I got a subscription to Bon Appétit this year for some new dinner ideas. Some of them were immediate favorites and are now in regular rotation. So here are the recipes from the second half of 2024 with notes on modifications and whether the effort is worth it or not – plus a list of the recipes that I liked so much, I made them multiple times!
Continue reading “Bon Appetit, Part Two”
“What do you want to do for dinner?” I haven’t had to think about that since I got a subscription to Bon Appétit as a gift this year. Here’s are my favorite recipes for the first six months of 2024, with notes on modifications and whether the effort is worth it or not.
Continue reading “Bon Appetit, Part One”
The first Ottolenghi dinner in June was such a success that we decided to host another feast to showcase more recipes by the renowned chef. Even though the dishes we chose were all from different cuisines and cookbooks, the flavors all worked together to create another memorable dinner party.
Continue reading “Another Ottolenghi Feast”
Yotam Ottolenghi is a chef, restaurateur, and food writer who is a regular contributor to The New York Times Magazine. He has authored nine bestselling cookbooks, including Plenty (2010) and Simple (2018). With the exception of Simple, many of his original recipes are quite involved, although they are all incredibly delicious. My friends and I are no strangers to combining efforts to make and eat elaborate feasts together – like our Greek Feast in 2019 or the Christmas Quarantine BBQ of 2020. So it’s not surprising that a group of similarly food-obsessed friends got together and pooled our various Ottolenghi cookbooks together.
Continue reading “An Ottolenghi Feast”
The second installment of sandwiches contained secrets like how to make perfectly fluffy chickpea and herb falafels, and how to make a 100% vegetarian meatball sub that is so good your Italian friend asks for the recipe. And lots of fresh and grilled vegetables from around the Mediterranean resulted in some excellent summertime dinners. Although the “Summer of Sandwiches” extended through Fall, many of these recipes will reappear at the table in the future. Includes links to recipes and notes about how to make them vegetarian and vegan friendly.
Part 3 of 3 features 11 sandwiches from Argentina, Trinidad, and across Mexico and the United States.
The first 10 sandwiches of this delicious endeavor featured vegetarian favorites like banh mi with marinated tofu and avocado toast topped with an egg. But it also included new recipes like homemade plant-based sausages with lemongrass, green onions, ginger, and garlic for Laotian khao jee. Let’s continue the sandwich quest in a new region of the world. Includes links to recipes and notes about how to make them vegetarian and vegan.
Part 2 of 3 features 9 sandwiches from Senegal, Israel, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, Greece, England, and Italy.
Everybody loves sandwiches, right? Everywhere you go, there is always some local version made with whatever ingredients are on hand. They are versatile and eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Many of the most well-known creations have meat: doner kebab sandwiches, the muffaletta, chicken shawarma, a grilled Cuban. But what about the vegetarian and seafood sandwiches of the world? Includes links to recipes and notes on how to make them more vegan friendly.
Part 1 of 3 features 10 sandwiches from India, Pakistan, Laos, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, and Australia.
The Beef Wellington is an essential part of English cooking, but vegetarian versions have also become quite popular. The process is the same: a layer of puff pastry dough seals in the filling to keep the moisture inside while it cooks. The dish looks pretty technical and I’ve never attempted anything like it before, but I’ve watched enough episodes of the Great British Baking Show that I’m pretty sure I can handle it.
Recipes are everywhere you look – I found the recipe for this black bean and vegetable stew on back of a can of black beans. Since then, it has become a winter staple because it uses your favorite ingredients or whatever you have on hand. Seriously, I cannot emphasize how easy, delicious and versatile this soup is; it’s a great beginner recipe, and it will feed an army.
Cold weather means hearty soups, warm bread and a mug of hot tea. Shepherd’s pie is traditionally made with minced lamb, but this delicious vegetarian version will be sure to please everyone! It’s similar to the vegetable pot pie that I made last year, but instead of biscuit dough on top that bakes into a crust in the oven, a shepherd’s pie is topped with mashed potatoes to keep all the moisture and flavor in.
Louisa Gaylord 