Quick

My family knows that roasting is my favorite way to prepare Brussels sprouts (it’s one of my Thanksgiving specialties), so when my sister Emily found a version with kimchi in a magazine, she sent it straight to me. Kimchi, a staple in the Korean diet, is a delicious, tangy, fermented cabbage. It can be found in well-stocked grocery stores and in Korean markets. The flavor of the finished dish really depends on the kimchi, so find one you like. If you don’t like a lot of spice, just roast the Brussels sprouts as directed here and leave out the kimchi. Roasted Brussels sprouts on their own are both sweet and savory.

This is one of the dishes I turn to when unexpected guests drop in. The sauce comes together in less time than it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta, but the results are always impressive. Begin the sauce as soon as you put the water on to boil, because it’s better if the sauce is ready before the pasta, rather than the other way around.

In terms of its role in my life, this may well be the most important recipe in this chapter. It is without exaggeration that I say that there were always borracho or refried beans in our house. Barely a day goes by that I don’t have beans; my favorite breakfast is refried beans and egg whites. They can replace or be added along with any meat in tacos (page 102), chalupas (page 87), or enchiladas (page 94). These should be stiff, not runny. Authentic refried beans are made with bacon grease, but vegetable oil is an excellent alternative.

White rice (arroz blanco) is the quintessential Caribbean food and is always a sure choice for a simple side dish that will complement rather than outshine the main course. It’s especially excellent for sopping up the delicious juices from Crock-Pot Cuban Ropa Vieja (page 113).

The most important thing about preparing filets mignons is to use a light hand with the steaks themselves. To bring out their melting tenderness, absolutely all they need is a little salt and pepper and to be sautéed in some butter or olive oil. Here, they are drizzled with an elegant reduced balsamic sauce with deep, almost molasses flavor and a welcome bite at the finish. Try this dish with Brazilian Leeks (page 142). The filets are also wonderful with the heartier Shiitake-Wine Sauce (page 167).

I don’t understand why tilapia is not more popular. It has a flaky texture and good and delicate flavor and can be cooked just about any way you’d prepare any other fish. Plus, it’s safely and sustainably fished, widely available, and affordable. I buy and cook quite a bit of it, sometimes because I seek it out specifically, as when I make this recipe. Other times I get it because I request a specific fish and am told that it’s frozen in the back of the store. In these cases, I choose tilapia instead and am never disappointed.

To be honest, I didn’t used to care for salmon. I tried a number of different methods of cooking it and none had ever worked for me. Then, finally, I asked my friend Mario Lopez for advice, and he responded with two words: “honey glaze.” That was it! Honey cuts the richness that I used to find overpowering while underscoring the salmon’s own sweetness. Baking the fish in paper packages, called en papillote in French, allows thicker cuts to cook all the way through without getting dry, and (better yet) keeps the mess to a minimum. Plus, it’s fun to open them at the table—just be careful not to get burned by the steam! Serve with Garlic Green Beans (page 141) or a green salad.

While in the port town of Fécamp in Normandy, France, I stopped for lunch at a tiny hotel-restaurant that had no more than four tables and was run by a husband-and-wife team who apparently did everything from the cooking to serving to making the beds themselves. The catch of the day was Dover sole and the chef served it lightly pan-fried and practically swimming in a bath of the most wonderful lemon-butter sauce I’d ever tasted. The Dover sole sold in Europe is a delicate flat fish native to European waters, including the English Channel on which the town of Fécamp sits. When I’m in the United States, I use Pacific Dover sole or another delicately flavored, fresh, flat fish from waters closer to home. This dish is excellent served with Broiled Asparagus (page 145).

Reading through this book, you may pick up on a theme: I hide nutritious vegetables under generous amounts of sauce or cheese so everyone will eat them. Here is an example of my fun cat-and-mouse game played to perfection: creamy, oniony dressing is lapped over crisp-tender asparagus—and everyone’s happy!

