A bit of a hybrid episode, focusing mostly on how to make a pie crust, plus a little about quiche. There’s a lot of misinformation in pie crust tips and recipes — this episode covers all I’ve learned in three decades. NOT-shopping list * All-purpose flour (or pastry flour, if you’re fancy; preferably not bread flour; definitely not cake flour)* Butter* Leaf lard (only if you happen to have access to it; I personally don’t approve of Crisco, but that’s an alternative, if you want really flaky crust)* Eggs* Milk / cream / half-and-half / sour cream / creme fraiche (some combination of these so that you have a mix that’s roughly as fatty as a combo of half milk, half cream)* Miscellaneous fillings (your fridge leftovers!), including cooked vegetables, herbs and possibly cheeses Basic Pie Crust The recipe is so simple I’ll mention it first: For 1 crust for a 9-inch pie plate1 cup all-purpose flour, plus a few more tablespoons for adjusting1/2 cup butter (1 stick) or a combination of butter and leaf lard, no more than half leaf lard1/4 cup ice waterPinch salt, if your butter is unsalted See the nifty pattern there? Very easy to remember. Now…all the magic is in the technique, which I go into in more detail in the podcast. Here is the short version, and a few photos. At all times, keep the butter/lard as cold as possible, and keep your kitchen cool. If you feel your fingers getting greasy at all, stop and put the whole bowl in the fridge for about 10 minutes. Measure the flour (and optional salt) into a large bowl. Set aside some flour for use later, when you’re rolling out the dough. Cut the butter into small cubes. Toss the butter and the flour together, then pick up each piece of butter and quickly squish it flat between your thumb and fingers. (Use both hands to make it go faster.) This is the texture you’re going for with the squished butter. When all the butter has been squished, wash your hands. Possibly put the butter-flour mix back to chill, if it felt like the butter was getting too soft. Slowly drizzle in about half the cold water and stir the mixture with a fork to distribute the water. Drizzle in more water, very gradually, and stir gently. The mixture will start to clump together. You will need to assess whether the dough is fine as is, or if it needs all the measured water (most common). The dough should look fairly moist, but it should not be sticky (a sign you added a bit too much water). If you’re baking in a dry climate, or depending on your flour, you may even need a smidge more water than 1/4 cup, but this is rare. This is the texture you’re looking for after adding enough water. Gently scoop the dough together and press it into a ball — does it hold? Don’t try to force it much, or your hands will warm the butter. If it’s too dry, it will fall back in pieces in the bowl, and you’ll need to add a tiny bit more water — really, a teaspoon at a time. If in doubt, chill again. Once you have a dough that holds together in a ball, cover it with a plastic bag or a bowl and stick it in the refrigerator again. You can hold it like this for hours, if you want. Half an hour is usually enough. (Take this time to get your quiche filling together.) I don’t have photos for rolling out, but it’s described fairly well in the podcast. Key tips are to knock the ball flat with your rolling pin first,

Lentils with Moroccan spices are incredibly good and simple, and they stand up to a lot of substitutions. Alongside, a raw beet salad makes a sweet, crunchy counterpoint. Sound quality on this is pretty rough — our kitchen has been inhabited by a mysterious hum! NOT-shopping list * Brown lentils (or any kind except pink lentils)* Onion* Garlic* Red bell pepper* Tomato paste (or fresh or canned tomato)* Parsley* Cilantro* Dry ginger (or fresh, but dry is more typical)* Cumin* Coriander* Paprika (not smoked) or other mild red chili* Turmeric* Olive oil* Raw beet* Cider vinegar (or other vin, and/or lemon juice)* Honey* Mild firm white cheese, such as halloumi (or feta)* Zaatar (optional)* Arugula (optional) Moroccan-Style