonderful blank canvas for seasonings. Instead of rosemary and preserved lemon, try…

Curry powder + Cashews Season potatoes with curry powder before roasting. Sprinkle with coarsely chopped cashews and cilantro to serve.

Carrots + Chile Replace half the potatoes with pieces of chopped carrot (aim for roughly the same size as the fingerlings). Toss roasted vegetables with melted butter and Aleppo pepper.

Oregano + Feta Sprinkle fresh or dried oregano over the potatoes before roasting. Top with feta to serve.

Per serving: 280 calories, 11 g fat, 3 g fiber

Nutritional analysis provided by Bon Appétit

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Vegan Chili

photo by Oliver Parini

yield
Serves 6 to 8

This chili is so popular at the City Market, Onion River Co-op that it is served in the deli every day of the week. Many farms in Vermont grow dried beans, which you can easily substitute for the canned beans in this recipe; you will need 1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans and 2 1/2 cups cooked black beans. Vary the amount of jalapeños you add to suit your taste.

1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and jalapeño and sauté, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the bulgur, chili powder, and cumin and stir until well combined.

2. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 1 hour. Season with salt to taste. Serve with a sprinkling of cilantro, if desired.

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Darkest Chocolate Cake with Red Wine Glaze

Cake: 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan1/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for pan8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (at least 70% cacao), chopped1 cup sugar4 large eggs3/4 teaspoons kosher saltGlaze and assembly: 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (at least 70% cacao), finely chopped1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces1/2 teaspoon kosher salt1/2 cup powdered sugar1/2 cup red wine (such as Pinot Noir)

For cake:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly butter and flour pan. Heat chocolate, sugar, and 1 cup butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (bowl should not touch water), stirring, until chocolate is almost completely melted, about 3 minutes; remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted. Let cool completely.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, add eggs to chocolate mixture 1 at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Beat until mixture has a mousse-like consistency. Reduce speed to low and add salt and 1/3 cup flour; mix until smooth. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth top.

Bake cake until top is firm and edges are slightly darkened, 55–65 minutes (rely on visual cues; a tester inserted into cake's center will come out clean before cake is truly done). Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool completely in pan before turning out.

For glaze and assembly:
Heat chocolate, butter, and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (bowl should not touch water), stirring, until chocolate and butter are melted, about 5 minutes. Whisk in powdered sugar.

Meanwhile, bring wine just to a boil in a small saucepan.

Remove chocolate mixture from heat and whisk in wine; let cool until slightly thickened and a rubber spatula leaves a trail in mixture when stirring, 8–10 minutes.

Set cake on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour glaze over cake and spread it across the top and over the edges with an offset spatula. Let cake stand at room temperature until glaze is set, 2–3 hours.

DO AHEAD: Cake can be made and glazed 2 days ahead. Chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

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Meyer Lemon Cream with Graham Crackers and Sea Salt

photo by Christina Holmes

yield
Makes 4 servings

active time
20 minutes

total time
2 hours 20 minutes (includes chilling time)

Adding cream thins lemon curd and makes it extra spoonable—delicious in more than just this dish.

Cook eggs, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened (mixture should coat a spoon), 8–10 minutes.

Transfer mixture to a blender and blend on low speed, gradually adding butter, until mixture is smooth (you're not trying to aerate the mixture, so keep blender on low speed). Transfer lemon curd to a medium bowl, cover, and chill at least 2 hours.

Just before serving, whisk cream into lemon curd. Layer lemon cream and graham crackers in small glasses or bowls, finishing with graham crackers. Top with lemon zest and sea salt.

DO AHEAD: Lemon curd can be made 1 week ahead. Keep chilled.

3 more ideas for … Meyer Lemon Cream

The tart layer in this easy dessert—made by enriching lemon curd with heavy cream— is so good, you'll want to make it the base of other sweets, too. A few suggestions:

Cake Slather cream on a slice of vanilla pound cake at teatime (or snack time).

Tart Chill, then spoon into a prebaked tart shell, garnish with whipped mascarpone, and you've instantly got lemon cream pie.

Fruit and Cream Layer in bowls with fresh fruit. Finish with a bit of raw sugar.

Per serving: 520 calories, 42 g fat, 0 g fiber

Nutritional analysis provided by Bon Appétit

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Parmesan-Roasted Potatoes

photo by William Abranowicz

yield
Makes 8 servings

Cooking the potatoes on a wire rack lets hot air circulate around them, so they get extra crisp.

Place a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 400°F. Toss potatoes and oil in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Place potatoes, cut side up, on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet; reserve bowl. Roast until golden brown and cooked through, 30–35 minutes. Transfer to bowl; toss with Parmesan. Return potatoes to rack and roast until Parmesan is brown and crisp, 10–12 minutes.

Toss potatoes in same bowl with parsley, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. Top with lemon zest just before serving.

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Fennel-Crusted Pork Chops with Potatoes and Shallots

photo by Christina Holmes

yield
Makes 4 servings

active time
20 minutes

total time
1 hour 10 minutes (includes marinating time)

Cutting the vegetables into similarly sized pieces helps them cook at the same rate, so this entire dish—sauce included—can be made in one pan.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toast fennel seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Let cool.

Combine fennel seeds, garlic, paprika, and 2 tablespoons oil in a small bowl. Season pork with salt and pepper and place in a resealable plastic bag. Add spice mixture; seal bag and turn to coat. Let sit at least 30 minutes.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large ovenproof skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. Cook pork chops until golden brown on 1 side, about 4 minutes; turn. Add potatoes and shallots to skillet; season with salt and pepper and toss to coat in pan drippings. Cook, tossing potatoes and shallots occasionally, until pork is golden brown on second side, about 4 minutes.

Transfer to oven and roast until potatoes are tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chops registers 135°F, 10–15 minutes. (If potatoes need more time, transfer chops to a plate and continue to roast potatoes until tender; transfer chops back to skillet when potatoes are done.) Remove skillet from oven and mix in parsley and vinegar. Let pork chops rest 5 minutes in skillet.

Transfer chops to a cutting board; cut meat from bones and slice against the grain. Serve with potatoes, shallots, and any pan juices.

DO AHEAD: Pork chops can be marinated 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

Per serving: 390 calories, 20 g fat, 3 g fiber

Nutritional analysis provided by Bon Appétit

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