SERVES 8 to 12 I love nouns that are also verbs, words like cheer, smile, mug, and potentially my favorite, fork. In Cantonese, char siu literally means “fork roast,” in reference to the traditional cooking method for this tangy-sweet BBQ pork, which involves piercing…
SERVES 6 to 8 My maternal grandmother, Veronica Caroline Rovnak, came to the United States in 1902 from what was then called Czechoslovakia. Her village, not much more than a single street dominated by a white clapboard church, sat deep in a leafy green valley. At 17,…
SERVES 2 Egg Foo Yong has a deliciously confused identity. It’s not quite an omelet, almost a pancake, and somewhere beyond a fritter. It has become a 100% American dish, although its culinary roots reach back to Shanghai, and its name—with at least six accepted…
SERVES 6 to 8 Rogan Josh is a curry dish from Kashmir, a region tucked among the borders of India, Pakistan, and China, all of which can be tasted in its fragrant blend of spices. I’d never eaten Rogan Josh before I bought the seasoning based solely on its enticing…
SERVES 4 to 8 Jane Eyre is my favorite book, and I’m a sucker for any fog-shrouded British mystery. I can’t get enough of the accents, the Queen’s English, the tweed and wellies, the moody weather, and the fervent belief that a steaming cup of tea is a cure-all….
SERVES 1 to 2 Confession: My favorite kind of sushi is the California roll. I know it doesn’t have the elegance of sashimi, but here’s the thing: it’s got the flavor and texture mélange (mélange!) of cool, sweet seafood with creamy avocado, salty coconut aminos, and…
SERVES 2 Machacado and eggs is a Mexican dish made from shredded, dried beef (called carne seca), eggs, diced onion, and tomato, with a touch of jalapeño. This style of dried beef originated near Monterrey, Mexico. As the legend goes, a woman named Tia Lencha was the…
MAKES 2 6-inch meatzas My perfect Friday night? Pizza and a movie on the couch. Some might argue it’s the cheese that makes a pizza, but I disagree. I think it’s the friendly wedge shape of the slices—and that they’re meant to be eaten with our hands. Then there’s the…
SERVES 3 to 4 Ridiculously fast and easy to make, these shrimp are packed with a one-two punch of garlic and ginger, followed by a touch of lime that tingles the tongue. The natural sweetness of the shrimp complements the citrus, and the touch of char from the grill…
SERVES 6 to 8 In sixth-grade English, our class read a story about a Native American tribe in the Southwest. I’ve forgotten all but one fascinating detail of that story: The family ate meat cooked with chocolate. Thanks to my dad’s rule that we must at least try…
SERVES 6 to 8 Morocco has long been on my list of must-visit countries. Twisting alleys, markets crowded with vendors, scampering trained monkeys… I need to see it all. The country sits in the northwestern corner of Africa, and the influence of Arab and Moorish…
SERVES 6 to 12 art The grill is not always kind to our lean, reliable friend, the skinless, boneless breast. But this recipe unlocks the secrets of juicy, flavorful meat with minimal work. Infused with zing from a relatively quick brining and coated in a fragrant…