Cook the Book

Michael Natkin's Potato and Green Bean Salad with Arugula Pesto

It is officially potato salad season. And while we're all for the all-American mayo dressed version, sometimes we like to mix up our picnics and barbecues with something a little different. Adapted from Michael Natkin's Herbivoracious this Potato and Green Bean Salad with Arugula Pesto is gorgeous and green, with snappy green beans and tender new potatoes tossed in a peppery pesto. More

Robb Walsh's Southern-Style Chicken-Fried Steak

While researching Texas Eats Robb Walsh set out on a journey of Chicken-Fried Steak discovery. He ate his way around rural Texas, seeking out the best versions of this big Texan standard. Some where memorable, and some not so much, but if you've ever experienced the weighty dish known as the CFS, you've got to hand it to Walsh, his search for the best steak was a stomach stretching exercise to say the least. More

Robb Walsh's Fresh Field Peas

Robb Walsh, author of Texas Eats keeps his Fresh Field Peas simple with a soul food inspired recipe that begins (as many good things do) with bacon. Onions are sweated in the bacon fat, and the peas are added and simmered with chicken broth, a few pods of okra as a thickener, and a lone chile for heat. Fresh peas don't need too much stove top, just simmer until tender and serve. More

Robb Walsh's Shrimp and Grits

Texas Eats is full of plenty of wonderful recipes for the seasonal specialty that are Texas shrimp, and one of our perennial favorites is Shrimp and Grits, otherwise known as breakfast shrimp. You can't really go wrong with sweet shrimp served over smooth grits, but Walsh steps up the recipe by sautéing the shrimp in bacon fat along with mushrooms, scallions, and garlic, creating a pan sauce that's pretty over the top. And those grits? Well, let's just say that those are the grits of Southern breakfast dreams. More

S. H. Fernando Jr.'s Hoppers

Hoppers, a Sri Lankan roadside snack are delicate sourdough crepes made with coconut milk and rice flour. Cooked in a high-sided spherical pan, the batter is swirled around during the cooking process making for lacey-crisp edges and a tender center. S.H. Fernando Jr., author of Rice & Curry says that they're a wonderful vehicle for scooping up saucy curries, or if you're a fan of all things eggy, feel free to crack an egg in the middle of one of these guys for a Sri Lankan breakfast of champions. More

S. H. Fernando Jr.'s Spicy Lentil Fritters

S.H. Fernando Jr., author of Rice & Curry, calls these Spicy Lentil Fritters an Asian take on falafel, and that's a spot-on call. Subbing out chickpeas for yellow split peas makes for fritters with a great bite and the chiles, onion, curry leaves, ginger, and fennel seeds give these guys beguiling flavor, one that will have you snacking on these little fritters until every last one is gone. More

Mark Bittman's Grilled or Broiled Steak

Here's a scenario that we're sure at least a few of you are familiar with. A big, beautiful steak catches your eye at the market, perhaps a dry aged ribeye or a well marbled locally raised T-bone. After a bit of inner dialogue (those things aren't cheap), you take the plug and take the steak home. Then a moment of panic hits. How am I going to cook this thing? What if I overcook it and all of its beefy deliciousness is for naught? To resolve this beef related quandary, we present Mark Bittman's Grilled or Broiled Steak from How to Cook Everything The Basics. Meat plus salt and pepper plus heat equals a great steak, no fancy stuff, no elaborate technique, just a broiler or a grill, and knife to test the steak's doneness, and done. More

Mark Bittman's Brownies

Bittman's Brownie recipe is a gem, simple and tasty enough to give even the most apprehensive baker that much needed boost of kitchen confidence. Bittman's straight talk advice: "Err on the side of underbaking: An overcooked brownie is dry and cakey, while an undercooked brownie is gooey and delicious" makes for some damned fine brownies. More

April Bloomfield's Asparagus with Parmesan Pudding and Prosciutto

Asparagus, eggs, and prosciutto are the unofficial holy trinity of springtime cooking. And since these three are so well matched, figuring out how to prepare them isn't much of a issue. You could grill the asparagus, wrap it in prosciutto, and top it off with a poached egg, or throw these three guys in an frittata or a quiche. But if you really want to do right by your asparagus, eggs, and prosciutto, you'll want to give April Bloomfield's Asparagus with Parmesan Pudding and Prosciutto a go. More