Beans + Grains, Kitchen Remix

Nothing exemplifies Italy’s Tuscan peasant cuisine better than creamy white beans slowly simmered with garlic, the stinking rose that’s pungent and sweet. Shove some hot chili peppers into the pot and numerous countries could claim it. These three things are responsible for a diversity of nourishing dishes around the world.

A restorative simmer of beans is the ultimate example of cooking with pretty much nothing. It asks so little of your pantry or piggy bank. Soaking, you might be surprised to learn, is entirely optional. You must only promise not to pussyfoot around with your seasoning. My flavors here were inspired by a spice blend that combines smoked cinnamon with pimenton and garlic, and is meant to evoke the terroir of Catalonia. Turn your legumes into an even more filling dish with olive oil–embalmed anchovies, sardines, or tuna. Cooked sausage or shrimp are equally viable add-ons. Should you get bored (unlikely), omit the cinnamon and whole dried chilies, and swirl in a pesto blended with dried red chili flakes (see How to Pesto, this page) for a fresh take.

1 pound dried cannellini beans, rinsed

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

4 medium cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed

1 dried ancho chili pepper, stemmed and toasted (see Choosing, Toasting & Grinding Dried Chilies, following)

2 dried chipotle chilies, toasted

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Rustic bread, sliced and toasted, for serving

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

OPTIONAL ADD-ONS

Olive oil–packed anchovies or sardines

Tuna conserved in olive oil

Merguez sausage or chorizo

Shrimp and thinly sliced red onion

Place the beans in a medium round Dutch oven (see Cooking Note) and add enough water to cover by 1 to 1½ inches. Add the salt, olive oil, garlic, chilies, and cinnamon, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low to bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to the oven. Bake until the beans are creamy and tender, 1½ to 2 hours; begin checking on them after 1 hour.

When the beans are done, discard the garlic and chilies. Taste and add as much salt as you like (about 1 teaspoon). Once cooled, the beans can be stored—in their cooking liquid—in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

To serve, place a piece of toast at the bottom of a bowl. Ladle some of the beans on top with a bit of their broth. Splash with a glug of olive oil, crank a couple grinds of fresh pepper over them, and sprinkle with a pinch more salt to taste. Serve as is, or, if you like, with any of those add-ons stirred in or scattered on top.

CHOOSING, TOASTING & GRINDING DRIED CHILIES

Combining a bunch of different peppers allows you to bring complexity to a dish. Think categorically: smoky, hot, and fruity. If your goal is to burn the roof off the house, use multiples of hot. The same is true if you want a pronounced smoky flavor to define a dish. If you want a balance of heat and smoke, use one from each of those groups.

Warning: Be careful when handling these peppers. They are powerful and can burn your skin. Unless you’re working with a notably mild chili, always use kitchen gloves, and be mindful of your actions—don’t rub your eyes or touch your face with those (covered) fingertips if they’ve been in contact with the fiery material.

Before toasting them, dust off your dried chilies with a damp paper towel. Larger ones should be stemmed and seeded—use a pair of clean kitchen scissors and work over a bowl to catch the detritus. For a longer chili with a smooth surface (like an Anaheim), cut off the stem and slit one of its edges so you can splay it, then scrape out the seeds and ribs. For larger, wrinkly chilies with inverted stems (like anchos), split the chili so you can turn it inside out and cut the stem out the way you core a fresh bell pepper, shaking any excess seeds into the bowl. If you’re using them whole, smaller chilies (like arbol or Thai bird chilies) don’t need to be seeded for toasting or grinding.

Toast chilies on the stove in a dry skillet over medium heat, using tongs to press them down against the surface of the pan and turn them as they cook, until they release their aroma and just begin to brown. They toast quickly, so be vigilant. Small chilies, like the chipotle, may take less than 1 minute per side, whereas their bigger relatives may require a bit more than that. Large batches can be roasted in the oven, spread out on baking sheets, at 350°F for about 5 minutes.

After you’ve toasted your chilies, you can grind them and use them as you would store-bought dried chili flakes. If you’re planning to grind them, you should tear the larger dried chilies after stemming and seeding them (see above) and before toasting them. The small guys can be ground whole, seeds included. Use a spice grinder and blitz away. Just remember to let them cool before whizzing them.

Keep dried chili peppers in sealed, airtight containers in your pantry and use them within a year for optimal potency, or leave them in your freezer until you need them (within reason).

