Corn Casserole

Corn Casserole

Here is a from-scratch version of the classic corn casserole, a popular holiday side dish in the southeastern United States that is traditionally made using store-bought Jiffy cornbread mix. If you’ve never had corn casserole before, you’re really missing out: It’s like an incredibly moist cornbread studded with fresh corn kernels. (Frozen corn can be used in the cold weather months.) Two pounds of corn kernels are bound together with a simple batter of flour, baking powder, cornmeal, Cheddar, eggs, melted butter and sour cream, then poured into a baking pan, topped with more cheese, and baked until bubbly. Fresh rosemary and scallions, untraditional and optional additions, add savory notes that balance out the sweetness of the corn.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 pounds frozen or fresh corn kernels (about 6 ½ cups)

4 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise (optional)

1 fresh rosemary sprig (optional)

Kosher salt and black pepper

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup fine or coarse yellow cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

1 ½ cups freshly grated Cheddar or Parmesan

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Add 4 tablespoons butter to a 9-by-13-inch pan or other 3-quart casserole dish and transfer to the oven. Once the butter has melted, about 5 minutes, take the pan out of the oven and let cool.

In a medium pot, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high. Add the corn, scallions and rosemary, if using, 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn starts to give off some liquid and softens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and discard the rosemary sprig.

Stir the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt into the corn mixture. Tilt the baking pan so that the bottom gets coated in the melted butter, then pour the excess butter (do not scrape the dish) into the pot with the corn mixture. Stir to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and eggs with a fork until combined. Add to the corn mixture along with ½ cup grated cheese and stir just until combined, taking care not to overmix.

Pour the batter into the pan, spread evenly, then sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and the casserole is set, 30 to 35 minutes. For a golden top, broil for a few minutes. Serve hot.

TIP: Replace the flour, corn meal and baking powder with two boxes of jiffy mix.

Delicious. Made this for a small dinner party last night, and it's gone. Seconds and thirds were had by all. Halved the recipe and made it with all parmesan. Scallions and rosemary, which should not be regarded as optional, round out the flavor profile nicely. Had 3/4 c. more corn than needed so threw it in. Still held together and made for a less pudding-like consistency. Baked it in a pyrex dish that created a chewy, cheesy brown crust around the edge. Yum!

I added 1/3 extra cup of sour cream after reading others’ notes about how the original recipe sometimes yielded a dry result. The extra sour cream yielded a delicious result it was not at all dry!

Very, very good - used two bags of frozen corn (so a little less than two pounds), a full bunch of scallions, and just used cooking spray on the baking dish rather than the fussy butter melting situation. Came out perfectly and delicious.

Doenjang Cream Gravy

Doenjang Cream Gravy

Douse your Thanksgiving dinner with this comforting and familiar — but slightly surprising — all-purpose brown gravy. Adding doenjang, the Korean fermented soybean paste, to a classic gravy gives it a deep umami flavor with boozy, wine-like notes, and a splash of cream at the end rounds out the savoriness. If you can’t find doenjang, then white or red miso works in a pinch. Additional gamchil mat (the Korean term for savoriness) comes in the form of Worcestershire sauce, though soy sauce tastes great as well.

Yield: 1 quart

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 quart chicken, turkey or vegetable broth, store-bought or homemade, see Tips

½ cup heavy cream, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons doenjang or miso, see Tips

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce, plus more as needed

¼ to ½ cup pan juices from Roast Turkey (optional), see Tips

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour until smooth and pasty. Cook, stirring occasionally, until foamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add the broth and cream, whisking continuously, and bring to a simmer. Keep simmering, whisking continuously, until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.

Whisk in the doenjang, Worcestershire sauce and, if desired, the turkey juices. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed. Before serving, pour a little extra cream into a spoon to gently swirl over the gravy, then grind black pepper on top. (The gravy can be made up to 3 days ahead; cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Reheat in a covered saucepan over low, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a simmer.)

Tips: To make broth from scratch, combine 8 cups of water with 1 quartered red apple, 1 quartered yellow onion, 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, 1 large dried red chile, 1 sage sprig, 1 turkey neck and the giblets (minus the liver) in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to simmer gently for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours, adding more water as needed to cover the solids. Strain and use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Buy doenjang, often labeled “soybean paste,” in Korean or Asian supermarkets or online. Funkily pungent and packed with savoriness, doenjang is a magical flavor booster. In a pinch, any white or red miso works as a substitute.

