Week Fifteen: Joy of Cooking & Salad Letters
Hello, friends! My initial plan for this week was to cook only recipes from cookbooks, going completely analog as a counterpoint to last week’s AI theme. But I quickly realized that I’m happiest without constraints, so I mixed it up, cooking a little from cookbooks, a little from the Internet, and a little on the fly, and my heart was content. Let’s review.
Sunday 5/21/23
Spinach and Feta Cooked Like Saag Paneer
This recipe comes from Priya Krishna’s cookbook Indian-ish: Recipes and Antics from a Modern American Family (you may know Priya from her work at Bon Appetit, but she resigned in 2020 in protest of racist practices there, and is now a staff reporter for the New York Times. Love that for her.)
This recipe sounded awesome, but ultimately it let me down. I was a little hesitant to start off with two tablespoons of whole coriander seeds, as the recipe called for, but I figured I should trust the process, right?
Wrong! I should’ve trusted my gut instead, because the coriander seeds ruined the dish for me. I’m one of those people who has the gene that makes cilantro taste soapy, and I was hoping that this didn’t extend to coriander seeds, which are the seeds of the cilantro plant, but alas, it definitely did. I looked up this recipe online and was gratified to see that a few commenters had the same issue I did. Misery loves company.
Anne (who doesn’t have the cilantro gene) also thought the coriander flavor was overpowering, and the texture unpleasant; and that the saltiness of the feta was too intense for the delicate spinach. We both agreed that we missed that unique squeak of paneer (which I just learned is caused by “long protein strands rubbing against the enamel of your teeth.” Science!) Paneer is also easy to buy in my neighborhood, because we have a big local Indian population and abundant access to Indian grocery items. So when I recover from the sting of defeat, I’ll try this recipe again, adjusting the amount of coriander seeds (probably to zero tablespoons) and using paneer instead of feta.
One positive thing about this experience is that this was my first time cooking with cardamom pods, which I’m excited to explore more. Another plus? There’s ghee in my pantry again. Ghee, my friend, it’s been too long.
Monday 5/22/23
Dandelion ricotta toast with chicken sausage
I recreated the dandelion ricotta toast I made a couple weeks ago, with another baguette from Rizzo’s Bakery and more dandelion greens from the farmers market. I whipped the ricotta in the blender this time so it was smooth, creamy and fluffy. I added slices of chicken sausage (made with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil), also from the farmers market. Wholesome, summery, all-around winner.
Tuesday 5/23/23
Beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes
My in-laws recently brought over a few small individually vacuum-sealed cuts of beef tenderloin. I’d never roasted beef tenderloin before, but my recent experience roasting a pork shoulder has emboldened me, so I gave it a try. I used a recipe from The Joy of Cooking, which I have just learned is actually titled "Joy of Cooking” and not “The Joy of Cooking.” But I can’t bring myself to drop the definite article here, because then it sounds like I’m referring to a person, like Anne of Green Gables, or St. Francis of Assisi. Would you watch a Netflix series called “Joy of Cooking” about a harried, no-nonsense NYC businesswoman named Joy who is forced by circumstance to return to her small hometown and teach cooking classes to senior citizens, to hilarious and heartwarming effect? I know I would! She would learn some important lessons about slowing down and appreciating the little things, I bet. Netflix: call me.
Anyway, the tenderloin recipe was very thorough and helpful, but I should’ve adjusted the cooking time for a smaller roast; the recipe called for a 1 1/2 pound roast, and my portion was only 10 ounces. So it got slightly more well-done than I would’ve liked, but the meat stayed tender. Luckily, I’ve got a few more portions in the freezer to practice on. I served with a creamy yogurt and horseradish sauce, and cheesy mashed potatoes. The pictures came out kind of blah, but the dinner itself was on point.
Wednesday 5/24/23
Split pea soup with roasted pork
Speaking of my roast pork shoulder! This soup is something I’ve been wanting to make for a while, so I finally got the big shoulder bone out of the freezer and was pleasantly surprised to find I’d frozen a few cups of shredded meat from the roast as well. So I chopped that up and added it to the soup. I kept it very simple, just diced onion and carrot, split green peas, chicken stock, bay leaves, salt and pepper, and the pork bone and meat. The recipe said the soup would take about two hours, but I found that it was perfectly edible around the one hour mark, possibly because I was very hungry.