Lentils They don’t look like much, but they taste fabulous — trust! I learned this recipe from Cafe Clock in Fes (though, as I say in the audio, it’s entirely possible I’m not remembering it properly!). It’s a very typical side dish at restaurants and made at home a lot as well. You can do it in a pressure cooker, as most Moroccans do, to make it even faster. I have made it sometimes without red bell pepper, or without cilantro, without ginger, without onion…it’s always been good! It tastes even better the next day, and it freezes very well, so you could also make a double batch and store some. Makes 4-5 portions1 cup brown lentils1 small onion4 cloves garlic1/2 red bell pepperLarge handful each fresh parsley and cilantro (or more — if you need to get rid of some tired herbs)Olive oil1 heaping Tbsp tomato paste (or 1 small tomato, chopped, or equivalent canned)1 tsp powdered ginger1 tsp ground cumin1 tsp ground coriander1 tsp paprika (or less of a spicier red chili)Salt and pepper How fine? This fine. Rinse lentils and set aside. Chop a medium onion (rough or fine, your choice) and the garlic. Cut the bell pepper in 1/4-inch dice. Chop the parsley and cilantro together, quite fine. In a heavy-bottomed pot (preferably not cast iron, because it could react with the tomato past in the recipe), add enough oil to cover the bottom easily. Turn the heat to medium and layer in the ingredients: onion, garlic, red bell pepper, lentils, then herbs. On top of this, add the spoonful of tomato paste, and then add the spices, spoonful by spoonful. Lay them out one by one, so you can keep track of what you’ve put in. Add salt (a fair amount) and pepper. Remember what this looks like! Add enough water to cover everything by about one knuckle depth. No need to stir — just leave as is and cover. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook until the lentils are tender but have not lost their shape. This can take anywhere from 20 to 35 minutes, depending on the lentils’ age and type. Moroccans usually eat this with soft bread, but it goes well with rice as well. Raw Beet Salad The pink just beginning to spread… As I say in the audio, I recommend this mostly if you have a food processor. Hand grating a beet is a major pain and can be quite messy. But with a fo-pro, it’s short work. In this particular preparation, I added a little zaatar, which is totally optional. Black olives are a **If you don’t have a machine, the easiest way to deal with beets is to roast the...

Schnitzel, cutlets, tonkatsu, milanesa: thin, breaded pan-fried cuts of meat are fun to make. Serve with a sweet-creamy cucumber salad and buttery potatoes (TBH, a little bit of an afterthought!). Yes, this episode is a sonic nightmare, and we’re slipping behind schedule, but oh well, aren’t we all? NOT-Shopping List * Pork loin (or other boneless cut); chicken or turkey breast works too* Flour* Egg* Bread crumbs (DIY, or panko)* Cucumbers* Red onions (or shallots, or even chives)* Sour cream (or full cream, set with a little lemon juice)* Sugar* Vinegar* Mustard* Dill* Lemon (optional)* Potatoes* Butter* Oil for pan-frying Pork Schnitzel Cutlets / schnitzel / milanesa: delicious no matter what you call them. What’s not to like about little breaded slices of meat, pan-fried till crispy? They’re good hot, and also nice to have a few extra for sandwiches (Japanese-style on white bread with mayo, or go all out for a Puebla-style cemita). I use pork (I buy every year from Walnut Hill Farm in Vermont), but you can use any kind of meat, as long as it is relatively tender and you trim away any tough connective tissue. Chicken or turkey breasts work well. The trick is to pound the meat thin, so it cooks through in just the time it takes for the breading to crisp and turn brown. For bread crumbs, make your own by blitzing day-old bread in a blender or food processor until relatively fine — but ideally not powder-fine. (Premade fine bread crumbs like those from Progreso are OK, but not ideal texture, IMO.) Panko is quick and easy! Serves 2-3 