A blast of heat in a cast-iron pan and a basting of golden butter does wonders for plain fish fillets. This life-changing method is adopted from a former chef and current fishmonger, Mark Usewicz of Mermaid's...
Author: Julia Moskin
Kasha, toasted hulled buckwheat, is not what you would call versatile. But kasha varnishkes - kasha, noodles (typically bow ties), loads of slow-cooked onions and fat - is an amazing dish, one I used to...
Author: Mark Bittman
This straightforward method of cooking mussels or clams produces an excellent dinner in 30 minutes. You can build in extra flavors by varying the aromatic vegetables, the liquid and the last-minute stir-ins....
Author: Emily Weinstein
Mapo tofu is a justly popular menu item in many Chinese restaurants. It is a quickly cooked dish of braised tofu with minced pork (sometimes beef) in a bracing spicy sauce made with fermented black beans...
Author: David Tanis
The chef Adam Evans of The Optimist in Atlanta likes to roast big, fresh Southern shrimp with the heads in a deep dish of rock salt studded with spices, an easy method that produces tender, delicately...
Author: Kim Severson
Amanda Cohen, the chef at Dirt Candy in Manhattan, loves how easy it is to make fried rice. "If you're a chef, the idea of cooking at home on your one night off is like some kind of terrible nightmare,"...
Author: Jeff Gordinier
Author: Georgia Wong
Contributed to "Vegan Holiday Kitchen" by Barbara Pollak, a longtime reader of Ms. Atlas's, this pilaf is attractive when made with a combination of red and white quinoa, but either color can be used on...
Author: Karen Barrow
Fish baked in miso is quintessentially Japanese, but I first learned about it years ago from the very American James Beard. Miso marries well with oily fish like salmon, mackerel or black cod, but mild...
Author: David Tanis
This is a filling but light meal in a bowl. The stock is based on one in Deborah Madison's "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone." I prefer to use nutty buckwheat noodles in this soup. For a vegetarian version,...
Author: Martha Rose Shulman
Eggplant is good steamed or fried, but try making it in the microwave. The timing is forgiving in this recipe from reader Roopa Kalyanaraman, and the texture of the eggplant is mind-blowingly good, soft...
Author: Mark Bittman