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Soup Joumou

According to Haitian-American chef Chris Viaud, “No matter where Haitians call home, on January 1st you will find soup joumou. It is part of our culture and this tradition dates back to January 1st, 1804, when Haitian slaves fought their French colonizers, won, and declared Haiti’s independence.”

By The Editors Published October 2, 2024

Besan-Battered Vegetables (or Chicken or Seafood) with Two Dipping Sauces

Besan and gram are other names for chickpea or garbanzo bean flour, a common ingredient for Indian fritters and frying batters. With good reason. When used for a relatively thin coating on vegetables (or chicken or seafood), the results are crisp and crunchy long after they come out of the oil, with a slightly sweet and nutty flavor.

By The Editors Published September 30, 2024

Golden Gravy (or Fondue)

Imagine a rich, creamy, and versatile gravy that requires no pan drippings and doubles as fondue sauce. It can even be dairy-free if that’s your thing. All this is possible with chickpea flour. The technique is to cook the flour slowly with oil as a thickener dubbed roux by the French. For a creamy gravy, choose either plant-based or cow’s milk; use stock or water for a lighter sauce.

By The Editors Published September 30, 2024

Soccanella (aka Socca Salad)

Panzanella – the rustic Italian dish, beloved for turning stale bread into a stuffing-like cold salad – is the inspiration for this recipe. Only we base our version on a crisp and custardy skillet chickpea pancake called socca, Mark’s professed obsession. The batter bakes up quickly while you prepare the other ingredients; or you can make the socca up to a day ahead. Either way, be sure to check out the variation for how to make this satisfying salad in winter, too.

By The Editors Published September 30, 2024

Broiled Seafood

Broiling is the easiest way to cook all but the largest cuts of seafood. The main recipe starts with the quickest cooking, thin fish fillets; see the variations for other cuts and seafood. The key is to preheat the broiler and the pan. You can use a carbon steel or stainless-steel pan, a large flameproof skillet, or a rimmed baking sheet. Or use the broiler pan without its liner, if that’s the best fit.

By The Editors Published September 26, 2024
Radish Salsa

Radish Salsa

Serve this colorful salsa with any tamale or quesadilla, or simply a big bowl of tortilla chips; it also makes a fine garnish for almost any dish.

By The Editors Published September 7, 2024
Tomato Soup

Tomato Soup

Slowly caramelizing late-summer tomatoes makes fresh tomato soup way more intense. To move things even further, I add a little tomato paste, which provides the depth that even good fresh tomatoes sometimes lack.

By The Editors Published September 7, 2024

Lentil Soup

This classic recipe is easy as can be, especially for a dish so filling and nutritious. It’s on the thin side, but it’s chunky. If you prefer your lentil soup smooth, purée it; for added richness and body, stir in 1/2 cup cream at the end, or use 1 more carrot and celery stalk at the beginning and mash or purée some of the solids when you’re done cooking.

By The Editors Published September 7, 2024
tempeh hash

Tempeh Hash

A twist on an old favorite. You have to cook each of the main elements separately, though you can easily prepare them a couple of hours in advance and assemble the hash at the last minute. All you need with this are some sliced ripe tomatoes or a simple steamed vegetable like carrots or broccoli. A poached egg or two on top would be perfect.

By The Editors Published September 7, 2024

Chickpea Fries (Panelle)

Among the best appetizers ever, these fries are crisp, tasty, and satisfying. They’re made with chickpea flour (also called besan or gram flour), which can be found
in Indian, Middle Eastern, some Asian and health food markets, and often in Italian markets. Like chickpeas themselves, this flour has a robust, nutty flavor. The fries can be made ahead (up to cooking them); flavored in at least a dozen different ways; and cut into all kinds of shapes. Serve them over and over with slight variations in form and flavor, and no one will ever suspect it’s all the same basic recipe.

By The Editors Published September 7, 2024
Baked White Bean Cakes

Baked White Bean Cakes

Use any cooked white beans, even canned. Eat them hot from the oven, with a sprinkle of cheese and a salad on the side. Serve with tomato sauce, if you’d like.

By The Editors Published September 7, 2024

Hard-Boiled Egg

Hard-boiled eggs are so convenient and versatile that it’s worth keeping a few on hand at all times (they keep for a week). If you have hard-boiled eggs, cooked grains, and some sautéed vegetables in the fridge, you’ve always got a meal.
I think they’re best when cooked for 9 minutes so the yolk is just slightly undercooked and still creamy, not chalky. At 11 minutes (see the variation) the egg is still edible but dry.

If the yolk is green, it’s due to a harmless amount of sulfur in the egg, and to not cooling the egg quickly enough. To prevent or minimize it, be sure to immerse the eggs in an ice bath as soon you remove them from the simmering water.

By The Editors Published September 7, 2024
Paratha

Paratha

Unlike the chapati, this dough is enriched with oil, which gives it a lovely flaky texture. Like chapati, these must be eaten immediately after being cooked: Line a basket or plate with a cloth napkin before starting and, as they finish, pile them up and wrap loosely.

By The Editors Published September 7, 2024
Breadsticks

Breadsticks

You won’t believe how good these are. In Piedmont, Italy—where breadsticks are called grissini—you would never adorn these with anything. But their slightly sweet flavor is good with a sprinkling of poppy seeds or sea salt right before baking.

By The Editors Published September 7, 2024
Parsley “Pesto”

Parsley “Pesto”

Simpler, purer, less complex than traditional pesto, parsley purée is—to me at least—even more useful. For one thing, you can find decent parsley year-round. For another, it’s a brighter, fresher purée and therefore less specific in its uses. And, as you can see from the variations, different herbs work equally well.

By The Editors Published September 7, 2024

Teriyaki Sauce

Familiar and widely loved, teriyaki sauce is also fast and simple. You can slather it on broiled or deep-fried tofu, add it to stir-fried vegetables (which in turn can be served over rice or noodles), or use it as a ketchup replacement on any veggie burger.

By The Editors Published September 7, 2024
Cilantro-Mint Chutney Raw Onion Chutney Coconut Chutney

Raw Onion Chutney

I love chutneys bursting with chiles and ginger and herbs, but when you’re pairing a chutney with richly flavored legumes like the dals, sometimes a simpler, more directly assaultive accompaniment is in order. This onion-based chutney—a standard in India—certainly fits that bill: It’s fresh, bright, pungent, and mind-bogglingly easy. White onions, shallots, or scallions work equally well here.

By The Editors Published September 7, 2024
Real Ranch Dressing

Real Ranch Dressing

The big secret to ranch dressing is buttermilk powder, which you can find in the baking section of your supermarket. Nothing else delivers that characteristic buttermilk tang, and it works as a thickener to boot.

By The Editors Published September 7, 2024
Poached Pears

Poached Pears

Poached pears make a dramatically beautiful dessert, especially when you use red wine (see the variation). Your fruit doesn’t need to be perfectly ripe for this to be delicious; just adjust the sugar level accordingly.

By The Editors Published September 7, 2024
Frozen Yogurt

Frozen Yogurt

With just two ingredients and hardly any prep work, this is one of the easiest desserts there is. Whole-milk yogurt produces the creamiest results. (Greek yogurt, which is much thicker, often becomes too hard in the freezer but is an excellent complement to fruit purées, as in the variation.)

By The Editors Published September 7, 2024