February 2019

A whole roasted cauliflower is beautiful to behold, and it becomes a knockout party dish served with this agrodolce sauce. Agrodolce, the Italian version of a sweet-and-sour sauce, uses raisins and honey for sweetness and vinegar for the sour element. Capers, celery, leeks, and roasted peppers — here we use yellow peppers from a jar; you can also use red — add to the flavors. It can be served with fish, vegetables, or pork chops, so it’s a terrific sauce to have in your tool kit.

If you think oatmeal comes in a packet, think again. They know about oatmeal in Ireland and Scotland, where whole-grain, steel-cut oats are popular. Yes, these slightly chewy oats take longer to cook than old-fashioned rolled oats (and way longer than instant oats in a packet), but the results are so much better. To shorten the usual half-hour cooking time, start the process at night and then finish up in the morning.