Note that this gravy is brothy and light in texture but thickens further if you stir in the collagen-rich pan juices from the turkey, which are not required but taste lovely. If you’re skipping the turkey juices, then you might want to increase the butter and the flour by 1 tablespoon each.

Quick-Pickled Radishes, Cauliflower and Cucumbers

Quick-Pickled Radishes, Cauliflower and Cucumbers

Drawing on quick-pickling methods from South Korea and the American South, this recipe makes three distinctly flavored and irresistibly crunchy pickles. Pouring brine over raw vegetables, then letting them marinate for a few hours, yields vibrantly hued and seasoned snacks. For a proper Southern relish tray, set these designer pickles out with crackers, olives and cheese and enjoy with cocktails or alongside the rest of the meal. (Tuck leftovers into turkey sandwiches.) The pickles shine as a colorful trio, but you can make just one or two of them.

Yield: 20 to 24 servings; three 2-quart jars

For the Radishes

2 cups water

⅔ cup granulated sugar

⅔ cup distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

2 pounds red radishes (2 to 3 bunches), quartered (or halved if small), see Tips

For the Cauliflower

3 cups distilled white vinegar

2 cups water

¾ cup granulated sugar

1½ teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

1½ teaspoons turmeric

3 large dried red chiles, such as guajillo or ancho, see Tips

7 garlic cloves, trimmed

5 cardamom pods

1 head cauliflower (2 pounds), cut into 1-inch florets

For the Cucumbers

2 pounds mini cucumbers, both ends trimmed, sliced into ½-inch-thick coins

2 cups water

1 cup distilled white vinegar

¾ cup low-sodium soy sauce

¼ cup granulated sugar

3 dried shiitake mushrooms

1 sweet-tart red apple, such as Pink Lady or Honeycrisp, quartered

1 medium yellow onion, thickly sliced

1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, halved lengthwise

Pickle the radishes:

To a medium saucepan, add the water, sugar, vinegar and salt and bring to a boil over high. Turn off the heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the radishes to a 2-quart glass jar with a lid (or multiple resealable containers; see Tips).

Pour the hot brine over the radishes until they are submerged, pressing down if needed. Let the jar cool completely on the counter, uncovered, then cover with the lid and tightly seal. Store in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours and up to 2 months.

Pickle the cauliflower:

To the same now-empty saucepan, add the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, turmeric, chiles, garlic and cardamom and bring to a boil over high. Turn off the heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Add the cauliflower to a 2-quart glass jar with a lid (or multiple resealable containers; see Tips). Using tongs, transfer the chiles and garlic from the pot to the jar, then pour the hot brine over the cauliflower, filling to the top of the jar. Let the jar cool completely on the counter, uncovered, then cover with the lid and tightly seal. Store in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours and up to 2 months.

Pickle the cucumbers:

Add the cucumbers to a 2-quart glass jar with a lid (or multiple resealable containers; see Tips) and place in the refrigerator while you make the brine. To the same now-empty saucepan, add the water, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, mushrooms, apple, onion and ginger and bring to a boil over high. Reduce the heat to maintain a strong simmer and cook, covered, until the apple is fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the brine steep until lukewarm.

Strain the lukewarm brine into a spouted bowl or large liquid measuring cup, discarding the solids. Pour the brine over the cucumbers, filling to the top of the jar (discard or compost the solids). Cover with the lid and tightly seal. Store in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours and up to 2 months.

Tips: If your radish greens are looking fresh and sprightly (not withered and mangled), be sure to include them. They lend flavor, color and a little spice.

Dried guajillo and ancho chiles are mild in heat with rich, Christmasy fruitiness. They can be found at Mexican grocery stores, many supermarkets and online. A teaspoon of crushed red pepper works in a pinch.

In addition to glass jars (ideally wide-mouth ones), any heatproof, resealable food-safe containers work here, including ceramic and #5 plastic ones.

