Category

tomatoes

  • Sweet and Sour Tofu with Corn and Tomatoes

    Sweet and Sour Tofu with Corn and Tomatoes

    I’m old enough to remember when “tofu” used to be a dirty word; like in an eighties movie where the bad guy in a bandana says about the hero, “He probably eats tofu.”

  • Roasted Halibut with Burst Cherry Tomatoes and Salsa Verde

    Roasted Halibut with Burst Cherry Tomatoes and Salsa Verde

    When I’m cooking for a group, fish is probably the last thing I’ll usually make. Unlike chili or a stew or a sheet pan pizza, fish is fussy: overcook it, and you’ve ruined it. Plus fish is expensive: if you’re cooking for six people and you buy six salmon filets, you’re out at least fifty…

  • Greek Stuffed Peppers

    Greek Stuffed Peppers

    My podcast is having an effect on me. I had Jenni Konner on my second episode and she talked all about letting people into her kitchen during a dinner party, giving people tasks, sharing responsibilities. That’s the total opposite of what I normally do; normally, I get everything done hours ahead then just warm everything…

  • A Monday Night Picnic

    A Monday Night Picnic

    I’m very suspicious of tomatoes. Even in July, I raise an eyebrow when I see a beautiful heirloom: “Nice try,” I’ll say. “But we all know you’re not at your best until August at the earliest, most likely September.” But yesterday I journeyed to Cookbook in Echo Park (you’ll be hearing about that place a…

  • Fun with Chiles

    Fun with Chiles

    This will shock none of you, especially if you know me in real life, but I’m something of a wimp. Roller coasters? Terrifying. Horror movies? As if. (Though I do love Rosemary’s Baby, but mostly for Ruth Gordon). And, in the culinary department, I’ve been avoiding chiles for most of my adult life. Sure, I…

  • Pappa al Pomodoro (Or: How To Eat Tomato Sauce and Bread For Dinner)

    Pappa al Pomodoro (Or: How To Eat Tomato Sauce and Bread For Dinner)

    I’ve been really into tomatoes this summer. Every Sunday I’ve been going to the Atwater Village Farmer’s Market, buying some juicy heirlooms, and using them in sandwiches, salads, tomato baths, you get the idea. You might think that now that August is over, tomato season is on the way out… but you’d be wrong! Most…

  • With A Little Help From Your Cheesemonger

    With A Little Help From Your Cheesemonger

    This is Molly. She works at The Cheese Store of Silverlake, one of my favorite places to shop before a dinner party, and recently I decided to go in without an agenda. “Look Molly,” I said, “usually I come in here with a recipe and then just get the stuff I need, but this time…

  • Leftover Panzanella Cake with a Fried Egg

    Leftover Panzanella Cake with a Fried Egg

    Resourcefulness is a quality that emerges gradually as you get more comfortable in the kitchen. At first, you might make a panzanella salad–with big chunks of toasted bread, heirloom tomatoes, garlic, a little anchovy, some basil, olive oil, and red wine vinegar–eat most of it and then throw the rest away because panzanella doesn’t really…

  • Scrambled Eggs with Sausage, Tomatoes, & Pecorino

    Scrambled Eggs with Sausage, Tomatoes, & Pecorino

    My grandfather, who celebrated his birthday this week (Happy Birthday, Grandpa!), reads my blog on his Kindle only he can’t see anything past the jump. (We’ve tried to fix it; can’t figure it out.) So as a birthday treat for him, here’s a whole post in one paragraph. It’s a recipe I came up with…

  • Lamb Merguez with Eggplant Jam and green Olives

    Lamb Merguez with Eggplant Jam and green Olives

    Sometimes you make dinner, and everyone nods in approval, eating pleasantly and saying, “This is very good. Nice job.” That’s most of the time. Then, every so often, you make a dinner that has people piping up a bit more enthusiastically. “Ooooh this is delicious,” they say. “Where did you get the recipe?” But only…