people1 lb. pork fresh ham steak or loin~1/2 cup flourSalt and pepper2 eggs~1 cup panko or bread crumbs~1/2 cup vegetable oil or lard for frying If necessary, slice meat thinner — start with 1/3-1/2-inch thick pieces, if possible. Then pound the meat so it’s about 1/4 inch thick. A dedicated meat mallet is nice, but you can use, say, the bottom of wine bottle or the edge of a heavy ceramic plate. If using a plate, be careful not to mash deep ridges in the meat, and go back and forth on the meat in different directions. (If using chicken or turkey breasts, don’t slice — just pound.) Set up an assembly line: 1) a plate with the flour, salt and pepper; 2) a wide shallow bowl with the egg — start with one; you may not need the second — beaten with a fork till the white and the yolk are well blended; and 3) the bread crumbs on a plate. Finally set up a rack (ideally) or another big plate to set the breaded cutlets on at the end. Dip each slice of meat into flour, then egg, then crumbs. Try to use one hand the flour and crumbs, and the other hand for the egg, to keep your fingers from getting all gummed up. Let the cutlets sit for 15-30 minutes to dry a bit and let the crumbs kind of glue on. In a cast-iron or other heavy skillet, heat your oil — you want it about half an inch deep in the pan, or even a little less. Set up a plate with paper towels to put the cooked cutlets on — or a clean rack. When a little bit of breading sizzles, start easing your cutlets into the oil. Fry for a few minutes on one side, until nice and brown, then flip. The whole process takes maybe six minutes. Keep the oil heat steady by adding a new cutlet each time you take one out, and when you’re near the end, with fewer cutlets,

A short episode focused just on the principle of ladhera — Greek-style ‘oil-cooked’ vegetables, especially green beans. A good side dish, or a simple, satisfying dinner with bread and cheese. NOT-Shopping List * Fresh green beans* Tomato of some kind (paste, diced, fresh)* Garlic or onion (or scallions or shallots, or even chives)* Fresh herbs (parsley and dill together is most common)* Olive oil Oil-Cooked Green Beans (Ladhera) They might not look like much, but these beans taste fantastic! As I say in the podcast, the vegetables are flexible and so are the proportions, depending on what you have. Once you have the technique down, you can apply it to all kinds of other things. Use the seasons and what you have as your guide; a common winter dish in Turkey is celery root and carrots. You can do one vegetable or a combo (as in this Turkish summer dish). And you may even start to notice it in more cookbooks and restaurant menus! (It often ends up translated as “oily things” on Greek menus.) Green beans are classic, and also perhaps the most impressive transformation — they’re completely different from boiled or steamed ones. For 2-3 portionsOlive oil1 lb. fresh green beans1 bunch each fresh parsley and dill3-4 cloves garlic (or 1 small onion)1/3 cup diced tomatoesapprox 2 tsp kosher salt In a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, pour in several generous glugs of olive oil. You want a substantial slick on the bottom of the pan. Rinse and trim the ends off the green beans — no need to dry. Rinse the herbs and rough chop — OK if some stems are in. Peel and roughly chop the garlic or onion. All the ingredients layered in the pot and ready to go. Heat olive oil briefly, then turn down to medium-low. Add the prepared ingredients in layers, without stirring: garlic, green beans, tomato, herbs. On top, add a substantial amount of salt. Cover with a lid and turn to the lowest possible heat. Let cook without stirring for 45 minutes. At this point, you can stir and test for doneness — depending on your stove, you might need another 15 minutes or so. Beans should be fully limp and velvety. You could also bake these in the oven, for about 45 minutes at 300 degrees or so. Serve at room temperature or lukewarm, with an optional squeeze of lemon (if you like more acidity) and/or another drizzle of olive oil.

