One of my cousins was married to a Kashmiri gentleman, and for the period when he was working at the United Nations in New York he had brought along a manservant. My cousin let me have him once a week to cook and clean. His repertoire was limited—he could only cook dishes he had learned from my cousin, such as this simple Kashmiri staple, which we loved. Soon he was making it week after week, and it remains one of our favorites. In Kashmir, collard-type greens and rice are eaten as commonly as beans and rice in Central America, the season for them lasting from spring (when the greens are tender) until the snows start to fall in early winter (when the greens get coarser).
Lighter than yams, easily done ahead and good hot or tepid, roasted sweet squash turns almost candy-like in the oven.
Anything you can serve at room temperature is a gift when you’re taking on a big menu. These beans shine at room temperature and could be done a day in advance. They will hold at room temperature about 2 hours; after that, chill them.
Making the stuffing a day ahead gives it a chance to come into its prime. Serve hot or at room temperature.
These beautiful and simple cheese crisps hail from the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy.
I love hash so much I've even served this diner staple at The French Laundry. It's a great Sunday brunch dish, with poached eggs, but could also be served as a side dish at dinner. Don't hold the cubed potatoes in water—cut them just before cooking so that they are very dry and will become very crisp. The cooked potatoes are tossed with bacon and melted onions.
Barley is a great substitute for risotto, especially when you don't have a lot of time to spend stirring the pot.
The Three Opportunities: You can dictate the character of your soup by how you decide to start cooking it.
These generous sized wedges of red onion roast with wine, tomatoes, olive oil and herbs to become almost a meal unto themselves. I always make enough for leftovers because the onions are such a good lunch the next day with bread and cheese.
Eaten blindfolded, the mushrooms taste like chicken.