There’s nothing like an appetizer of pate to set dinner off to an elegant start. Smooth, creamy, rich, and with a little tinge of mineral funk from the livers, this is a dish that says sophistication. But, it’s also quite easy to make! Sauté some ingredients, grind some warming spices to give it some depth of flavor, blend everything together with cream and butter, chill, and there’s your pâté, ready to impress! I like to serve mine with whole grain mustard, pickled onions, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, but anything salty, sharp in flavor, and a little crunchy will work beautifully.
It also makes for great leftovers. I like to eat it in a somewhat informal version of a bahn mi sandwich -- spread some pâté on a halved baguette, top with your lunch meat of choice, some pickled jalapenos, maybe some pickled carrots if you have those on hand or raw if you don’t, a handful of cilantro, and a smear of mayonnaise.
Serves 10.
It’s going to be a cold one on the East Coast this weekend — time for a warming breakfast that gives you the power and energy to get through the day. Here’s one amazing option — Shakshuka! Not only is it fun to say, it’s a delicious, savory, healthy egg dish that makes for an exciting and comforting meal.
There’s a small restaurant chain in Los Angeles called Zankou Chicken that is well known for its super secret chicken shawarma recipe, which is crispy and juicy and beautifully spiced and comes with a crazy-good garlic sauce that will make your breath reek for at least the next few hours if not days.
A fairly simple set of ingredients combines with a blend of Vanns spices to create a complex and hearty dish that your guests might not even realize is vegetarian. A perfectly poached egg on top means this dish can be enjoyed from breakfast to dinner.
A lightened up, brightened up version of chicken parm that won't weigh you down, but still gives that same satisfaction of juicy chicken, melty cheese, and savory tomato sauce.
It’s starting to feel like real springtime weather these days -- cool in the mornings and evenings, warm during the day, weather that sometimes makes it hard to know what to eat. A cool, refreshing, summery salad or a comforting, warming wintery stew?
Here's a warming braised chicken dish to brighten up your dinner on a cold evening. Packed with Moroccan spices, preserved lemons, and briny green olives, this dish offers a punch of flavor with relatively little effort.
The earthy spice of Vanns Harissa, slight green bitterness of Vanns Celery Seed, and heat of Vanns Aleppo Style Chili Flakes bring some excitement to tender roast chicken, with sumac-marinated red onions adding a pop of brightness.
This is it, folks. This is the perfect, unexpected, amazing vegetable soup, adapted from Michael Solomonov’s beast of a cookbook Zahav. This recipe is the perfect example of his brilliant and unusual use of commonplace spices and other ingredients.
Making dessert for a crowd can be difficult. Something like a pie is almost big enough, but you'll have to carefully dissect it into tiny slivers to really make it work. A layer cake looks spectacular, but presents the same slicing problem.
These falafel sandwiches are straight-up amazing. The falafel is flavorful, crisp, and light, so good that even by itself it’s a wonderful thing.