Soy-Butter Glazed Green Beans and Carrots

Soy-Butter Glazed Green Beans and Carrots

A touch of soy adds oomph to stovetop-simmered vegetables that end up glossy and vibrant when slicked in a thin golden sheen of butter. Be sure to cut your vegetables into small, narrow pieces so they cook evenly. Roll-cutting the carrots (see Step 1) is a great way to practice your knife skills.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

1 pound carrots, peeled, thick parts halved lengthwise

1 pound green beans, cut at an angle into 2-inch pieces

¼ cup water

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more if desired for serving

1½ tablespoons soy sauce, plus more as needed

Salt

Finely chopped chives and flaky salt, for sprinkling (optional)

Roll-cut the carrots:

Also called an oblique cut, this is a fun way to cut carrots into even pieces so they all cook at the same rate. Lay a carrot in front of you horizontally. Starting from the right, cut at an angle to create a 2-inch-long piece. To make the next cut, roll the carrot toward you a quarter turn, then cut at an angle again. Repeat until you get the end of the carrot, then repeat with the remaining carrots.

To a large, wide, high-sided pan with a lid, add the carrots, green beans, water, butter, soy sauce and a pinch of salt. (At this point, you can keep the pan covered on the stovetop until you’re ready to cook, up to 2 hours, or store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.)

Cover and cook over medium-high, shaking the pan occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the buttery liquid has reduced, 8 to 10 minutes. If the vegetables are ready but the pan juices are still thin, uncover and cook for another minute. Add another pat of butter if you like and toss, then add more salt or soy sauce to taste.

Serve warm, sprinkled with chives and flaky salt if you’d like. This dish tastes best fresh, or the same day it’s made, but can be reheated in the microwave or in a covered saucepan over low heat just until the butter melts but doesn’t reboil.

Instant Pot Congee

Instant Pot Congee

You can use any leftover roasted meat to flavor this mild, comforting congee, which is delicately seasoned with white pepper. Adapted from Liyan Chen of New Jersey, this recipe is a perfect use for all the bits and pieces of your leftover Thanksgiving turkey (or chicken or duck during the rest of the year). If you’d like to, add the shredded lettuce just before serving so it retains some of its texture. Then garnish the top with any combination of scallions, ginger, soy sauce or chile sauce that pleases you. Note that congee will thicken as it cools, but you can thin it out again with a little water or stock.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

2 to 3 cups diced roasted duck, chicken or turkey (preferably dark meat), with some of the skin

1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed

1 ½ teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste

½ teaspoon ground white pepper, plus more to taste

2 cups chopped romaine (optional)

Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish

Thinly slivered ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil or chile crisp, for garnish (optional)

In the pot of an electric pressure cooker, add roasted meat, rice, salt, pepper and 6 cups water. Cover and cook either on the porridge setting or at high pressure for 30 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally.

Unseal the pot and check the rice. If it isn’t soft enough for your taste, cook on high pressure for another 2 minutes, then manually release the pressure.

Uncover the pot and taste, adding more salt and pepper if needed. If it looks too thick, stir in some more water. Stir in romaine, if using, until it just starts to wilt. Sprinkle scallions over and serve with any of the other garnishes, if you like.

Sheet-Pan Thanksgiving Stuffing

Sheet-Pan Thanksgiving Stuffing

If you are always reaching for the toasty, extra-chewy stuffing that’s scooped from the edges of the baking dish, this recipe is for you. All the traditional stuffing ingredients (celery, onion, apple, herbs) are here, but they’re baked on a sheet pan instead of in a casserole dish. This maximizes the surface area, creating lots of crunchy bits with a layer of moist, tender stuffing underneath.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

1 large loaf crusty bread, like white, whole wheat or sourdough (about 1¼ pounds)

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more for the pan

5 celery stalks, diced (about 2 cups)

1 large yellow onion, diced (about 2 cups)

1 cup diced green apple (from about 1 apple)

1½ teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

2 large eggs

2½ cups chicken or vegetable broth

½ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley

Heat oven to 400 degrees with a rack set in the center.

Tear the bread into roughly 2-inch pieces and place in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake the bread until dry to the touch but not browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Set bread aside but keep the oven on.

In a large skillet over medium, melt 6 tablespoons of the butter and add the celery, onion, and apple, along with the salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and translucent, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the sage and thyme and cook for 1 more minute.

In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk the eggs into the broth until well combined.

Transfer the bread to a large bowl and add the cooked vegetables and parsley. Stir to combine, then add the broth mixture and stir until the bread is moistened and no liquid remains in the bottom of the bowl.

