Really a main dish cheesecake wrapped in incredibly buttery phyllo, the genius is in the shape -- a Bundt ring that stands golden and proud.
Being a Top Chef contestant can be grueling and exhausting and crazy fun. When we're all wiped out from nonstop competition, we do what we do best: eat good food. Some of my most memorable meals with those talented chefs involved banh mi, traditional Vietnamese sandwiches that layer cured meats, sausages, and pickled vegetables in small, soft versions of French baguettes. I love anything with pickles and fresh cilantro! I've put those flavors in a burger patty here and sandwiched them in my favorite French roll: buttery brioche. The rich bread makes all the difference, as does high-quality pork.
This green-on-green pasta is the essence of springtime, and I start to crave it as soon as the first crocuses appear. The combination of asparagus, nutty Parmigiano-Reggiano, and the delicate accent of basil is perfection.
Giovanna Giglio Cascone, a homecook in Ragusa, Sicily, makes this delicious tomato-and-cheese filled bread every Easter.
This quick and easy vegan entrée is economical and crowd-pleasing. Seek out garam masala (Indian spice blend) without salt, and prep the other ingredients while the potatoes roast.
Fresh, hot, sour, salty, and sweet -- Thai cuisine, and this salad, hits every pleasure point. The dressing alone is like money in the bank, it improves nearly anything it touches.
Melons and cucumbers are naturals together -- they're practically siblings in the botanical world -- but cooks rarely pair them. Here, they get some Mediterranean attitude with mint and garlic, making them into the coolest possible essence of summer-in-a-bowl.
Caponata is the great room-temperature mix of eggplant and other vegetables that is sometimes called an Italian ratatouille. But it differs greatly from its French cousin in one chief way; it is a member of an ancient classification of dishes called agro dolce -- those made with sweet-and-sour flavoring. Though most Americans are familiar only with the caponata marketed by Progresso in small cans, there are many versions of the caponata in Italy. Most are from Sicily ... and my favorites of all are from Pantelleria, the great caper-growing island off the west coast of Sicily. So it's no surprise that this recipe has a healthy dose of capers in it! It's a wonderful appetizer, served with crusty bread and, perhaps, other antipasto items.
Omu raisu (rice omelet) is one of the most popular dishes in Japan, both at home and in restaurants. To Western ears it doesn't sound immediately compelling -- lightly fried rice laced with ketchup and covered with a sheet of runny eggs. It's slathered with more ketchup to finish, which is probably why I jumped on the bandwagon almost immediately and have never looked back. My childhood recollections don't include any warm and fuzzy comfort dishes, so when I feel down and out or just need some food love, this is the dish I invariably turn to.
The haunting scent of allspice balanced with bright lemon juice and flecks of nuts make these Middle Eastern kofta (meat patties) hard to resist. This recipe is Sally’s savior as she lives with a major carnivore (exactly the opposite of how she likes to eat). She uses 80% to 85% ground chuck, but because there is so much flavor here, you can use leaner meat and still have no fear of cooking them to well done as recommended. Serve them with simple brown jasmine rice or the Golden Rice Salad, and a spoonful of Cucumber Yogurt Salad.