Donut Army

Obviously, I'm talking about the dish on the right. (On the left is chicken schnitzel, which I will write about elsewhere.) Last year, I had had a corn risotto in Chicago that I couldn't stop thinking about. So when Cook's Illustrated included a recipe for corn risotto, I knew I had to try it. All I can say is: YAAAAAAAAAAAASS! Not as light as the one I was served in Chicago, but delicious. And very un-risotto-like in its process, which makes it even easier to assemble. Corn Risotto Cook's Illustrated 4-6 ears corn , kernels cut from cubs, divided, cobs reserved 5 1/2 c hot water , divided 2 T unsalted butter 1 shallot , minced 2 tsps table salt 1 clove garlic , minced 1/2 tsp pepper 1 1/2 c arborio rice 3 sprigs thyme 1 oz Parmesan cheese , grated 1/4 c creme fraiche 2 T chives , chopped 1/2 tsp lemon juice Stand 1 reserved corn cob on end on cutting board and firmly scrape downward with back of butter knife to remove any pul...

This was crisp and refreshing. And the pickled ginger added such an unexpected but welcome surprise! Fresh Corn Salad  Mary Jo's Kitchen 3 ears sweet corn 1/2 red onion , thinly sliced 1 bulb fennel , thinly sliced 2 stalks celery , thinly sliced 1 tsp serrano chile , finely chopped (opt) 1 T pickled ginger , chopped (opt) 1 tsp garlic , finely chopped and mashed handful fresh herbs , shredded (basil, parsley, cilantro, or mint) 1 T lime juice or lemon 1 T cider vinegar 1 tsp Dijon style mustard 4 T olive oil Husk corn and remove silk. Break ears in half. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt. Add corn, cover, and boil 2 minutes. Remove corn to cool. In bowl, combine fennel, celeray, onion. Add pepper, ginger, and garlic. In glass jar, combine lime juice, vinegar, mustars and salt. Whisk in olive oil. Set aside. When corn is cool enough to handle, stand each ear upright and remove corn kernels. Milk the corn, too. Should come to 2 cu...

This appeared in Cook's Illustrated in 1998, and I have been making it ever since. It is my go-to stuffing and I look forward to it every time. Oven-Baked Bread Stuffing with Sage and Thyme  Cook's Illustrated 8 T butter , unsalted, plus extra for baking dish 1 onion , chopped medium (about 1 1/2 c) 4 ribs celery , diced medium (about 1 1/2 c) 1/2 tsp sage (dried) 1/2 tsp thyme (dried) 1/2 tsp marjoram (dried) 1/2 c parsley (fresh), minced 1/2 tsp pepper 12 c dried 1/2" cubes bread 2 c stock 3 eggs , lightly beaten 1 tsp table salt Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat butter in large skillet over medium-high heat until fully melted pour off 2 tablespoons butter and reserve. Return skillet to heat add onion and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in sage, thyme, marjoram, parsley, and black pepper and cook until just fragrant, about 1 minute long...

Early in the pandemic, I embarked on a few taste tests and cooking challenges for myself. One was to try recipes featuring each of the yellow beans I had in the house -- dal, split peas, lentils. Here is what I did with the yellow split peas. Toor Dal (Split Yellow Pigeon Peas) NY Times Dal: 1 c toor dal 2 roma tomato , roughly chopped 1/4 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp coarse salt 1/4 c peanuts , whole, raw Tempering: 1/4 c ghee 1 sprig curry leave 1 stick cinnamon 3 dried chiles de arbol 3 cloves 1/4 tsp black mustard seeds   To prepare dal, soak pigeon peas in a large bowl of warm water for about 1 hour. Rinse, drain and tip into a pot. Add tomatoes, turmeric, salt and 5 c water. Bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until tender, 25-30 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree some of the dal, leaving some chunky. Stir in peanuts and simmer until dal is very tender, 3- minutes. Taste and adjust with salt. Heat a small pan with ghee. ...

For someone's birthday, I offered to make their favorite dish - chicken marsala. The problem was, I've actually never had chicken marsala. So a week before the birthday, I found a reputable restaurant that serves the dish so that I could sample it before attempting to make it. This recipe from Cook's Illustrated is quite thorough and resulted in my first ever effort being delicious and birthday appropriate. I cut one corner, which I don't recommend you do; I didn't measure the sauce after its second reduction, and ultimately, I hadn't let it reduce enough. So my final sauce was thinner than it should have been. Follow the instructions and you should be just fine! Chicken Marsala Cook's Illustrate 2 1/4 c marsala , dry 4 tsps unflavored gelatin 1 oz porcini mushrooms , dried, rinsed 4 6-8 ounce chicken breasts , boneless, skinless 2 c stock 3/4 c flour 1/4 c + 1 tsp vegetable oil 3 oz pancetta , in 1/2" pieces 1 lb cremini mushr...

  Palmetto 1 1/2 oz white rum 1 1/2 oz sweet vermouth 2 dashes orange bitters

You're going to dirty some dishes with this one. But every step of the process is going to smell enticing and the finished product is delicious. This one is in my regular rotation of recipes. Chole (Chana Masala) Manjula's Kitchen 1 15-oz can chickpeas 3 T oil pinch asafetida 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 T gram flour (Besan) 1 tomato 1 tsp ginger paste 1 tsp green chilies , chopped 2 tsps coriander 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp red chili powder 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp garam masala 1 tsp cilantro , chopped Drain and rinse ch ickpeas. Slip them out of their jackets. Blend the tomatoes, green chilies and ginger to make a puree. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil if seed crack right away oil is ready. Add the asafetida and cumin seeds. After the cumin seeds crack, add the gram flour and stir-fry for a minute. Add the tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric, chili powder and cook for about 4 minutes on medium heat. T...