Cooking with Confidence

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Eggs + Latkes Latkes adapted from a recipe by Deb Perlman (SmiXen Kitchen) Latkes (a Hanukkah tradiEon) + a sunny side up egg = YES PLEASE. Add extra fat (sour cream) and acid (hot sauce) to make things really interesEng. 202

1. Make your latkes INGREDIENTS: • 1 potato • 2 shallots (or 1 onion) • 1 egg • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 big pinch pepper • 1/4 cup flour a. b.Wash and grate Put your grated potato your potato. and shallots in a thin Remove the towel, old t-shirt, or papery skin from piece of cheesecloth. your shallots and grate them up. c. d.Wring out as much In a large bowl, water as you can. mix your egg, salt, pepper and flour. Wait five minutes, then wring it out again. e. f.Add the wrung-out Heat a generous amount of potato and onion to oil in a pan. Turn heat to the bowl with the medium-high. egg mixture. Carefully move your latke Mix with your hands, balls to the oil. Gently press and form into balls. down and cook until golden- brown on both sides. 203

Herb + Spice Combos Experiment! Add a little flavor to the oil in the pan before adding the egg. Maybe try flavor combos. Circle what you like, and draw lines to remind you of flavors you enjoyed. Parsley Fennel Seed Oregano Tarragon White Pepper Basil Ginger Rosemary Cayenne Pepper MSG Coriander Paprika Sage Cumin Curry Powder Thyme 204

2. Cook a couple sunny side up eggs to top your latkes Crack an egg into Pour a good amount a bowl and take of oil into the pan - out the shell enough that you can fragments. get some into a small spoon. Sprinkle some herbs and spices in the oil to release their oils. Pour the egg into Spooning hot oil the pan on over the whites medium heat. helps the tops Immediately start cook evenly. spooning some of Watch for when the hot oil over the whites are no the egg whites. longer cloudy. With your most Place an egg on top of a latke. confident Season with sour cream, hot altude, try sauce, your choice of herbs and taking the egg out spices, or whatever tastes good. in one go. Enjoy! This takes pracEce! Wrap extra latkes in 3n foil and freeze - they’ll keep for a month in the freezer. 205

Notes for next time… Latkes Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Egg technique Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ CombinaAon of latkes and sunny side up egg What I like about it ___________________ Might be good with ___________________ What herbs and spices might you want to include next Ame? _________________________________________________________ 206

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Baked Eggs with Vegetables 208

Vegetable Combos Experiment! Circle what you like. Draw connec3ng lines to remember flavors you like to taste together. Spinach Broccoli Brussels sprouts (already cooked) Garlic Onion Kale Corn Cauliflower (already cooked) ArEchoke hearts Bell peppers Asparagus Olives Tomato Potato (already cooked) Sweet potato Mushrooms (already cooked) Carrots (already cooked) 209

1. Preheat oven to 550 degrees INGREDIENTS: 2. Dice about two handfuls of almost any combinaAon of vegetables PROTEIN • 1 or 2 eggs • op?onal: 1/2 cup of cream or some grated cheese (Very firm vegetables like potatoes and VEGETABLES squash take much longer to roast, however.) • 2 handfuls of Ideas: whatever you want • onions, olives + peppers EXTRA FLAVOR • asparagus + mushrooms • salt and pepper to • tomato, peppers + avocado • broccoli + garlic taste • mushrooms, spinach + onions • op?onal: a big pinch or more of dried herbs and spices 3. BuTer a shallow pan or bowl. Make sure to use something that’s marked “oven safe.” You can buy a single-use aluminum pan from the dollar store. Or, this Lodge brand skillet costs $5 and will last forever. 210

