Since I’m focusing on dining al fresco this week, recipes for unusual burgers were an obvious choice. When I do eat red meat, I usually opt for flavorful, organic, pastured lamb, even when I’m making burgers. Fortunately, I’ve discovered that my friends enjoy this lamb burger—a lot. The unusual salmon and bison burgers previously posted on the site are a big hit, too.
Elements of the popular Tom Ka Gai soup from Thailand—coconut milk, cilantro, lime, and chile—are used as a marinade for these shrimp skewers. Serve them as an appetizer or on a bed of basmati rice as a main course.
I made this recipe (adapted from Secrets From a Caterer’s Kitchen) for a potluck at a friend’s house. We do this every Sunday and ususally come up with some pretty terrific impromptu combinations.
I first tasted this fresh, complex salad on a visit to Istanbul (sorry for the location-dropping, but it’s true). I was with my friend Susan (a chef and restaurant owner). After two bites, we quit eating, locked eyes, and starting pulling the salad apart while the staff looked on in horror. We sat there, in that exotic cafe, on a bustling Turkish street, and analyzed our salad until we thought we could replicate it at home. It was that good!
Preparation of this meltingly tender roast relies more on a flamboyant approach than on complicated cooking techniques. You should serve your guests the same variety of red wine that you use in the marinade. The roast is equally successful served cold, sliced on a buffet. The Parsley and Walnut Salad is a lovely accompaniment to this dish.
Food grilled on a skewer is such a great idea that nearly every cuisine has a name for it— from kebabs to brochettes, shashlik or souvlaki. And people enjoy these little roasted bits of everything from lamb to eggplant in just as wide a variety of combinations.
Harissa, a Tunisian sauce, is one of the most flavorful hot sauces in the world. It is a traditional accompaniment to couscous, but I use it for everything from energizing guacamole to drizzling on a simple bowl of bean stew. It is also a great on roasted veggies. Be careful—a little goes a long way! These roasted vegetables are a great accompaniment to the Middle Eastern Lamb Kebabs.
This simple and impressive dish can be prepared up to a week in advance, frozen, and popped in the oven at party time. I serve it on a plate by itself with a garnish of fresh herbs and a drizzle of pesto, or marooned in a pool of couscous to soak up the glorious juices. You don’t really need any vegetable sides since they’re all in the “bag.” Purchased puff pastry provides the crispy, easy, buttery crust.
Here is my Christmas present for all of you holiday-harried, over-hooplah’d, package wrappers. This strategy for hosting a no-fuss party and creating a score of meals at the same time comes from my radio co-host, Jamie Peha (TableTalk).
When the weather turns cold and winter has taken over the neighborhood, a steaming bowl of homemade soup really hits the spot. It’s the perfect solution for those evenings when you just don’t feel like cooking, but still crave something hot and delicious.
I created this recipe for an Italian friend who was feeeling homesick. She said, “My Mama used to make this wonderful roast, like an American pot roast, but with lots of garlic and, and herbs and wine and…. I’m dying for some!” (Picture her thick Italian accent here, I didn’t have the heart to attempt to duplicate it.) I whipped this up and Marta seemed to feel it came close to her memories of home. It’s so easy to make for a comforting Sunday supper.