In the matter of Refried Beans v. The Association of Culinary Misinformation, we find the defendant guilty as charged. Regarding the dish in question, the word refried is a misnomer. The beans are being recooked, that’s true. But it’s their first fry! In Mexico, they’d be sizzled in lard; in America, rendered bacon fat. But I like to reach for butter and skip the part where I wait for my cured pork to surrender its grease. If you try it this way, you’ll strengthen the comparison that’s often made between this dish and mashed potatoes. (You’ll also ingratiate yourself with vegetarians.) Blending your own chili powder is no big deal and makes a night-and-day difference in flavor. I’d be willing to prove it in a court of law…or in your kitchen.

2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter

4 cloves garlic, peeled and gently crushed

2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans

Chili Powder (recipe follows)

½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Juice of ½ lime

Lime zest (optional)

Heat a large cast-iron skillet on the stove, gradually increasing the heat from low to medium. Add the butter and, when it’s foamy, add the garlic and cook until both sides are golden, 3 to 5 minutes total.

Add one can of beans and its liquid. Drain and rinse the second can, adding only the beans to the skillet. Add the chili powder. Mash the beans and the garlic together in the pan, combining them with the spice. Cook, mashing continuously, until they’re mostly smooth but retain some texture, 10 to 12 minutes; when they’re done, their liquid will have been incorporated. Turn off the heat and season with ½ teaspoon salt.

Transfer the beans to a serving bowl and stir in the lime juice. Taste again and, if needed, add a pinch more salt. If you want to amp up the brightness of the lime, garnish the beans with a few gratings of the zest. Eat it while it’s hot!

In a spice grinder, combine the cumin, chili, and oregano, and grind into a blended powder. You can prepare this a few hours or even a couple of days in advance and store it in a sealed plastic bag until you need it. But it’s best freshly made.

Ful or ful medames is Egypt’s national dish of stewed fava beans seasoned with cumin seeds, garlic, a showering of lemon juice, and glugs of olive oil. Like fool’s gold, this one isn’t going to pass for the real thing. That doesn’t mean you won’t appreciate it for the creative riff it is. Many a valid version is spiked with chili flakes. I smuggle the heat into mine with a finishing oil, a condiment that can be dripped onto all sorts of things, like a slice of pizza or platter of roast potatoes. Serve ful with eggs—fried or hard-boiled—and pita for breakfast. That’s how an Egyptian would do it, and in this instance, I see no reason to buck tradition.

1 head of garlic

¾ cup plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 or 3 sprigs fresh oregano or marjoram, plus more for garnish

1½ teaspoons fennel seeds, toasted

2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans

1 tablespoon tahini

¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)

¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Chili Oil (recipe follows or store-bought), to finish

Slice across the top of the head of garlic to expose the tips of the cloves. Place the head on a square of aluminum foil and drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil over the exposed cloves. Add the oregano sprigs and wrap up the foil to create a sealed pouch. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes, until the garlic is soft enough that you can squeeze the cloves into a small bowl.

Add the fennel seeds and a generous pinch of salt to the garlic and, using a fork, mash to form a paste.

Empty one can of beans, with its liquid, into a medium saucepan. Drain and rinse the second can, adding only the beans to the saucepan. Add the roasted garlic paste, the remaining ¾ cup olive oil, and the tahini, and stir to combine. Place the pan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, until the liquid begins to thicken, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the lemon juice and salt, tasting and adjusting the salt as needed. If a thicker stew is desired, mash a third of the beans. Divide among 3 or 4 bowls, drizzle with some chili oil, and garnish generously with oregano leaves.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the chilies and chili flakes, swirling the pan, until they release their aroma and start to sizzle, a matter of seconds. Watch closely; the chilies can burn quickly.

Add the rest of the oil to the pan, reduce the heat to low, and continue to cook just to warm the oil through, 2 to 3 minutes—it should be hot to the touch but not scalding; a thermometer inserted into the oil should read about 180°F. (If it’s a bit hotter, don’t worry.) Remove the pan from the heat and let the oil cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Transfer the cooled oil to a sealed airtight jar or bottle, leaving the chilies and chili flakes in it. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 6 months, letting it come to room temperature before using it.

Although specific types have been identified in the following recipes, putting pasta, greens, and nuts together is the point—and always a win. Bouncy ear-shaped orecchiette are hidey-holes for morsels like sweet pine nuts, whose flavor carries a trace of evergreen. Broccoli rabe is a character-actor vegetable; it possesses a mustardy slap and tickle that straight-man broccoli does not.

These days, when I go to the kind of Italian-American restaurant affectionately referred to as a red sauce joint, first thing I do is scan the list of contorni (side dishes) for rapini. Sautéed in olive oil with loads of garlic, its acridness dissipates, and you’re left with something that’s more flavorful than spinach and fills the same dark-leafy-green quota. Dump it into a steaming bowl of pasta with Parmesan and pignoli and you’ve got a complete meal. Tiny troves of melted cheese and caramelized garlic nestle into the crevices of the orecchiette along with the pine nuts, revealing themselves as you dig in. For extra flavor and protein, add some chopped cured anchovies or cooked sausage to the rabe before tossing in the pasta.

