This is the fan-favorite soup at Dad’s. Sweet, savory, a little salty, a little sour, with a host of beautiful aromatics, it has a lot going on. But it’s one of those recipes where I don’t do everything from scratch. I make my own coconut milk for desserts, but not for soups, where it gets loose and watery. Canned coconut milk typically has guar gum in it, which holds it together when hot. As for the Madras curry powder, my favorite is from Sun Brand. Established in 1876, they’ve had time to dial in their spice blend. I could be brash and say I’ll make curry powder myself, but I’m certainly not going to do it as well. Some things you leave to other professionals.
I am 10,000 percent convinced that this recipe will the breakout star of this book. In India I had tender coconut ice cream from Naturals, a famous Indian ice cream franchise, and I will never be the same. It had chunks of soft tender coconut in it that gave it a rich texture. The tender coconut filling requires a bit of work since it's made with fresh young coconuts, but it's necessary to get that fresh tender coconut flavor! You can usually find young coconuts at the grocery store in the fresh produce section. This recipe ended up being my husband Rhut's favorite, and I've made it no less than fifteen times in the last few months!
I decorated the pie with colored shredded coconut to mimic the sunset over the salt flats and mountains at Kalo Dungar, in Kutch Gujarat. I highly recommend using Thai Kitchen's full-fat coconut milk in a carton instead of canned coconut milk, as it has a fresher taste and does not contain any thickeners or preservatives.
Sausages and peppers are a classic combo that is not only delicious but easy to prepare with only a sheet pan. By using chicken sausage, we can limit saturated fat while maximizing that savory Italian flavor that we’re going for. Add some gnocchi and serve on top of a bed of calcium-rich spinach. Done and done!
Serves 6 to 8 | Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours 55 minutes
My mom adapted this from her Italian mother-in-law’s whole steamed artichoke recipe (see page 232) to make a dish that easily feeds a crowd. It uses the same flavors but eliminates the prep work required for whole artichokes and capitalizes on that mid- twentieth-century game-changer—frozen food—in the form of a package of frozen artichoke hearts. As in many ethnic families who have added their personal flavor to the standard Thanksgiving meal fare, this is my family’s “Italian” staple side dish and the first leftover scavenged the next day.
I’m not a gambling person—unless you count a friendly wager on who will win The Bachelorette—but good money says this recipe will become one of your favorites. Made with just four simple ingredients, these wafers may sound plain, but don’t let them fool you—they’re a 100/10. Completely crushable on their own, used in place of ladyfingers in your next tiramisù, or rolled thin for cutout cookies, these wafers are endlessly usable, though it won’t surprise me if they never quite make it into your pantry, because they’re so darn delicious right off the sheet pan.
If you’re feeling more playful than functional, ditch the round and use any shape cookie cutter. Adjust the bake time: longer for larger shapes and shorter for smaller shapes.
Classic Cuban picadillo—ground meat flavored with sweet raisins, savory tomatoes, salty olives, and fragrant cinnamon—is the ultimate comfort food. Here, I’ve turned those same flavors into an easy-to-make warm dip that uses black beans in place of the meat (with a hint of soy sauce to add some umami). The result can be eaten warm or cold with tortilla chips.
This recipe is essentially buttered noodles for adults (even though buttered noodles are also for adults but . . . you get what I mean). And if I’m going to flex how easy they are, they’re the same commitment as Kraft macaroni and cheese, give or take a noodle. Since tahini occasionally stiffens up if it sits too long, you’ll need to include a generous scoop (or two) of pasta water to keep things smooth and saucy. And while it’s always tempting to skip a garnish, a few sprigs of mint beautifully break up the richness of the nutty sauce
These smashed potatoes are inspired by my favorite stir-fried mala potatoes I get from the Sichuan restaurant near my house. Their version is crinkle-cut, but the seasoning here is the same and the shape is just as playful. Mala refers to a blend of primarily Sichuan peppercorns and spicy chilis, and lends its name to that buzzing, almost tingly sensation you get from eating Sichuan food. This spice mix also includes cumin seeds and white pepper to round out the heat with a little earthiness, turning these smashed potatoes into tingly taters.