Alevropita is a quick baked pie with feta, done in about 20 minutes, and marouli salata (lettuce salad) is a very simple, very springy complement. Together it makes a good light dinner or lunch that comes together in less than 45 minutes (if you’re not busy talking). NOT-Shopping List * Flour (wheat, but substitutions possible)* Milk* Egg* Feta cheese (or whatever you might have)* Butter (sheep or goat, if you can get it)* Lettuce* Fresh dill (or dried, or whatever herbs you have — just think green!)* Green onions (or chives)* Olive oil* Lemon Alevropita (Quick Greek Pita) Pita is always cut in squares. Don’t ask me why. I don’t make the rules. This is a popular snack in northern Epirus, the mountainous region of northwestern Greece. It’s very quick and easy, and it keeps (don’t refrigerate; just cover) for a couple of days. You can also add different toppings (although Greeks never do; it’s always feta), or experiment with different flours. Sourdough starter could sub for some of the liquid and flour. The only tricky part is figuring out what to cook it in, as you want the batter to spread fairly thin. Probably the thinnest you can go, for this quantity, is two 9-inch skillets, or one large pan with the equivalent area, which is 123 square inches (about 820 square centimeters). Get out your measuring tape and your calculators (area of a circle = pi x radius squared, remember?). Greeks use round pans a lot, but I’ve seen it baked in big rectangular trays too. For round pans, note that just a small change in diameter makes a relatively large change in area. A 9-inch skillet and an 8-inch skillet, for instance, gives you only 112 square inches. The resulting pitas wind up noticeably thicker and chewier and will take a bit longer to bake. Serves 2-31/2 cup milk1/2 cup water1 egg1 cup flourlarge pinch salt3 oz. feta cheese3-4 Tbsp butter (sheep or goat, ideally; cow is fine) Preheat oven to 350 F. Whisk together the liquid with the egg, then whisk in the flour and salt until the lumps are gone and you have a reasonably thick batter. (The whisk should briefly leave a trail.) Crumble the feta (or whatever cheese or toppings you’re using) into a small bowl. When the oven is warm, put your skillets or your large pan in the oven with the butter: 2 Tbsp in each skillet, or, if you’re using one large pan, you probably need only about 3 Tbsp. When the skillets are hot and the butter is melted, pull them out and divide the batter between them. Scatter the feta or other toppings over. Bake for at least 15 minutes (thicker pitas will take a bit longer), until the edges are crispy and brown and pulling away from the sides of the pan, and there are a few brown spots on the surface. Ideally, the bottom should be crispy enough that you can pick the whole thing out of the pan. Ideal crust, about as thin as you want to go.Showing off. If I were a real Greek granny, this would be 3X the size.Possibly you could throw a good one like a frisbee. If you are baking a thicker pita (if you only have a relatively small pan/skillet), or you have used toppings that give off liquid, you may want to finish by browning the surface under the broiler. Marouli Salata (Greek Spring Lettuce Salad) Marouli salata: spring in a bowl, basically. Simple, green, but not dull. A real testament to how slicing things a specific way can make all th...

A special short episode on the simplest and best way to prepare artichokes, which are in season now. Accidental music credit: Peter Moskos, practicing his autoharp downstairs. NOT-shopping list * Globe artichokes* Salt* Vinegar* Butter* Mayonnaise* Garlic* Lemon juice Simplest and Best Boiled Artichokes Sorry, stock photo because I already ate our own artichokes! The only secret here is salt. Heavily salted water is what brings out the distinctive tongue-numbing effect of artichokes. So set a big pot of water on to boil; add even more salt than if you were boiling pasta — like several tablespoons. While the water is heating, trim the artichokes. Optionally, prepare a bowl of cold water with a couple of glugs of vinegar, or a good squeeze of lemon juice. Storing the cut artichokes in this acidulated water will help keep the cut surfaces from turning black. With a heavy knife, cut off the top inch or so of each artichoke. Then with scissors, trim the pointy thorn ends off the remaining outer leaves that are below where you made the cut. Trim any tiny leaves off the stalk, and then cut just the smallest bit off the end of the stalk, just to cut away whatever is dry or brown (the stalk is delicious; you don’t want to waste it). Optionally then slice the artichokes in half vertically — this gives you more flexibility on portions, and it’s also easier to check when the artichokes are done cooking. If you’re doing this, though, you definitely want to dunk them in acidulated water. Put them in the boiling water cut side down if sliced in half; if they’re whole, you can put a small plate in on top to keep them submerged. Boil for about 10 minutes, and then start checking for doneness. If still whole, you can try pulling off a leaf — if it comes easily, it’s done. Or you can poke a knife in to the heart, at the base of the stalk. If it slides in easily, it’s done. If you’ve cut your artichokes vertically, you can poke into the heart directly. You can also see the color of the heart change, from light to dark. If in doubt, err on the side of cooking more, as not-quite-done leaves are a chore to nibble the ends off. While the artichokes are boiling, melt some butter. About 2 tablespoons for person/artichoke is plenty. You can also make some garlic mayo. It’s nice to squeeze a clove of garlic into about a tablespoon of lemon juice and let that sit, to take the burning edge off the garlic, then mix that in with a good-size dollop of mayonnaise. This makes it a bit more of a runny sauce, rather than straight globby mayo (although some people like that just as well!). For truly pedantic instructions on how to eat the damn things, you’ll have to listen!