4. Add vegetables to your buttered pan You might like certain vegetables - like spinach, onions, and mushrooms - beAer if you sauté them first on the stovetop. (Sauté means chopped and cooked with a liAle oil or buAer in a pan.) You will definitely like this dish beAer if you add more than just a sprinkle of salt and pepper. 5. Add eggs eggs go in the middle! If you carve out a hole in the middle of your skillet, both eggs will fit in this middle place and so will cook at the same pace. If they’re scaAered around the skillet, one might turn out overcooked while the other’s undercooked. Pour cream over everything if you’d like a faler, more custard-y texture. 6. Cook for 8 to 15 minutes The dish is done when the egg whites are set (fully cooked, totally white and not translucent) while the egg yolks are not hard-boiled (bright yellow and sEll jiggly). Sprinkle cheese over top if you’d like a salEer flavor. Drizzle with an acid like hot sauce or balsamic vinegar if you prefer. 211

Notes for next time… Vegetable combinaAon Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Egg technique Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Seasonings Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ 212

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Thai Fried Rice Adapted from Kris Yenbamroong’s discussion in “Ugly Delicious” (NeTlix) Day-old rice mixed quickly with a liAle pork, a liAle egg, a liAle vegetables = a fast, filling breakfast 214

1. Cook your rice You Will Need: In a small pot CARBOHYDRATE: with a Eght-filng • 1/2 cup white rice lid, cook the rice with 3/4 cup cold PROTEIN: water and 1/2 • 1 or 2 eggs teaspoon salt on • handful of pork sausage high heat. VEGETABLES: When it boils, • 3 or 4 green onions reduce the heat • 4 cloves garlic to medium-low, • 1/4 of a cucumber and simmer for about ten DRESSING / EXTRA FLAVOR minutes, unEl the • op?onal: 1/2 tablespoon rice has doubled in size. fish sauce NEVER liu the lid while rice is cooking. This is • 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce why it’s nice to have a pot with a see-through lid. • 1/2 teaspoon sugar Wait five more minutes before liwing the lid and fluffing with a fork. 215

2. Prepare everything - and put it all close by the stove Mix together fish Slice 1/4 of a cucumber very, sauce, soy sauce, very thin. (This goes on the side, and sugar. awer everything else is cooked.) Break 1 or 2 eggs into a bowl. Pick out shell fragments and mix whites with yolks. Slice green parts of green onions. Remove paper from garlic cloves. Mince your garlic (chop very small). 216

3. Time to cook! This will go very, very fast Put a liAle oil in your largest When the oil smokes, pan over medium-high heat. add the eggs. Toss a You can always add more oil liAle bit, then push to later. the side of the pan, away from the heat. They don’t need to be fully cooked yet. Add garlic. SEr around Add ground pork and for ten seconds, then cook that unEl it’s shove that to the side, almost done. (It’ll cook too. more awer the next step.) Turn the heat to high. Add the dressing, rice, and green onions and toss everything together. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. 217

Notes for next time… SAr Fry Method Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Cooking rice this way Flavor? ________________________________________ Texture? ________________________________________ Sauce (soy sauce + fish sauce + sugar) What I like about it ___________________ Might be good with ___________________ What other flavors might taste great in this sAr fry? _________________________________________________________ 218

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Breakfast Muffins, Three Ways Lemon Radish Muffin inspired by High Street on Hudson’s “Einkorn Rugbrod” (via NY Magazine) Pick a muffin, any muffin! 220

1. Fry your bacon BACON, EGG + CHEESE and egg Classic! Use medium heat, and flip your bacon every once in a while unEl CARBOHYDRATE it’s the way you like it. Blot on a towel when it's done. • 1 English muffin PROTEIN: • 1 egg • 1 slice of bacon • 1 slice of American cheese DRESSING: • 1 teaspoon buAer EXTRA FLAVOR: • salt and pepper to taste Add a liAle oil to the bacon grease. 2. Put it all together Add an egg, and start basEng (spooning hot oil over the egg Spread buAer whites) unEl they’re set. over an English muffin. With your most Then layer your confident bacon, egg and altude, try cheese any way taking the egg you want. out in one go. 221

