Travel Episode 4: All About Saffron (Recipe: Chard Stems with Saffron and Cream)

This week I do a little brain dump about saffron, a treasured ingredient that feels fitting for spring. How to buy, what to cook with it, and so on. Plus an easy saffron recipe. Ambient noise of the week: subway. (Sorry.)

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Travel Episode 1: Egyptian Koshari

Cooking for virtual travel, starting with a little trip to Egypt through koshari, a combo of rice, lentils and pasta, topped with a tangy tomato sauce and crispy fried onions. It’s hearty and nourishing, with garlicky zing. No sides this time, just pickled peppers and fresh cucumbers.

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Quarantine Episode 1: Fennel Rice and Semi-South Indian Dal, with Cucumber Raita and Cabbage Salad

By popular demand, Cooking in Real Time is back after nearly 11 years, with a pretty long and rambling session of cooking basic rice and legumes, with plenty of shortcuts and substitutions from limited pantries.

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RERUN Episode 25: Butternut-Squash Risotto and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Anchovies and Garlic

This week, we cook a little risotto–it’s not as complicated or as fussy as you think. And it’s a very adaptable dish. On the side, we roast up some wee brussels sprouts and douse them in garlic and anchovies–what’s not to love?

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RERUN Episode 21: Indian-Spiced Fish Tagine and Sweet-Hot Carrots

This week, I make a fish tagine–essentially, fish cooked in a stewpot–with spices from a favorite Indian recipe. On the side: carrots with cinnamon, honey and red pepper…and some potatoes that take a damn long time to cook.

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RERUN Episode 10: Date-and-Cinnamon Bulgur Pilaf, Quick-Pickled Green Beans, and Macerated Strawberries

This week, I make an easy pilaf with Middle Eastern flavors: dates and cinnamon, plus salty feta. Green beans pickled with dill and garlic are on the side, and for dessert, we have a quick trick for making strawberries taste their best. It’s all quite quick, and ideal for hot weather, when you don’t want the stove on for too long.

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RERUN Episode 5: Arroz con Pollo, Fennel-Orange Salad and Raspberry Clafoutis

This week, I make a hearty dinner of Arroz con Pollo–saffron rice with chicken–with a crunchy fennel salad on the side. And there’s time to make dessert: an eggy, fruity clafoutis with raspberries.

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