Sage Advice

Sage advice: make this dish! See what I did there?!

Geez. You're right. That was terrible, and I do apologize. But I also recommend this white bean salad wholeheartedly. It's packed with protein, which will help you make it through those longer workdays. Or, if you are lucky enough to spend your weekends wandering the idyllic landscape, it can power you through long walks in the afternoon sun. I don't often get the chance to use sage in my cooking and thus don't quite know what to do with it. This is a start. If you have leftover leaves from making this recipe, my suggestion is to follow my lead and fry them in butter as an accompaniment to your morning eggs. I'll try to stay on task here and point out that I've made a few adjustments to the recipe, which you can find here on Epicurious:

• As usual, I feel the recipe calls for far too much olive oil. I start with water-packed tuna and only add oil once all the other ingredients are mixed. I doubled the recipe and still only used about one tablespoon of [good] olive oil.
• Using the original portions, add at least one tablespoon of minced sundried tomatoes. I think their sweetness really balances the tang of the vinegar. To me they are so integral to the dish's success that I forgot they aren't included in the original recipe.
  

For musical accompaniment, slow down with Simon & Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair." Here are those ingredients for your shopping list:

• 1 6 ounce can of tuna
  


• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar



• 1/3 cup chopped red onion



• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley



• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh sage, or 1 teaspoon dried sage leaves



• 2 cups cannelini beans, cooked



• 1 tablespoon minced sundried tomatoes

Bon appetit!

Phool's Gold

Cauliflower (phool gobi) is one of maybe three things in season right now. This is hyperbole for sure. But I know I'm not the only one who can't make it through an entire season of root vegetables without several bouts of foot-stamping frustration at the state of our farmers' markets. When I visited my local this past Saturday, the produce guys hadn't even bothered to turn up. A few apples and a quart of delicious cider made their way into my bag, and nothing else. Though we've had brief flirtations with warmer weather--it got up to 68 degrees on a recent Friday--the temperature stays firmly in the lower third of the thermometer. My remedy for this is hot food made extra spicy. Knowing very little about Indian food--aside from knowing that I enjoy a lot of it--I cannot confirm the authenticity of this dish. All I know is its festive colors (very poorly captured by my camera) and lip-smacking flavors distract me from the whipping winds outside. Find this recipe for taka tin (stir fry) in the NY Times Diner's Journal. You'll note it is vegan: no ghee here. You'll need:

• 1 large whole cauliflower, cut into 2-inch florets
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 to 2 fresh Thai bird chilies, seeded and finely minced (I used dried chilies but you can employ whatever you have on hand that is spiciest)
• 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Small pinch chili powder
• 1/3 teaspoon turmeric
• Salt
• Half a small orange bell pepper, cut into 1-inch dice
• Half a small red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch dice
• 3 large plum tomatoes, cut into 1-inch dice
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• lemon wedges

As Mathur says, the tomatoes give the dish tang. To really drive the idea home I finish with a good squeeze of lemon. If you dislike sour food, skip it. I find the method described to be fairly flawless apart from adding the cumin seeds to a pan over high heat. You will want to do this somewhat carefully since small seeds in hot oil have a tendency to POP up at your face. I add the whole bell peppers diced, and to be honest I once made this with only half a head of cauliflower. It was no less delicious. Feeds four, and is great served over a bed of fluffy rice.

Feeling exotic? Listen to the song of last summer, "Surprise Hotel" by Fool's Gold: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Es-SyYrpg2c

I feel warmer already watching that video.

The Lunch Which Cooks Itself

Who knew kale was such an exotic vegetable? Let's get back to basics with this recipe featuring the mighty lentil. It's quick and easy to cook, but still packs a nutritional punch. I even made this soup while getting ready for work the other morning--and if you've seen me in a professional environment you should be able to guess correctly that I don't invest a lot of time in that. One of the best things about this soup is that it just begs for all sorts of fun toppings. Here's what you need:

• 1 cup red or yellow lentils (dry)
• 1 large carrot
• 1 large celery stalk, plus its greens
• 2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth (you can cheat and throw in water with a bouillon cube)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 or 2 juicy lemons
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• cherry tomatoes, feta, cumin seeds, red pepper flakes to garnish

Simmer the lentils in the broth with the celery (reserving the greens) and carrot for 15 minutes on medium heat, until the lentils have absorbed all the liquid. If you're down to cubes of bouillon, worry not, for this really is the most lenient recipe. Cool for a few minutes before pureeing in a food processor, adding the salt, lemon juice, and olive oil. If you're using an immersion blender, be sure to chop the carrots and celery before cooking. Add water to thin to your desired consistency. Serve with a toasted pita and garnish with chopped celery greens (highly recommended!), feta, spices, and cherry tomatoes. I included my favorite additions but would also suggest sumac, roasted peppers, and Greek yogurt. Puckerfaces likes me can add the juice of the second lemon, but others may want to stick with just one. Yields two heaping, satisfying bowls.

Happy Birthday, Heather! I got you a blog.

This year my lovely friend Heather packed up her many, many pairs of shoes and moved to the beautiful European island from which her (also lovely) boyfriend hails. I promised her recipes. Here is the first, which was originally published in Gourmet (RIP). Visit Epicurious.com for the full recipe. I've copied my altered ingredient list below so you know what you're dealing with. I replaced the chicken broth with a vegetable version and omitted the sausage. This is the perfect recipe for using up those sad-looking rinds in your cheese drawer (what--you don't have one of those?).

• 1 lb dried white beans such as Great Northern, cannellini, or navy
• 2 onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 5 cups broth
• 2 qt water
• 1 (3- by 2-inch) piece Parmigiano-Reggiano rind
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf (not California)
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 8 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 lb kale (preferably lacinato), stems and center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped

A few notes:

• Presoak your beans. It's an easy habit to adopt. Dump a bag into a large bowl, cover with water, and leave out while you go to work or overnight as you sleep.It's less work than operating a can opener, I promise.
• If your eyes are sensitive to onions, bring a small fan into the kitchen to blow the noxious gases away from you as you chop. Or let the floodgates open and pretend your man done did you wrong. Theater pairs wonderfully with cooking.
  
• Only fresh garlic is acceptable in my kitchen.
• If I don't have homemade broth on hand, I use vegetable bouillon from Rapunzel. Not everything can be from scratch.
• Rosemary is an incredibly hearty plant. I keep a pot in my windowsill and despite egregious neglect, it's still with me.
• This soup ages well. Cook it the night before and heat it up for an incredibly warming lunch. The temperature here has been dipping into the 20s, so that is exactly what I'm doing.
• Go ahead. Grate some fresh parmigiano reggiano on top. You've earned it.