Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 4 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1-2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup shredded carrots (~2 medium)
• 12 oz. fresh spinach
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced

Preparation

In a small, non-stick pan, toast the sesame seeds over medium heat until caramel-colored, stirring frequently. Let cool. In a small bowl, combine the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar and set aside. Heat a pan over medium heat. Add the vegetable oil and saute the garlic for 1 minute. Add carrots and cook for another minute. Then add the spinach a little at a time until wilted. (Don’t overcook the vegetables.) Let cool for 2 minutes. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables and toss. Add green onions and sesame seeds. Serve over rice.

Penzey’s

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon white rice
• 8 ounces skirt or flank steak, leftover or raw
• 6 cups torn salad greens (mixed is nice)
• 1 cup torn fresh herb leaves (mint, cilantro, Thai basil or a combination)
• 1/4 cup minced red onion
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled if skin is tough, cut in half lengthwise, seeded and diced
• 1 small fresh hot red chili, like Thai, or to taste, minced
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Preparation

Heat paprika and cayenne in 8-inch skillet over medium heat; cook, shaking pan, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to small bowl. Return now-empty skillet to medium-high heat, add rice, and toast, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to second small bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Grind rice with spice grinder, mini food processor, or mortar and pestle until it resembles fine meal, 10 to 30 seconds (you should have about 1 tablespoon rice powder).

If you are starting with raw meat, start a gas or charcoal grill or heat a broiler; rack should be about 4 inches from heat source. Grill or broil beef until medium rare, turning once or twice, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness; set it aside to cool.

Toss greens with herbs, onion and cucumber. In a bowl, combine all remaining ingredients with 1 tablespoon water and 1/4 tsp. paprika mixture; dressing will be thin. Use half of this mixture to toss with greens. Remove greens to a platter.

Slice beef thinly, reserving its juice; combine juice with remaining dressing and half of the rice powder. Lay slices of beef over salad, drizzle remaining dressing over all, and serve with the rest of the rice powder and paprika.

Serves 4

The New York Times

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 c sugar
• 3/4 c butter
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 c water
• 1/2 c unblanched almonds (optional)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 c nuts

Preparation

Bring to a boil the first 5 ingredients. Heat to 290 F (or until the mixture turns golden brown), stirring constantly. Take off heat and stir in baking soda. Pour into a greased 9 x 15 jelly roll pan and spread out. Melt chocolate, then pour over the candy and put the nuts on top. Allow to cool overnight (in the refrigerator or outside if desired). Break into pieces. Make about 1 1/2 pounds.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds chicken wings (12 to 14)
• 1 onion
• a 1 1/2-inch piece peeled fresh ginger root
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (preferably Kikkoman)
• 1 tbsp. medium-dry Sherry
• 1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 6 cups vegetable oil

Preparation

Cut off wing tips, reserving for another use, and halve wings at joint. Coarsely chop onion and finely chop ginger root. In a large sealable plastic bag combine onion, ginger root, soy sauce, Sherry, five-spice powder, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add wings and seal bag, pressing out excess air. Turn bag until wings are completely coated. Marinate chicken wings in bag in a large bowl, chilled, turning bag once, 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Transfer wings and marinade to a roasting pan or large shallow baking pan and bake, covered with foil, in middle of oven 1 hour. Cool wings until they can be handled and drain in a colander, discarding marinade. Wings may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Reduce temperature to 250°F.

In a small serving bowl combine remaining 2 tablespoons salt and pepper. Put cornstarch in a small bowl and dredge each wing, knocking off excess cornstarch and transferring to a shallow pan. In a 5- to 6-quart heavy kettle heat oil until a deep-fat thermometer registers 370°F. Working in batches of 6 or 7, fry wings in oil until golden brown, about 3 minutes, and with a slotted spoon transfer to paper towels to drain. Keep wings warm on a baking sheet in oven. Fry remaining wings in same manner, returning oil to 370°F. between batches.

Serve wings with salt and pepper mixture.

Serves 6 as an appetizer; 4 as a main course.

Gourmet, July 1999

Ingredients

• Grated zest of 1 large lemon
• 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup pearled or semi-pearled farro, cooked according to the package directions, then cooled (about 3 cups cooked)
• 1 3/4 cups cooked or canned no-salt-added chickpeas (if using canned, drain and rinse)
• 6 1/2 to 7 ounces canned, oil-packed light tuna, flaked (may substitute water-packed light tuna)
• 4 ounces sweet onion, such as Maui, Vidalia or Walla Walla, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup chopped, loosely packed parsley

Preparation

Whisk together the lemon zest and juice and the oil in a small bowl to form an emulsified dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Combine the cooled farro, chickpeas, tuna, onion, parsley and the lemon dressing in a large bowl. Toss to incorporate. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. For the best flavor, refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Serves 6-8.

