The recipes I come back to — pulled together, kept honest with the way I actually cook them.
Soups & StewsPork belly browned in the pot, onion and scallion softened in its fat, then simmered in dashi and finished with miso off the heat. A deeply savoury Japanese home soup — the bowl you want on a cold day.
Bowls & NoodlesUdon in a peanut sauce loosened with noodle water, finished with a chili-basted fried egg, crushed peanuts and scallions. One bowl, fifteen minutes, almost entirely from the pantry.
SidesZucchini and red onion cooked down in butter and oil until soft and browned at the edges. The dish my mom made constantly — it sits beside anything, or you eat it from a bowl with bread and nothing else.
CocktailsGin, lime, and fresh cucumber muddled with the skin on, shaken hard and double strained. Pablo, a bartender in the Philippines, showed me how he made it — four ingredients, nothing to hide behind.
SidesJammy, custardy yolks in a savory-sweet soy marinade. Takes 24 hours but 10 minutes of work. Put them on everything.
MainsThe full Sunday night plate: cast iron NY strip with herb butter, roasted smashed potatoes, and garlic green beans. Comes together in under an hour.
