Hello! One here, filling in for Melissa today and Monday. I hope your week has been sunny.
I love clams, but I don’t cook them enough. I’m not sure why. It’s a sustainable seafood option all year round and not too expensive. It’s also — let’s be honest here — kitchen comedy gold. It gives me silly joy to bang on empty shells like tiny little chestnuts or give them a silly voice to talk to my dog. Cooking: It’s fun!
So I will make Lidey Heuck’s new recipe neck clams with cherry tomatoes and pearl couscous, the kind of dish I’d seek out and order at a cute wine bar with mismatched plates and an impressive selection of vermouths. Although it looks and sounds a bit fancy, Lidey’s recipe is easy on the night: a one-pot dish that simmers mussels with garlic, white wine, shallots and tomatoes, making a fragrant broth to soak up pearl couscous or fregola . Add a slice of your favorite bread and a dollop of arugula dressed in olive oil and lemon juice and it’s a classy clam dinner. (At least until the ratchet action happens.)
Suggested recipe
Neck mussels with cherry tomatoes and couscous pearls
I’ll stick with this “I should be cooking more” theme and move on to the hot mustard powder in my spice drawer. This gives it glazed chicken recipe by Kay Chun his kick; As Kay notes, make a double batch of the glaze, as it’s also delicious on pork chops or shrimp.
I might also try mixing a pinch of mustard powder into the half-vinegar mixture that coats the tofu and asparagus this refreshing vegan dish top with crispy fried leeks. But many readers rave that Ali Slagle’s recipe is perfect as is, so maybe I’ll save the mustard powder for those green beans Instead.
Keema it’s one of my favorite uses for ground meat, and I’ve made it with ground chicken, turkey, and plant-based meat. Tejal Rao’s recipe calls for cooking the ground protein of your choice with garlic, ginger, green chilies, caramelized onions and fresh tomatoes to form a rich, authentic sauce to spoon over rice or drizzle over chapatis or soft rolls. Every time I make it, I wonder why it’s not part of my weekly rotation. it’s so easy and comforting.
I’d like to eat more poached eggs, but most of the time I’m too distracted or impatient to make a perfect, fluffy poached egg. So, a tip: Sue Li’s Somen noodles with poached egg, bok choy and mushrooms they are just as delicious as a six-minute egg in place of poached.
Finally, I’d like to eat more cake, because plunging a fork through layers of frosting and cake is an instant mood-booster. Dolester Miles Coconut Pecan Cake, a recipe adapted by Kim Severson, is full of coconut (shredded coconut, coconut cream, coconut extract, and coconut milk) and ground pecans, for a perfect balance of sweet-nutty flavor. Bring this out for birthdays, holidays and special occasions: “I made this cake and it is absolutely the best cake and filling I’ve tried in years, if not ever,” writes reader Courtney.
One more recipe for you, this time from Ali: one pot ginger salmon and riceher grip on takikomi gohan, or Japanese mixed rice. Torn sheets of toasted, seasoned nori (or gim) cook alongside short-grain rice, losing their crunch but giving the rice a deep ocean flavor. The salmon and asparagus are added near the end so that both remain tender without overcooking. Garnish with extra nori, sliced onions or cilantro for extra green.