Monday, April 18, 2022
Good morning!
Five new cookbooks I’m enjoying: Korean American, Salad Freak, I Dream of Dinner, That Noodle Life, and Snacks for Dinner (out this week from this guy!).
Three delicious TikToks: Fattoush, a great-grandson’s birthday cake, chile rellenos burritos
I am here for the calzone’s comeback. [Taste] [My go-to is the Eggplant and Three Cheese Calzone in The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook]
This past weekend was both the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover and Good Friday and Easter which means I’ve been seeing photos of your tables spread with flowers and spring vegetables and eggs and colorful cakes and I absolutely love this booming, blooming moment each year. Outside, the trees are exploding with pink and white petals, dropping confetti on the sidewalks, and nobody appreciates it more than those of us who were ankles-deep in slush not too long ago. This week, I’m sharing a few recipe suggestions below that feel as colorful as it is outside. Most will also work for those who are keeping Passover. We’re about to head out of town for the kids’ spring break and although I will be working on the final edits for the my cookbook out this fall, I’ll be doing it from a pool and beach, lucky me. Soon after I return, I’ll have a book cover (!!) and more to share with you about it and I can’t wait. I hope you have a wonderful week.
Cheers,
Deb
chicken liver pâté
Aspiring to be the most divisive recipe on Smitten Kitchen, I spill all of my chicken liver secrets for all five of you who haven't run screaming from the room at the mention of offal. Everyone who is left is in for a treat -- a thoroughly Seder- and party-tested version that I think gets everything right.
asparagus and egg salad with walnuts and mint
This is my favorite asparagus salad: fresh, green, crunchy, and bright. I add chopped medium-cooked eggs and eat it on toast, on matzo, or right out of the bowl. Repeat again tomorrow, or for as long as good asparagus lasts.
spiced cauliflower and potatoes (aloo gobi)
Aloo gobi (spiced potatoes and cauliflower) is one of my favorite vegetables dishes, here with extra char from a sheet pan then finished on the stove. It comes out perfectly every time. (Trust me, I've been making it for 15 years.)
sausage and potato roast with arugula
A simple but exceptional sausage and potato roast that gets a lift two ways: the abundance of shallots that roast until they’re dark and sweet, and a great heap of arugula at the end, meaning that this dish is protein, starch and salad at once -- hooray.
japanese vegetable pancakes
These adaptation of okonomiyaki are heavy on vegetables, light on batter, charred at the edges and tender in the center. We like them with a tangy barbecue-like sauce and toasted sesame seeds. They're always gone too fast so you should make double.
classic cobb salad
A surprising win in the Dinners For Everyone category, a classic cobb lets everyone assemble at my table assemble their salads exactly the way they want it. Plus: bacon. (Everyone agrees on this.)
vanilla roasted pears
Butter, lemon, vanilla and sugar help these pears self-caramelize in a roasting dish. Then, you serve them and their deliriously good pan syrup over ice cream, cake, or yogurt. It’s such a treat.
new classic wedding cake + a how-to
Have you ever wanted to make a wedding cake from scratch? I've done it three times and while I'd never choose a favorite friend, I will definitely tell you that this cake is my favorite: plush brown butter cake layers, salted caramel filling, and a vanilla bean whipped custard frosting that could alone steal the show, if it wasn't finished with a buttercream flower garden (made with a single bowl and pastry bag). The recipe is written for a 9-inch cake, perfect for your smaller party or birthday needs, with instructions on how to scale it. Don't miss it.
latkes
At the Smitten Kitchen, latkes are never limited to a single season. Crispy, salty potato pancakes are, we think, the best place to rest a fried egg, or even cook extra tiny and finish with a dollop crème fraîche and caviar or smoked salmon for a little spring party. You deserve it.
I’ve written two cookbooks and a third is on its way for this fall! I can’t wait to share it with you.
shop my favorites
Ever wondered where I got my cutting boards, peeler, whisk, or favorite baking dish? 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. For each item, I've attempted to provide a range of shopping links so we're not just focusing on one giant retailer. Let me know if there’s anything I’ve left off that you’re on the hunt for.