Vegetarian
Kasha varnishkes
By Debra Samuels Boston Globe, December 17, 2008 Kasha varnishkes Serves 8 Eastern-European Jewish immigrants brought kasha varnishkes to this country at the turn of the 20th century. Kasha is roasted buckwheat groats; varnishkes means noodles in Yiddish (bow ties are now classic), and Wolff’s Kasha is the brand most cooks use. Mix eggs into …
Read moreEriko’s Simmered Eggplant
This is a classic Japanese home style preparation for eggplant. The dish is served hot or cold. The eggplants are first scored and then soaked in water to remove some of the natural bitterness and then patted dry. They are then sautéed in oil and a bit of sugar to form a sweet crust. Eriko’s …
Read moreAquacotta – “Cooked Water”
Somewhere between a soup and a savory bread pudding lies aquacotta “cooked water”- a traditional peasant dish from Tuscany that uses stale bread, tomatoes, onions and whatever vegetables are available. Its name reflects its origins– lean times for farmers. When things were better, perhaps each member of the family would add an egg atop the …
Read moreCaponata
Boston Globe, March 26, 2008 Caponata Makes about 2 cups Caponata is the sweet, sour, and salty Sicilian eggplant appetizer that looks like a relish and often comes as one of the tastes in an antipasti course. The dish begins with sauteed eggplant cubes, which lend their deep purple color to the mixture, and is …
Read moreCrudite Platter with Spicy Miso Dip
Boston Globe, November 7, 2007 If you’re hosting or contributing to a party and looking for an appetizer, a crudite platter is always welcome. For years, Americans had a mundane approach to this French tradition by dipping veggie sticks such as carrots and celery into ordinary mayonnaise-based sauces. Raw broccoli and asparagus spears joined the …
Read moreStashing cooked rice
Boston Globe, October 30, 2007 Watching squirrels gathering and stashing nuts for the winter reminds me of Japanese and Korean friends filling their rice cookers to maximum capacity to make small packets of cooked rice for the freezer. When it’s time to eat, they microwave the rice until it’s steaming hot. Recently, a Korean guest did …
Read moreBrown and white rice with black beans
Boston Globe, October 3, 2007 Makes about 9 cups or enough to serve 9 To achieve white rice and brown rice with perfect textures, cook them separately. If you prefer to serve them separately, you’ll have about 6 cups of white (to serve 6) and 3 cups of brown (to serve 3). WHITE RICE 2 cups …
Read moreFiddleheads are the season’s star shoots
LEXINGTON — Deep green, earthy spirals wound as tight as coils, fiddleheads burst into the spring produce bin for a few weeks. They’re shoots, and they’re at their best when tightly coiled. They grow into graceful ostrich ferns — but alas, the pretty ferns are no longer edible. Fiddleheads’ spiral shape gives rise to their …
Read moreSimmered tofu gets zesty with sauce and seasonings
Nothing could be simpler than a cake of tofu simmered in a light broth. The Japanese dish Yudofu is the very definition of simplicity in both preparation and presentation. Condiments of grated ginger, a sprinkling of katsuo (bonito) fish flakes, and finely cut rings of scallions not only add to the spare beauty of this …
Read moreFor vegetarians, creativity and nutrition knowledge are key
”My favorite food used to be Chinese spareribs,” says Reuben Solomon, 13, of Lexington. ”That is, until I realized I had ribs, too. I think I was 9 and I haven’t eaten any meat since then.” Reuben does drink milk and eat eggs. That makes him an ovolactovegetarian. When someone says, ”I’m a vegetarian but …
Read moreBento:Build a Better Lunch
Debra Samuels, bestselling author, food writer and cooking instructor, wants to give the American lunchbox a makeover. In the chapter on “bento,” the traditional Japanese lunch box, in her upcoming book, My Japanese Table, Debra encourages the use of color, texture and taste to create healthier and more visually appealing meals.
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