Wait, don’t go!
I understand the impulse, believe me. It took me thirty-some years (ahem) to come around to the idea of trying a version of saag paneer, my favorite Indian food, with tofu instead of cheese. It just seemed wrong, too ascetic, the wrong place to skimp. Saag tofu sounded worse than no saag at all. (Kale saag paneer, on the other hand, is amazing.)
Of course, you already know how this story is going to end.
There are really only two things to write about on a food blog the day after Thanksgiving. One is using up leftovers, and the other is your holiday gift guide (isn’t this one nice?). Since buying things isn’t my strong suit (except for groceries, of course, where I excel beyond all necessity), I guess I’d better give you an idea for using up some of those tuppies in the fridge.
I roasted my broccoli especially for this recipe, but I am going to give you license, as always, to substitute. Have leftover green beans, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cooked greens? Any of those would be great here. Continue reading
You guys are the best! All day today, I felt like we were all standing around in the kitchen together, chatting about how to pull off a last-minute Thanksgiving dinner. It’s easy, you reminded me. Stuff a winter squash, roast some veggies, make a soup or a good salad, put out cheese or olives. Easy is perfect. And just as perfect were the reminders that it’s not the food that makes a holiday special; it’s the excuse to gather as a family and enjoy each others’ company.
And…that’s good. Because we arrived to find our rental-with-kitchen unsavory, and decamped to a hotel suite with only a mini-bar fridge instead. So no kitchen, no Thanksgiving cooking. We’re going to have our Thanksgiving dinner this weekend instead, back in Seattle. Which I already have planned now, days in advance—I’m so uncharacteristically organized! But seriously, thank you–I am so lucky to have met so many wonderful cooks and epicures and readers and writers in this little place called the internet (interwebs?) and I’m thankful to know you all.
In celebration of life with a mini-fridge, and especially for those of you on the road this weekend, I’m sharing my favorite hotel-room breakfast today. Continue reading
I know that peanut butter is considered kid food, but I’ve never quite grown out of it. It’s a great grab-and-go snack on apple slices or crackers. It’s equally at home in cookies and in oatmeal. And I’ve long considered the PB&J the ultimate travel food (yes, even before we had kids). So I’m wondering, why don’t I use it in my savory cooking more?
What are your favorite savory peanut butter recipes? Continue reading
Sweet potato in my pie, pumpkin in my pancakes? That’s right, green vegetables are giving way to orange, as evidenced by the piles of winter squash on my counters. Luckily, orange is a very popular vegetable color around here. Especially when the vegetables come in the form of pancakes. Or pie.
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Cooking is a lot of work, wouldn’t you say? That’s why I like to let my dining companions share in the effort every chance I get. Also, interactive food is fun! Everyone enjoys rolling their own sushi. From now on, I’m always going to let dining companions shell their own favas. And serving roasted wedges of unpeeled winter squash lets each eater participate in a simple task that makes the cooking much easier for you. (I’m sure they’ll thank you for the opportunity.) 
As an long-time mostly-vegetarian, I know a thing or two about vegetarian feasting in general and the Vegetarian Thanksgiving in particular.
The rules below are mine. What are your ideas or family traditions for feeding the vegetarians on Thanksgiving? Please share your own insights—or feel free to request advice!—in the comments. Continue reading
There are a lot of things I like about seasonal produce. A summer peach, a fall persimmon, a winter tangerine, the first stalk of rhubarb: each is most perfect in its own moment.
But then there are times when I stick my fingers in my ears: “la la la la la, I’m not listening!” Like when it becomes painfully apparent that lettuce is no longer in season. Some things I just can’t survive the winter without.
This is a green salad to brighten your winter, full of lemony zing, celery crunch, and the wide-awake flavor of flat-leaf parsley. Continue reading
“Eat your vegetables.”
Those words get such a bad rap. I’d like you to let go, right now, of the nasal, nagging tone you associate with this phrase. Imagine instead, if you will, the swelling of a great horn section, Rockettes high-kicking, and this ecstatic song:
“Eat your vegetables!”
Isn’t that better? 
Hopefully it will be just as easy for you to part with any lukewarm thoughts you’ve ever had about Brussels Sprouts. Because once you’ve roasted them, you’ll never want them any other way. (Well, except maybe raw in this awesome salad.) Roasting does this special thing to Brussels sprouts where the outer leaves get crisp and salty and the inside becomes sweet and nutty, and all it takes to reach Brussels sprout perfection is is one simple secret….
After nearly a year of daily posts, usually dashed off in the moments before midnight, I took a day off yesterday. It was for a good reason, one that many of you will remember or understand: after a few sleepless nights in a row, I fell asleep snuggling my one-year-old at 7 p.m. A rare indulgence. Delicious.
And so today I really should be giving you some menu suggestions for the week, which I skipped over yesterday, but I can’t focus on that right now (see below). Because Allison told me to make this salad tonight, and it was so good that I have to tell you. Right now. Even though it’s hours past my new 7:00 bedtime.
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Emmy Cooks 