Butter the baking sheet used to dry out the bread, then add the stuffing mixture and spread into an even layer. Dot the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.

Bake until golden brown and crisp, 35 to 45 minutes. Serve warm. (Stuffing can be made ahead and kept at room temperature for several hours. Reheat at 350 degrees until warmed through.)

Pumpkin Spice Honeycomb Cake

Pumpkin Spice Honeycomb Cake 

This take on bánh bò nướng, a classic Vietnamese dessert, is spiced with comforting fall flavors and doused in white chocolate — and integrates pumpkin purée. Also known as honeycomb cake, this dessert has a dense, chewy interior, with a crusty exterior that makes it so snackable. Besides the irresistible flavor and texture, the recipe offers a delicious gluten-free option for your dessert table. The batter requires a few rounds of straining through a large fine-mesh sieve, so make sure to set up your work station for success, with two large bowls that can accommodate the batter. Try to not overmix, and use gentle stirring motions to prevent too many bubbles forming in the batter. A reliable nonstick Bundt pan will make unmolding the cake a breeze.

Yield: 12 servings

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon/142 grams canned pumpkin purée

1 tablespoon pumpkin spice, plus more for topping

1 ⅓ cups/266 grams granulated sugar

1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups/255 grams tapioca starch

¼ cup/31 grams white rice flour (not sweet rice flour)

2 teaspoons baking powder 

5 large eggs

3 tablespoons coconut oil

4 ounces/113 grams white chocolate, chopped

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a 10-inch nonstick Bundt pan in the oven to preheat.

To a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the pumpkin purée and pumpkin spice. Cook, stirring frequently, until a film forms on the bottom of the pan and the pumpkin purée is smooth and glossy, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn off the heat.

To the saucepan, add the sugar, coconut milk, vanilla and salt. Place over medium heat and whisk for 1 minute until the sugar has dissolved. (Avoid bringing the mixture to a boil.) Set aside to cool slightly.

Place a large, fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl. Add the tapioca starch, rice flour and baking powder and sift, then whisk to combine. Place the sieve over another large bowl. Add the eggs to the sieve. Using a silicone spatula, gently mix the eggs to pass through the sieve, using delicate, long stirring motions to incorporate as little air as possible. This process will take a few minutes.

Pour the warm (or room temperature) pumpkin mixture through the sieve over the eggs, then gently whisk to combine.

Place the sieve over the dry ingredients. Pour the pumpkin-egg mixture over the dry ingredients. Gently whisk just until a mostly liquid batter forms, with many dry flour lumps all over.

Place the sieve over the empty bowl and pour the batter through, gently pushing the batter with a silicone spatula through the sieve. Repeat one more time until batter is completely smooth, with no flour lumps. Stir in 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil.

To the preheated Bundt pan, add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and brush the pan to coat. Pour the batter in the pan. Bake, without opening the oven door for the first hour, until the cake looks golden and feels springy on top, 1 ¼ hours to 1 ½ hours. (When the cake is done, a toothpick inserted into its center should come out clean, without any raw batter.) Allow the cake to rest for 10 minutes in the pan, then carefully flip onto a serving plate. Let cool to room temperature.

To a small microwave-safe bowl, add the white chocolate and the remaining 2 teaspoons of coconut oil. Microwave, stirring at 15-seconds intervals, until ¾ of the chocolate is melted. Mix to combine, using the residual heat to melt the chocolate.

Slowly drizzle the melted chocolate on the cake, going in circles around the cake, slowly pushing the chocolate toward the sides. Using a small sieve, lightly sprinkle with more pumpkin spice on top. (The cake is best served fresh the day of, but can be stored at room temperature, covered, up to 3 days.)

TIP:  it can be and is often eaten without any sauce. Some people (myself included) like to eat it with a drizzle of coconut sauce which is sometimes referred to as Nuoc Cot Dua if you’re looking for a recipe. That said, as a Vietnamese person, I plan to make the version in this recipe. The white chocolate drizzle is a playful nod to the traditional coconut sauce which I think is novel and would be a hit with my family.

Another uncommon/non-traditional trick is to grill the slices which makes it even more transcendent. This is done at the James beard award-winning Vietnamese restaurant, Berlu in Portland, OR.