RIP, Southwest Airlines in-flight magazine, where I found this surprisingly delicious and easy pasta sauce recipe 20-plus years ago. Alongside: a very simple carrot-celery-almond salad. And DIY vinaigrette. It all takes a lot longer than it should, but hey, there’s some proper podcast banter at the end. NOT-shopping list * ground beef (or any ground meat, really)* milk (must be real dairy milk, alas, but you could use a smaller amount of half-and-half, or even a little bit of yogurt or yogurt whey, or some buttermilk…)* olive oil* garlic* anchovies (filets in oil, salted, or anchovy paste; could also use dried mushrooms if you have that instead; maybe even…miso?!)* tomato paste* nutmeg (ideally whole, so you can grate fresh)* parmesan or other hard grating cheese for pasta (skip it if you have to)* spaghetti or any pasta shape, really* carrots* celery* almonds* fresh herbs, if you have them (dill, parsley, even cilantro)* vinegar* mustard Midnight Meat Sauce for Spaghetti This is a relatively dry “sauce.” This recipe was published in the Southwest Airlines inflight magazine (which recently shuttered — RIP!) in the late 1990s or early 2000s. I clipped it out and stuck it in my recipe scrapbook, and it has been my go-to way of transforming just a smidge of ground meat into a really rich-tasting pasta topping. And it all takes only about 20 minutes to prepare (never mind the slow timing in the podcast). The recipe here is double the quantity of the published recipe. 3-4 servings1/2 pound ground beef (or other meat; suggestions in audio)2 cups milk4 cloves garlic2-4 anchovy filetsOlive oil3-4 tablespoons tomato pasteNutmeg for gratingParmesan or other hard cheese for garnish1/2 lb. spaghetti Combine the meat and milk in a bowl and use a fork to break the meat up into smaller pieces. Let this soak while you get the rest of the ingredients (and any other part of your dinner) ready. The longer it soaks, the better the texture. Half an hour will do the trick, though. Put on your pasta water, well salted, to boil. Finely chop the garlic, and if you’re using salt-packed anchovies, filet them. (If you’re using dried mushrooms as a substitute umami flavor, set some in a small bowl and pour over boiling water. Let soak about 15-20 minutes, then pick out and dice very fine. You can use some of the soaking water in the sauce too, but be careful to not pour in grit from bottom of bowl.) In a shallow nonreactive (stainless steel) saucepan, heat a generous glug of olive oil on medium heat. Add the garlic and stir and fry briefly, then add anchovies. Turn eat to low and let simmer until anchovies dissolve — you can help break them up with the back of a spoon. Add tomato paste and raise heat to medium. Stir and fry for a minute, just to cook off a little excess liquid and any raw taste — the olive oil should be bubbling through. Add the meat and milk, and turn heat up and stir well, breaking up any big lumps with a spoon. After it’s bubbling well, turn down to a simmer. Let cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes. In the end, the meat should be very fine-grained, and much of the liquid cooked away. Serve over al dente pasta (for timing, most spaghetti takes ~10 minutes). Grate over fresh nutmeg, or stir in a pinch of ground nutmeg. Grate cheese. Serve immediately. Crunch Salad Chunks should be small enough to make a nice mixed bite of all ingredients.

