KNIFE
CORE ZUCCHINI
My method removes the watery core of the vegetable, leaving you with firm, flat pieces that will brown nicely. This technique also works for cucumbers and eggplant.
STEP 1 Cut your zucchini in two, then stand each half upright on a work surface.
STEP 2 Cut the zucchini off the seedy core, rotating the zucchini as you go. Discard the core.
STEP 3 Cut the zucchini slabs on the diagonal into 1-inch-thick pieces.
Sesame-Marinated Zucchini
Active
15 min;
Total
45 min;
Serves
4
3 medium zucchini, trimmed and halved crosswise
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2½ Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
2 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1. Hold a zucchini half upright on a work surface. Using a sharp knife, cut the zucchini off the round core in 4 or 5 pieces; discard the core. Cut the zucchini pieces on the diagonal 1 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining zucchini.
2. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the canola oil. Add the zucchini pieces skin side up and cook over high heat until lightly charred on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring gently, until the zucchini is crisp-tender, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.
3. Add the vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil and seeds to the zucchini and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Stir in the scallions and serve chilled or at room temperature.
MAKE AHEAD The marinated zucchini can be refrigerated overnight. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
CUBE MELON
STEP 1 Start with a quarter wedge of watermelon. Using a large, sharp knife, make horizontal cuts down to the rind at 1-inch intervals—be sure to angle the knife so that it’s parallel to the opposite flat surface of the wedge. Repeat on the other side.
STEP 2 Make even vertical cuts down to the rind along the entire wedge.
STEP 3 Scoop the cubes into a bowl. For a video, go to foodandwine.com/video/mad-genius-cooking-tips .
Watermelon and Chicken Salad with Hot Sauce Vinaigrette
Total
25 min;
Serves
4
One 3-lb. seedless watermelon wedge
½ lb. shredded cooked chicken (3 cups)
2 oz. arugula (not baby), chopped (4 cups)
½ cup chopped marcona almonds
⅓ cup snipped chives
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. Tabasco or other Louisiana-style hot sauce
Kosher salt and pepper
1. Cut the watermelon into cubes according to the directions at left. Scoop the cubes into a serving bowl, then add the chicken, arugula, almonds and chives.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice and Tabasco and season with salt and pepper. Add to the serving bowl and gently toss to mix. Season with salt and pepper and toss again. Serve right away.
ROLL-CUT CARROTS
This tip allows you to cut a carrot into pieces that will cook evenly.
STEP 1 Slice one end of a carrot on the diagonal. Rotate it a quarter turn and make another slice.
STEP 2 Continue turning and slicing until you reach the end of the carrot.
STEP 3 Transfer the roll-cut carrots to a skillet and cook.
Cumin-and-Butter-Braised Carrots
Total
25 min;
Serves
4
2 large carrots (1 lb.), peeled
and trimmed
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. cumin seeds
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
Kosher salt and black pepper
½ cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 tsp. distilled white vinegar
1. Hold a carrot parallel to you on a work surface. Position a knife diagonally over the tapered end of the carrot and make a ¾-inch-wide slice. Rotate the carrot a quarter turn and make another ¾-inch-wide slice. Continue to rotate and slice the carrot until you reach the end.
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the cumin seeds and crushed red pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the carrots and a generous pinch each of salt and black pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the stock and butter and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderate heat until the carrots are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are glazed, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Stir in the cilantro and vinegar and season with salt and black pepper. Serve.
MAKE AHEAD The carrots can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat gently and stir in the cilantro and vinegar before serving.
FLATTEN PORK CHOPS AND STEAKS
A good pork chop has a nice fat cap that keeps it juicy. But the minute the meat hits a hot skillet, the fat tightens and makes the chop curl up—and you end up with more of a pork cup. My trick keeps your chop flat in the pan so it cooks evenly.
Score the fat cap in ½-inch intervals just until the knife reaches the meat.
Coriander-Crusted Pork Chops with Jicama, Avocado and Apple Salad
Total
45 min;
Serves
4
The coriander-lime crust gives these pork chops great flavor inspired by Mexican cooking. They’re fantastic with the crunchy, cooling salad on the side.