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

8 to 10 cloves garlic, finely sliced

1 pound fresh broccoli rabe, trimmed and roughly chopped

Juice of ½ lemon (optional)

Kosher salt to taste

Dried red chili flakes to taste

8 ounces dried orecchiette (about 2⅔ cups; see Substitution Note)

¼ cup pine nuts

⅓ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving

Heat the olive oil and garlic together in a large pot over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the broccoli rabe and give it a few stirs until the color brightens and it starts to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup water, cover the pan, and reduce the heat to low. Continue to cook, stirring from time to time, until it’s soft and dulled in color a bit, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl. Season with the lemon (if using), salt, and chili flakes.

Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. When the water is boiling, salt it. Add the orecchiette, stirring once right after you put it in the pot and then again, a minute later, to prevent sticking. Cook it until al dente.

Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the nuts and cook, shaking constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes. As soon as they turn light brown and fragrant, turn off the heat. Add the cooked broccoli rabe, draining any residual liquid that may have pooled, and toss them together.

When the orecchiette is ready, drain it, reserving ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. Add the pasta and ¼ cup of the water to the pan with the pine nuts and rabe. Stir over medium heat to combine and coat the pasta. Add a tablespoon or two more of pasta water to loosen the sauce as needed. Stir in the cheese.

I’ve always associated noodle casseroles with institutions where the food is notoriously bad—schools, hospitals, prisons. I imagine thick, congealed white cream sauce, and my stomach flinches. It doesn’t have to be this way. Introducing an actually good one-pan pasta bake: it has crème fraîche, ricotta, and—drumroll, please—pine nut butter. [Pause for applause.] Lemon lightens the load, panko crumbs embellish with elegance, and scrappy broccoli rabe gives the dish just enough bite to rise above its station.

1 head of garlic

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

8 ounces dried orecchiette (about 2⅔ cups)

1 pound broccoli rabe, trimmed

8 ounces crème fraîche (about ¾ cup)

½ cup fresh ricotta cheese

3 tablespoons Pine Nut Butter (recipe follows; see Substitution Note)

2 tablespoons whole milk

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1¾ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing

1 cup panko crumbs

Zest and juice of ¼ lemon

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a gratin pan or a 1- to 2-quart baking dish liberally.

Slice across the top of the head of garlic to expose the tips of the cloves. Place the head on a square of aluminum foil and drizzle the olive oil over the exposed cloves. Wrap up the foil to create a sealed pouch. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes, until the garlic is soft enough that you can squeeze the cloves into a large bowl. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.

Meanwhile, bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. When the water is boiling, salt it. Add the orecchiette, stirring once right after you put it in the pot and then again, a minute later, to prevent sticking. Cook it until just shy of al dente. Reserving the pasta cooking water in the pot, strain the orecchiette and transfer it to a medium bowl. Return the water to a boil.

Add the broccoli rabe to the boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes, until just wilted and vibrant in color. Using tongs, remove the greens from the pot and rinse them under cold water. Use your hands (or paper towel) to squeeze out excess water, then roughly chop.

Using a fork or spoon, mash the garlic in the large bowl into a paste—don’t worry if it’s chunky. Add the crème fraîche and stir to incorporate. Add the ricotta, stirring again to combine. Add the pine nut butter, stirring to be sure all ingredients are distributed evenly and incorporated well. Stir in the milk to loosen the thick sauce a bit. Season with the cayenne and ¾ teaspoon of the salt.

Add the pasta to the sauce and, using a spatula, mix to coat. Add the rabe and stir again, being sure all ingredients are well dispersed. Taste and add more salt (about ½ teaspoon) as needed. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan.

In a small bowl, combine the melted butter with the panko. Stir to mix. Add the lemon zest and ½ teaspoon salt, stirring to combine. Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir again. Sprinkle the topping over the pan, coating the entire surface as evenly as possible.

Bake the casserole until the top is golden and the sides are bubbling up, about 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Let the casserole sit for at least 10 minutes to set before digging in.

Place the cooled toasted nuts in a food processor along with the oil and salt. Process until smooth. You can make this in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

SUBSTITUTION NOTE I encourage you to make the Pine Nut Butter. You could halve the recipe—the nuts are expensive—but this is a great condiment to have on hand. Try it in a sandwich, PB&J-style, or an open-face tartine, spreading it onto your toast and topping it with roasted vegetables. You can also put it into smoothies. To use it in a sweet application, like brownies or shortbread sandwich cookies, start with ¾ teaspoon salt and add more as needed. If you don’t go this route, you will probably have decent success using store-bought almond butter (but you didn’t hear that from me).