Enjoyed this even more than the original recipe for Banh Bo Nuong in the Times, as the technique is very slightly more refined and gave much better results. Do not skip the pumpkin pie spice sprinkle and do yourself a favor and either buy a fresh jar or grind together a batch yourself; it really elevates the flavor to a new level. I used leftover butternut squash instead of canned pumpkin and it worked great, something to think about when looking at those Thanksgiving leftovers.

Chicken Pad See Ew

Chicken Pad See Ew

This version of pad see ew, adapted from my book “Family Thai” (Abrams, 2025), written with Kat Thompson, is a kid favorite that I will never give up on. The char on the chewy rice noodles, the fresh and leafy gai lan, and the fluffy bites of egg make this dish a textural masterpiece. I’ve never gotten sick of it. “Pad” means stir-fry or wok-fry, and “see ew” means soy sauce, so the dish is exactly what it claims to be. One thing I love about it is that it goes with pretty much every protein: Chicken works great, and so do fatty cuts of pork, beef, shrimp or tofu. I even occasionally swap the rice noodles for pappardelle for a Thai-Talian twist I’ve coined “papp see ew.” In fact, you can use any size rice noodle (although wide, flat noodles are most traditional). Although pad see ew is hard to make at home without really high heat and a wok, it’s still possible to replicate it and get the street vendor vibes you want by using a stainless-steel skillet that can heat evenly and stay hot throughout the cooking process. In true Thai fashion, this dish gets finished with prik nam som (chile vinegar).

Yield: 4 servings

FOR THE NOODLES

1 (8-ounce/225-gram) package dried long, flat rice noodles or fresh noodles or dried pappardelle (see Tips)

FOR THE OYSTER-SOY SAUCE CHICKEN

½ cup oyster sauce

¼ cup Thai seasoning sauce or low-sodium soy sauce

¼ cup black soy sauce (see Tips)

2 tablespoons sugar

6 ounces skinless, boneless chicken thighs, sliced (about 2 thighs)

FOR THE STIR-FRY

2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as sunflower

2 large eggs

4 ounces firm or extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into ¼-inch-wide rectangles

¼ white onion, sliced

2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

2 cups mixed mushrooms (4 ounces), such as trumpet, oyster, shiitake and cremini, trimmed and sliced

4 ounces gai lan (Chinese broccoli), cut into 2-inch pieces

4 scallions, pale green and white parts only, cut into 1-inch pieces

½ teaspoon ground white pepper, plus more for serving

Store-bought or homemade fried garlic, for serving

Store-bought or homemade prik nam som (chile vinegar), for serving (see Tips)

Make the noodles: If using dried rice noodles, put the noodles in a large bowl and pour warm water over them (for other types of noodles, see Tips). Let stand until soft, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and set aside. Just before cooking, fill a large saucepan three-quarters full of water and bring to a boil over high heat.

Make the oyster-soy sauce chicken: In a medium, nonreactive bowl, combine the oyster sauce, Thai seasoning, black soy sauce and sugar, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Coat the chicken with ¼ cup of the sauce and let stand for 5 minutes to marinate. Reserve the remaining sauce.

Stir-fry the noodles: In a large skillet, heat the oil over high until it shimmers. Crack the eggs into the pan and cook until the whites begin to set and the yolks harden, breaking them slightly. They’re not scrambled in pieces but should look more like a broken omelet. Add the marinated chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is opaque, about 2 minutes. Add the tofu, onion and garlic, and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, gai lan and scallions, and stir until combined. Stir in the white pepper.

Blanch the drained rice noodles in the boiling water for 10 to 15 seconds. Drain the noodles, transfer them to the skillet and stir together. Drizzle in as much of the remaining oyster-soy sauce as desired, adjusting to taste (and keeping in mind that the sauce will reduce and intensify as it heats), and cook, stirring, until the sauce deepens in color and the noodles are tender, about 2 minutes.

Transfer to a platter and then garnish with fried garlic and white pepper, and serve immediately with a side of prik nam som.

Tips: If using fresh noodles, place them directly into the skillet — there is no need to soak them or blanch them in boiling water. Or, to make “papp” see ew, cook pappardelle noodles according to the package instructions and place them directly into the skillet when the noodles are added.

Black soy sauce is a dark, less salty version of soy sauce used in Thai cooking to add savory flavor and a dark, rich color to dishes. Find it online or at Thai or Asian markets.

