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Cooking Grains, The Easy Way - The Bittman Project

Cooking Grains, the Easy Way

This process will allow you to cook almost any grain perfectly every time. (The most notable exceptions are bulgur, white or whole wheat couscous, and wild rice.) You really don’t even have to measure anything. I’m providing a recipe for the method, but you don’t need it: Put the grains in a pot with water and cook them until they’re done the way you like them. Period.

By Mark Bittman Published April 9, 2019

Boiled or Steamed Crab or Lobster

Put a dozen blue crabs—or a 3-pound lobster—in front of people, and you’ll be amazed at how much they can eat. It’s important the water be seriously salted: You can cook in seawater, which is nice if you can get it; you can add seaweed, which is charming (and makes a terrific seasoning); or you can use a fistful of salt, as most of us do.

By The Editors Published April 2, 2019

Vietnamese-Caramel Salmon

Here, the salmon is cooked (poached, essentially) directly in the caramel, which gives it a delicate texture and an unbelievable amount of flavor. It may sound like a strange technique, but this cooking method is classic and totally ubiquitous in Vietnam. Feel free to swap in a different kind of fish for the salmon; red snapper, grouper, black sea bass and catfish will all work.

By The Editors Published March 29, 2019

Farming While Black: “People Are Tired of Armchair Activism”

Mark catches up with author Leah Penniman to talk about injustice and redistribution of land.

By The Editors Published March 22, 2019

Bagels

These are real bagels—bagels with chewy insides and respectable crusts—not the puffy kind sold so often nowadays. Cooking a bagel is a two-step process: First you boil, then you bake. Other than that, they are as simple as any other bread. (Malt syrup, the traditional sweetener, can be bought in some specialized cooking shops or wherever beer supplies are sold.) Helpful illustration below!

By Mark Bittman Published February 28, 2019
Chicken-and-Biscuit Pot Pie

Chicken-and-Biscuit Pot Pie

The Holy Grail of projects—which is probably why frozen pot pies remain so popular. But this recipe busts that myth into flaky bits and puts homemade pot pie on the table in an hour with very little effort.

By Mark Bittman Published February 26, 2019

Beef Fried Rice with Frozen Vegetables

For this dish, be sure to observe the directives “use frozen vegetables and a very hot pan” (they’ll remain vibrant and crisp).

By The Editors Published February 19, 2019

Cauliflower Fried Rice with Fresh Chiles

If you’ve got cooked brown rice handy, this recipe will take no time at all.

By Mark Bittman Published February 19, 2019
Baked Mascarpone French Toast with Cherries

Baked Mascarpone French Toast with Cherries

For French toast that’s custardy but doesn’t fall apart, you need stale—or at least dried-out—bread. Oven-drying fresh bread gets it there pretty quickly, and the results are worth the extra time. Heat the oven to 200°F and put the bread on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until the bread is dried on the outside but not browned, 5 to 20 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your slices.

By Mark Bittman Published February 12, 2019

Baked Egg with Prosciutto and Tomato

It can be challenging to give eggs enough of an elegant twist to serve them to company, especially when the company arrives en masse, as tends to happen during the holidays.
Enter the baked egg, at 15 minutes or so perhaps the slowest common cooking method. But this is in a way the easiest method for cooking eggs in quantity.

By Mark Bittman Published February 12, 2019
Seared Scallops with Pan Sauce

Seared Scallops with Pan Sauce

Here’s the secret to simple and perfectly cooked scallops: Brown them in a hot pan, remove, make a little sauce, then return them to the pan just long enough to heat through and coat with the sauce.

By Mark Bittman Published February 12, 2019

Linguine with Clams

You can make clam sauce with canned clams, but once you try it with fresh you may never go back; this dish is amazing.

By Mark Bittman Published February 5, 2019
Sweet and Salty Coconut Rice with Lima Beans

Sweet and Salty Coconut Rice with Lima Beans

Just when you thought you’d seen every possible version of this economical, nutritious, and ubiquitous food pairing, here’s another. This is a tropical paradise disguised as a mound of rice and beans—and also happens to be meatless.

By Mark Bittman Published February 3, 2019

Macaroni and Cheese in a Pot

This mac and cheese recipe takes advantage of the starchiness of noodles to make a creamy cheese sauce without a roux or béchamel.

By Mark Bittman Published January 29, 2019
Skillet Teriyaki

Skillet Teriyaki

You want it to be sweet, salty, glossy, and thicker than soy sauce. But you don’t want it to come from a bottle. Skillet Teriyaki proves that searing meat on just one side is perfectly acceptable. This recipe also works for boneless, skinless chicken thighs or pork sirloin steaks, cut into narrow strips.

By Mark Bittman Published January 29, 2019

Behind The Scenes at My Cookbook Photo Shoots

By Mark Bittman Published January 29, 2019

Hollandaise Sauce

You can make hollandaise in a blender (see below), but the stovetop version is perhaps a little finer and pretty much foolproof. Depending on how you’re using it, you can stir about 1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon, 1 tablespoon fresh dill or chervil, or some other herb into the finished sauce.

By Mark Bittman Published January 19, 2019
Jalapeño Poppers with Smoked Gouda

Jalapeño Poppers with Smoked Gouda

The moderate heat of jalapeños is a perfect counterbalance to this rich filling, a combination of cream cheese and smoked Gouda. The results are nothing like the breaded, deep-fried apps you get in sports bars.

By Mark Bittman Published January 18, 2019

Carne Asada Tacos

Carne asada translates simply to “grilled meat” in Spanish, but when uttered with tacos you’re probably talking about skirt steak. It’s a chewy cut and must be cooked quickly and sliced across the grain to guarantee tenderness, but the evenly distributed fat makes for rich and satisfying eating.

By The Editors Published January 18, 2019
Eggplant Meatballs

Eggplant Meatballs

The more I play around with vegetable-based meatballs, the more I like them; certainly they’re not the same as meat meatballs, but the different textures and flavors are terrific. To round out the meal, serve these over pasta, rice, salad, or steamed greens with a squeeze of lemon

By Mark Bittman Published January 11, 2019