Pot Roast 101 Pot roast is in heavy rotation at my house during the winter months. There is no better comfort food than wine-braised beef with heavily caramelized vegetables and a pile of potatoes. Follow along as I walk through the process of making perfect pot roast, from properly browning and braising the meat to… Read More →
The Best Way to Welcome the New Year New Year’s Day is for taking a deep breath after a few weeks of holiday celebrations, lazing on the couch with the family, and naturally, eating lots of good food. Here are a few easy brunch ideas to start your new year off right (and combat that… Read More →
My Best Hanukkah Recipes The Festival of Lights refers to a lamp in the temple that had only enough oil to last the Maccabees one night but instead lasted for eight. The holiday celebrates the miracle of the oil, so fried foods are the perfect Hanukkah metaphor. If you’re sick of latkes and donuts, think… Read More →
Rajasthani Bhindi Masala By Shane Mitchell I have never been a fan of okra. But this version, served at the height of the harvest season in Rajasthan by a talented Brahmin cook named GSN Bhargava, changed that. Fresh okra makes all the difference, especially when sautéed quickly, rather than stewed until glutinous, which is the… Read More →
Roasted, fried, grilled, stuffed, smoked or braised—which turkey cooking technique will you choose? There are many options when it comes to preparing your Thanksgiving centerpiece. For the traditionalist, check out my tips for brining and roasting a whole turkey in the oven. Those with only a few mouths to feed should try a stuffed turkey breast.… Read More →
15 Recipes for Thanksgiving Side Dishes Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it’s a celebration of food and family, and it’s not centered on gift-giving. It’s about our cultural demonstrations of thanks, expressed by a delicious meal… followed by football. Here are a few of my favorite from-scratch Thanksgiving side dishes. I love… Read More →
Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Pickled Mustard Seeds By Naomi Pomeroy I always liked cooking Brussels sprouts at my old communal dining space, Family Supper, because I love to get people excited about things they think they don’t like. A certain generation of people (mine included) grew up with a poor impression of sprouts based on… Read More →
Potato Dumplings with Parsley & Chives By Naomi Pomeroy I wanted to include a dumpling recipe in this book because dumplings are a versatile, easy comfort-food dish to make year-round. I did a lot of research, testing dozens of traditional dumpling recipes, but none of them were quite right. Eventually, I settled on this simple… Read More →
15 Crowd-Pleasing Recipes for Football Season Few things excite me more than the prospect of a lazy Sunday spent hanging out with friends and family eating football couch chow. I love cooking for a crowd, rolling out different finger foods, hearty soups and snacks throughout the day. Here are some of my go-to recipes for… Read More →
Za’atar Spiced Almonds By Ana Sortun & Maura Kilpatrick These boldly spiced sliced almonds are used in a couple of different recipes in Soframiz: Vibrant Middle Eastern Recipes from Sofra Bakery & Cafe. I love to snack on them. The spice and saltiness is addictive but they also make a great accompaniment to a cheese plate.
The Taste of Autumn For me, the first squash of fall ranks right up there with the first berries of summer or the first braise of winter. I find the flavor of winter squash infinitely more complex than its summertime cousins, such as zucchini. Hard squash are as versatile as they are varied—look for kabocha,… Read More →
Valencian-Style Chicken Paella By Katie Button This is my take on the classic Valencian-style paella that combines rabbit or chicken with snails and beans. I love the creaminess of giant lima beans, especially the ones from Rancho Gordo, a bean company in Northern California. Their earthy sweetness pairs so well with the savory seared chicken… Read More →
Soup Recipes from Across the Globe I love the convenience, simplicity and versatility of a one-pot meal. Need to use up last week’s vegetables? Make soup. Coming down with a cold? Matzoh ball soup cures everything. Feeding a crowd? Whip up a big pot of chili. There’s a soup for every occasion in every culture across the globe.… Read More →
Coconut Cauliflower Soup with Ginger & Turmeric By Rebecca Katz Roasting cauliflower brings out the vegetable’s natural sweetness and creates a beautiful golden brown color that delights the eyes as much as the taste buds. Add Thai coconut and the taste is divine! Recipe from Clean Soups by Rebecca Katz.
