Thick-cut bone-in rib eye steaks, sometimes called “tomahawk steaks,” are becoming common in American meat markets. One steak can weigh more than 2 pounds and can easily serve 2 to 3 people or more. They are best cooked rare to medium-rare.
Serves 2 to 3 — Recipe adapted from Mallmann on Fire by Francis Mallmann (Artisan, 2014)
Though known colloquially as “Santa Barbara spot prawns,” these sweet, buttery-tasting Pacific-based crustaceans are harvested from San Diego to Alaska. If they’re not available at your local market, buy the best shrimp you can find, preferably wild-caught.
Serves 2 and can be multiplied as desired — Recipe adapted from the Los Angeles Times, September 19, 2019
Chef Katie Button, who trained with Spanish celebrity chef Ferran Adrià at his internationally acclaimed restaurant elBulli, later opened Cúrate Bar de Tapas in my hometown of Asheville, North Carolina. This original recipe featured rabbit, which is more popular in Spain than it is in the US. We like it made with chicken.
Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from Saveur, February 2016
Asturias, a seaside principality located in northwestern Spain, is renowned for this hearty stew featuring various cuts of pork and large creamy beans known as fabes or fabadas. We love to finish this dish (perfect for a chilly day) with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Serves 6 to 8 — Recipe adapted from Food and Wine, September 2017
Cod, chickpeas, and sherry are among Spain’s most iconic foods. This dish requires mere minutes of active time, but when paired with a salad (such as the Orange and Fennel Salad on page 14), can be served with pride to guests.
Serves 8 — Recipe from Food and Wine, September 2004
Italian cuisine is synonymous with pasta and pizza, but pork is also a favorite in Italy. Pork tenderloin is the leanest cut of the pig, on a par with skinless chicken breasts. Because tenderloins have little fat and typically weigh only a pound, they cook quickly and can quickly dry out if they cook too long, so set your timer as soon as you pop them into the oven.
Yields 6 servings.
This piquant sauce comes from the famed islands off the coast of Spain. It’s so popular that it’s often served at tapas bars as a dip for bread. I also love it with other toothsome fish like tuna, sea bass, and monkfish.
Yields 4 servings.
A mix of rich spices takes run-of-the-mill chili to a whole new level. You’ll need a few hours for the flavors to develop, but not a lot of active effort. And the results are more than worth it! If you prefer to start with dried beans, soak a total of two cups of your favorite variety or varieties and add them to the pot when you add back the cooked beef. Made with beans, this chili is a good source of important fiber as well as other nutrients.
Yields 8 hearty servings.
There’s no better way to enhance any cut of lamb than with a coating of garlic, rosemary, olive oil, and lemon juice, but feel free to adjust the garlic and rosemary up or down depending on your taste preference. Creamy polenta or whipped mashed potatoes are a perfect accompaniment along with roasted Brussels sprouts or glazed carrots.
Put an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 450°F. Roast the lamb for 20 to 25 minutes for medium-rare or until the internal temperature on an instant-read meat thermometer registers 125°F. (Roast the lamb 5-10 minutes longer if you prefer it less pink.) After removing it from the oven, loosely tent the lamb with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. To serve, slice the rack into individual chops and divide them between two dinner plates, fanning them in a semicircle. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired.
Watch as T. J. Robinson teaches you his secret to delicious, fluffy scrambled eggs with salt, black pepper, olive oil and a dash of water to steam and fluff the eggs.
Watch as T. J. Robinson teaches you his secret to delicious, fluffy scrambled eggs with salt, black pepper, olive oil and a dash of water to steam and fluff the eggs.
Hearty, filling, and needing only one pot, this comforting dish will warm a three-dog night. I first cooked with passata (strained uncooked tomato purée) during a visit to Italy, but have since found passata on some upscale American supermarket shelves.
Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from cooking.nytimes.com
Nothing says “special occasion” more eloquently than beef tenderloin. To make sure the mild flavor of the meat is front and center, we rub it with a fragrant paste of fresh herbs, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil before oven-roasting. You can even skip the red wine sauce and drizzle the sliced meat with more olive oil.
Serves 8 — Recipe adapted from epicurious.com