The procedure for doing the mochi itself is somewhat specific to the Tiger SMJ-B18U machine. The water and rice amounts, or the timings might work in other machines. From experience, however, each machine tends to require a bit of finesse to get right....
This is great to do in the depths of winter when everything else is incredibly beige. The kale is in season even in the depths of winter, and this makes for a wonderfully verdant dish to cut through the gray skies....
If you’ve got good fruit, a pavlova is a great way to turn it into a slightly more showy dessert. On the surface, it’s a meringue with fruit and whipped cream on top....
This is a paradoxical cake. It’s pretty easy to make from a technical perspective, but the key ingredient — the ingredient that makes the cake — is very difficult to find here in the United States....
This is another great cake that I’ve had many times at the River Cafe. Among the tweaks I’ve made to the recipe over the years, it’s a lot easier to start by whipping up the egg whites and then setting them aside....
This is based on a recipe due to Stella Parks with some modifications as I’ve adapated it to my own kitchen and preferences. I usually have King Arthur white whole wheat flour on hand, which is what I use when I make these muffins....
When I’m really pressed for time and need a summer dessert, something like this is my go-to. It’s truly the work of minutes to throw together, and really takes advantage of great in-season blueberries....
Take it from someone who learned the hard way: tomatillos are very much not green (under-ripe) tomatoes. They’re a completely different product with a different flavor. Tomatillos also have a lot more pectin than tomatoes, which gives this salsa nice body....
This is pretty easy to get creative with. Just about any reasonable hard herb works really well. Think thyme, rosemary, or sage. Delicate herbs like basil will work, but they’ll be a little bit destroyed by the high heat of the oven....
This is another one of those recipes where I feel slightly ridiculous writing it down as a recipe. It’s the kind of thing I’d throw together almost reflexively when the mood hits....