BRUNCH
During my childhood (in southwest Louisiana), my mom and grandmother cooked a lot of squash. Squash casserole, boiled squash, stuffed squash, lightly fried squash....White-skinned scalloped squash were prevalent in the summers, and Nanny and Mom sliced them into rounds, dipped them in an egg-milk mixture before dredging them in generously salted and peppered flour, and then frying them quickly in hot canola oil. The batter was so light, barely clinging to the delicate squash. Parmesan grated over the top was the finishing touch,
Good banana bread is really something special. But too often, it's dry, too sweet, not banana'y or a bad combination of those. This recipe, adapted from Elise Bauer's Banana Bread recipe, is the perfect blend of slightly sweet, overtly banana'y, wonderfully chocolaty and slightly whole grain.
Caramelized shallots, cabbage and tasso suspended in an egg custard and studded with goat cheese: this is just so, so good. It's rustic, full of flavor, easy to pull together and even better the next day. Great for brunch, lunch or dinner!
Another hit from Molly Wizenberg! I can't tell you how many times I've made this tart, for us, for parties, for catering gigs and for friends. It is a hit every single time and now boasts legions of fans. Scrumptious!
Potatoes, onions, cheddar cheese and bacon come together in one pot to make a hearty, flavorful, comforting meal! MoMo, the salad chef in my grandparents' restaurant, created this dish.
Have mercy, this is good. If peaches aren't in season, substitute a fruit with a similar taste profile that is.
This is an homage to my love of smoked pimentón and the ways in which Spaniards do right by potatoes!
One day, I bought some russets and boiled them up, planning to make mashed potatoes. But I realized I wasn't much in the mood for plain old mashed spuds so took a left turn. Into the mash went grated Gruyere, crumbled bacon, scallions and some buttermilk. The idea of puffs was running through my mind, so I mashed (heh!) the potato mixture into a ziploc, cut off the corner and played around with griddling these as well as baking-then-broiling them.
I have long been a serious hush puppy fan. Corn and rhubarb play nicely with each other, making these both sweet and savory and adding a surprise flavor profile to the standard hush pup.
I adapted this in a few slight ways from Ina Garten's Spinach Pie recipe. It's wonderful both ways, but I prefer my version.
There are many lovely ways to use figs; poaching them takes figs in a different direction, toward the sweet, soft, just-spiced realm. These are light and delicious, especially if you spoon them and their juices atop fresh ricotta.
Known as schiacciata con l'uva in Italian, this is a terrific, unique flatbread cooked with rosemary, grapes, pine nuts and olive oil.
This recipe, chickpea cakes topped with caramelized onions and roasted tomatoes, is an absolutely wonderful, refreshing, healthy dish from Yotam Ottolenghi.
This recipe, another Molly Wizenberg winner, results in the most delicious, gooey, not mushy spiced prunes. These are even better the next day, or the next.
These zucchini-feta cakes are one of my favorite treats. They are beautiful, delicious and can be made in advance. I rarely fry them, instead cooking them like pancakes on a hot griddle. Serve with Greek yogurt.
A good friend is moving soon, and I recently hosted a going-away dinner for her. Eggplant parm is her favorite meal, so I wanted to make a truly superlative one. After crowd-sourcing recipes and tips from trusted foodie friends, I came up with this recipe which I would absolutely, enthusiastically make again.