Category Archives: Recipes (Savory)

Anissa Helou’s “Green Beans, Bulgur Wheat, and Chickpeas”

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The nuttiness of chickpeas, crisp-tender texture of green beans, and the sweetness of tomatoes combine for a sensational Lebanese dish.
The nuttiness of chickpeas, crisp-tender texture of green beans, and the sweetness of tomatoes combine for a sensational Lebanese dish.

These days, all you need do is drive to the nearest supermarket if you’re in need of a bag of bulgur.

But Anissa Helou, the Beirut-born prolific cookbook author, journalist and broadcaster, remembers her mother recounting how her own mother’s family would make their own in a time-consuming, laborious process.

The family would hand-sort sacks of wheat to pick out any impurities, then parboil it, drain it, and spread it out on sheets underneath the sun to dry for days to create bulgur.

The nutritious whole grain — high in fiber, manganese, magnesium, and iron — would last them an entire year before the whole process would be repeated again.

Bulgur is not only versatile, but has the advantage of being quick to cook, usually in about 10 minutes.

No wonder it is a mainstay in Lebanese cooking.

If all you’ve ever had it was chilled in the parsley- and mint-laden tabbuleh salad, then do yourself a favor and try it warm in Helou’s “Green Beans, Bulgur Wheat, and Chickepeas” dish.

It’s from her newest cookbook, “Lebanon: Cooking the Foods of My Homeland” (Ecco), of which I received a review copy.

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All Hail, Kale

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Roasted oyster mushrooms become almost like crispy croutons on this flavorful kale salad.
Roasted oyster mushrooms become almost like crispy croutons on this flavorful kale salad.

If lettuce, and specifically iceberg, still leave you skittish, then turn instead to our hardy and hearty friend, kale.

Even if you think you’ve grown bored of this vivid dark green, leafy brassica, there’s no denying its versatility, not to mention its powerhouse of nutrition and antioxidants.

So, if it’s been a while, now is the perfect time to get reacquainted with it in this flavorful “Kale and Shoyu Mushroom Salad.”

This quick recipe is from “Aloha Veggies” (Ten Speed Press), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Hawaii-born recipe developer and photographer, Alana Kysar, who makes her home on Maui.

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A Savory Mochi Trifecta

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Crispy and chewy, sweet and spicy, these pan-fried mochi bao have so much deliciousness going on.
Crispy and chewy, sweet and spicy, these pan-fried mochi bao have so much deliciousness going on.

You’ve enjoyed it hot and cold, on the cob and off, and in salads, pastas, soups, and sides.

But have you ever had corn stuffed inside chewy, crisp pan-fried mochi?

With gooey cheese and spicy kimchi folded in to boot?

This perfect trio of ingredients make up the filling for clever “Kimchi & Corn Cheese Pan-Fried Mochi.”

This fun recipe is from “Breaking Bao” (Chronicle Books, 2024), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Clarice Lam, an award-winning New York City pastry chef who has worked at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery, Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Spice Market, and the Chocolate Room.

Toronto-born, Los Angeles-reared, and the daughter of parents who emigrated from Hong Kong, Lam’s creations reflect her heritage and travels, melding Asian flavors with global techniques.

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Summer Tomatoes and All That Jazz

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Sweet Sungold cherry tomatoes get an Indian-inspired treatment in this summery dish.
Sweet Sungold cherry tomatoes get an Indian-inspired treatment in this summery dish.

Each year as spring comes around, I start to contemplate what tomato seedlings to plant in my backyard planters.

All four of them.

Yup, that’s it. That’s all I have room for in my tiny yard.

Three of my four planters call for some mulling. But with the last one, there is never a doubt. That one is reserved for Sungolds, the bright orange cherry tomatoes that pop with as much sweetness as candy.

Many of them actually go straight into my mouth, plucked from the branches one by one while I’m still pitter-pattering in the yard. (Don’t tell my husband.) But some do make it into my kitchen, where they’re destined for green salads, grain salads, pasta dishes, and ricotta toast.

Thanks to New York’s Rachel Gurjar, a Mumbai-born chef, recipe developer, and food writer who attended the Culinary Institute of America, though, I now have another showcase for these itty-bitty tomatoes with the outsized flavor.

Her “Paneer with Sungold Tomatoes and Basil” is like an Indian riff on the classic Italian Caprese salad. It not only subs in the fresh Indian cheese known as paneer for the mozzarella, but adds a pinch of cumin seeds for earthy savoriness. It’s not served cold or at room temp, either, but cozy warm, too.

This inspired recipe is from her debut cookbook, “East to East” (Chronicle Books), of which I received a review copy

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Marvelous Microwave Mushrooms

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You won't believe how easy and delicious these microwaved shiitakes are.
You won’t believe how easy and delicious these microwaved shiitakes are.

This is the mushroom hack that you didn’t know you needed.

It’s a quick-as-a-wink recipe that’s perfect when you’re time-pressed.

Or in need an ideal base for a quick vegetarian meal. Or a no-brainer side dish to any Asian-influenced main.

“Steamed Shiitakes with Ginger-Garlic-Scallion Sauce” is fast, delicious, and deceptive. That’s because the “steaming” happens in about 5 minutes in your microwave.

It results in the silkiest, slipperiest, most supple mushrooms that are also plenty saucy.

This genius recipe is from “Hello, Home Cooking” (Clarkson Potter), of which I received a review copy.

The cookbook is by Ham El-Waylly, a New York City recipe developer and video creator who is chef-partner of the New Orleans-style seafood bar, Strange Delight in Brooklyn.

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