1. Make your tapenade OLIVE TAPENADE MUFFIN (A tapenade is a French olive dip.) An oily, bright mix of flavors Chop olives, capers, and oil together. Make it as chunky or as fine as you’d like. CARBOHYDRATE 2. Fry your egg • 1/2 or 1 English muffin PROTEIN: • 1 egg DRESSING - TAPENADE • 1 teaspoon olive oil • 3-5 big green olives • 3 big capers EXTRA FLAVOR: • pepper to taste Pour some oil in a pan over medium 3. Put it all together heat. Add an egg, and start basEng (spooning hot oil over the egg whites) unEl they’re set. With your most confident altude, try taking the egg out in one go. 222

1. Sou-boil an egg LEMON RADISH MUFFIN When a pot of water boils, Sunshine on a plate carefully add an egg. Boil for 5-6 minutes, then take it out CARBOHYDRATE and carefully peel the shell off. • 1/2 or 1 English muffin 2. Make your dressing PROTEIN Scrape off some of the bright yellow of a lemon peel. • 1/2 an egg VEGETABLE • 1 radish (well-scrubbed) • a few leaves of something green DRESSING - SALTED LEMON BUTTER • 1 teaspoon buAer • 1 pinch salt, or to taste • zest of 1/8 of a lemon, or to taste EXTRA FLAVOR: • pepper to taste 3. Put it all together Smash together buAer, Dressing + torn greens Sliced radish + egg lemon zest, and salt. Taste, and add more zest or salt, 223 if you'd like.

Notes for next time… Fat vs. Acid - Balancing Flavors Thoughts? _________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Sou-Boiled Egg vs. Sunny-Side Up Egg Thoughts? _________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Olive Tapenade What I like about it ___________________ Might be good with ___________________ Salted Lemon BuTer What I like about it ___________________ Might be good with ___________________ 224

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Sunny Side Up Egg Latkes Peel a few heads of garlic, but don’t chop the Peel a few heads of garlic, but don’t chop the cloves. Spread on a the smallest oven-proof tray cloves. Spread on a the smallest oven-proof tray you have. Add some thyme and cover with olive you have. Add some thyme and cover with olive oil. (OpEonal: add in a couple bay leaves, or any oil. (OpEonal: add in a couple bay leaves, or any other herbs you think might taste good in a other herbs you think might taste good in a garlicky oil.) garlicky oil.) Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or unEl garlic Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or unEl garlic cloves are sow but not mushy. cloves are sow but not mushy. Cover and refrigerate. It’ll keep for 2 months, as Cover and refrigerate. It’ll keep for 2 months, as long as the garlic is always covered by oil. long as the garlic is always covered by oil. You can use this on pizzas, sandwiches, fish, eggs You can use this on pizzas, sandwiches, fish, eggs - and the flavorful oil is a great addiEon to almost - and the flavorful oil is a great addiEon to almost anything. anything. Thai Fried Rice Baked Eggs with Vegetables Cook 1/2 cup of dry rice - or, beAer yet, use 1/2 Choose your vegetables. cup of yesterday’s already cooked rice. Some veggies you might want to saute in a pan Mice some garlic, slice some green onions, first (mushrooms, spinach). Do that or don’t - scramble one or two eggs in a bowl, thinly slice either way, you’ll feel great about filling your part of a cucumber, sEr a liAle soy sauce with body with nutrients. some fish sauce and sugar (taste to get the right Preheat your oven to 550, or as hot as it gets. combinaEon), and place all of this, with 1/4 of a BuAer an oven-proof pan, including the sides. pound of pork sausage, near the stove. Add about two handfuls of veggies to the pan. Oil a large pan and set heat to medium-high. Make a nest in the center of the veggies Add an When the oil’s hot, add the eggs. Toss them egg or two to that nest. around, then push to the side of the pan, away Sprinkle with a good amount of salt, pepper, and from the heat. any herbs and spices that you love. Add garlic to the pan, sEr, then shove aside. Add pork and cook unEl browned. Turn heat to high and add everything but Bake 8 to 12 minutes, or unEl egg whites are set cucumber to the pan. SEr and cook for five and yolks aren’t hard-boiled yet. minutes, unEl well-combined. 226

