A myth has developed that says that eggplant must be salted before it is cooked in order to remove its bitterness and/or cut down on its absorption of oil during cooking. I have cooked eggplant in myriad ways and have experimented with both the salted and unsalted...
Here is an exquisite-flavored dish laced with rosemary, garlic, and red wine, and topped with a mixture of bread crumbs and more garlic and baked until crispy. Be sure to use the amount of garlic indicated; it mellows with baking and lends a subtle flavor to the...
Greens cooked with hot peppers and garlic are a staple in my house, and here they combine with an ideal companion a creamy polenta laced with tangy goat cheese. Because polenta is best served as soon as it is cooked, I like to have the greens completely cooked and...
Here is a delicious and impressive pate made up of layers of carrot pure, minced leeks, and minced spinach. It is not as complicated to prepare as it appears, and a little goes a long way. I like to simplify the preparation by cooking the vegetables on one day and...
Tempeh Chili with Black Beans MAKES: 4 to 6 servings TIME: About 2 hours, largely unattended This is the smokiest, most deeply flavored chili in the book, rich with the combination of tempeh, roasted garlic, black beans, and chipotle chiles. For balance, a little...
Golden Simmering Liquid for Seitan Cook the seitan in this lighter seasoning liquid if you want a more neutral color and flavor or plan to use seitan with spring or summer vegetables. It's best with non-Asian dishes and seasonings. The color will be, well, golden. If...
Braised Tofu in Caramel Sauce MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 30 minutes There were two things I couldn't get enough of in Vietnam: crunchy lemongrass dishes and caramel sauce dishes. Here's one of the latter, in which the caramel sauce essentially melted sugar, which becomes...
Braised Tofu and Peas in Curried Coconut Milk MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 40 minutes This recipe features a classic Indian technique for making a deep-flavored gravy Preparing the tofu in advance by frying, pressing, or freezing (see The Basics of Tofu) makes for a subtle...
Braised Tempeh, Three Ways MAKES: 4 to 6 servings TIME: 30 minutes Tempeh gives any cooking liquid even water a haunting flavor that provides a great backdrop for other, more assertive flavors like coconut milk, vinegar and chiles, or soy and tomatoes. The result is...
Baked Tofu MAKES: 4 or more servings TIME: About 1 hour Treated this way, tofu acquires a terrific, firm crust, while its interior gains the texture of a pleasant custard, almost egglike. It's basic, essential, and for some reason relatively unknown. It's also...
