December 2009

To add a layer of complexity, hummus can be topped with either warm fava beans (called ful), toasted pine nuts, or more tahini, which is ladled into the center and sometimes doused with an aromatic olive oil. Stewed fava beans over hummus are a revelation atop a revelation: earthy, pepper-tinged, and meaty without a trace of meat.

In this dish the two robust beans slug it out, both vying for your palate’s attention, neither ever quite vanquishing the other. It’s a fight you’re happy to have waged in your mouth. In pursuit of a recipe for the fava beans,

Gremolata is the classic Italian condiment made by chopping flat-leaf parsley, garlic, and lemon rind together. Citrusy and spicy, the relish also adds a garden-fresh brightness when sprinkled on sliced tomatoes, oven-roasted potatoes, corn-on-the-cob, seafood, and chicken. Gremolata is the classic garnish for osso buco, the dish of braised veal shanks. Newer gremolatas are made with chopped mint or capers (nice with lamb or salmon). Familiar vegetables just got a lot more interesting.

Treviso is a red, spear-shaped variety of radicchio. Combining it with prewashed baby greens makes a bowlful of holiday colors. Keep the cheese cold until grating so that it forms firm strips. 

Spicy fried potatoes and a classic egg scramble combine to make a hearty and zesty breakfast.

Salty, spicy, and sweet versions of this recipe start the same way. 

Noodles of all kinds are easy and beloved. But soba noodles, a staple of Japan, are special: they usually take no more than 3 to 4 minutes to cook and — because they’re made from buckwheat — have a slightly firm texture and a nutty flavor. Traditionally, soba are served hot and cold, making them a flexible partner for almost any fresh ingredients you have in the kitchen.

Flageolets, the quintessential French legume, are the young delicate seeds of haricot beans gathered and shelled while they’re a pale shade of ivory-green. In this dish, the dried beans are soaked overnight, then cooked and tossed with sweet red onion, dry-cured black olives, garlic, fresh herbs, olive oil, and white wine vinegar. (You can also use the quick-soak method given here.) Garnish the dish with roast tomatoes to add some flavor from the south of France.

Steve Johnson of Rendezvous in Central Square has a way with fish cakes. Years ago, I ate his ethereal bluefish cakes at Mercury Bar, where he was cooking, and wherever he went after that, he always put them on the menu. I had his bluefish cakes again on Saturday night at Rendezvous -- they're delicious! -- and decided it was time to go into the kitchen. Steve makes fish cakes with all the ingredients already cooked (rather than raw fish cakes). After cooking the fish, he adds spicy mayonnaise, lots of sauteed vegetables, and shapes the cakes and browns them. They couldn't be easier.

Lokshen kugel is an important part of Jewish holiday tables. This sweet, creamy, eggy noodle pudding is a standard menu item at the meal next Monday night after a day of fasting on Yom Kippur. My mother, with whom I consult about traditional dishes before I begin cooking, was at the supermarket checkout line in Miami, with ingredients for her pudding on the belt. The woman in line behind her offered some unsolicited advice. “I make the best noodle pudding around,’’ she announced.

All of the components of this healthful one-dish dinner are roasted in the same skillet: The rice goes in first, then the salmon and broccolini. And they're all flavored with a lime, honey, and cilantro sauce. If desired, serve with lime wedges to squeeze over.