Classic Roast Chicken By Jacques Pepin The classic way to cook chicken is still the simplest and best. Roasting the bird at high temperature crisps the skin as it protects the flesh, keeping it moist. And roasting the chicken on its side helps the legs, which usually take longer than the breast, cook faster, and… Read More →
A Holiday Tradition By Andrew Zimmern A traditional casserole made with egg noodles or potatoes, kugel is a mainstay of the Jewish holiday menu. There are hundreds of variations to the dish, and if you grew up eating it you’d probably bet on the fact that your family’s recipe was the only one worth eating—and… Read More →
Exploring Indian Cuisine in Your Own Kitchen Insanely complex and varied, Indian food is one of my favorites. And while it can be intimidating for the home cook, these recipes are a cinch once your pantry is stocked with the right spices. From classic saag paneer to a fast weeknight vegetable curry, here are 8 Indian… Read More →
Saag Paneer By Andrew Zimmern This classic dish of spinach and paneer is one of my favorites from the Indian repertoire. Paneer is a mild Indian farmers’ cheese that softens when heated but doesn’t melt. It takes on flavors really well. It’s fun and easy to make at home, but you can also use store-bought… Read More →
Back-To-School Recipes It’s September, the kids are in school and it’s time to get back into the routine of family dinners. If you’re looking for inspiration this fall, here are a few mainstays at the Zimmern household. I’ll admit, these are not all 30-minute recipes and some may take planning ahead. But, they’re all fairly… Read More →
You don’t have to battle the throngs of fairgoers to indulge in french fries and turkey legs. It’s no secret that I’m obsessed with the State Fair. I mean, 12 days of munching on the ultimate comfort foods—foot longs, turkey legs, french fries, pie—what’s not to love? Here are 10 crowd-pleasing, State Fair-inspired recipes to make at home any… Read More →
Forget Takeout, Make Thai Food at Home The stunning complexity of Thai cuisine, studded at brief intervals with simple, elegant dishes, makes it one of the world’s most popular cuisines. Hot, sour, salty and sweet, the flavors of Thailand are truly addictive. Most of these recipes are easier than you’d think, but if you’re looking… Read More →
Tomato Flavor Bombs By Andrew Zimmern Here’s one irresistible way to use up and preserve that bucket of tomatoes you bought at the farmers’ market last weekend. Roasting the tomatoes at a low temp for several hours intensifies the flavor. Put these oven-dried tomatoes in salads or sautés; puree for homemade tomato paste and sauces;… Read More →
15 Recipes for Summer’s Tomatoes From the teensiest of cherry tomatoes to giant beefsteaks and gorgeous heirloom varietals, now is the time to fill up on real tomatoes—you know, the ones with actual flavor, from your garden or the farmers market, the kind that’ve never been refrigerated. When tomatoes are at their peak, my favorite… Read More →
Nothing beats simple, homemade pesto in the summer. Most recipes for traditional basil pesto call for pine nuts, but I’m here to make the case for pumpkin seeds. I fell in love with pumpkin seeds (pepitas) after visiting Mexico, where seeds and nuts are used in a variety of recipes, from salsas to desserts. I… Read More →
Embrace the Transformative Power of Travel In my new series Andrew Zimmern’s Driven by Food, I discover the street behind Main street, the off-the-grid dive and the unexpected with a local guide—from a rickshaw driver in Hyderabad to a Nashville cab driver who knows all the hidden gems in Music City. Together, we’re exploring food and culture from a whole new perspective.… Read More →
I am obsessed with cucumbers. I juice them, eat them raw, salted, pickled, fermented, sliced in salad and pressed into lemonade. I core cucumbers, stuff with a Chinese pork forcemeat and steam them. I even wok sear them for 10 seconds, refrigerate them and then serve ice cold with hot chili sesame oil and ginger.… Read More →
Tips & Recipes for the Best Grilled Seafood Grilling seafood is one of the most delicious ways to eat what comes out of the water, but it’s like kissing a porcupine, it has to be done very, very carefully. Technique is everything. Here are a few tips for success: • Use grill baskets and nonstick perforated… Read More →
Blueberry Pie with Lattice Crust By Andrew Zimmern Flavored with orange zest and cardamom, this pie is a great use for summer’s plump, juicy blueberries. As far as pie fillings go, this one is pretty easy—no pitting, peeling or slicing required.
Dashi-Braised Chicken Thighs By Jennifer McGruther From time to time, my family sits down to a dinner of these chicken thighs, slowly braised in dashi, sprinkled with green onions and sesame seeds and served with bowls of steamed rice and vegetables. Chicken thighs benefit from the long, slow process of braising that cooks them to a… Read More →
Refreshing Cucumber Salad with Peanuts & Cilantro By Andrew Zimmern This classic, sweet-and-sour Thai-style cucumber salad is the perfect warm-weather side dish.