To make prik nam som, combine 1 cup distilled white vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt in a 16-ounce lidded glass jar. Cover and shake until the sugar is fully dissolved. Add 6 sliced large garlic cloves and 4 sliced large serrano chiles, then cover and shake again to combine. Store in the refrigerator overnight. Serve at room temperature. (The vinegar will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.)

In order to keep this authentic, the noodles should be cooked by themselves, and left alone in the skillet to develop that “wok hei”, which literally translates to “breath of the wok”. You need to get that slight char and caramelization on the noodles in order to do this. After I drain the noodles, I put a little bit of the sauce in there and mix it in and let it start the flavor the noodles, but also the sugar would help them caramelize. So my order of cooking was chicken with the sauce and garlic, out of the wok, vegetables, then eggs, then out of the wok, finally the noodles are just letting them sit without touching them because the more you touch them the easier they are to break. Try tossing them instead of using a tool. Then finally combine everything and serve. I did the fried garlic and I also use some delicious garlic chilipaste. Definitely fire this up again this was a winner!

If you are puzzling over the vague sounding “seasoning sauce,” that usually implies Golden Mountain sauce, which can be found in the Thai bottled sauce section of your neighborhood Asian Food superstore. [Imagine smiley emoji here]. But here’s a secret: Bragg’s Amino Liquid is practically indistinguishable, and perhaps possibly even Maggi Seasoning sauce. Also, if you are old enough to remember canned chow main by La Choy, that sauce was really Golden Moutain sauce disguised.

Chicken Karaage

Chicken Karaage

At 750 Myrtle Diner in Brooklyn, Kaoru Ayabe single-fries his chicken karaage low and slow at a steady 320 degrees. In this variation of Japanese fried chicken, inspired by Mr. Ayabe’s wonderfully light and crunchy karaage, boneless thighs are gently seasoned with ginger, soy and sake — plus a hint of sugar for balance — so the flavor of the meat can be appreciated. What’s special about this karaage recipe, beyond the low and slow single fry, is that the marinated chicken pieces get dipped in beaten egg before gaining their craggy armor of starch (corn or potato). Fried in a rippling pool of neutral canola oil, this humble but stellar appetizer is best enjoyed with a carafe of sake or an ice-cold beer.

Yield: 2 to 3 servings

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and finely grated (2 teaspoons)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sake

½ teaspoon granulated sugar

½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1 large egg

1 cup cornstarch or potato starch

About 1 quart canola or vegetable oil, for frying

Lemon wedges, mayonnaise and shichimi togarashi (see Tip), for serving (optional)

To a medium bowl, add the chicken, ginger, soy sauce, sake, sugar and salt. Toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Place a wire rack over a large, paper towel-lined sheet pan. Crack the egg into a small bowl and whisk. To a large bowl, add the cornstarch. One by one, dip the chicken into the egg, then into the cornstarch until evenly coated. Set the coated chicken pieces on the left side of the wire rack.

To a medium saucepan, add enough oil to fill a third of the way up. Heat the oil over medium-high to 320 degrees. Turn your hood vent on, if you’ve got one, and open a nearby window, if possible. Working in batches, fry the chicken until crunchy and light brown, adjusting the heat so the oil temperature stays between 300 and 320 degrees, 4 to 6 minutes per batch. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the fried chicken to the right side of the wire rack, away from the portion that was exposed to the raw chicken, to rest slightly.

Serve with the optional (but very delicious) lemon wedges and mayonnaise dusted with togarashi.

Tip: You can find shichimi togarashi, a flavorful Japanese seven-spice blend, in Asian grocery stores and online. But to make your own simplified version in a pinch, stir together ½ teaspoon ground cayenne, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon sesame seeds and a couple grinds of black pepper.

Black Bean Chilaquiles

Black Bean Chilaquiles

Like a perfect bowl of cereal, chilaquiles should be a little crunchy, a little soggy, and a little something in-between. To nail that textural balance, use thick, restaurant-style tortilla chips—or fry your own—the thin supermarket varieties will sadly turn to mush. This recipe coats the chips in just a small amount of smoky, citrusy tomatillo salsa, which helps them withstand the egg cooking process and retain their bite. Using the same skillet to char the salsa ingredients and cook the eggs on top of the chips streamlines prep and clean-up. The addition of canned black beans adds heft, making this an ideal breakfast-for-dinner meal. Serve it doused with the remaining salsa and generous scoops of sour cream and avocado to offset the heat and acidity.

