Cook Everything From Our Fall Issue
In this past issue, our favorite recipes came from Latvia, Nova Scotia, Italy, and beyond
Our latest print issue was an adventure in cooking, and it took us all over the world. In Chios, Greece, we cooked with mastic, the sticky, sappy resin that comes from a tree that only grows on that island. In Puglia, Italy, we wandered through a garden with an innovative young chef, looking for the best and most beautiful produce for her dishes. And in Chiapas, Mexico, we spent time with a collective of women who grind their own masa to make pellizcadas (and lots of other great food). There was country cooking in Latvia, kimchi in chef Esther Choi's kitchen in Brooklyn, and plenty of pizza tips from Oregon. Check out all of these (and a few more) below.
Preparing coffee and piloncillo, an unrefined sugar with caramel flavors, for café de olla. Get the recipe for Café de Olla »
Think of this as a sophisticated version of ranch dressing. Drizzle it over a baked pie topped with spinach or any other veggie that could benefit from a bright, tangy boost, like roasted baby onions or potatoes. Get the recipe for Herbed Yogurt Sauce »
"Fake" Pesto
So called because it contains butter and ice, which keep the sauce stable and bright green even after baking, this “fake” pesto works with any green. Toss it with toppings like shaved zucchini or potatoes before baking the pie. Get the recipe for “Fake” Pesto »
Fermented Carrot, Chile, and Tomato Sauce
Left to ferment, this sauce takes on a tangy, spicy-sweet flavor. Minnick uses cayenne chiles, but any hot red chile will do. Get the recipe for Fermented Carrot, Chile, and Tomato Sauce »
Pasta with Octopus Ragu and Stracciatella
Giorgia Goggi mixes this slow-cooked tomato sauce with octopus and saffron into paccheri pasta di Gragnano, a thick, air-dried Italian macaroni. But any robust pasta shape will do. Get the recipe for Pasta with Octopus Ragu and Stracciatella »
Yellow Tomato Soup with Lamb Meatballs, Yogurt, and Mint
“Spices have always fascinated me. I collect them from all over the world,” says Giorgia Goggi, who accents this soup with Middle Eastern sumac and Indian garam masala. If you can’t find fresh yellow tomatoes, red will work just as well. Yellow Tomato Soup with Lamb Meatballs, Yogurt, and Mint »
Roasted Tomato and Grape Toasts with Fava Bean Puree
Dried fava bean purée is served all over Puglia, typically with cooked bitter greens and fried or toasted bread. Giorgia Goggi adds lemon juice and miso, and uses it as a base for crostini. Leftovers are an excellent dip for raw vegetables. Get the recipe for Roasted Tomato and Grape Toasts with Fava Bean Puree »
The dark-purple, orange, and yellow carrots of Polignano—a town north of Ostuni on Italy’s Adriatic coast—have a startlingly bright color and punchy flavor. But any colorful, tender carrot will do. Goggi tops this salad with a tart, preserved-lemon vinaigrette, some cumin, mounds of burrata, and pomegranate seeds. “Pomegranates grow wild all over Italy, but Italians typically don’t use them,” she says. Get the recipe for Radicchio and Polignano Carrot Salad with Burrata and Pomegranate »
Ginger and Cocoa Nib Cannoli
Two days resting in the fridge helps cannoli dough become light and bubbly. You will need cannoli molds for frying. Serve within a few hours, before the shells soften. Get the recipe for Ginger and Cocoa Nib Cannoli »
Chamomile Gelato
“I try to draw attention to the great ingredients we have in Puglia,” says Goggi, who infuses gelato bases with fig leaves, lemon balm, and, in this case, fresh chamomile flowers (pictured above). Carob powder, made from the pods of a tree of the same name, adds a light, cocoa-like flavor and color. If it’s difficult to find, use cocoa powder. Get the recipe for Chamomile Gelato »
Juices from the bone-in beef, wine, and cooked-down vegetables combine to create a rich gravy for this braise. Nova Scotian teacher and cook Wendie Poitras advises that you save the precious leftovers: A few spoonfuls make a satisfying lunch over rice and beans. Get the recipe for Braised Oxtail »
Haddock is often used for these fish cakes, though any firm white fish will do. This recipe, adapted from Nova Scotia Cookery, Then and Now (Nimbus, 2018), creates tender cakes with golden edges. The mixture can be shaped into patties a day ahead and refrigerated, but don’t roll the patties in bread crumbs until just before frying. Get the recipe for Griddled Fish Cakes »
Florence Jackson, the author’s grandmother and a Nova Scotia native, made use of shoulder-season produce to prepare this tangy relish. It is often served with meat and fish dishes, where it adds a bright note of sweetness. While chow-chow can be used immediately, its flavor improves with time. Consider making a large batch and putting it up in properly sterilized canning jars to last through the winter months. Get the recipe for Green Tomato Chow Chow »
Salt Cod and Pork Scraps
African Nova Scotian teacher and artist Wendie Poitras recalls her mother making this simple potato hash often. This version uses small, red potatoes, but peeled, cubed russets can be substituted. The savory dish is flavored with salt cod and pork scraps—unsmoked, salted, fatty pork. The hash makes a thrifty, satisfying supper. Reheat any leftovers in a skillet and top with one or two fried eggs for a hearty breakfast. Get the recipe for Salt Cod and Pork Scraps »
Garlic Rye Croutons
Slathered in oil, baked until crisp, then tossed with a potent quantity of raw garlic, these rye croutons ride sidecar to every soup in Latvia. If you can’t get a loaf of rupjmaize, the sweet-sour Latvian bread, use the darkest loaf of rye bread you can find. Get the recipe for Garlic Rye Croutons »
Hot Beet Soup with Pork Belly (Bietes Zupa)
The rich pork broth that forms the base of this soup tastes light and fresh, thanks to the addition of marinated beets. Get the recipe for Hot Beet Soup with Pork Belly (Bietes Zupa) »
Latvian Braided Birthday Cake (Klingeris)
Every family seems to have its own recipe for this traditional yeasted birthday cake. Ruta Gailīte’s uses dough similar to brioche, but relies on cream instead of butter for its richness. With the addition of plump dried fruit and ground cardamom and cinnamon, it makes a perfect breakfast cake too. Get the recipe for Latvian Braided Birthday Cake (Klingeris) »
Masala Dosa
A masala dosa feast includes turmeric-tinged potato sabzi, rich gunpowder chile paste, and crisp, airy wrappers. Get the recipe for Masala Dosa »
Dosa Batter
Bubbles, which should spring up as you spread the batter, signify a successful ferment. Get the recipe for Dosa Batter »
Mastic Panna Cotta
This simple dessert is an excellent vehicle for showcasing the peculiar, piney flavor of mastic. Undissolved bits of the resin might get stuck in the sieve; to clean, submerge the strainer in boiling water until the resin melts away. Get the recipe for Mastic Panna Cotta »
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