10 集

Self-taught cook and cookbook author Zora O'Neill talks you through preparing a full dinner, in real time. Cook along as you listen, and you'll learn to multitask, improvise and forge ahead even when it seems like you might screw it all up--the real skills of any good home cook. For recipes, photos and more, visit www.cookinginrealtime.com.

Cooking in Real Time Zora ONeill

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Self-taught cook and cookbook author Zora O'Neill talks you through preparing a full dinner, in real time. Cook along as you listen, and you'll learn to multitask, improvise and forge ahead even when it seems like you might screw it all up--the real skills of any good home cook. For recipes, photos and more, visit www.cookinginrealtime.com.

    Travel Episode 4: All About Saffron (Recipe: Chard Stems with Saffron and Cream)

    Travel Episode 4: All About Saffron (Recipe: Chard Stems with Saffron and Cream)

    This week I do a little brain dump about saffron, a treasured ingredient that feels fitting for spring. How to buy, what to cook with it, and so on. Plus an easy saffron recipe. Ambient noise of the week: subway. (Sorry.)















    Mentioned in the episode:







    Frying Pan Food Adventures — fantastic walking tours of Dubai, on semi-hold right now, due to lockdowns, but they have a podcast too, so you can live vicariously!







    Saffron all wrapped up to keep the light out







    Heray Spice — where I recently bought my ridiculously huge load of saffron, though I see that they sell only through Amazon now, which is less ideal. Still, quality is high.







    League of Kitchens — love these online cooking classes! Mab’s Persian class was wonderful.







    Persia — cookbook by Naomi Duguid with a lot of good saffron recipes and general guidance.







    The Art of Eating — fantastic food magazine, really focused on why certain things taste the way they do. Incredibly educational and well edited.







    Chard Stalks with Anchovies — the original Provençal recipe as published in The Art of Eating, which through my inattention and outright laziness turned into…







    Chard Stems with Saffron and Cream







    Approximately 7g of saffron. Enough for a while!







    Turn on your oven to 350-400 — heat depends on how much else you’re cooking and how fast you want this to go.







    From a big bunch of chard, cut out the stems — I do this with scissors, folding the leaf onto itself so the stem is kind of the exposed spine, and cutting through the double layer of leaf to remove the stalk. Fine if it’s not super-precise, and you get a little green on the edges.







    Rinse your stems well. Don’t cut them more yet, as they start to oxidize.







    Crush up a couple of garlic cloves — I like mine chunky. If you have salt-packed anchovies, rinse them and bone them. Or use oil-packed anchovy fillets — one or two, depending on your taste — or the equivalent squeeze of anchovy paste. Heat a little glug of olive oil or butter in a skillet and stir and fry your anchovy and garlic, just so the anchovy melts a bit and the garlic is fragrant.







    Add a pinch of saffron threads (six or so? eight? not a lot) and stir those around just until you can smell the saffron. Take the skillet off the heat. (If you have saffron water made, the way I describe in the episode, you can stir it in to the half-and-half instead.)







    Now trim your chard stems — cut off the brown ends, and I like to cut mine into, say, two-inch lengths, on the bias. They look like fancy little tiles, and they fit on your fork better than whole long stems!







    Put the chard stems in a shallow baking dish — ideally something with a lid, and wide enough that the chards stems are not more than a double layer in the bottom. More like a single solid layer, maybe with a few more pieces on top, is ideal.







    Pour the garlic/anchovy/saffron oil over and stir a little to combine. Add a few big glugs of half-and-half (or cream) to the dish. You don’t need to cover the chard stems — but about halfway...

    • 23 分鐘
    Travel Episode 3: Quick Koosa Mahshi (Syrian Stuffed Squash…That’s Not Stuffed)

    Travel Episode 3: Quick Koosa Mahshi (Syrian Stuffed Squash…That’s Not Stuffed)

    Your host is a little spaced out this week, but luckily it’s a quick and easy meal, learned from a Syrian doctor and single mom: a fast way to get all the satisfying flavor of much more labor-intensive stuffed squash. Pair it with rice and yogurt for an easy lunch or dinner.















    Shopping list







    * Ground beef or lamb* “Gray” squash or zucchini* Garlic* Allspice (ground for the recipe)* Dried mint* Olive oil* Lemon* Ground sumac* Red chile flakes (Aleppo pepper ideally)







    Quick / Faux Koosa Mahshi (Syrian-style stuffed squash)







    Yup, meal in a bowl, and no shame in that.







    This is a super-shortcut, weeknight version of stuffed squash. For that dish, traditionally you’d use koosa, which is a kind of bulbous squash that gives you a bit more to core and stuff. It’s sold in my NYC market as “gray squash” or “Mexican squash.” (There’s a photo at the bottom for reference.) If you can’t find that, of course, for this recipe, you don’t need to core anything, so ordinary zucchini is fine as well.







