Bayou Soul Food Deep in the Louisiana bayou, Cajuns still live off the land—trapping, shrimping, crabbing and hunting. Cooks make gumbo with nutria, a giant, water-dwelling rodent. I learned my gumbo techniques from a trapper’s wife, but I use oysters and crab; no rodent required. This dish’s success hinges on the roux, which is the foundation to all… Read More →
Simple Yet Stunning By Christine Ha Like a lot of Asian dishes, this one is all about prep. The actual cooking takes a matter of moments, but that’s only once everything is completely ready to go and lined up next to the wok. Overcooking rice vermicelli ruins it. The threadlike strands go from pliable noodles… Read More →
Authentic Bavarian Grub Celebrate Oktoberfest in your own kitchen with this traditional German comfort food. Cabbage and sausage – whether it’s knockwurst, weisswurst, bockwurst or braturst – is the culinary national obsession in Munich’s beer gardens. We had the best version of this meal one day at the Englischer Garten, where the Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower)… Read More →
A Match Made in Heaven I wish I had a great story for this dish, but I don’t. Let me just say that some foods need only be eaten. It’s the edible equivalent of “shut up and kiss me.” It’s perfect. When I was a kid, my family cried when the Grand Central Oyster Bar… Read More →
Reinvent a Classic By Megan Seling Who needs a ramekin? You can serve delicious crème brulee right in a cupcake! I use a boxed mix for the crème brulee and the results are delicious. You could also use a recipe from scratch, as long as it’s the kind that you make on the stovetop that doesn’t require… Read More →
Island-Style Jambalaya Over the years, I have expanded my repertoire of killer soups, stews and braises for superb oven-to-table one-pot meals, and this is one of the better recipes. This asopao (stew) is Trinidad-inspired, but it fits neatly into the Flo-ribbean cooking genre. This asopao is pure Trinidadian magic. Don’t be shy about passing plenty of… Read More →
Perfect for Breaking the Fast When I was four, five and six, I would spend hours upon hours in my Jewish grandmother’s kitchen, watching her cook for a small army. She always had enough food for twice as many people as required, cooked everything in schmaltz (chicken fat), laid out trays of bread topped with… Read More →
Honoring the Odd Bits By Chris Cosentino
Addictive Flavors of Malaysia By Andrew Zimmern A few years ago, I went to Malaysia for the first time and spent every second I could on New Lane in Penang. It’s arguably the single greatest street-food stroll in the world. Among the hundreds of stalls are a few that turn out chicken wings and chicken… Read More →
Lip-Smacking, Pull-off-the-Bone, Pass-the-Sauce Ribs By Ardie A. Davis If you’re a fan of sweet and sour chicken, you’ll like these ribs, which give you similar flavors without the crunchy coating. If you want a little crispiness, grill a crispy surface on the meat side of the ribs before glazing. Raspberry adds a delicious twist!
I am eight years old. I am on a food recon trip with my dad in the middle of a fall day in Los Angeles. He is there for work, and I am tagging along for a few days of fun with my old man. We arrive at the place he has been searching for,… Read More →
A Fall French Classic Normandy is beautiful in the fall, when the ocean is slate gray and the food is phenomenal—game birds and oysters, mushrooms and apples. This recipe is from an ancient farmhouse cookbook and, after years of tweaking, the northern French standard has become a fall favorite of ours.
I love this yakitori-inspired dish. You may use large mallard or canvasback breasts. Or goose breasts work, too. From a farmed perspective, go for magret or even large Pekin breasts.
Don’t be shy. Ask your butcher for venison hearts. Out of venison? Substitute lamb, calf or ox heart if you like. Most meat markets can easily accommodate these special orders. Serves four. Instructions Combine honey and wine in a small sauce pot, bring to a boil, drop whole shallots in, cover and cook for 20… Read More →
Cooking wild food isn’t about covering up the flavor of game meats & birds. It’s about accentuating them, pairing them, curating them. It’s also not just for eating in the fall. Wild meat, poultry and seafood is a year round experience. If you don’t have a hunter in your life, or no access to that… Read More →
Love a big, juicy steak? Try this alternative. Ox heart is one of the most underrated cuts of meat. Period. It’s a huge muscle, and makes for an extremely tender stead. You could serve this at a party and guests would rave about this amazing cut, not suspecting for a second that it’s heart. The… Read More →
A Refreshing (& Surprising!) Summer Dish We’re big fans of gazpacho at my house, but this is a equally delicious substitute. Pair it with an ice cold Mexican beer like Tecate. The key is using nice, juicy tomatoes!
Light, Refreshing & Perfect for Summer By Andrew Zimmern I love this dish. Served as a main with fried green tomatoes and crusty baguette or a hearty appetizer, it’s one of my go-to summer staples. You could make the soused shrimp ahead of time and it’ll be good, but it’s best when served immediately. I like… Read More →
A good gumbo takes hours to make. However, the entire recipe can literally be blown in the first few minutes. Yep, this dish’s success hinges on the roux, which is the foundation to all gumbos. You’re basically scorching the flour in the hot oil (that’s why it turns that deep shade of brown), so do… Read More →
Wok-Tossed, Twice-Cooked I make this dish all the time with soft shell crabs, but it is equally good with shrimp. For the crab version, I skip the salt rub and simply cut my crabs in half before dipping in the egg white. The sauce recipe came to me from my pal Vikram, who uses it all the… Read More →
Make Extra, These are Addictive. I’ve made these ribs hundreds of times. I love demoing it at food festivals, I’ve taught it in dozens of cooking classes, and I make it at home regularly. Friends and family clamor for the recipe, and are surprised at just how easy this dish is to whip up at… Read More →
Simple Stir Fry I always recommend this recipe to cooks new to Chinese cuisine. It’s not authentic, but I teach it all of the time because it schools American cooks on what is going on in your pan. Instructions Combine beef tenderloin, corn starch, rice wine, hot chile paste and soy sauce, and marinate overnight… Read More →
Cantonese Velvet Chicken and Asparagus A great recipe to practice your velveting technique. Velveting creates a slippery mouthfeel that I adore. This is one of my favorite dishes in the world. Instructions Serves 4-6 Marinate chicken overnight in beaten egg whites mixed with Chinese rice wine, kosher salt, cornstarch, and Chinese chili sauce. Heat the… Read More →