Yield: 4 servings

1 white onion, halved

1 ½ pounds (about 12 medium) tomatillos, husked and halved if large

1 jalapeño or serrano chile, depending on desired spice level, stemmed and halved

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled

½ cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus more to serve

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup vegetable or chicken broth

12 ounces thick restaurant-style tortilla chips (about 12 cups), preferably stale (see Tip)

1 (14-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

4 eggs

Sour cream and avocado, for serving

Heat the broiler and position a rack about 3 inches from the heat source. Finely chop one of the onion halves and set aside. Cut the remaining onion half in quarters and place in a large ovenproof skillet along with the tomatillos, jalapeno and garlic in a single layer. Transfer skillet to the rack beneath the broiler and broil for about 15 minutes, flipping the vegetables as needed until very juicy, softened and deeply charred all over.

Carefully remove and discard the skins from the charred garlic and transfer all of the vegetables and their juices to a blender. Add ½ cup cilantro and salt. Blend until the salsa is mostly smooth, with only small flecks and seeds remaining. 

Heat the oil in the skillet over high heat (no need to wash the skillet first). Pour 2 cups of the salsa into the skillet, then stir in the broth and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened. Reduce the heat to medium. Taste and add salt as needed. 

Gently stir in the chips and black beans until the chips are all coated in sauce, then make four divots in the mixture and carefully crack an egg into each. (Keep those chip corners away from your yolks!) Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still slightly runny, about 6 minutes. 

Divide chilaquiles among plates and top with avocado, more cilantro, reserved chopped onion, remaining salsa and a generous dollop of sour cream.

Tip: For the best results, seek out chips from a tortilleria or anywhere that fries them in-house (restaurant leftovers work well). If shopping at the grocery store, look for the thickest chips labeled “homestyle,” “handmade” or “casera.” Thick tostadas can also be substituted—just break them into large pieces. You can also make chips at home using corn tortillas.

We enjoyed this lovely, flavorful dish. Before we put it into regular rotation, however, we will make a few modifications. A good tomatillo salsa (and there are some lovely ones available) can cut out several steps. I would sauté the onions, garlic and jalapeño, then add the store-bought salsa verde. I didn’t care for the soggy chips. I would put these in the bowl next time and add the bean mixture to the bowls at serving time. Because we serve this as leftovers, I will fry the eggs separately and when needed to plop on top. That makes a lovely, quick, weekday meal.

Delicious. However, the recipe calls for way too many chips. The thick layer of chips prevented the eggs from setting properly. I would cut the chips down to, at most, 8 oz.

Slow-Cooker Senate Bean Soup

Slow-Cooker Senate Bean Soup

This ultrasimple bean soup has been on the menu at the U.S. Senate Dining Room and served to senators and their staff for more than 100 years. Even as politics have changed, this soup has remained basically the same: navy beans simmered to creamy tenderness with ham hocks, butter and onion. Fittingly, there is no consensus on where exactly the soup came from: Some say it dates back to the early 20th century, when Senator Fred Dubois of Idaho passed a resolution making it a menu staple. This slow-cooker version has updated the classic slightly, with the addition of carrots and smoked paprika. If you’d like more vegetables (how modern!), stir in about 8 ounces of chopped kale before serving. As a nod to Idaho, this version contains a single russet potato, which gets mashed at the end of cooking and thickens the soup beautifully.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

1 pound dried navy beans or small white beans, rinsed

5 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped

3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

2 medium smoked ham hocks (about 1 ½ pounds total)

1 small red or yellow onion, finely chopped

1 medium russet potato, peeled and quartered 

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika 

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Black pepper

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

In a 6- to 8-quart slow-cooker, combine beans, garlic, carrots, ham hocks, onion, potato, butter, salt, smoked paprika and thyme. Top with 8 cups of water and several generous grinds of black pepper. Cook until the beans are very tender and creamy, about 6 hours on high. (Beans need to reach a simmer to be fully cooked and safe to eat, so be sure your soup reaches a vigorous bubble. This shouldn’t be a problem on the slow-cooker’s high setting. Additionally, beans vary in cook time by age, so if your beans are older, you may need to cook a bit longer than 6 hours.)