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STAMP HERE Try It Again! Pick one recipe from this chapter and make it yourself (or with some help) outside of group. What did you make? ___________________________________________________ What would you do differently next Ame? ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Would you make it again? ______________ What did you do well? ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ 228

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Soup Soup is so easy, so versatile - with practice! Use your own favorite ingredients, or use whatever’s on hand. Once you get the hang of soups, you can use the next page as a guideline rather than having to have a “real” recipe. 230

Recipe Basics: Soups Choose a combinaEon Season with salt, If using meat, cook of flavors that you like. pepper, and other in a separate pan on Cook your sofrito in a herbs and spices. SEr medium heat unEl liAle fat (buAer or oil) and cook unEl flavors done. on medium heat.. have combined. Add enough liquid to Turn heat back down to Mash to a creamy cover your veggies, medium-low and let consistency, or don’t. turn heat to high, and simmer 20-30 minutes, or Add cream, or don’t. bring to a boil. Add until vegetables are fork Drizzle with oil, meat and potatoes tender (they’re so soft a vinegar, hot sauce, or now, if using. fork easily cuts into lemon juice, or don’t. them). 231

Thoughts on Broth If you’e like me, if a recipe calls for a parEcular liquid I don’t already own, I wanna say no thanks that recipe. I think: broth is expensive! What is broth? It’s beef, chicken, or vegetables cooked in water to give the water flavor, and then removing the solid parts for use in something else. Seasoned water is a totally acceptable alternaEve for broth or stock. (If you’re cooking vegetables and salt in water, you are seasoning your water.) Organic vegetable broth is good, and chicken stock is good, and beef broth is good - and all of them will work in any recipe that calls for a liquid in soup… but water works just fine, too - honest. 232

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Egg Drop Soup Adapted from a recipe by Emma Christensen (The Kitchn) No vegetables? No meat? Who cares! Meet the ulEmate two-ingredient comfort food. 234

1. Heat your broth What You Need: Pour broth into a LIQUID pot over • 1 can or 2 cups broth medium. PROTEIN 2. Add seasonings • 2 eggs Taste! Add a liAle TO KEEP EGGS SILKY soy sauce or • op?onal: 1 teaspoon other seasonings, sEr and taste cornstarch again. Decide if you want to add EXTRA FLAVOR more. • soy sauce (or MSG, or salt), plus white pepper (or black), to taste • op?onal: ground garlic or ground ginger, to taste 3. Prepare your eggs 4. Cook your eggs in broth In a small Slowly pour the egg bowl, mix your mixture through the Enes egg yolks and of your fork into the broth. whites. Add (It might look clumpy - cornstarch (if that’s ok.) SEr the eggs you have it on into the broth a couple hand). Emes, then let egg pieces cook for about 20 seconds. 235 Then you’re done!

Notes for next time… Base broth Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Egg technique Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Egg Drop Soup Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ What else might taste good in this soup? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 236

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Cream of Whatever Soup Spicy Chickpea version adapted from a recipe by Allison Roman (New York Times) Cream of Mushroom soup (with onions, garlic, thyme, and sour cream) - soooo much better when you make it from scratch! And ooh, spicy chickpea soup (with onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric, red pepper flakes, coconut milk, yogurt, and spinach) - they don’t even make this in a can! These are just ideas to help you practice the basic steps of soup-making - feel free to play around! 238

What You Need: VEGETABLES • 1/2 a yellow onion LIQUID • a handful aromaEcs, if you want • broth or water, to cover things • 3-4 cups of your choice of a “star” PROTEIN vegetable (the main flavor) • coconut milk or cream, to taste EXTRA FLAVOR • seasonings, plus salt and pepper 1. Chop and cook your sofrito Spicy Chickpea Soup Cream of Sauté your diced aromaEcs (onion, Mushroom garlic and ginger) and your star Soup vegetable (2 cans drained chickpeas). Cook in a pot over medium heat with Sauté your diced aromaEcs (onion a liAle oil. SEr every few minutes, for and garlic) and your star vegetable 15 minutes or unEl everything is sow (sliced mushrooms). and flavors are combined. Cook in a pot over medium heat with a liAle oil. SEr every few minutes, for 15 minutes or unEl everything is sow and flavors are combined. 239