    In the podcast, I say I’m going to make a little yogurt-cucumber salad…and then I just don’t bother! I figured it’s a little redundant, because cucumber is basically squash, and there’s already dried mint in the dish. But if you want it, here’s a recipe/description (scroll down).







    But if you want to make this a slightly more elaborate meal, you could do two things: 1) nice rice, like a basmati rice with a little butter, and maybe some onion, and 2) yogurt with a bit of salt, garlic and dried mint, to better approximate the sauce you’d usually get with the proper stuffed koosa.







    One more thing I sometimes do (not mentioned in the podcast) is cook the meat and squash with a bit of goat butter. Only because we happen to have it! Adds some nice funky richness.







    For 3-4 portions, with rice4 or 5 garlic clovesOlive oil3/4 pound ground lamb or beef2 large pinches ground allspiceSalt and pepper4 gray squash2 even larger pinches dried mintAleppo pepper or other red chile flakes, totally optionalJuice of half a lemonGround sumac







    Peel and roughly chop the garlic.







    In a large skillet, add a tiny bit of olive oil and fry the ground meat with a bit of salt, breaking it up with a spoon. Midway through, add the pepper, allspice and the garlic. (Or…if you space out like I did in the podcast, you can add the spices to the meat later, and fry the garlic with the squash!) Stir and fry until it’s good and brown and crumbly, and most of the liquid has cooked away. Scrape the meat and all the browned bits into a large bowl (you’ll be adding all the cooked zucchini in here later).







    While the meat is browning, trim the ends off your squash and cut into thin half-rounds. (Slice in half vertically, then line up the halves and slice through — quarter-inch slices are fine.) If you have very thin zucchini, no need to slice in half, although they’re easier to manage with a flat cut surface.







    Go with this single-layer approach to frying if you want more browning and less mush.







    In the same pan as the meat, add a little more olive oil and fry the squash. If you want them a bit brown, do them in two batches. If you want them a bit softer (and possibly done faster), throw them all in at once. You can even put the lid on for a bit, so they steam through. When they’re close to done, add the dried mint,

    • 42 分鐘
    Travel Episode 2: Turkish Eggplant and Green Peppers, plus Yogurt-Cucumber Salad

    Travel Episode 2: Turkish Eggplant and Green Peppers, plus Yogurt-Cucumber Salad

    A short episode, for a very simple but surprisingly satisfying vegetable dish, optionally made heartier with lentils. From the Aegean coast of Turkey — but, honestly, from the Turkish Airlines inflight magazine! Eat as a side dish, or as a full meal with rice and a little yogurt-cucumber salad.















    Shopping list







    * Small, thin eggplants* Turkish green peppers* Garlic* Olive oil* Canned or fresh tomatoes* Brown lentils (optional)And if you’re making a whole meal:* Cucumber* Yogurt* Dried mint* Rice







    Çığırtma (Turkish Eggplant and Green Peppers)







    Eggplants and green peppers, all snuggled up nice!







    Ideally make this with smaller, slender eggplants, so you can nestle the eggplants and peppers together. Turkish-style green peppers are long and thin and not very meaty — see below the recipe for a photo. They’re usually mild, but occasionally some can have real heat. If you can’t get them, Anaheims would be fine, but they might need additional cooking time. If you can only get a big globe eggplant, then dice it and the peppers — a different shape, but same taste!







    Lentils are my addition, totally optional. I make three portions, usually — two for dinner, and one to save.







    For more on this style of cooking, see last season’s episode on oil-cooked vegetables.







    For 2-3 portions3 small, slender eggplants2-3 glugs olive oil6-8 cloves garlic3 Turkish green peppers/chiles3-4 heaping tablespoons crushed canned tomatoes, or equivalent fresh, diced1/4 cup brown lentils (optional)Large pinch salt







    Rinse the eggplants and pull off the extra bits around the stem — but leave the stem on. Peel the eggplants in long stripes, then make a spiral cut down each one. (The easiest way to do this is set the knife diagonally on the eggplant, then rotate the eggplant.) Be careful not to cut all the way through — you still want a whole eggplant in the end.







    Be generous with your olive oil!







    Heat the olive oil in a large shallow pan with a good-fitting lid. Add the eggplants and brown on each side.







    While the eggplants are browning, peel the garlic and leave whole. (Fine of course if you end up crunching it a little while peeling it.)







    Add the green peppers to the pan (whole, no need to remove stems), nestling them in alternating with the eggplants. Scatter the garlic evenly between the vegetables. Turn down the heat to a simmer and spoon the crushed tomato evenly over the vegetables.







