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3.5.21

A recipe that shows off your knife skills

I’ve always been attracted to the idea of Russian salad — an even dice of potatoes, carrots, cornichons, hard boiled eggs and ham with peas in a creamy dressing. But I don’t know that I’d ever had it. Then chef Gabrielle Hamilton wrote a story about it last month in the New York Times, inspired by a version she’d had a Serbian restaurant in New York City called Kafana.

From the moment I saw it, it was all I could think about. Well, almost. More about that presently. First, let’s talk about . . .

Soup of the Week: Tom Kha Kai

If you’ve never cooked Thai food, making this easy coconut-galangal chicken soup will let you feel you can do just about anything — it’s that good. It requires a few special ingredients: galangal, lemongrass and makrut lime leaves. Galangal and lemongrass are easy to find in Asian supermarkets that cater to southeast Asian shoppers. Makrut lime leaves are seasonal — and where I live, anyway, catch as catch can. But I did find them this week, so maybe you will, too.

Onto the Russian Salad!

This recipe, which Hamilton got from Kafana chef-owner Vladimir Ocokoljic, is simple, yet there’s a lot of dicing involved. Choose a moment to make it when you’re in the mood for meditative precision-cutting — your efforts will be rewarded. The dressing — just Hellman’s/Best Foods mayo and cornichon brine — sounds crazy, but it’s fantastic.

CWB design director Juliet Jacobson didn’t love boiling then peeling the carrots and potatoes, which she found time-consuming. She also points out that the tips of the carrots can get mushy before the fat part is cooked. She suggests cutting them in half first and pulling out the skinny ends first. Make sure to use medium-small potatoes so they cook through enough. I, on the other hand, liked that peeling method — but I was in a meditative mood. [Note: You may hit a NYT paywall.]

Bar Amá’s Brocollini Torrada with Aged Cheddar and Lime

👇👇👇

This crave-able dish has always been on the menu at Josef Centeno’s Bar Amá in L.A. It deserves a spot on your menu, too.

Live a little: Stew up some beef bourguignon

Spring is on the way, and once it gets warm, our cravings for slow-cooked, rich braises will fade. So now is the moment — treat yourself this weekend to a luscious, soulful classic beef bourguignon.

A rice pudding moment

Finally, it feels like rice pudding is having a moment. I love this simple Syrian/Lebanese version from Anissa Helou’s Feast — perfumed with orange blossom water and rose water.

Have a lovely weekend. Stay safe — keep those masks on until we’re through this!!!

Lots of love, Leslie

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Have a comment, or want to tell us about something you’d like to see covered here? Drop me a line at leslie@cookswithoutborders.com.