5th Day of HTCE: Five-Minute Drizzle Sauce

12|27|10

I’m giving away copies of the new How to Cook Everything iPad App, one every day until new year’s eve. Just sign up for the newsletter (look to your left) to enter the running. I’ll pick an email address at random and send you the App.

Five-Minute Drizzle Sauce

Makes: 4 servings (1/2cup)

Time: 5 minutes

Nothing could be easier or more versatile. All you have to do is boil some pasta or rice or broil a piece of chicken or fish, then get this going while it cooks. I’ll start you off with the base recipe—a kind of warm vinaigrette—and a handful of variations, but no doubt you’ll soon come up with even more ideas.

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6th Day of HTCE: Chicken Adobo

12|26|10

Chicken Adobo

Makes: 4 servings

Time: About 11/4hours

This Philippine classic has been called the best chicken dish in the world by a number of my friends and readers. It is cooked in liquid first, then roasted, grilled, or broiled. Here, however, the initial poaching liquid is reduced to make a sauce to pass at the table for both the chicken and white rice, the natural accompaniment. The coconut milk isn’t mandatory, though it does enrich the sauce considerably.

Other protein you can use: pork chops (bone-in or boneless).

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7th Day of HTCE: Baked Macaroni and Cheese

12|25|10

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Makes: 4 to 6 servings

Time: About 45 minutes

One of the most popular recipes in the original How to Cook Everything, which I attribute to too many people growing up with what the Canadians call “Kraft dinner.” The real thing is rich, filling, delicious, and dead easy. You can change the type of cheese you use: Try blue cheese, goat cheese, smoked Gouda, or even mascarpone. Or mix in some crisp-cooked chunks of thick-cut bacon or pancetta, about 1/2cup.

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Roasted Thick Fish Fillets or Steaks

12|24|10

Makes: 4 servings

Time: 30 to 45 minutes, depending on thickness

Some fish steaks and fillets—especially the triangular fillets from large round fish—are so thick they almost qualify as roasts, which makes them too big to cook by direct heat. Fortunately, the same sear-and-roast technique that works so well on other animals is perfect for large pieces of fish, and it’s faster. Provided you don’t overcook, results are crisp on the outside and juicy inside. And as a bonus, you get a quick little sauce out of the deal.

The best tool for this job is an ovenproof skillet—you start on the stove and transfer the whole thing to the oven. And if you don’t have herbs handy, just salt and pepper is fine. Recipe from How to Cook Everything.

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8th Day of HTCE: Pizza Dough

12|24|10

Pizza Dough

Makes: Enough for 1 large or 2 or more small pies

Time: 1 hour or more

You won’t believe how simple it is to make pizza dough at home. And because the dough freezes very well (at least for a couple of weeks), it’s even practical to whip up a batch for one or two people and tuck the rest away for another day.

To make pizza dough by hand or with a standing mixer, follow the directions, but use a bowl and a heavy wooden spoon or the mixer’s bowl and the paddle attachment instead of the food processor. When the dough becomes too heavy to stir, use your hands or exchange the mixer’s paddle for the dough hook and proceed with the recipe.

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9th Day of HTCE: Fajitas

12|23|10

Fajitas

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Time: 30 minutes

Fajita has come to mean any assemble-it-yourself assortment of meat, chicken, or even fish (usually shrimp) and grilled vegetables. Here’s the basic formula:

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Today Show: Perfect Rack of Lamb

12|22|10

Making rack of lamb for the holidays? Here are three ideas for what to put on top.

10th Day of HTCE: Real Popcorn

12|22|10

Real Popcorn

Makes: 4 to 6 servings

Time: About 10 minutes

Unless you’re at work, please forget about microwave popcorn. It doesn’t compare to the real thing (especially if you don’t store the kernels forever), which takes at most twice as long. And popcorn takes brilliantly to real butter (instead of that artificially butter-flavored oil), cheese, and many other seasonings.

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The Minimalist: Rack of Lamb with Pimenton

12|22|10

This is a fantastic take on rack of lamb with persillade (and the pimenton-garlic bread crumbs are almost a dead ringer for crumbled chorizo.)

11th Day of HTCE: Skillet Pork Chops

12|21|10

Skillet Pork Chops, Eight Ways

Makes: 4 servings

Time: 30 minutes

The essential sear-and-simmer technique that leaves you with any number of excellent pan sauces (see the variations).

Other cuts and meats you can use: bone-in chicken thighs (which will require more cooking) or pork medal- lions cut from the tenderloin (which will cook more quickly). Check out the new How to Cook Everything iPad App

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