This soup was very good: smoky, savory, and hearty, with plenty of body from the pork bone. Not exactly traditional summertime fare, but I like to walk on the wild side, you know? I brightened up the flavor at the end by finishing each bowl with a splash of lemon juice—soup almost always wants a little hit of acid—and served with a lovely multigrain loaf from Choc-O-Pain Bakery. Over dinner, Anne and I discussed just how many culinary gifts this particular pork shoulder has yielded; now that we’ve used up the very last of it, we think it’s time to roast another one. Maybe using this Puerto Rican pernil recipe? Ooh, or this Chinese char siu? Exciting possibilities on the horizon.
Another great thing about this soup recipe is that it yielded a huge amount, most of which I stashed in the freezer. Since I’m starting a part-time job at a local café in the coming weeks (!!!), I’ll have to shift my meal planning accordingly, and lean on make-ahead, freezer-friendly recipes. Stay tuned to find out if this working mom really can have it all.
Thursday 5/25/23
Miso-glazed salmon with Brussels sprouts and Udon noodles
I made this miso-glazed salmon and honestly can’t wait to make it again. Miso pairs with soy sauce, ginger, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes to make a complex and zingy marinade for salmon, and bakes quickly in the oven. I’m hooked.
I roasted the Brussels sprouts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and something new to my spice cabinet: monosodium glutamate, commonly known as MSG. You may have seen this ingredient in the news lately; people are reconsidering the stigma that’s long been attached to it. I recently bought a bottle of MSG at the recommendation of The Woks of Life cookbook, which lists it as an essential pantry ingredient for good Chinese food. The MSG gave these Brussels sprouts a wonderfully moreish quality, and I found myself sneaking a few of them while I waited for the noodles to boil.
I topped these bowls with diced avocado (not pictured) and sesame seeds. Light, fresh, savory, delightful.
Friday 5/26/23
Big Salad
Another evening, another Big Salad. This time it was spinach and spring mix with lemon vinaigrette, chopped carrots, boiled eggs, dried cherries, and a sprinkle of super seed mix. It was simple and satisfying. I was going to say it was nothing to write home about, but since both my parents read this newsletter, I guess I technically am writing home about it. Dearest Mother and Father, I hope all is well. I’ve just eaten the most wonderful Big Salad…
Saturday 5/27/23
Cottage cheese frittata with mushrooms, potatoes and tomatoes
Some local friends were going out of town for a couple weeks, and kindly gave us their perishables: celery, mushrooms, tomatoes, potatoes, snap peas, and broccoli. A veritable windfall of veggies! So I decided it was frittata time. I followed this basic recipe from Epicurious, customizing it with a half cup of cottage cheese and the remainders of a few cheddar blocks that were kicking around in the fridge. A frittata is a great vehicle for using up leftover odds and ends! I sautéed the mushrooms and tomatoes, boiled the Trader Joe’s Teeny Tiny Potatoes, and stirred them all into the egg mixture. While it baked, I whipped up some simple salads, just greens and dressing, and toasted some slices of multigrain bread.
The joy I took in creating this meal just reinforced the lesson that I’m happiest when I’m cooking based on what’s in my pantry, fridge and freezer. My in-laws just built us this beautiful custom wooden cabinet to use as a pantry, since we don’t have a pantry closet in our kitchen, and I’m having a great time reorganizing all my dried goods, including my extensive bean and lentil collection. It’s hard to explain, but it makes me feel so resourceful and competent, like a squirrel who really planned out her whole winter situation in advance.
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Thank you, as always, for reading Dinner Diary! I appreciate each and every one of you. Here’s a link to last week’s issue, in case you missed it, and here’s a link to a funny little piece about dinnertimes by Danny Lavery, one of my favorite writers. Where do you fall on his scale of moral laxity? I myself am a high-flying kingpin, it turns out.
See you next week!
XO,
Hannah