No they won’t. That’s ridiculous. But I was finding inspiration in the strangely portentous title of Ruth Reichl’s new cookbook [1].
We have some catching up to do. I’ve been cooking!
My friend Abra is a chef and writer and teaches me a lot about how to be a better cook. She’s especially good at preserving food. I’ve been following her lead [2] and roasting and then freezing cherry tomatoes to get me through the long tomato-less winter. (Though maybe this winter [3]won’t be as tomato-less as some for Chicagoans). She also makes a mean ratatouille [4], using those very same roasted tomatoes. I used her recipe to improvise mine, the wine and the paprika are key.
I’ve also been really into this Grilled Eggplant Parmesan recipe [5] that I found on Food & Wine’s site. We’ve eaten a lot of eggplant this summer. In part, I think, because I haven’t been loving the tomatoes I’ve been getting from the market, even from my favorite sources. Cooking the tomatoes improves them and so this recipe is a good use of the late summer/early autumn abundance of both tomatoes and eggplant. The secret is a layer of chopped olives and peppers. I added a few cloves of chopped garlic to that layer. The recipe is really simple and soothing to make.
Like many people, I was excited about the release of the NOPI [6] cookbook. It is a truly beautiful object. I think I will get a lot of inspiration from the book, though to be honest, I am not sure how often I will cook from it. It isn’t really home cooking, as Ottolenghi admits in the introduction. I made a tomato salad [7] with some wasabi mascarpone and quick pickled shallots that was pretty rad. The wasabi mascarpone was a real revelation for me and something I will return to. Basically, mix together some wasabi and mascarpone and season it with salt and pepper. Chives aren’t a bad addition. Spread it on a tomato. Or a bagel. Or eat it off a spoon.
Molly Wizenberg is one of the few food writers I trust. When she tells me to make something, I am usually happy with the results. I learned about this [8] lemon and coconut cake from her and it is pretty dreamy. I think it is best the first day when the topping has a little crunch, but it keeps well on the counter for a few days.
***
What have you all been cooking? Any recipe I should know about?