Monday, September 16, 2024
Good afternoon!
Wait, I need some savory s’mores. [TikTok]
Last week on WNYC’s All Of It, we chatted about packing lunches.
Is this falummer? Sumall? I’m clumsily trying to find a cutesy summer-fall hybrid to represent this specific moment in my kitchen, when I’m not quite done with summer produce but it’s finally cooled down enough that I can enjoy turning on the stove and oven and… actually cooking it. This is also why September is my favorite cooking month Summer-turning-to-fall is prime harvest time, and the markets reflect it deliciously, making it easier than ever to cook meat-free.
Below, 10 perfectly seasonal vegetarian recipes for those of us who want to enjoy summer’s bounty as long as it lasts. Plus, today we're chatting with Jeremy Salamon, the chef and owner of the beloved Agi’s Counter in Brooklyn. His cookbook Second Generation: Hungarian and Jewish Classics Reimagined for the Modern Table is out tomorrow, 9/17.
Cheers!
Deb
The Smitten Kitchen Classroom Wishlist Project 2024 is going strong! In the US, a tremendous number of teachers don’t get the funding they need to set their classrooms up for success. Most will end up paying out of their own pockets to buy educational materials, which is all wrong. I’ve asked teachers to send me their wishlists in hopes that we can help clear as many as possible, as we did the last two summers. Help out if you feel you’re able — you will unquestionably make a teacher’s (and their students’) day! [Project information. Direct link to spreadsheet.]
My podcast with J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, The Recipe with Kenji and Deb, launched this spring. Our new episode, out last Monday, is all about BLTs. You can listen to it anywhere you get your podcasts, i.e. Apple, Spotify, and more.
corn coconut soup
A corn coconut soup from Top Chef winner Melissa King was a late summer hit -- it has a cozy, mellow (and vegan) base that we garnished with chile oil, crispy and pickled shallots, lime, and even more ideas in the recipe. I can't wait to see what you do with it.
caponata
A great caponata -- the kind that's like a tangy, garlicky eggplant jam -- can be prepped once and used in infinite ways but my favorite is dolloped on grainy bread over a thick slice of mozzarella, repeated as needed, which will be often.
summer's last hurrah panzanella
Classic panzanella salad is just dressed tomatoes and stale bread but as we inch towards fall, I prefer this busier version with other chunky vegetables and heartier croutons. I always wonder why we don't eat it for dinner more often.
apple and cheddar crisp salad
A peak fall apple and cheddar crisp salad in which I share three tricks to make the kind of fancy, cool, crunchy, dynamic, and gorgeous salads I can never resist on a restaurant menu at home with little fuss for so much less. I'm obsessed. [Video below!]
simple cauliflower tacos
A giant head of cauliflower reduced to a scorched, highly seasoned rubble, finished with lime, avocado, salty cheese, pickled onions, and your favorite hot sauce has been one of my favorite dinners of the last year -- I'm never not craving it, and hope you love them too.
crispy spinach pizza
Spinach leaves crisp over a small but mighty layer of cheese, a complex salty, stretchy, funky three-fer of mozzarella, pecorino, and gruyere that anchors the spinach to the crust. Don't be put off by field-of-greens appearance -- this pizza is so, so good.
herbed summer squash pasta bake
A freezer-friendly but infinitely summery (light and lemony! fresh herbs! seasonal vegetables!) pasta bake destined to become your favorite summer dish to prep and share.
black pepper tofu and eggplant
Eggplant and tofu are fantastic together in this stir-fry; the tofu holds its shape, the eggplant collapses and partly joins the sauce and the result was too dark and pretty to even bother garnishing with chiles or scallions, but you could. You’re in charge.
peach shortbread
These peach shortbread squares are ridiculously easy to make and will make you ridiculously welcome wherever you take them. Oh, and there's browned butter in there. I bet that doesn't surprise anyone.
single-crust plum and apple pie
A spectacularly September-ish pie with apples, plums and an extra thick cookie-like lid comes together in very little time, even on a Monday afternoon.
I’ve written three cookbooks and I’m a tiny bit biased, but I think you’d love them all. Wondering what you might cook from Smitten Kitchen Keepers now that school’s back in session and the leaves are changing colors? I thought you’d never ask! Try the peanut butter, oat, and jam bars, spiced sweet potato oven fries, tangy baked eggplant and couscous, and weeknight lemon chicken wings. To finish, I recommend the apple butterscotch crisp, the pumpkin snacking cake, and/or the apple cider old-fashioned. Were you looking for a list of all the recipes in each of my cookbooks? I’ve added these in a separate page and hope it makes it easier for you to find everything you want to cook.
AN INTERVIEW WITH JEREMY SALAMON
My shelves are full of wonderful cookbooks I don’t get to talk about enough, so I’ve added this section so you can get to know the cool people behind them. Today we're chatting with Jeremy Salamon, the chef and owner of Agi’s Counter in Brooklyn. His cookbook Second Generation: Hungarian and Jewish Classics Reimagined for the Modern Table is out tomorrow, 9/17.
1. What inspired your cookbook?
I felt that there was a place missing on modern cookbook shelves for a young Eastern European / Hungarian voice. Most American-Hungarian cookbooks are from the 50's, 60's & 70's. I wanted to see something fresh with a new perspective on where this cuisine could go.
2. What recipe are you the most proud of in the book, or felt the most triumphant when you got it right?
The semolina dumplings! The recipe took me months of testing to get right. I had found several different versions of this dumpling through research, my grandmother and travels. Getting them to be light and airy while also holding their structure as they cook was difficult to nail down. I was so proud of it that I ended up putting it on the menu at Agi's Counter.
3. What recipe is so low-effort, high-reward that it's worth cooking for dinner tonight, even if we're tired and don't want to cook?
Good question! The Tokaji soaked strawberries are one of my favorites. It's pretty much cut strawberries (in season is preferable), sugar, vanilla bean and Tokaji. Let it macerate so it becomes syrupy and sweet. Serve it with soft whipped cream. You could even toast up some pound cake and spoon it over the top!
4. What's something you wish more people knew about your book?
I wish more people knew that this book is intended to evolve, just like what I'm trying to achieve by putting it out. You can cook the recipes and then adapt them into your own. I scattered handwritten notes throughout the book that encourage variations of the dishes! I want these to become recipes that are personal to you and your families with your own twists.
Thank you, Jeremy! You can preorder Second Generation right here.
apple and cheddar crisp salad
shop my favorites
Ever wonder where I get my cutting boards, paring knives, offset spatulas and more than you see when I cook? I've created a page on Smitten Kitchen with links to some of my favorite kitchen items, the ones I'm asked about the most — yes, including the the Smitten Kitchen x Staub Braiser, which is back in stock! For each item, I've attempted to provide a range of shopping links so we're not just focusing on one giant retailer.
See you next week!