In May 2020, with World Central Kitchen and City Harvest, we worked together and Le Bernardin was doing 400 meals a day that were going to doctors and nurses that were staying in our neighborhood in hotels. They were here from out of state, to support the New York doctors that were either too tired, or sick by the virus. And then at one point all those doctors and nurses left, went back to their states, and we cooked for shelters. So we were cooking five days a week, 400 meals for shelters, from May to December.” – Eric Ripert
Smashed Carrots With Curry Oil
Smashing baked carrots cracks open crevices, ideal for soaking up a super easy curry oil. This is so easy, but it’s sooo good. – Carla Hall
Carla Hall’s Pickled Cucumber Salad
On our road trip for this book, chef Joe Randall took us to Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room, a Savannah institution. You’re seated and served family-style, with a spread of at least twenty classic Southern dishes. The one I kept returning to looked the humblest. It was a little bowl of cucumber slices. But each slice packed a pickle-y refreshing crunch from the two-step technique of salting the cucumber before marinating it. I re-created it here and added chile and dill. This is exactly what you need in a parade of rich dishes. — Carla Hall
Homemade Red Lentil Seitan
You won’t believe how easy it is to make at home; the dough comes together almost instantly and is so astonishingly fun to work. And you’ll have control over additions and flavorings, which is important for anyone who has tried it and remains non-plussed.
Mark’s Best Black Bean Burgers
Also known as McBitty’s Bean Burgers, these veggie burgers are loaded with black beans, porcini mushrooms, garlic, smoked paprika (or chili powder) and soy sauce, for a satisfying patty you can serve with all the usual burger fixings.
Nigella Lawson’s Toasted Marshmallow and Rhubarb Cake
This is a relatively new addition to my rhubarb repertoire, but it’s been heavily in rotation ever since I first made it. Anyone who has a birthday when the hothouse pink rhubarb is in season gets it (and I do even have alternatives for those dim days when it isn’t, and I’ll get to them later). It is splendidly celebratory, but not dauntingly difficult. – Nigella Lawson
Nigella Lawson shared this recipe when she joined us on Food with Mark Bittman.
The Bittman Vegan Burger
At last, an easy meatless burger that you can grill, broil, or cook in a skillet. The handful of ingredients are available from the supermarket, and all you need for the mashing is a fork. The result is an attractive and delicious patty with some pleasant heft and chew. You can also cook the mixture like ground beef for taco filling and tomatoey pasta sauces. Or shape and bake it for a meatless meatloaf.
Vegetable Fajita Salad
Imagine a room temperature salad based on fajita components, minus the meat. (Or if you want that, just see the second variation.) For a fancier presentation, you can plate the components separately on a large platter and let everyone serve and toss their own. Serve with warmed corn or flour tortillas or chips.
Smoky Bulgur And Eggplant With Or Without Feta
Here’s a satisfying sort-of salad you can eat hot, at room temperature, or out of the fridge the next day. So it’s as flexible as the salad. And it’s easy to adjust toward vegan by skipping the cheese or putting it on the side. Check off all of the make-ahead, crowd-pleasing features that are perfect for pot lucks or picnics.
The Balsamic Cocktail
Our friends at Gustiamo call this “The Modena Sunset.” It’s essentially a balsamic spritz, and it’s wonderfully light and fresh, delicious with or without alcohol. (I tried it without, since I was experimenting during a workday; and now I’m very much looking forward to tasting it with the sparkling wine addition!)
Refried Beans with Flour Tortillas and Pickled Red Onions
Refried beans usually get the side-dish treatment, but there’s no reason they can’t or shouldn’t be the main event. With a few garnishes and some flour tortillas for scooping, that’s exactly what they are. And whether you start with home-cooked beans or not, actually frying, mashing, and seasoning them yourself makes a huge difference.
Cashew Cream
Turn to cashew cream when you want to add smooth richness to a dish but no dairy as a savory alternative to fresh cow and goat cheeses and spreads. Cashews are a great alternative to coconuts because of their more neutral flavor. By adjusting the amount of water you add, you can make cashew cream as thin or thick as you prefer. This can be doubled, tripled, or more, and will keep for a few days in the fridge.
Charred Carrot Tacos
These tacos are fast, cheap, delicious, and vegan, and stand for the proposition that corn tortillas make a very welcome home for all sorts of ingredients and flavors. Toppings are a bit of a choose-your-own-adventure, but scroll down for a bunch of ideas.
Chicken and Lentils
A spicy, North African-style dish that comes together in one pot.
Hoppin’ John with Smoked Tofu
Smoked tofu has a slightly dense, chewy texture and strong smoky flavor that makes an excellent substitute for the smoked ham hock traditional to hoppin’ John; cooking the tofu whole with the beans, then cutting it up, keeps it moist. This does require some prep (unless you make the peas ahead of time), but since many of us are home right now, it can easily go into the weeknight meal category.
Holly Haines’ Pork Belly Adobo
Every Filipino home has their own version of adobo. And it’s essentially five standard ingredients: soy, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns. The ratio of vinegar to soy sauce changes, or the amount of garlic changes, but basically, you can adobo anything.
Holly Haines’ Eggplant Adobo
The vegan version of adobo, with all the same delicious flavors.
Succotash and Shells
One-pot pastas — where you cook the sauce and noodles together “risotto-style” by gradually stirring in liquid and other ingredients — are perfect for busy weeknights. Plus you can easily vary the same recipe to accommodate all sorts of whims and wants. I tried the batch shown here with gluten-free shells made from corn, brown rice, and quinoa topped with a savory peanut seasoning instead of parmesan. Finish the dish with grated cheese, crumbled bacon, or any plain chopped nuts.
Falafel Hash with Tahini Sauce
All the crunchy taste of iconic chickpea fritters with a fraction of the time and work: Serve this hash and the accompanying sesame drizzle on top of torn greens, in a pita sandwich, or as part of a rice or couscous bowl. Also consider dairy/non-dairy yogurt or crumbled feta cheese as toppings. And while you’re waiting for tomatoes to come into season, chopped citrus makes a solid stand-in.
Broccoli Tofu Scramble
This tofu comes pretty close to eggs, and it’s quick and satisfying. You can always mix it up with scrambled sweet and hot peppers or swap out red onion for scallions and broccoli for tomatoes. For the latter, use vegetable oil instead of olive oil and finish with soy sauce.