Pull out the ham hocks and put them on a cutting board to cool a bit. Using a fork, mash the potato pieces against the side of the slow-cooker. Stir well to break down some of the beans, too. Stir in the vinegar. Pull the meat off the bones, add it back into the soup and discard the bones. Taste and add more salt or pepper as needed.

TIP: I make this often with no meat, it highlights the great taste of the beans. Meat tends to overshadow the beans imho.

I do use celery as well.

And I saute the onions first. until browning, to add a little more depth of flavor.

I alsolike to add some chopped carrots and celery in the last half hour or so to give it some color and a little of the texture you would get from the ham or turkey.

Check out thermal cooking for another way to cook beans or soups in summer without adding heat to kitchen

A great way to add flavor and freshness to any recipe is to chop up twice as much of your aromatics, fry up half in olive oil with any spices, and reserve half to add either at the last half hour of cooking, or as a fresh salsa-like garnish during service. Although this dims the beauty of a dump-and-go recipe, it adds great flavor! Also, once a week, I’ll chop a pound EACH of carrots, celery, and onions and a 1/2 pound of jalapenos to keep in the frig for a ready-to-go mire poix. This is a super easy way to add veg to any recipe!

*The Famous Senate Restaurant Bean Soup Recipe (Senate.ggov)

2 pounds dried navy beans

4 quarts hot water

1 1/2 pounds smoked ham hocks

1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

salt and pepper to taste

Wash the navy beans and run hot water through them until they are slightly whitened. Place beans into pot with hot water. Add ham hocks and simmer approximately three hours in a covered pot, stirring occasionally. Remove ham hocks and set aside to cool. Dice meat and return to soup. Lightly brown the onion in butter. Add to soup. Before serving, bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Serves 8.

* I’ve stopped routinely soaking dried beans. The experts at Rancho Gordo rarely soak them. Unsoaked beans seem to hold their shape better, and using the slow cooker on the HIGH setting with plenty of water, cooks the beans just fine in 6-7 hours.

And for stovetop or oven, bring beans to a boil, boil for 10 minutes, then simmer partly covered for however long your beans take, adding more boiling water as needed to keep them well covered. Add salt only after they begin to soften. Just keep checking them after an hour or so. They take less time than you might think.

Instant Pot Conversion: 

This is a classic ham hock and navy bean soup recipe that converts perfectly to the Instant Pot. In a slow cooker, this would typically take 6 to 8 hours, but you can have it fully cooked and creamy in about 1 hour and 15 minutes total.

Because you are using dried navy beans and smoked ham hocks, you will need to add 6 cups of liquid (either water, chicken broth, or vegetable broth) to ensure the beans cook fully and the ham hocks have enough moisture to break down under pressure.

Here is your exact step-by-step Instant Pot conversion:

Instant Pot Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Sauté the Aromatics: Turn your Instant Pot to the Sauté function and melt the 1 tbsp of butter. Add the chopped onion and sliced carrots. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the onions start to soften. Stir in the chopped garlic, 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika, and 1 tsp dried thyme, cooking for 1 more minute until fragrant.
2. Deglaze the Pot: Turn off the Sauté function. Pour in a splash of your 6 cups of liquid and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the inner pot. This step is critical to prevent the "Food Burn" warning.
3. Layer the Ingredients: Add the 1 pound of rinsed, unsoaked dried navy beans, the quartered russet potato, the 1 tbsp kosher salt, a generous amount of black pepper, and the 2 smoked ham hocks. Pour the rest of the liquid over everything.
4. Pressure Cook: Close and lock the lid, making sure the steam release valve is set to the Sealing position. Select Pressure Cook / Manual on High Pressure and set the timer for 30 minutes.
5. Natural Pressure Release (Required): When the cooking time finishes, do not touch the valve. Let the Instant Pot sit undisturbed for 20 minutes for a Natural Pressure Release (NPR). This prevents the starchy bean liquid from foaming up out of the valve. After 20 minutes, turn the valve to Venting to release any remaining steam.
6. Shred the Meat and Mash the Potatoes: Carefully open the lid. Transfer the ham hocks to a cutting board. Discard the skin, bones, and excess fat, chop or shred the meat, and return it to the pot. Use a potato masher or the back of a large spoon to mash the quartered potato right into the broth—this will instantly make your soup thick and creamy.
7. The Finish: Stir in the 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar to brighten the flavors, adjust the salt and pepper to taste, and serve.