The General Situation

And It's Delicious

I got so hopped up on 12-Hour Sudafed yesterday that I baked a lemon coconut buttermilk custard tart on an almond sablé crust. I wish you were here to eat it—although my having the flu may make the offer a bit less appealing....

Good Recipe: Cannellini Bean Salad With Shaved Spring Vegetables

Loved this recipe from David Tanis, even though I made a few changes. I used snap peas instead of asparagus, only two anchovies, and no red pepper flakes (we ran out). I also chose dill instead of the other herbs. And I added far less of the dressing than suggested. And I didn't bring out the mandoline.

Also, Tanis's recipe for cooking the beans, embedded within the accompanying essay for no good reason, was pretty loosey-goosey: "Rinse a pound of beans and put them in a pot. Cover with cold water and add a few aromatics — half an onion, a peeled carrot, a bay leaf, a clove, a few fennel seeds. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to the barest simmer. Add a large spoonful of olive oil and a small spoonful of salt. Let the beans simmer, uncovered, for an hour or so, checking on them occasionally. Depending on their age and other variables, they may take up to 30 minutes more. When they are truly tender, turn off the heat and let them cool completely in their broth before refrigerating. A pound of beans will give you twice enough for the recipe below, so plan on a bean dish once more this week." I had to frantically add water as the beans cooked. I also added way more fennel seed—a good pinch—and an extra clove and a half.

Anyway, highly recommended.

Toasted Farro with Kale, Currants, and Pine Nuts

When I asked when kale had become such a thing, I had no idea what was brewing: After making the last recipe I posted, we ordered a side of cavolo nero (a.k.a. Tuscan kale) at I Sodi, and then last night we made this recipe. It's another one from Suzanne Goin's series of four in the Wall Street Journal. Adam tends/likes to undercook grains, so I thought the farro was a bit chewy—a feeling that was ratified when he checked the farro package. While Goin says to boil the farro for 12 minutes and then brown it for five minutes, the farro package said to cook it for 50 minutes. Anyway, the flavors were delicious, and it's vegan, to boot.

Squash with Mushroom-Kale Ragout

I think I enjoyed this more than Adam, even though I could take or leave kabocha (or butternut) squash—and perhaps because I like sage than he does. If we were to make it again, I'd suggest reducing the squash and upping the kale and mushrooms (the leftovers of which were delicious mixed into scrambled eggs). Or maybe we'd make a pasta with the ingredients, adding a bit of maple syrup to bind it. Either way, perhaps we'd add a bit of chile de árbol, per Suzanne Goin. Anyway, it's by Anita Lo (of New York's Annisa), and it's from the Wall Street Journal.

Good Recipe: Roasted Carrot Salad with Black Olives and Ricotta Salata

The Wall Street Journal's Saturday leisure section—perhaps it's called Off-Duty?—has been running excellent recipes, first by Andrew Carmellini and now by Suzanne Goin. This salad is a bit of work (25 minutes, my ass), but it was a novel mix of carrot, cumin, and olive flavors. I didn't use anywhere near the specified amount of shallots, and I didn't miss them.