Category Archives: Recipes (Savory)

The Curated Board, Part II: A Cobb Salad For Sharing

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"A Cobb Salad for Sharing'' with "Smoky Blue Cheese Dressing,'' and homemade "Herbes de Provence Grissini'' make for an impressive spread.
“A Cobb Salad for Sharing” with “Smoky Blue Cheese Dressing,” and homemade “Herbes de Provence Grissini” make for an impressive spread.

Along the lines of Elaine in that classic “Seinfeld” episode, “The Big Salad,” a friend once queried a restaurant server with the immortal words: “Are your salads of size?”

Yes, it was a male friend. And nope, he’s never lived it down.

Now, if he ever set eyes on “A Cobb Salad For Sharing,” he’d never have to wonder about that.

That’s because this Cobb salad generously fills an entire sheet pan, making it large enough to easily serve four. With its components arranged just so, it makes for an enticing presentation that draws your eye as well as your appetite.

The recipe is from “The Curated Board” (Abrams), of which I received a review copy.

If you’ve found yourself mesmerized by all those beautifully arrayed platters and boards of food that are popping up all over social media these days, this book will show you how to make your own.

It was written by Bebe Black Carminito, a San Francisco food stylist, recipe developer, and professional makeup artist whose Instagram handle is @champagneandcookies.

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The Curated Board, Part I: Herbes de Provence Grissini

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Try your hand at making your own delicious breadsticks.
Try your hand at making your own delicious breadsticks.

Am I the only one who as a kid turned breadsticks into chopsticks?

I bet not.

These days, though, I prefer just happily crunching down on them — wrapped in prosciutto, dunked into a creamy dip or just on their own.

If you’ve never tried making your own, you ought to give “Herbes de Provence Grissini” a whirl.

It’s a simple recipe that provides the pleasure of hand-rolling skinny logs of dough with your hands just like you did as a tot with Play-Doh.

The recipe is from “The Curated Board” (Abrams), of which I received a review copy. It’s by Bebe Black Carminito, a San Francisco food stylist, recipe developer, and professional makeup artist whose Instagram handle is the delightful @champagneandcookies.

Board food is having a big moment, thanks in part to how beautifully they photograph for Instagram likes.

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Bet You Can’t Resist Chili Crisp Biscuits with Honey-Butter Glaze

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Meet your new favorite biscuit.
Meet your new favorite biscuit.

These babies are total butter bombs.

They also possess a kick of heat, not the kind that knocks you for a loop but rather tickles playfully,

Like Detroit pan pizza, the corner pieces with irresistible crispy edges and sides are worth fighting for first, too.

“Chili Crisp Biscuits with Honey-Butter Glaze” are all that and more, thanks to an entire stick of butter being melted and poured into the pan first, so that the dough bakes up in the pool of it.

With your favorite store-bought chili crisp added to both the dough and the honey-infused butter glaze that’s poured all over the top after baking, these biscuits have personality to spare.

This fabulous recipe is from “Chili Crisp” (Chronicle Books, 2023), of which I received a review copy.

Written by James Park, a Brooklyn-based recipe developer and food writer, it is a collection of more than 50 recipes, both sweet and savory, that star everyone’s new favorite Chinese condiment, glistening orange-red and loaded with warmth and crunchy bits.

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Eggplant Donburi Equals Comfort In A Bowl

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Easy-peasy, miso eggplant served over rice.
Easy-peasy, miso eggplant served over rice.

There are times when I look at my garden plaintively and pleadingly.

I’ve watered you, I’ve fed you. I’m given you sun and shade. So, why aren’t you cooperating and growing like you should?

Thankfully, though, there are other times when I examine something gleefully and come away filled with surprise.

That’s when I peer at my Japanese eggplant plant, and find it offering up not one, not two, but handfuls of slender, glossy, deep purple fruit (yes, fruit because technically that’s what they are).

“Eggplant Donburi” proved the perfect way to enjoy my latest harvest.

This rice-bowl dish couldn’t be easier or more homey tasting.

It’s from “Rice” (Smith Street Books), of which I received a review copy. Eight different writers contributed more than 80 recipes from China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, India and elsewhere in Asia. The recipes highlight the beloved staple grain, and span both sweet and savory, and incorporate various cooking techniques.

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Pizza Night, Part II: Summer Wedge Salad with Charred Corn, Tomatoes, and Herby Ranch Dressing

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A wedge salad that epitomizes summer.
A wedge salad that epitomizes summer.

Iceberg may not be my favorite lettuce. (Cue music for Little Gem and arugula.)

But it certainly has its time and place.

Most notably in a wedge salad, where its sturdy, crunchy leaves really shine and hold up to all manner — let’s be honest, overload — of toppings and dressings.

You’re sure to agree after one taste of “Summer Wedge Salad with Charred Corn, Tomatoes, and Herby Ranch Dressing.”

This take on a wedge salad is from “Pizza Night” (Clarkson Potter), of which I received a review copy, a cookbook by Alexandra Stafford, the New York-based creator of the blog, Alexandra’s Kitchen.

Arranged by the seasons, the recipes in this book pair a different pizza with a different salad to make planning dinner even easier.

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