    If using lentils, add them around the vegetables (you want them down at the bottom of the pan) along with 3/4 cup water. (Do not add water if not using lentils.)







    Cover and cook without stirring until the peppers have collapsed a bit and the eggplant yields when you press it with the back of a spoon (be gentle — you want to be able to put a nice whole eggplant on a plate). If you’ve added lentils, they should be tender and the water should be cooked away. This all takes about 30 minutes.







    Serve with rice, each portion getting one whole pepper and eggplant, and a few cloves of garlic.







    Turkish green peppers, with hand for scale.







    Cacık (Turkish Cucumber-Yogurt Salad)







    For two portions, use a single midsize cucumber (approximately four inches) and peel it, or use two thin-skinned Persian cucumbers without peeling.

    • 13 分鐘
    Travel Episode 1: Egyptian Koshari

    Travel Episode 1: Egyptian Koshari

    Cooking for virtual travel, starting with a little trip to Egypt through koshari, a combo of rice, lentils and pasta, topped with a tangy tomato sauce and crispy fried onions. It’s hearty and nourishing, with garlicky zing. No sides this time, just pickled peppers and fresh cucumbers.















    Shopping list







    * brown lentils* short-grain rice* garlic* ground cumin* salt* yellow onions* large (28-oz.) can tomatoes (ideally tomato puree) * tube pasta (elbow mac, or canneroni, aka kofto if you’re shopping in a Greek store)* canola oil for frying* ground/crushed red chile* vinegar* pickled peppers (optional, on the side)* pickled eggplants (optional)* cucumbers







    Egyptian Koshari







    Koshari: the power meal of Egypt!







    As I say in the podcast, this is a real fast-food staple, but it’s also a dish people cook at home. The base is lentils, rice and pasta, topped with tangy tomato sauce and crispy onions. If you want deluxe toppings, you can also add fried vermicelli (gives a nice chewy texture) and/or chickpeas. But honestly, it’s perfectly satisfying this simpler way, and it means fewer pans to wash.







    My friend’s mom, who taught me her technique, serves it with pickled peppers and eggplants on the side. In the podcast, I slice up a cucumber too, with salt.







    Serves 3-41 cup brown lentils1 cup short-grain rice5-7 garlic cloves1 heaping tsp ground cuminLarge pinch salt2 medium yellow onions28-oz. can tomatoes (puree, crushed or whole)2 handfuls tube pasta (elbow mac or shorter cut tubes)1/2 cup canola oil (approx, for frying)ground/crushed red chile (to taste, optional)1 tbsp vinegar (or more, to taste)







    Rice cozy in effect.







    Rinse lentils and place them in a heavy saucepan (whatever you ordinarily cook rice in) with 2.5 cups water. Cover and turn heat up to boil, then down to simmer for 5 minutes. Add the rice to the same pot and simmer for another 15 minutes or so. You may have to add a little more water, and if it’s all looking a little too wet near the end, you can leave the lid slightly ajar. If the rice and lentils are done, but everything’s a little sticky, set a clean dish towel over the top of the pot and put the lid on top of that — set aside while everything else is finishing.







    Yes, the garlic can be this coarse. Or you can chop/crush it finer, if you prefer.







    Peel garlic and chop or crush in a mortar with salt and cumin. When the rice and lentils are close to done (about 5 minutes out), take a third of this garlic mix and stir it in.







    Peel and slice the onions in thin half-rings.







    In a large nonreactive saucepan (stainless steel or similar), heat a little glug of the canola oil and add another third of the garlic-cumin combo. Stir briefly, then add the canned tomatoes. If you have whole tomatoes, crush them up with a spoon. Let simmer on medium-low, uncovered. Stir occasionally to check thickness and make sure it’s not sticking.







    Set water on to boil for the pasta; salt generously. Add the pasta and cook according to directions, then drain.







    In a heavy skillet, heat the remaining canola oil until just shimmering. Add about a third of your sliced onions — a thin layer. Don’t crowd the pan. Stir to keep them moving, and cook until brown on the edges but still a little pale in the center of the slice — they keep cooking after you take them out. Remove with a skimmer and set them on a paper towel to cool. Make sure you get all the bits out before you start the next batch (move the oil off the heat if you ha...

    • 48 分鐘
    Quarantine Episode 8: Pie Crust and Quiche

    Quarantine Episode 8: Pie Crust and Quiche

    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,

    • 57 分鐘
    Quarantine Episode 7: Moroccan-Style Lentils and Raw Beet Salad

    Quarantine Episode 7: Moroccan-Style Lentils and Raw Beet Salad

    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...

    • 42 分鐘

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