recipes

Miracle of Transformation: An Easy Way to LactoFerment Foods at Home

Having tried and failed with my own lacto-fermentation rig, I found a tool and two books that made for satisfying success in my fermentation experiments.

Secrets of a Divine Egg Salad Sandwich from Harlem’s Premiere Caterer

Although I cooked professionally for decades, I somehow never got how great an egg salad sandwich could be I tasted Amuse Bouche’s AND learned their secrets…

the thrills and miracles of ‘mystery’ wine dinner parties

It’s exciting to open mystery wines that promised to be great once but have languished so long, it’s impossible to know if there’s something delicious inside. When one proves to be lovely, it’s like a little miracles has arrived.

Foolproof Slow-Roasted Salmon: a Food 52 Genius Recipe + 5-Ingredient and Under Wonder

My go-to strategy for salmon, to make or to teach, is to slow-roast it accompanied by a simple sauce that I can make ahead. I’m thriled that Food52 considers it Genius…

Ode to Tomatoes, for the Last Days of Summer (Neruda with Recipes)

Every September, aware that the last moments of perfect summer tomatoes are imminent, I prepare them these simple ways in of advance winter, and remember Neruda’s lovely ode.

A Sicilian Cook’s Perfect Tomato Salad

The most perfect tomato salad I’ve ever had was made by wine writer Anthony Giglio following the formula of Lucia Lo Presti, his Sicilian mama-on-law. Here’s her formula.

A Guide to Eating As Many Flowers as Possible

“One of my life’s quests has been to eat as many flowers as possible” wrote Dina Falconi in her wonderful book. Then she showed us how…

The Metaphysics of Mayo + Fast, Delish Ways to Transform Storebought

Poet, critic and theorist Fred Moten’s insights into the true nature of mayonnaise got me thinking about my favorite ways to jazz up storebought Mayo

Wild Green Butters of Spring: Ramp, Nettle, Spring Onion

One of the best ways to capture the flavors of ramps, nettles and spring onions is to blend them into good butter that you can eat on all manner of foods and freeze to have on hand. Here are two methods.

Cure for Bed Heads: Our Stripped Down Version of The Cuban Table’s Sublime El Pecado (Layered Coffee)

The Cuban Table’s recipe for el pecado, which layers three kinds of milk with strong Cuban coffee, is so compelling, we’re going to make it this weekend…

Parsnip Fries with Cocktails: Sublime!

In early spring, when it’s still cool enough to blast the oven, I make big batches of crisp, chewy, caramelized, amazingly satisfying parsnip fries.

Makeshift Mortars and Pestles Make Sublime Walnut Pesto (and Other Delicious Things)

Although a real mortar and pestle is a lovely tool to have, you can achieve their rounded flavors and elemental textures with makeshift ones. Take this Walnut Pesto, for example…

How to Roast a Frozen Chicken (It’s Terrific)

Although I love roast chicken, I don’t always plan the defrosting part far enough in advance. Could I roast a chicken frozen? I wondered. So I tried it.

Annals of Personal Hungers: Nori ‘Bread’ and Butter

No doubt it was my hunger for buttered toast that caused me to spread really good butter on a sheet of nori seaweed. That surprising combination has become another thing I hunger for

Homemade Lemon-Scented Olive Oil For Bright, Summery Flavor Anytime

Casting about for foods that could sparkle things up and remind me of warm places and summer, I remembered my simple Lemon Olive Oil recipe. YES, that’s what I need, to use and give as gifts.

Salt-Roasted Root Vegetables: Potatoes, Shallots, Sunchokes and Others

One of my favorite ways to cook small, whole firm root vegetables is to bury them in Kosher salt and roast them. It yields an extraordinarily pure flavor.

Emergency Ginger Scallion Sauce for Everything

When I am stressed or blue or just plain tired, I turn to the smallish jar I keep in my fridge of ginger scallion …sauce…condiment…elixir…potion…

Simple Best: Brown Sugar Lightning Cake

About the simplest and best cake recipe I learned in my long cooking career is “lightning cake”: eggy, tender and fragrant with a fine texture that belies its ease. Recently a reader shouted out: “Hey Sally, why don’t you post the Brown Sugar Lightening Cake on Improvised Life?”, so here it is.

Charred, Hot-Roasted Peppers with Pimenton de la Vera

As I get older, my cooking gets simpler. I find myself creating short cuts and innovations on recipes I created years ago, as a way to feed myself and friends more easily. Hankering for the flavors of smoky piquillo peppers I used to love in Spain, I hot roast sliced peppers dusted with smoky paprika…

Classic Chicken Liver Pate + An Artfully Lightened Version after Michel Guerard

My Classic Liver Pate, deeply enriched with butter, cream and cognac, makes a divine and satisfying appetizer or hors d’oeuvre. For those that don’t want such richness, I came up with a lightened version achieve with the same luxurious effect.

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