By popular demand, Cooking in Real Time is back after nearly 11 years, with a pretty long and rambling session of cooking basic rice and legumes, with plenty of shortcuts and substitutions from limited pantries. NOT-shopping list * rice, ideally basmati, but whatever you have* one big onion, or one small one, or whatever you have* garlic* fresh ginger (dry ground ginger is OK in a pinch)* ghee (clarified butter) or vegetable oil* whole spices: black pepper, fennel, cumin, black mustard seeds, or…yeah, whatever you have* ground turmeric* ground cumin* hing (asafetida), of course only if you happen to have it* curry leaves (if you just happen to have them)* yellow split peas, lentils, beans, etc, etc* plain yogurt* cucumber (or some veg you can eat raw)* tomato, fresh or canned* grated coconut (if you have it)* spinach, frozen or fresh, if you like* fresh cabbage* lime or lemon Simple Indian-spiced buttery rice pilaf Not a model pilaf — so clumpy! But tasty. In the recording, I lament the fact that I don’t have any basmati rice, so I’m using Japanese short grain rice. That pretty much sets the tone of use whatever you have. The idea here is just to cook rice that has some nice spice and onion flavor. I use fennel and black pepper for the spices, but you could sub in a stick of cinnamon and a couple of cloves along with the pepper. If you don’t have whole spices, you can use ground, but don’t let the fry in the oil for more than a couple of seconds. 3-4 servings1 cup rice1 small onion or half a large one2-3 Tbsp ghee or vegetable oil1 Tbsp each whole black peppercorn and fennel seedsSalt Rinse rice and let it soak while you slice the onion — long vertical slices is fine, but half-rings is more “Indian” looking. Rinse the rice again and let it drain. In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, melt the ghee or add the vegetable oil. The bottom of the pot should have a decent layer. When the fat is hot (look for a little shimmer), throw in the whole spices and stir for a few seconds, just until you can smell them. Add the onion and turn the heat down a bit; add salt. Stir and cook until the onions have mostly softened (no need for color). Add the rice and stir and fry until the grains are well coated with oil/ghee. In an ideal world, with basmati, each translucent grain would start to turn a little opaque. You may want to turn the heat up a little for this, to cook away the water stuck on the rice grains. Add water in proportion to the kind of rice you’re using (1 1/4 cups is usually good for basmati; short-grain takes about 1 1/2 cups; brown rice can take up to 2 cups). Cover and turn heat to simmer and cook till tender. When the water has cooked away, turn off heat and place a clean dish towel over the top of the pot, fixing it in place with the lid. This absorbs any extra steam that would make the rice gummy. South Indian Yellow Split Peas with Tomato and Coconut Great, inspiring book! Highly recommend. This recipe is sort of from Chitra Agrawal’s Vibrant India book. I follow her basic technique and cut away some of the ingredients and sub some others. You can really use any legume (bigger beans, brown lentils, pink lentils, etc),

This week, it&#8217;s a menu for winter doldrums. I&#8217;m nursing a light cold with some chicken soup&#8211;and adding chipotle chiles and garlic for extra health-giving kick. On the side: a baked sweet potato, packed with vitamin C. Shopping list * 2 chicken thighs, bone-in * 2 cups chicken stock * Pasta (or pearl couscous or rice) * Flour or corn tortillas * Cashews * Sweet potatoes * 2 carrots * Celery (optional) * Grape tomatoes * Small bunch cilantro * 1 lime * 1 onion * 5 cloves garlic * Butter * Olive oil Chicken Noodle Soup with Chipotle Pesto This is basically a very generic chicken noodle soup, but with a handful of details that make it super-flavorful: with the fresh chicken and the toasted pasta (you could also use pearl couscous, orzo or even rice), it&#8217;s a lot richer than a soup made from just canned broth. All the trimmings (cilantro, the chipotle pesto on top, a squeeze of lime) make it semi-Mexican, but you can adapt the basic soup any way you like&#8211;take out the tomatoes, add different herbs and spices, mix up a different sort of pesto to dab on top&#8230; serves 22 chicken thighs, bone-inDrizzle olive oil1 onionSalt5 cloves garlic2 cups chicken stock2 carrots2 ribs celery (optional)Large handful grape tomatoes1/2 avocadoLarge handful noodles of your choice (elbows, etc.)2 chipotle chiles in adoboSmall handful cashews1 limeSmall bunch cilantroFlour or corn tortillas Chop one chicken thigh up roughly into 4 or 5 pieces, cutting through the bone if possible. Set a heavy soup pot on medium heat; add a small drizzle of oil, just to coat the bottom. Add both chicken thighs (the cut-up one and the whole one, skin-side down) and let brown. Chop the onion into rough slices and add to pot with chicken, alongside. Sprinkle a bit of salt over the onions and the chicken. Peel and chop the garlic coarsely. When the chicken is somewhat browned and no longer shows any pink, remove the whole chicken thigh and set it aside; leave the remaining pieces of chicken in the pot. Add the garlic to the onions and stir and fry briefly. Put the lid on the pot, turn the heat to low and let the chicken, onions and garlic steam for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Peel your carrots and slice them into half-inch chunks. (If using celery, cut into quarter-inch rings.) Slice the grape tomatoes in half (using this genius method). Cut the avocado into cubes (as at left) and set in your serving bowls. Check on your chicken in the pot&#8211;when the onions are soft, and the chicken has given off a little liquid, add the chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan as you stir the mixture together. Turn the heat up to medium-low and toss in the carrots. Also remove the skin from the whole chicken thigh and return the meat to the pot. Set a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add a tiny drizzle of oil. Add the dry pasta, stirring well to coat each piece with oil. Fry, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is toasted and brown, 3 or 4 minutes. Immediately remove the pasta to a small bowl, to keep it from browning further in the pan. <a href="https://www.rovinggastronome.com/cookinginrealtime/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/chixsoup-033.

