Category Archives: Recipes (Savory)

Chef Greg Baxtrom’s Heirloom Tomato Schnitzel

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Meet tomato schnitzel -- a fun and delicious treatment to give summer tomatoes.
Meet tomato schnitzel — a fun and delicious treatment to give summer tomatoes.

When it comes to summer tomatoes, I’ve sandwiched them, stuffed them, layered them, grilled them, pureed ’em, salad-ed them, and even devoured them right out of hand plucked from the vines in my own backyard.

But until now, I’d never schnitzel-ed them.

And boy, was I missing out.

Yes, the German method of breading and frying pork, veal or beef until crisp and golden can be applied to thick slices of beefsteak heirloom tomatoes to fun and delicious effect.

“Heirloom Tomato Schnitzel” is a recipe from the new cookbook, “Nothing Matters…but Delicious: A Radically Honest Cookbook” (Ten Speed Press).

It was written by Greg Baxtrom, chef-owner of Five Acres in New York with assist from food and wine writer and editor, Joshua David Stein.

The former chef-owner of the acclaimed Olmstead in Brooklyn, Baxtrom has worked in such standout establishments as Michelin three-starred Per Se in New York City; and Michelin two-starred restaurants, Alinea in Chicago and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York.

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Greek Lamb Fricassee — A Perfect Dish For These Times

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Romaine lettuce gets cooked in this braised lamb dish.
Romaine lettuce gets cooked in this braised lamb dish.

These days, has lettuce left you downright skittish?

With the ongoing cyclospora outbreak, who can blame people for swearing off lettuces of all kinds?

However, there are actions you can take to minimize risks: Buy whole heads (particularly from local farmers at your farmers market), discard outer leaves, trim off any damaged or discolored areas, and wash and rinse leaves well.

Another great option? Cook your lettuce.

Indeed, heating it to at least 158°F will do the trick to keep you safe.

That’s one reason why this recipe for “Greek Lamb Fricassee” is your friend.

The other reason? It’s absolutely delicious, what with its tender pieces of lamb cooked in a citrusy, herbaceous sauce fortified with chopped romaine whose leaves turn naturally sweet and tender.

The recipe is from “Hungry Happens Mediterranean” (Clarkson Potter, 2025), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Stella Drivas, a recipe developer, photographer, and creator of the website, Hungry Happens. The daughter of Greek immigrants, she makes her home on Long Island.

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Instant Ramen? Instant Yum!

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Transform your favorite instant ramen into a version of mac and cheese with spinach.
Transform your favorite instant ramen into a version of mac and cheese with spinach.

They say that if you have a pack of ramen, you have a meal.

Well, know what else you have?

A pretty nifty version of mac and cheese in the making, too.

That’s just what “Spinach Ramen Gratin” is like.

It’s from the ingenious cookbook, “Instant Ramen Kitchen” (Chronicle Books, 2025), of which I received a review copy.

It’s by Peter J. Kim, a food entrepreneur who was the founding director of Brooklyn’s now-shuttered Museum of Food and Drink, the former head of creator partnerships at Pinterest, and the former host of Counterjam, Food52’s food and music podcast. He readily admits to eating several bowls of instant ramen each week.

Ramen has a storied history and a fierce following. It was invented in Japan by Momofuku Ando in 1958 in the aftermath of World War II, when he was inspired to create something fast and cheap to nourish his impoverished countrymen.

How beloved is it? As Kim writes in the book, the Fuji Research Institute conducted a poll in 2000 to ask people to name the greatest Japanese invention of the 20th century. The winner, of course, was instant ramen.

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Jose Andres’ Pollo Al Ajillo

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Pan-cooked chicken with plenty of garlic and sherry by Jose Andres.
Pan-cooked chicken with plenty of garlic and sherry by Jose Andres.

His list of achievements is breathtaking.

He is a Michelin-starred chef with restaurants nationwide, an Emmy Award-winning TV host and producer, and a New York Times best-selling cookbook author. Moreover, he is the founder of the humanitarian nonprofit World Central Kitchen that provides emergency food to war-torn and natural disaster-stricken countries around the world, an endeavor that has garnered him a James Beard Foundation “Humanitarian of the Year,” and a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

All that’s missing is a Nobel Prize. And frankly, he deserves that, too.

Jose Andres’ impact on the culinary industry and the world at large has been monumental.

The Spanish-born chef has made his home with his family in Maryland for more than two decades. But his homeland remains a constant influence on all that he does.

His newest cookbook, “Spain My Way” (Ecco), of which I received a review copy, exemplifies that.

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Summer Was Made For Smoked Salmon Lettuce Wraps

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A fun, easy, no-cook crowd-pleasing summer dish.
A fun, easy, no-cook crowd-pleasing summer dish.

When the heat of summer is on, this is the perfect dish to get dinner on the table in no time flat.

It requires absolutely no cooking — just some knife work.

It is full of freshness, crunchiness, and vibrant, good-for-you ingredients.

“Smoked Salmon Lettuce Wraps” is all that.

It’s from “The Mediterranean Dish Simply Dinner” (Clarkson Potter, 2024), of which I received a review copy.

It’s by Suzy Karadsheh, the Egyptian-born, New York Times best-selling cookbook author and creator of The Mediterranean Dish cooking and lifestyle site who now makes her home in Atlanta.

The cookbook features 125 recipes that follow her carefree philosophy that dinner needn’t always follow a formal format but can be much more free-form. Why not make an entire dinner out of mezze, such as “Cherry Tomato, Pomegranate, and Mint Salsa with Pine Nuts,” “Fried Goat Cheese Balls with Caramelized Onions, Balsamic, and Fig Spread,” and “Simple Marinated Chickpeas with Halloumi”? Or fire up the grill for “Green Goddess Chicken Kebabs” or “Grilled Shrimp Saganaki.”? Or make a one-pot meal like “Armenian Apricot and Red Lentil Soup” to enjoy with a round of crusty bread?

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