Monday, April 3, 2022
Good morning!
I’m minorly obsessed with this TikTok account. This too. And TikTok definitely made me buy these oranges from Trader Joe’s (but inadequately warned me about the price tag!).
The Case for Induction Cooking (NYT, an unlocked article)
I don’t know about the rest of you, but last week was too busy and then disappeared before I was done with it. This newsletter might seem equally brief (for me) but my head is in cluttered space roughly defined by cookbook edits (211 days until it comes out!), the five new recipes I’m in the middle of for the site (all so close; none yet perfect, sigh), Passover planning (I think I want to make a leg of lamb; related: I have never made a leg of lamb before), why on earth I decided to spend my Sunday cleaning up my spice rack (no matter how civilized it looks now), oh, and also taxes, which I should probably get started on. Doing my taxes always leaves me feeling a bit broke. Compounded with the pinch most of us are feeling at the gas pump and in the prices of [waves hands in the air] everything these days, it can never hurt to re-familiarize ourselves with a few recipes that are fairly budget-minded while tasting amazing. A few of my favorites, below.
Cheers,
Deb
smashed chickpea salad
This salad is a forever site (and Deb lunch) favorite, just lightly crushed chickpeas with minced red onion, parsley, lemon juice and zest, enriched with olive oil. It's great straight from the bowl but possibly even better on a slice of toast atop a layer of tahini dressing. (Instructions for all of the above and then some more ideas in the recipe.)
spaghetti pangrattato with crispy eggs
One of my favorite things to make when I think I don't want to cook: spaghetti tangled with intensely seasoned crunchy breadcrumbs and a broken crispy fried egg comes together as a quick, perfect bowl of undiluted comfort.
oven-braised beef with tomatoes and garlic
This three-ingredient cult classic from the late Gourmet is worth all the hype. Less than 15 minutes prep time yields a meltingly tender braise and days of gorgeous leftovers that will make your whole week more delicious.
shakshuka
I bet it's been way too long since you last had eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce, showered with feta and parsley, and there’s no time like 20 minutes before dinner to fix it.
stuck-pot rice with lentils and yogurt
Cooking your rice until it sticks to the pot (something I was already an expert in) is raised here to an art form, because the crunchy bits are the best bits. Lentils, caramelized onions, cumin, yogurt and lemon juice give it a mujardarra vibe and make it too delicious to share.
homemade pop tarts
Pop tarts are basically breakfast pies, right? This homemade version has a buttery, flaky, no-toaster-required-to-soften-it transcendence the grocery store aisle version can only dream about -- oh, and you can fill them with Nutella, not that we'd be into a thing like that.
the ‘i want chocolate cake’ cake
What emerged from a pregnancy craving — a need for chocolate cake and nothing else would do — turned out to be a forever recipe. This is the easiest party cake in the world.
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. I hope you find it helpful! Let me know if there’s anything I’ve left off that you need.