2. Add seasonings - don't forget salt and pepper! Mushrooms taste great with thyme, or rosemary, or even paprika. Add some spice to chickpeas with red pepper flakes and turmeric - or whatever you like! Be creative! 3. Add liquid, sAr, and bring to a boil Make sure your liquid covers your Use canned coconut milk to add a vegetables. Try chicken broth, different flavor. (In this chickpea soup, vegetable broth, or even just water. two cans of coconut milk and one can of broth or water are suggested.) 4. Simmer 20-30 minutes Turn heat down to medium-low. Mash sower vegetables if you like. (This thickens the soup.) If you want to add cream, add it right before serving (this way, it won’t curdle). If you have some leafy greens, add those at the end for extra texture and nutriEon. Top with yogurt, sour cream, and/or vinegar. 240

Soup Ideas Try a limle of everything, and maybe try combining items. Circle what you like. Draw connec3ng lines to remember flavors and textures you like to taste together. Spinach Broccoli (chopped) Matzo balls Chicken (already cooked) Kale (minced) Turkey Corn (already cooked) Cauliflower (diced) Pumplin puree Chickpeas Asparagus Tomato (chopped) Potato (cubed) Noodles Mushrooms Sweet potato (sliced) (cubed) Carrots 241

Notes for next time… Sofrito Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Amount of dairy used Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Seasonings used Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ What other flavors might taste good in this soup? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 242

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Potato Cheddar Soup Adapted from Moosewood CollecEve’s New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant The US’s most famous vegetarian restaurant calls this their most requested soup! 244

1. Chop and cook your sofrito Sauté your diced Add sliced carrot and What You Need: aromaEcs (garlic and cubed potatoes to the onion) with a liAle onion mixture. Cook, CARBOHYDRATE oil on medium heat sErring frequently, for • 2 Russet potatoes unEl translucent. ten minutes. LIQUID Make sure to add Meanwhile, grate • 4 cups broth or water salt and pepper one cup of to season the cheddar cheese. PROTEIN vegetables. • 1 pint milk or cream 245 • 1 cup cheddar • op?onal: 4 ounces (1/2 box) cream cheese VEGETABLES • 1 onion • 2 cloves garlic • 1 carrot EXTRA FLAVOR • salt and pepper to taste • your choice of herbs and spices, to taste

2. Add liquid, boil, and then mash it all up Awer ten minutes of Cook about twenty Take the pot off the heat cooking vegetables, minutes, unEl potatoes and mash everything. add 4 cups of water or are fork tender (unEl a (You can also use a sloAed broth to the pot. fork easily pokes through spoon to move most of a piece of potato). the veggie chunks to a bowl and mash them.) 3. Finish with cheese and cream When it’s all mashed, taste! NoEce that it’s preAy good even without cream. Add cheese, cream, and the opEonal cream cheese and conEnue sErring unEl it all warms up again. 246

Recipe Basics: Reheating Stuff Soups will keep in the fridge for a week or two, or in the freezer for a month or two. If you know you want to freeze your soup, dump it into a freezer bag, squeeze out any air, and make sure it’s sealed before freezing. To reheat, just pour some from tupperware - or squeeze some from a freezer bag - into a pot over medium heat. SEr unEl warmed through. If the dish that you’ve put in the fridge is very dry - maybe because it’s full of pasta or rice - add some fat (buAer or oil) to your pot before dumping in your lewovers. 247

Notes for next time… This Sofrito Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Amount of dairy used Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Seasonings used Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ What other flavors might taste good in this soup? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 248

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Peanut Soup Adapted from Nancy Lazarus’s secEon in Moosewood CollecEve’s Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant Also called Maafe, or Groundnut Soup, this is a lot of West African folks’ go-to comfort food. Rich, spicy (or as spicy as you want it to be), peanut-buAery… Yum! 250