The Editors

Filters

Sort by date

Content Type

Classic Spaghetti Carbonara

Who says you can’t honor tradition on a weeknight? After all, the sauce is only bacon, eggs, and Parmesan.

By The Editors Published January 30, 2024

Coconut Milk

Though it’s fine to use canned, homemade coconut milk is super-easy and much purer in both flavor and ingredients. All you need is unsweetened dried coconut, which is available in many supermarkets. This recipe gives you a fairly thick milk, akin to canned. Thin it with water or repeat the process on the coconut again; the second pressing will be thinner.

By The Editors Published January 30, 2024

Beef Stroganoff with Mushrooms

This classic quick braise is easy and people love it. It’s one time you don’t want to brown the meat before adding the liquid. Serve this over buttered egg noodles or white rice, or with soft, eggy bread like challah or brioche.

By The Editors Published January 30, 2024

Peanut Brittle

If you’ve never made peanut brittle, you will not believe how simple it is.

By The Editors Published January 30, 2024

What Makes Spongy Tofu So Special?

Spongy tofu isn’t curded, as most tofu is. It’s made by slow-cooking a soy protein slurry until it sets. Spices do not affect this process, so it can be flavored before it even reaches your kitchen. Nowadays, it’s common for producers to throw in a dash of salt and umami and a drizzle of oil, which round out the soy notes and create a warm, full-bodied creaminess. This ensures that the tofu tastes great, no matter how it’s cooked.

By The Editors Published January 25, 2024

Broken Cuisine’s Glass Cannoli

This recipe transposes cannoli into a whole new body. Crackly and glassy yuba shells shatter at the teeth, rather than crumble away like wheat. Instead of descending into a cloying, cheesy filling, we’re met with a kiss of light and milky silken tofu ganache. The resulting smooth and sharp, creamy and crackling contrast is perfect.

George Stiffman, one of the authors of Broken Cuisine, shared this recipe when he joined us on Food with Mark Bittman. “The challenge and highlight of this recipe is the pastry shell. To prevent your cannoli from sticking to their tubes, use nonstick spray (not vegetable oil); don’t roll the yuba sheets too tightly; and remove them from their tubes as soon as they leave the oven. For maximum crispiness, baste generously with simple syrup, bake until almost reddish golden, and pipe in the filling just before enjoying. The more syrup, the longer the required baking time but the glassier the finish. If you will be making the shells ahead of time, store at room temperature for up to a couple of days or wrap in plastic and freeze. The chocolate ganache can be adapted as you like – just be sure to use a low-moisture silken tofu. The shelf-stable cartons work great.” — Broken Cuisine: Chinese tofu, Western cooking, and a hope to save our planet 

A note: The only challenge with this recipe is finding the ultra-thin type of yuba. We’re only familiar with one brand that sells it (search “thin yuba”), and it’s only available at offline Chinese supermarkets. (If you use the standard yuba, the cannoli shells will taste too hard.)

By The Editors Published January 25, 2024

Broken Cuisine’s Mediterranean Cherry Tomato & Chickpeas

This one-pot wonder has become a staple in our kitchens. Olives, capers, and fermented tofu nurture a zesty and piquant tomato base, which spongy tofu and chickpeas zealously soak up.

George Stiffman, one of the authors of Broken Cuisine, shared this recipe when he joined us on Food with Mark Bittman. “To achieve tender and juicy tofu, it needs to puff up and then deflate. Boil rapidly until the tofu triples in size, then reduce the heat and simmer. During this time, there should be enough liquid to cover. Alternatively, you can fry the tofu to puff up, then gently braise it in the sauce. You can prepare the sauce up to five days ahead of time and assemble before eating. If it thickens in the fridge, you may need to add another cup of stock or water before stewing.” — Broken Cuisine: Chinese tofu, Western cooking, and a hope to save our planet

By The Editors Published January 24, 2024

Steak au Poivre with Mushrooms

Pan-cooked mushrooms can be irresistibly delicious, especially when paired with steak. The trick is to stir them just enough to prevent burning, but infrequently enough to let them caramelize a bit. (Same with the leeks, whose sweetness contributes mightily.)

