Recipes
Kitchen-tested recipes that I have made myself.
Thick and Creamy Tomato Soup
A rich, velvety tomato soup thickened by slow-simmering carrots, onions, and canned tomatoes with butter and chicken stock. Finished with cream and fresh basil.
Braised Beef Short Ribs
Michelin-starred chef Adam Byatt’s braised short ribs recipe. A slow braise in red wine and chicken stock produces fall-off-the-bone tender meat with a deeply reduced flavored sauce.
Chicken Thigh Tacos
With the adobo sauce and chilli these are on the spicier end of what my kids will eat. But there are really quick to make and with crema and toppings it takes the edge off.
Clotted Cream
A stovetop alternative with 30 minutes of active work compared to hours of low oven temperatures.
Classic English Scones
After many attempts using different recipes, my daughter captured the taste of a classic English currant scone using a great recipe from Fifteen Spatulas. These are circular rather than the typical USA triangular wedge. A double recipe is recommended.
Carne Asada
Using ranchero (flap steak) is the way to go for this grilled beef. I cooked this on a flat top—plancha, big cast iron surface—rather than grilled then sliced thin across the grain for tacos.
Coriander Spatchcock Chicken
Roast chicken that has been spatchcocked (splayed) and liberally marinaded with red chilli, coriander, mint, and more. In the USA coriander leaves are called cilantro: this recipe calls for coriander leaves and not the seeds.
Pommes Boulangère
A one-pan side dish that requires a mandoline or good knife skills. Potatoes, a little onion, and a lot of butter. This is another Adam Byatt recipe. There are many variations of this dish, but I like how he arranges the potatoes almost vertically and in a tight spiral.
Crepes by Nastya
Our friend Anastasia—aka Настя (‘Nastya’)—shared this one-blender, one pan recipe with us in San Francisco cooking breakfast for our collective gaggle of kids.. A low-sided crepe pan or griddle is essential for easy releasing and flipping.
French Peas
Adam Byatt’s recipe from YouTube. This was the my first time using beurre manie as a way to create and thicken sauces, and sticking two entire lettuces in the dish was counter-intuitive, to say the least! Learning how to make and use a cartouche or ‘paper lid’ is a nice touch.
Pad Kra Pao
My friend Daniel made this and it was so good that I had to try it. I got this recipe from The Woks of Life and it’s incredibly easy.
Kitchen Units & Conversions
Essential measurement conversions for cooking and baking