Adana Burgers with Pomegranate Molasses Barbecue Sauce

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A tangy-fruity pomegranate molasses barbecue sauce finishes these juicy lamb-beef burgers.
A tangy-fruity pomegranate molasses barbecue sauce finishes these juicy lamb-beef burgers.

Each Friday night, those of Jewish faith around the world come together with family and friends to revel in time together around the table.

It is the purest TGIF, a pause to acknowledge and appreciate life and relationships.

And of course, an occasion to share scrumptious eats with gusto.

“52 Shabbats” (The Collective Book Studio) makes that a breeze, too. The new cookbook is by Faith Kramer, a Bay Area food writer who writes extensively on Jewish customs and cooking.

You needn’t be Jewish, either, to appreciate the more than 50 recipes, arranged by the seasons, that showcase global flavors and contemporary flair. Make “Pomegranate Molasses Brisket,” then turn leftovers into “Brisket Fried Rice.” Braise a batch of “Spicy Beef Tzimmes,” and turn some into “Friday Night Tamales.” Take a loaf of challah and transform into “Challah Fritters with Sweet Tahini Sauce.”

I took advantage of last week’s mini heatwave to dive into the “Summer” section of the book early by trying my hand at “Adana Burgers with Pomegranate Molasses Barbecue Sauce.”

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Raspberry Amaretti Cookies With A Fun Surprise Center

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Freeze-dried and fresh raspberries make these amaretti extra special.
Freeze-dried and fresh raspberries make these amaretti extra special.

Like the best Easter confections that tempt at this time of year, these cookies are adorable, colorful, and sport a surprise filling sure to delight.

What’s more, “Raspberry Amaretti Cookies” are also gluten-free.

Made with almond meal, egg whites, and sugar, its dough gets fruity tang and a smidge of pink from pulverized freeze-dried raspberries mixed in. And at the center of each cookie hides a single fresh raspberry that you don’t see until you take a bite.

This fun recipe is from “Nadiya Bakes” (Clarkson Potter, 2020), of which I received a review copy. It’s by Nadiya Hussain, the season 6 winner of “The Great British Baking Show.” The cookbook is a companion to her BBC and Netflix series of the same name.

The U.K.-based baker emphatically calls baking her true first love. This book includes both sweet and savory treats. Her recipes take influence from both her Bangladeshi heritage and her British upbringing in creations such as “Matcha and Kiwi Hurricane Roll,” “Scotch Creme Eggs,” “Rainbow Veg Pakora Picnic Pie,” and “Cherry Chelsea Buns.”

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Where I’ve Been Getting Takeout of Late, Part 41

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Half & Half Whole Chicken (Secret Spicy on top, Golden Original on the bottom) at BBQ Chicken.
Half & Half Whole Chicken (Secret Spicy on top, Golden Original on the bottom) at BBQ Chicken.

BBQ Chicken, Cupertino

I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole known as Korean dramas.

Yes, I’m not too big to admit that I’ve joined the legions who are now binging these multi-season dramas that almost always include a pivotal boy-meets-girl storyline, along with copious amounts of craveable Korean food.

After getting indoctrinated with Netflix’s popular “Crash Landing on You” (which I highly recommend), with its many scenes of principle characters chowing down time and again on golden pieces of chicken at BBQ Chicken, I was overjoyed to discover that this Korean fast-casual chain’s only Northern California outpost happens to be in Cupertino, in the 99 Ranch strip mall not far from Apple headquarters . So, of course, I had to try it.

Inexplicably, the name may be BBQ Chicken, but it’s fried chicken that makes up almost its entire menu. Go figure.

Kimchi fried rice.
Kimchi fried rice.

You can get just wings. Or drum sticks. Or only boneless pieces. You can get chicken with no sauce or with galbi sauce or done up with honey garlic or even powdered cheese. And you can get it spicy — all the way up to the “Wings of Fire,” which have four chili pepper symbols after it to emphasize its incendiary level.

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Apple-Chickpea Kale Salad with Orange-Mustard-Dill Dressing

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A kale salad with a range of tastes, textures, and temperatures.
A kale salad with a range of tastes, textures, and temperatures.

This salad is sure to bowl you over.

Not only does it give you another way to enjoy kale, but it’s loaded with varied textures and even temperatures. And, yes, it’s served in a bowl.

This versatile recipe comes from the clever cookbook, “Smorgasbowl” (Radicle Publishing), of which I received a review copy, that celebrates healthful recipes that can be served in bowls.

It’s by Austin-based Caryn Carruthers, the founder of the blog, Tastynfree.com, who not only created all the recipes in this book, but also the photos and design.

A few years ago, she went grain-free. As such, the recipes in this book contain little grain, dairy or sugar. But as she notes, those who don’t have to adhere to such restrictions, can easily add some yogurt, rice, pita or other bread to round out the dishes. Moreover, because these are bowl meals, they can easily be individualized to suit every person at the table.

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Asparagus Fry — With Mustard Seeds and Coconut

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A simple saute of asparagus that gets dressed up with Indian flavors.
A simple saute of asparagus that gets dressed up with Indian flavors.

Spring may signal bountiful flowers. But for me, first and foremost, it brings asparagus.

I can barely contain myself when the first spears start showing up at the farmers markets. Because from then on out, I eat my fill of those sweet, thick spears every week until they disappear all too rapidly at the end of their short season.

Asparagus aren’t often highlighted in Indian cooking. So, when I spied a recipe for “Asparagus Fry” flavored with chilies, mustard seeds, and shredded coconut, I was all in.

This quick and easy recipe is from the new “Mindful Indian Meals,” of which I received a review copy.

It’s by San Franciscan Shivangi Rao, a designer and product manager in the healthcare industry, who founded the blog, Raody Recipes.

Growing up, Rao was plagued by digestive and cognitive autoimmune illnesses, which even impacted her ability to walk at one point. She eventually learned that certain foods triggered her symptoms, which led her to eliminate them. The only problem was many of them were the beloved foods she had grown up with: Indian sweets made with refined sugar; lentils high in starch; and rice and roti, both high in simple carbohydrates.

So, she set out on a path to reclaim those flavors that are so integral to her family and culture.

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