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Stress-free vegetable casseroles

Choosing side dishes to serve with the Easter meal can often be a point of stress for the cook(s.) For a holiday dinner we want to make every dish special, even the vegetables. But that’s a tall order considering the kitchen chaos that is always part of preparing and serving a large meal. There is so much to consider, from oven space to the number of burners on the stove. And let’s not forget about timing. The key to success is choosing recipes that can be prepared several hours or even a day ahead. That’s where casseroles shine. Prepare the casserole before the kitchen gets ...

Dan Pashman created a new shape of pasta. His cookbook expands pasta’s possibilities

NEW YORK (AP) — Food writer and podcaster Dan Pashman made the unusual step a few years ago of creating an entirely new shape of pasta. The obvious next step? Writing a cookbook to highlight it. Pashman's “Anything's Pastable” features dishes using 34 different pasta shapes, but especially features his cascatelli, a graceful, ruffled-edged curved shape that resembles a quotation mark. Time magazine declared cascatelli one of 2021’s best inventions. Pashman came up with the idea of writing a pasta cookbook after he noticed that many of cascatelli's fans were sending him images ...

Turn a can of black beans into enfrijoladas, a saucy vegetarian supper

Beans and tortillas are a classic pairing served in numerous configurations, usually with the beans served in or on the tortilla. But for Oaxacan enfrijoladas, lightly fried tortillas are dipped into and completely coated by a black bean puree. For the enfrijoladas recipe in our book “Cook What You Have,” which draws on pantry staples to assemble easy, weeknight meals, we use canned beans for ease. We cook the beans down with an aromatic mix of onion, garlic and cumin, then blend everything until smooth and creamy. A standard blender works fine, but if you own an immersion ...

Preparing Easter dinner: the miscellaneous

In our countdown to Easter, there are lots of recipes left to explore. However, today I like the category I call “the miscellaneous.” This includes extra sides that aren’t crucial to the meal but would be missed if not served. In other words, it’s an assortment of special dishes that are someone’s favorite (pickled eggs and beets are mine.) As for lime gelatin-based Confetti Coleslaw, people either love or hate these salads. I’m on the fence about it, but my husband is a fan. Then, there’s my son who goes right for the dinner rolls. He’s not picky so storebought are ...

Crispy fried pasta pairs a savory crunch with chickpeas

Italians know well that the texture of pasta matters greatly. Hence, the emphasis on cooking it until just barely al dente, or until tender, but with a pleasant chew. But that’s not where the lesson stops. In Lecce, an ancient city in southern Italy, we learned the delicious joy of mixing ...