Category Archives: Recipes (Savory)

Presenting BTS — Of A Different Sort

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BTS -- as in the sandwich.
BTS — as in the sandwich.

Get ready for BTS coming your way.

Nope, not the South Korean boy-band sensation. But the summer classic of bacon, lettuce and tomato elevated with the addition of shiso.

Yes, a “BTS” sandwich.

You know that Sawako Okochi and Aaron Israel, co-chefs and co-owners of Brooklyn’s Shalom Japan restaurant, coyly knew what they were doing when they coined this sensational sandwich, the “BTS,” even though, technically, it really out to be a “BLTS.”

Semantics aside, this carefully crafted sandwich is all about the details. A cinch to make, it includes a couple of steps that make all the difference between a mundane sandwich and a great sandwich.

This marvelous recipe is from the new cookbook, “Love Japan” (Ten Speed Press), of which I received a review copy. The couple wrote the book with the talented food writer, Gabriella Gershenson, an editor at Wirecutter.

The book includes more than 80 home-style Japanese American dishes that cull from Okochi’s Japanese roots and Israel’s Jewish heritage, a blend that has proved winning at their unique Brooklyn restaurant.

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The Summeriest Salad

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A jumble of colorful summer peppers and stone fruit star in this lively tasting salad.
A jumble of colorful summer peppers and stone fruit star in this lively tasting salad.

Besides ones from my own home state of California, the wines that I find myself probably sipping most come from our neighbor to the north — Oregon.

Especially because Pinot Noir happens to be one of my favorite varietals, and grows exceedingly well there.

So, I couldn’t have been more overjoyed to see a new cookbook that highlights not only Oregon’s more than 50-year-old wine industry, but its rich food traditions found at its storied wineries.

“Oregon Wine & Food” (Figure 1), of which I received a review copy, is by my friend and colleague Danielle Centoni, who wrote it with fellow food writer Kerry Newberry.

The book spotlights 40 of Oregon’s top wineries, with two signature recipes from each one that each come with a wine pairing.

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Baked Peppers With An Unexpected Ingredient

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Not the usual cheese, rice or ground beef, but tofu gets stuffed into these peppers.
Not the usual cheese, rice or ground beef, but tofu gets stuffed into these peppers.

As my husband readied the grill for Italian sausages the other night, he looked at me dumbfounded as I pulled out a box of tofu from the fridge.

Yes, silken tofu is the surprising ingredient in these otherwise Mediterranean-influenced stuffed peppers.

Leave it to the one and only Nigel Slater to come up with this simple and inspired riff on a classic, replacing the usual rice, ground meat or cheese in stuffed peppers with custardy-soft tofu instead.

“Baked Peppers with Tofu and Olives” is from the noted British food writer’s newest cookbook, “A Cook’s Book” (Ten Speed Press), of which I received a review copy.

The 500-page book is a collection of 150 recipes along with evocative stories from this home cook’s home cook. These are unfussy recipes, many with 10 or fewer ingredients, full of an appealing carefree spirit.

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Summer Slaw with Hot Honey Shrimp

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Summer was made for this main dish salad that's full of crunch and flavor.
Summer was made for this main dish salad that’s full of crunch and flavor.

This salad has it all — honey and spice, and everything nice.

Not to mention an excuse to crumble up tortilla chips to use like croutons.

“Summer Slaw with Hot Honey Shrimp” is just what you want to tuck into at this time of year.

It’s from “Salad Seasons” (Rizzoli), of which I receive a review copy.

It’s by Sheela Prakash, a food and wine writer who is the senior contributing editor at The Kitchn.

As the title implies, this cookbook is chock full of savory and sweet salad recipes to take you through the entire year.

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All Hail Caesar — As In Popcorn

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You won't be able to stop eating this Caesar salad-flavored popcorn.
You won’t be able to stop eating this Caesar salad-flavored popcorn.

There’s something fishy about this popcorn.

And lemony and cheesy, too.

That’s because it has all the great taste of Caesar salad.

“Caesar Popcorn” is a fun recipe from “Tin to Table” (Chronicle Books), of which I received a review copy.

Written by New York’s Anna Hezel, senior editor of Epicurious, this book contains more than 50 recipes that highlight tinned fish and seafood, that most versatile of pantry staples.

With tinned seafood on hand, a snack or a meal can be ready in a flash with recipes such as “Smoked Trout Dip,” “Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs,” “Sardine Banh Mi,” and “Spaghetti with Fancy Clams and Fancy Ham.”

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