By The Editors Published January 22, 2024

Kyle MacLachlan’s Render the Head of Cauliflower Garcia

We have here what MAY BE the world’s first original Kyle MacLachlan recipe.

Kyle MacLachlan shared this recipe when he joined us on Food with Mark Bittman.

By The Editors Published January 22, 2024

Kwame Onwuachi’s Sweet Plantains with Avocado Crema

Plantains are among the most widely grown and important crops in the world. Starchier and more robust than their cousin, the banana, you’ll find them everywhere from India to the West Coast of Africa, Latin and South America, the Caribbean, and up to Louisiana and Florida, often as a cash crop and as a staple starch. Hardy and plentiful, the plantain is a versatile ingredient not unlike a potato or cassava. — Kwame Onwuachi

By The Editors Published January 20, 2024

Latkes

These are the traditional latkes, served in many Jewish households during Hanukkah. They are excellent with any meat served with gravy, or with applesauce and/or sour cream.

By The Editors Published January 19, 2024

Vishwesh Bhatt’s Mom’s Rice “Pudding”

This was the first (and, for the longest time, the only) dessert I could make. It has just three main ingredients: milk, sugar, and rice. That’s why I call it “pudding” in quotes—it doesn’t even require an egg-based custard, as most puddings do. — Vishwesh Bhatt

By The Editors Published January 18, 2024

Michele Norris’s Zucchini Bread

This is one of my favorite recipes of my mom’s. Very simple. Really delicious. And holds up well if you’re traveling with it. I love it served warm with a generous amount of butter, and I’ve also been known to take a thick slice and sauté it in butter in a skillet, which I know is kind of decadent, but to me it tastes like home. — Michele Norris

By The Editors Published January 17, 2024

Tofu Pancakes, Four Ways

These super, unusual, savory (and obviously vegan) pancakes take advantage of the chameleon-like qualities of tofu. See the variations for just a few of the flavor combinations you can use.

By The Editors Published January 16, 2024

In Kenya, Food Sovereignty Is Alive and Well

Careful readers of The Bittman Project will note that we are increasingly giving active support to some of our especially like-minded partners. Among these is Agroecology Fund, a participatory grantmaking fund that supports agroecology movements from Mexico to Mali to Malaysia.

By The Editors Published January 11, 2024

Melissa M. Martin’s Shrimp Boulettes

Essentially refined shrimp balls, this recipe utilizes common Cajun and Creole vegetables and herbs like green onions, celery, and parsley, heats them up with a bit of Louisiana hot sauce, and produces delightful, airy seafood balls.

By The Editors Published January 10, 2024

Shrimp with Capers, Olives and Tomatoes

Canned tomatoes are totally fine here, but this dish actually makes very good use of subpar out-of-season tomatoes (you cook them until they break down anyway), so if you have those in your fridge, use them up. You could toss this shrimp with pasta or white beans, serve it over rice, or with some crusty bread and a simple salad. Or, as in the photo below, tossed with croutons, a handful of arugula, and some grated parmesan.

By The Editors Published January 10, 2024

Soy Dipping Sauce and Marinade

The title only gives two uses—dipping and marinating—but this sauce is infinitely versatile. You can drizzle it over just about anything from sushi bowls to noodles, or even use it as a salad dressing. If you don’t have garlic, ginger, and/or scallions, you can still make a totally serviceable condiment.

By The Editors Published January 10, 2024

Broccoli Raab with Garlic and Pecorino

Such a simple preparation but so delicious, with the nutty saltiness of the cheese playing against the bitter of the broccoli raab. Other vegetables you can use: broccoli, broccolini, gai lan, turnip or mustard greens, asparagus, kale, collards.

By The Editors Published January 9, 2024

Sautéed Kohlrabi With Horseradish And Cream

Kohlrabi is the ultimate “what-the-heck-do-I-do-with-this?” vegetable. It’s best to think of it as an unusual and delicious version of a turnip; it’s great in slaws and soups. Still, it’s nice to have a stand-alone recipe for the vegetable that everyone, at some point, has been stumped by.

By The Editors Published January 9, 2024