Detroit’s Breakfast House & Grill (now the Hudson Café) was where I first experienced the textural contrast of pillowy waffle and crunchy fried chicken skin, and the sweet-and-salty harmony of juicy dark meat chicken and a slick of maple syrup. The pairing was so satisfying that I fell into a ritual of having it delivered every Sunday morning after a late night out. It wasn’t until many years later that I thought to try this dish in my own style using Hong Kong egg waffles (aka eggettes) and karaage (small bites of Japanese fried chicken). The combination— enhanced with the use of Szechuan peppercorns in the maple syrup and splashes of chili oil—became so popular that I was constantly encouraged to enter local fried chicken and waffle competitions (I never could bring myself to; I don’t really enjoy competitive cooking). I particularly like tearing up the waffle into little individual pieces, then taking a fork and stabbing into one of those pieces, then stabbing a piece of chicken, then stabbing another piece of waffle. You now have a tiny and perfect fried chicken and waffle sandwich that you can eat plain or dunk into a ramekin of warm Szechuan-spiced maple syrup. The waffles are best made in a Hong Kong–style waffle/eggette maker, which they sell online in varying levels of quality. I understand it’s a very specialized thing and of course you’re free to use whatever waffle maker you already have, but the experience won’t be quite the same without one. I’ve heard you can try to sub vanilla pudding mix for custard powder, but I’ve never tried it myself.
This is truly one of my favorite vinegars. You immediately think of the sea when you taste it, and it’s so easy to make. This recipe uses wakame and kombu, which can be wildcrafted from the coastlines of California or pur- chased at Asian food stores. If you’re a seaweed forager, feel free to experiment with your local seaweed.
Serves 8–10
Ground beef gets a bad rap from snobby foodie types, but since it’s something I grew up eating, I prefer to see the positive—it’s an incredibly affordable and versatile starting point for families looking to save money (aka, all families). It’s all about what you do with it. In this recipe, we’re using it to prepare a version of bulgogi, one of the most popular dishes in Korean cuisine, both in restaurants and in homes. Typically prepared with fancier cuts of beef, bulgogi rests in a mild, balanced marinade for hours (ideally overnight) before getting crispy and caramelized on the grill. This recipe delivers all that flavor on a hamburger budget. Sweet and salty, it’s a flexible base that can be served with lettuce wraps, rice, noodles, or rolled up into homemade Kimbap
Enjoy this dish as is or use it as a star element of the Best Friend Salad. Better yet, make a double recipe; eat some now and use the rest in a salad later in the week. Any leftover dressing is amazing tossed with sliced cucumber and sesame seeds.
Crispy around the edges, chewy in the middle, and delicious all over -- it's virtually impossible not to fall in love with these tahini cookies. As their name suggests, the star of the show is the sesame paste that you may know as the crucial component of hummus, but it also works wonders in sweet treats. In this recipe, tahini gives an incredible depth of flavor, and a coating of sesame seeds makes the cookies as pretty as they are delicious.
Master organic gardener, Eliot Coleman made these parsnips for me one cold spring Vermont morning with monster-sized roots dug from under the snow-covered ground. They were the best parsnips I’ve ever tasted. He was remarkably carefree with that sweet Vermont butter, but they certainly were memorable!
If you’re looking for a healthy dessert recipe, I am giving you one right here. This bite is a cross between a nut bar and a praline. The maple syrup and honey caramelize and harden slightly giving you a crunchy, nutty bite with just a hint of sweetness. Perfect for your next hiking trip!
The famous 'frisée aux lardons' – now that's a salad with style! Hot, cold, crunchy, crisp, silky, salty, bitter, sweet. It ticks all the taste bud boxes in one go. And, if you add any cooked potatoes that are left over, you'll have a complete meal. If you can't find frisée, use another type of salad but choose one with character i.e. bitter and crunchy, as it is crucial for getting the balance of the recipe right. I'd suggest dandelion leaves greens, cos romaine lettuce, or wild chicory endive.
This recipe starts with the funny act of putting whole apples in the freezer and ends with one of the most electric desserts you’ve ever had. In the middle, when you rip the thawed apples in half with your bare hands, you get to feel like a bodybuilder on Muscle Beach or a very strong raccoon.