Books
I know it’s not officially summer yet, but it sure feels like it. To that end (and for the sake of trying to get as many people outside grilling as possible) I just lowered the price of my new Kindle Single (Bittman’s Kitchen, What I Grill and Why) to 99 cents, where it will stay from now until the end of summer. Happy grilling!
By Freya Bellin
If you’re looking for a way to break the heat this summer, a granita just may be the answer. The beauty of a granita is that it’s sort of a shaved ice/slushie hybrid. It crackles into crunchy, icy layers that can be eaten with a spoon, or melted a little and slurped through a straw. It’s incredibly refreshing, easy to make, and will definitely cool you down. The granita melts quickly, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing – you’ll just end up with some sweet iced tea at the bottom. There are endless combinations of ingredients for flavorings – you could skip the tea and just use lemon and mint, or you could add some berries to the steeping step, or serve it with fresh berries. Regardless, this is sure to be a new summer favorite. Recipe from The Food Matters Cookbook.
Makes: About 4 servings
Time: About 40 minutes
Use the same water for the broccoli as you do for the pasta to save cleaning a pot and to make things go a bit faster. Olive oil is not just a cooking medium here but also one of the main flavors. So, in addition to the 1/4 cup used to cook the garlic, I add some to taste at the end, usually a teaspoon or so per serving. Recipe from How to Cook Everything.
By Freya Bellin
Fresh leafy greens are among spring’s treasures. Arugula, mustard greens, and spinach all abound at the farmers market these days, and there’s no better way to honor these flavorful greens than with a simple salad.
Summer fruits like raspberries and strawberries are great salad ingredients, but while we’re still waiting for berries and stone fruit to grace us with their presence, you can use apples and pears or dried fruits for this salad. I tossed red mustard greens with thinly sliced apples and chopped dried dates. The combination was sweet, spicy, and quite refreshing. Try the cheese and nut variation if you’re looking for a bit more heft. Recipe from The Food Matters Cookbook.
Memorial Day weekend is famous for BBQs and sales. I figured I’d make things easy on myself this year and just combine the two. My new Kindle Single, Bittman’s Kitchen: What I Grill and Why, is now only $1.99 (used to be $2.99.) It’s a collection of my very best grilling recipes; sort of like a roadmap for how to eat your way from Memorial Day to Labor Day. I can almost smell that charcoal now. . .
Makes: 4 servings
Time: 40 minutes
Cool, crunchy, and chewy, this is a perfect summer salad, and quickly made with pearled barley, which cooks relatively fast. Other grains you can use: brown rice, wheat berries, cracked wheat, pearl couscous, or wild rice. Recipe from How to Cook Everything.
I just released my first (and apparently the first) food-related Kindle single. It’s called Bittman’s Kitchen: What I Grill and Why, and it costs $2.99 (is it just me, or are “books” getting cheaper?). This one is a compilation of my very favorite grilling recipes, the ridiculously easy, remarkably delicious dishes that I cook over and over again (because I’m too lazy, and they’re too good). I’ve written short essays to go along with each recipe, and included some indispensable grilling tips like how to stock a griller’s pantry and how to master doneness (not necessarily a no-brainer). So polish those tongs, stock up on charcoal (or propane), and happy grilling!
By Freya Bellin
As someone with a lot of experience eating frozen veggie burgers, I can promise that making burgers from scratch is infinitely more delicious. These patties are meant to be appetizer-sized finger foods, but I made a couple monstrous ones to serve on rolls as veggie burgers instead. Or you could still make mini patties and serve them as sliders. Either way, these are great. You must be patient cooking them, and allow each side to really crisp up. This will help them stay together better when flipped, plus the crunchy outside is a nice texture contrast. Amazingly, the starch from the bulgur thickens up the mixture and acts as a paste to hold the ingredients together: no cheese or starch needed.
Skordalia, the dip that accompanies the patties, may be my new favorite condiment. It is a perfect complement to these burgers, but is also quite versatile, almost like hummus. It has a really unique flavor: super garlicky, nutty, and a little spicy. It would work great for crudités, pita, pretzels, or pretty much anything that can be dipped. Try it—you’ll be hooked. Recipe from The Food Matters Cookbook.
Makes: 4 servings
Time: 15 minutes
The first measure of garlic mellows as it cooks with the greens; it’s the second that adds a real kick. Substitute minced ginger for the second addition of garlic if youl like.
Other vegetables you can use: broccoli raab, gai lan, beet greens, turnip greens, chard, bok choy, tatsoi, kale or collards (separate thick stems as needed), cabbage, or spinach. Recipe from How to Cook Everything.
By Freya Bellin
As the weather finally becomes mild, the word picnic has returned to my vocabulary, and I’ve started mentally collecting good recipes for outdoor eating. Not all tasty dishes make tasty picnic fare, but fortunately, most pasta salads will do the trick—especially if they taste good at room temperature, like this one. I love how filling soba noodles are, and they still match well with light sauces and green veggies, as in this recipe. The sauce is simple but flavorful, and the asparagus and edamame are a beautiful, springy contrast to the dark noodles. Try to get your hands on some of the lovely asparagus that’s out there while it’s still super fresh. And happy picnicking! Recipe from The Food Matters Cookbook.