This week, we cook a little risotto&#8211;it&#8217;s not as complicated or as fussy as you think. And it&#8217;s a very adaptable dish. On the side, we roast up some wee brussels sprouts and douse them in garlic and anchovies&#8211;what&#8217;s not to love? Shopping list * 1 slice bacon* 2 or 3 anchovy filets* 1 small butternut, kabocha or acorn squash* 1 pint brussels sprouts* Sage (fresh or dried)* 2 or 3 cloves garlic* 1 small onion* 1/2 cup short-grain rice* Olive oil* Parmesan cheese* 1/4 cup almonds* 1 tablespoon butter Butternut-Squash Risotto Learn to make risotto, and you&#8217;ve got an immensely versatile dish under your belt&#8211;you can throw just about anything in. This combination capitalizes on fall flavors&#8211;squash and sage, with a boost of bacon (though that&#8217;s optional). The nuts on top (almonds here, but you could use hazelnuts or even pecans) add a little extra protein, as well as essential crunch&#8211;it&#8217;s the variety of textures that take this from gooey side dish to main-meal material. Serves 2 generously1 small winter squash or pumpkin (see note below)Olive oilSalt1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth1 slice thick-cut bacon1 small onion2 large pinches dried sage (or 10-12 leaves fresh, chopped fine)1/2 cup short-grain rice (see note below)Parmesan1 tablespoon butterLarge handful (1/4 cup or so) almonds Preheat oven to 400. Slice squash into large wedges, scrape out seeds then cut off peel with a sharp knife. Cut squash into small pieces&#8211;1/2-inch square or so, though irregular sizes are fine, and even a bonus here, as the smallest ones will get quite soft and blend in with the risotto, and others will stay firmer and whole. Toss the pieces with a drizzle or two of olive oil, just to coat, and lay the pieces out on a baking sheet or (if not too crowded) a heavy skillet. Sprinkle with a bit of salt. Place in oven and roast for about 30 minutes, until the squash is soft all the way through. Pour broth into a small saucepan and set on a back burner on low heat to warm. Cut bacon into 1/4-inch pieces and set to fry over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan&#8211;this is the pan you&#8217;ll be making your risotto in. Cut onion into thin slices. When the bacon is half-crispy, add the onions to the pan, along with a pinch of salt, and stir and fry. Add the sage and continue to cook, until the sage is fragrant and the onions are translucent and soft&#8211;this can take 5 minutes or so. When the onions are ready, add the rice. Stir and fry until the rice is coated with oil and somewhat translucent. Add a couple of ladlesful of warm stock and stir thoroughly to combine. If you have nothing else to do in the kitchen, continue to stir. (If you do have other tasks, you can leave the risotto unattended until you hear the liquid cooking away.) Continue to stir and add stock, ladleful by ladleful, as the rice absorbs the liquid and a velvety sauce forms around the rice. Depending on your rice, you may or may not use all of the stock&#8211;I usually wind up just adding everything I&#8217;ve heated up, and it usually turns out fine. When rice is al dente&#8211;it still has a bit of firmness to it&#8211;and the mixture is fairly loose (it will thicken as it sits), turn off the heat. Grate in a generous amount of Parmesan cheese, and stir in the butter.