I love learning new things every time I eat a dish or step into a kitchen or take a cooking class. I was thrilled to discover Maite Gomez-Rejón’s program in Los Angeles called ArtBites, which combines art history and the culinary arts in classes that begin with viewing a collection at a local museum and end in the kitchen. I took a class called “Dining in the Aztec Empire,” in which Maite taught us modern ways to use ingredients that would have been used in what is now central Mexico during the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries. I learned this recipe, which uses the ancient ingredients corn and squash, in that wonderful class.

My version of the classic Insalata Caprese—an Italian salad of mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil—uses green avocados in place of the basil for a Mexican twist. I like to say that the red, white, and green represent the Mexican flag! I arrange this on a big serving platter and place it right in the middle of the dinner table or a buffet—it’s visually arresting and really makes the table pop beautifully.

Usually when I make a salad, I start with a base of greens—most often tender butterhead lettuce, my favorite—dress it with a flavorful vinaigrette, and then top it with whatever I have on hand. The combination in this recipe was one I tried once and loved so much that it’s become a staple at my house.

Café Med in Los Angeles serves a salad like this over paper-thin beef carpaccio that I love to order because it’s so light and fresh. When I make it at home, I skip the beef but pile on the greens.

Full of colorful, crunchy vegetables and bursting with flavor, this looks really pretty on a buffet table. By the time I was in middle school, I knew that rotini and vegetables in the kitchen was the sign that we were headed to a potluck soon. This was and is my mom’s go-to recipe for PTA meetings, school plays, recitals, and baby and bridal showers.

When I was a kid we grew all our own vegetables, especially calabasa, or squash. LOTS of squash. To be honest, I got a little sick of it (don’t worry—my mom already knows). Then I grew up and figured out a few surefire ways to show off the delicious earthiness and sweetness of summer squash. This soup is one of them; the lemon gives it great tang and the soup is unexpectedly creamy, even though there’s not a bit of cream or milk in it. Be sure to puree this soup in batches—don’t pour the soup over the level of the top of the food processor blade. This soup is brothy before it’s pureed, and it’ll seep out of the work bowl and all over the counter if you’re not careful.

In the beach towns of Mexico, where fresh seafood is abundant, people happily eat raw fish and shellfish. I, however, do not. I make ceviche with cooked shrimp and crab. I do, however, serve my ceviche on traditional Mexican tostadas—crispy, fried corn tortillas available at the grocery store. Use crab that you buy in the refrigerated section of the store. Don’t use the shelf-stable crab sold with the canned tuna fish; it doesn’t taste nearly as good in this fresh dish. The serrano pepper adds a great, spicy kick, but feel free to leave it out if you prefer. Clamato juice is a combination of tomato and clam juices. It can be found with other cocktail mixers at the grocery store. Cholula hot sauce is made in Mexico; it has a mild flavor and good heat. You’ll find it on the same grocery aisle with other hot sauces and condiments.

As typically Mexican as the previous recipe is, this one is just as typically American, right down to the Miracle Whip, which I have always preferred to mayonnaise. Naturally sweet shrimp is highlighted by a creamy, mildly sweet, tangy dressing and rich, buttery avocado. This is one of my favorite summer appetizers.

The key to this recipe is to use butter from the northern French region of Normandy, or at the very least a European butter, either of which can be found in grocery stores or specialty food shops. Normandy butter contains more fat than American butter and tastes out of this world, especially in a recipe like this one that has just two main ingredients: succulent shrimp and rich butter.

My mother became a special education teacher because my sister Elizabeth was born with a mental disability. Mom was always on the lookout for easy recipes that would allow her to be in the kitchen with all of us. When I told Elizabeth that I was working on a cookbook, she asked if I would include some of her recipes. Of course I said yes right away! Liza is a remarkable person and I love cooking with her. This is a quick and easy snack for kids—although I always catch a few adults sneaking a log or two!