Things We Like: A Coupla Cookbooks

Jamie Oliver has written a lot of books, and (at least in the ones I’ve seen) there’s always at least a handful of recipes I want to make from each. This new book can be used as a guideline to healthy eating—”includes 2-week kickstarter,” for those of you who like a real routine—which is great, but that aside, the recipes are so appealing. The one that yells at me from the page is Crispy Pork Noodle Broth (​recipe for you here!​), which takes 15 minutes and still, the broth is homemade on the spot. I can see it becoming something I make for myself on solo nights. (The recipes all serve one or two.) Other recipes of interest: Crispy Bean and Anchovy Eggs, Seared Tuna Kimchi Bowl, Tahini Mushroom Noodles. And everything is easy. – Kate

A few years ago my friend Carl, whom I’ve known for almost sixty years, asked me why I never used a Chinese cleaver, his favorite knife. His cooking advice has been pretty spot-on over the years, so I bought one. But I never used it—it was a little too heavy for my hands, plus I am not the kind of person who will remember to wash and dry a carbon steel blade right after use to prevent rust. But I later found out that what Carl was actually talking about was a nakiri, often called a Chinese vegetable cleaver. These have a much smaller blade, which makes them easier to handle, and they’re pretty easy to find in semi-stainless steel. So I bought one, going for the relatively high end Tojiro 502. I found that its straight blade allows full contact with the cutting surface, which makes it ideal for precision slicing and chopping. It has become the knife I automatically reach for to perform almost every kitchen task. The Tojiro has been out of stock pretty much everywhere for a few months, but if you can spring for it, the Shun Classic makes a pretty awesome substitute.

I went to London for the first time a couple of months ago, and my friend took me to the restaurant Dishoom. I’d heard of it, but didn’t really know much beyond the fact that the food was supposed to be phenomenal.

Reader, it did not disappoint. On my first bite of the house black dal, I took a deep, heavy sigh, picked up my phone, and immediately ordered the cookbook. And what a beautiful cookbook it is! It walks you through the streets of Bombay with stunning images, stories, and recipes — including that life-changing black dal.

At the restaurant, the dal is lovingly cooked over 24 hours, but the home version has been adapted to take about 4 to 5 hours. Even that may seem like a lot, but I made it again recently, and it is worth every minute. – Holly