Stephanie Witt Sedgwick, Washington Post, April 3, 2013

Ingredients

Spicy Afghan Green Sauce

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 1/2 to 1 jalapeño, depending on how spicy you want your sauce
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons seasoned salt
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar

Meatballs

• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds [you can substitute garam masala for the spice blend]
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• Seeds from 4 cardamom pods
• Seeds from 2 star anise
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 3 tablespoons seasoned salt
• 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 4 to 5 pounds ground lamb
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons peeled, finely chopped fresh ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch fresh mint, chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 cup cooked spinach, chopped

Preparation

Make the Spicy Afghan Green Sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. This can be done 1 to 3 days in advance. It is best to make the sauce at least 1 day in advance to give the flavors time to blend.

Preheat a grill to about 375°F for direct cooking.

Make the meatballs: Place the cumin, coriander, cardamom seeds, and star anise in a small skillet over medium heat and toast until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool, then grind in a spice or coffee grinder. Add the turmeric, seasoned salt, black pepper, cinnamon, and cayenne and mix well.

Place the ground lamb in a large bowl. Add the spices along with the onion, ginger, garlic, mint, feta, and spinach and mix well, but do not overmix as this will result in a tough texture. Form the mixture into meatballs 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

Place the meatballs on the grill grate and cook for about 14 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F on a meat thermometer, rotating the meatballs frequently to ensure that they caramelize evenly.

Serves 10-12.

Ardie A. Davis and Paul Kirk, Epicurious, May 2013

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce [don’t worry, it won’t get too hot]
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 12 chicken pieces (breasts, thighs and drumsticks) with skin and bones
• 1 cup dry unseasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Preparation

Whisk buttermilk, oil, hot pepper sauce, mustard, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in large bowl to blend well. Add onion, then chicken and turn to coat. Cover; chill at least 3 hours or up to 1 day, turning chicken occasionally.

Place racks on 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Whisk breadcrumbs, cheese, flour, thyme, paprika, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt in large baking dish to blend. Remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Add chicken to breadcrumb mixture and turn to coat completely. Arrange chicken, skin side up, on racks on baking sheets. Let stand 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Drizzle butter over chicken. Bake until crisp, golden and cooked through, about 50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6.

Bon Appetit, June 2000

Ingredients

• 2 dashes absinthe
• 1 ounce dry vermouth
• 2 ounces gin
• 1 mint leaf

Preparation

Shake liquid ingredients well with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with mint leaf.

Rosie Schapp, New York Times

Ingredients

• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 7 ounces unsweetened coconut shavings (about 4 cups)

Preparation

Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 325°F. Whisk egg whites and sugar in a large bowl just until frothy. Whisk in lime zest and salt. Add coconut and fold to coat.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of coconut mixture onto 2 parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheets. Bake, rotating pans halfway through from top to bottom and back to front, until golden brown, 18-22 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets.

Bon Appetit, March 2013

Ingredients

Pastry

• 1/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 6 to 8 tablespoons very cold water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Filling

• 6 ounces fresh lobster or langostino meat, cooked, shelled and roughly chopped (or saltwater or fresh water crayfish)
• 1/2 cup alioli or homemade mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon tomato purée
• 1 tablespoon cognac
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup finely chopped scallions, including green part
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 to 3 hard-boiled eggs, cut lengthwise into 8 pieces
• 16 to 20 pimiento-stuffed green olives
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons water

Preparation

Pastry Directions

Using a fork, combine the butter and cream cheese. Sift the flour over the mixture. Add baking powder, cumin, vinegar, and water and combine with a fork. Flour hands generously and work the dough until it becomes a smooth, elastic ball, 3 to 4 minutes. Flour both the work surface and rolling pin. Roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thick and cut it into 6-inch circles for main course-sized empanadas. For appetizer-sized empanaditas, cut the dough into 3-inch circles. Cover the pastries with a lightly floured towel until you are ready to fill them.

Filling Directions

Combine the lobster, mayonnaise, tomato purée, cognac, mustard, scallions, salt, and pepper and mix thoroughly. Set the filling aside and keep it cool until you are ready to fill the empanadas.

Assembly Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Oil a large cookie sheet or line it with Silpat. Spoon the filling in the center of the pastry circles — about 2 tablespoons of filling for each main course empanada or 1 heaping teaspoon for empanaditas. Stuff an egg slice and 1 or 2 olives in the filling and fold the dough over the filling forming a half-moon. Beat the egg with the water to make a glaze. Moisten the open edges with the glaze and crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers to seal.

Place the empanadas on the cookie sheet and brush the top of each with the glaze. Bake them for 20 minutes, turn the heat down to 350°F and continue baking for about 5 minutes more or until the empanadas are golden. When the empanadas are done, remove them from the oven and cool them on racks for several minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

To freeze and reheat, place frozen cooked empanadas in a preheated 350°F oven for approximately 20 minutes.

Shirley Lomax Brooks, Epicurious