Four 10-oz. bone-in pork rib chops, fat scored
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 Tbsp. coriander seeds, crushed
1½ tsp. finely grated lime zest
Kosher salt and pepper
½ lb. jicama, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 Granny Smith apple—halved, cored and julienned
1 large Hass avocado—peeled, pitted and cut into 1-inch pieces
½ cup lightly packed cilantro, chopped
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Preheat a large cast-iron skillet over moderately high heat. Brush the pork chops with olive oil and sprinkle all over with the coriander seeds and lime zest; season with salt and pepper. Add the pork chops to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until well browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the pork registers 135°, about 7 minutes. Transfer to plates and let rest for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the jicama with the apple, avocado, cilantro, lime juice and the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Pile the salad alongside the pork chops and serve right away.
VARIATION Combine brown sugar with paprika, chili powder, garlic powder and dried oregano. Rub on pork and let stand for 15 minutes at room temperature.
TRUSSING SHORTCUT
If you don’t have kitchen twine on hand, you can still truss a chicken or turkey with my simple trick.
STEP 1 Make a slit with a knife in one side of the excess chicken skin around the cavity.
STEP 2 Carefully slip the end of the drumstick from the opposite side into the slit.
STEP 3 Repeat on the other side with the remaining drumstick.
Roast Chicken Paprikash with Watercress and Dilled Sour Cream
Active
35 min;
Total
1 hr 20 min
Serves
4
One 3½-lb. whole chicken
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. sweet paprika
2 tsp. hot paprika
2 tsp. caraway seeds
2 small garlic cloves, finely grated
Kosher salt and pepper
½ cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. minced dill
4 oz. watercress
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Using a small, sharp knife, make a ¾-inch slit in one side of the excess chicken skin around the cavity; carefully slip the end of the drumstick from the opposite side into the slit. Repeat on the other side with the remaining drumstick.
2. In a small bowl, whisk 1 tablespoon of the olive oil with the sweet paprika, hot paprika, caraway seeds, garlic, 1 tablespoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Set the chicken in a small roasting pan and rub all over with the mixture. Roast the chicken for about 45 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in an inner thigh registers 165°. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in another small bowl, whisk the sour cream with the dill and season with salt and pepper. On a platter, toss the watercress with the lemon juice and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Carve the chicken and arrange the pieces on the watercress. Drizzle any pan juices over the chicken and serve right away, with the dilled sour cream.
MAKE ICE CREAM SLABS
The super-easy recipes that follow all feature ice cream slabs that you slice from a cardboard pint.
With a large serrated knife, cut pint containers of firm ice cream into ¾-inch-thick rounds. Cut a slit in the cardboard, then peel off.
POPS
Everything tastes better on a stick, including ice cream! Insert sticks into the slabs, then dip them in chocolate. Finish with a dusting of sprinkles or pearled sugar.
Chocolate Shell Pops
Total
15 min;
Makes
2 cups chocolate, enough for about 8 pops
This is my upgraded version of Magic Shell, the sauce that quickly hardens when poured over cold things. Coconut oil adds a ton of extra flavor.
1 lb. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup coconut oil
Kosher salt
Ice cream slabs, each stuck with a popsicle stick
In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the chopped chocolate with the coconut oil at high power in 20-second bursts, stirring between intervals. Stir in a generous pinch of salt and let stand at room temperature until cooled before coating ice cream pops.
SANDWICHES
Set slices of ice cream between cookies for superquick sandwiches. Take them to the next level by dipping them in melted chocolate or rolling them in chopped nuts—or both! Here are a few of my favorite combinations: green tea ice cream sandwiches dipped in chocolate, and cherry ice cream sandwiches rolled in pistachios or dipped in chocolate.
TERRINE
You can arrange slabs of different ice creams and sorbets in a loaf pan to create the easiest terrine ever. For the most visual impact, I stack flavors in contrasting colors, which create cool swirled scoops! Here, from top to bottom: raspberry sorbet, chocolate, strawberry, green tea and vanilla ice cream.