Of all the crispy fried cutlet variations that have tantalized me over the years, Kay Chun’s chicken katsu might be the most weeknight friendly. Instead of turning to the usual messy deep-fry, Kay shallow-fries the cutlets by using just enough oil to submerge them halfway. The thin disks of meat emerge golden, crunchy and juicy…
You know what’s surprisingly annoying? Draining frozen spinach after it’s thawed. I always feel deceived by this seemingly friendly freezer staple. Sure, it’s a shortcut to so many delicious dishes (hello, spinach dip), but then smash cut to me picking teeny tiny bits of green out of my colander and off of my hands for…
This is the time of year when kitchen burnout really sets in. You battled the holidays — and won! — then realized there was still cooking to be done. Every. Single. Day. You’ve braised and stewed, indoors, for months now, fantasizing about when the season turns and “cooking” becomes a matter of slicing and salting…
My parents’ initiation into elevated home cooking came by way of Julia Child’s soufflés and coq au vin, but for me the gateway was phyllo triangles and carrot cake from “The Silver Palate Cookbook.” That milestone book, by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins, made cooking seem easy, playful and fun, with a lighthearted tone and…
Good morning. I like a savory breakfast on the weekend — maybe a bowl of congee studded with peanuts or a roast beef hero with gravy and mozzarella. Occasionally, there’s a mad dash to Queens for early doubles at Trinciti or a first-in-the-door shrimp and grits at Bubby’s in Manhattan. Those are nice mornings. Conversely,…
From last Lunar New Year to this one, my life has gone through challenges and changes, and I wanted to shield my kids from all of it. It turns out that, despite my best efforts, they in some way perceive what’s happening, so I instead try to give them what stability I can. When that’s…
