The One Recipe

George McCalman talks to Jesse this week about why he hates following recipes, what it’s like being God’s favorite, and his One: Fried Jacks

Yotam Ottolenghi talks career options, cooking with his sons, and his One: Brown Sugar Meringue Roulade With Burnt Honey Apples.

Soleil Ho pulls back the curtain on a beloved childhood tv show, talks about writers that keep them going, and brings us their One: Scallion Oil, Mở Hành.

Food & culture writer Aliza Abarbanel celebrates an undefeated Battleship record, LA strip malls, and her One: Joan Nathan’s Latkes.

It’s The One Recipe Holiday Special! Tune in to chef & author Carla Lalli Music, NYT writer Eric Kim, Eater’s Bettina Makalintal, & chef Tanya Holland

These little cornmeal pancakes are a Southern classic with a California twist. The lore is that they once were made on the blade of a garden hoe over an open fire. They’re heavier than crepes but still fluffy. Hoecakes are versatile with both salty and sweet toppings; try them as appetizers with salty smoked salmon or as full-size pancakes with syrup.

My mother got this recipe from her friend Judy, a Korean woman who immigrated to Argentina before making her way to the States. Judy’s empanadas are like grown-up hot pockets, neatly packaged meals of tomato-y beef, melty cheese, hard-boiled egg, and a single olive tucked into each like in a dirty martini (which makes all the difference). Stored in the freezer, they feed the family happily throughout the holiday season.

Friday night is pasta with vongole since forever, and we have come up with lots of variations as the years have gone by. This combination, with chewy pieces of pancetta and some greens, might be the family favorite, but by no means is this canon. Throw some cherry tomatoes in with the garlic and omit the greens, or use both. Leave out the pork product if you want. You can double or triple the recipe as long as you divide the pasta between two big pots. The only real rule is to make sure the table is set and everyone is within earshot when the clams start to open; hot pasta waits for no one.

Every Filipino family has its own version of lumpia, a fried roll that’s often filled with meat and vegetables and served at parties. Accordingly, this recipe yields a lot of pieces and takes some time, especially if it’s your first time rolling them, but if you’d like to cook a smaller batch, assembled, uncooked lumpia freezes well and can be fried from frozen. My favorite wrappers are the lumpia wrappers from Simex, but in their absence, I like Spring Home’s TYJ Spring Roll Pastry or any other thin wheat-based wrapper meant for spring rolls.

Noor Murad talks about frying kangaroo & alligator, lessons learned in the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen, and her One: Green Frittata With Burnt Eggplant.