When the small, unpretentious Japanese restaurant in my neighborhood that I routinely ordered in from closed after twenty years, the loss felt personal. It was a reliable fixture, and the only place I knew that served what the menu listed as yuba-ae, sliced tofu skin ribbons (yuba) tangled up with broccoli rabe and dressed in a standout vinaigrette that tasted like a sharper, more savory honey mustard. The chewy soy-based strips aren’t the easiest ingredient to find, so I replaced them with pasta. The owner was kind enough to disclose the dressing’s two main components—miso and mustard—but smart enough to keep the rest a secret. I relied on my taste memory to figure it out. I think I nailed it.

MISO-MUSTARD DRESSING

1 tablespoon Colman’s mustard powder

3 tablespoons white miso paste

3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

1 tablespoon mirin

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon neutral oil

SALAD

8 ounces dried orecchiette (about 2⅔ cups; see Substitution Note)

1 pound broccoli rabe, trimmed

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons pine nuts

Salt to taste

About 40 (3 × ½-inch) strips of toasted nori (optional)

Make the dressing. In a small bowl, mix the mustard powder with 2 teaspoons water to create a thick paste. Let it sit for 20 minutes to allow the flavor to develop. In a separate small bowl, using a whisk or fork, stir 1 teaspoon of the mustard paste with the miso paste, rice vinegar, mirin, and sugar to combine. Stir in the oil to incorporate thoroughly (see Cooking Note).

Prepare the salad. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. When the water is boiling, salt it. Add the orecchiette, stirring once right after you put it in the pot and then again, a minute later, to prevent sticking. Cook it until al dente. Reserving the pasta cooking water in the pot, strain the orecchiette and transfer it to a serving bowl. Return the water to a boil.

Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Add the broccoli rabe to the boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes, until it’s just wilted and vibrant in color. Drain and immediately transfer it to the ice water to stop the cooking. Use your hands (or paper towel) to squeeze out excess water, then roughly chop. Add the rabe to the orecchiette.

Add the pine nuts and stir to combine with the orecchiette and rabe. Dress the salad with the miso-mustard mixture and toss to coat evenly. Season with salt. Garnish with the nori strips, if using. Before serving, toss again so the toasted seaweed wilts and scatters.

COOKING NOTE If you like your salads more heavily dressed, consider increasing the amounts for the white miso, rice vinegar, mirin, sugar, and oil by 50 percent. You will have enough mustard paste to accommodate a larger batch. The dressing can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.

SUBSTITUTION NOTE I strongly suggest orecchiette or shells here—small or medium size. Otherwise, for a rice-like texture, use orzo, or think beyond noodles and try it with brown rice.

In the West, long-grain rice is the norm, but in Japan, medium length is always the first choice. The Italian equivalent, Arborio, is synonymous with risotto. Onions and Parmesan cheese are both sources of umami, one sweet, the other salty, respectively. Together, they endow the texturally satisfying, bland starch with maximum flavor.

Many a risotto begins with heating onions in a pan. From there, the rice goes in, followed by the featured ingredients—peas and prosciutto, wild mushrooms, butternut squash, or saffron. But what if your risotto were to start and end with those onions? Stripping the dish down to its fundamentals gets you one stunningly rich bowl of rice. A spoonful of white miso, an unexpected guest at this Italian affair, doubles the onion’s savory potency. Then, Parmesan comes along and triples it. I replace the standard white wine with Japanese sake so that the fermented soybean paste has some familiar company.

3 cups finely chopped yellow onions (2 to 3 medium onions), skins and scraps reserved

5 cups vegetable stock

Parmesan rind (optional; see Cooking Note)

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups Arborio rice (see Substitution Note)

1 cup sake (or dry white wine)

1 tablespoon white miso paste

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Place the onion skins and scraps in a medium saucepan with the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer over high heat. Add the Parmesan rind (if using), and reduce the heat to low to maintain the simmer as you continue cooking.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and the olive oil together in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter is melted and combined with the oil, add the chopped onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the rice and cook, continuing to stir, until it takes on a pearly, opaque cast, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sake and simmer until the alcohol evaporates. Stir in the miso.

Stirring continuously, add enough simmering stock (reserving the solids in the pan) to cover the rice and cook, letting the grains soak up enough liquid so the top of the rice is just visible above it. Add more stock to cover and cook, waiting until the liquid has been absorbed and the top of the rice appears before adding more stock to cover again. Repeat this process, stirring continuously, until you’ve used most of the stock and the rice is tender with an al dente bite. The risotto will have a creamy texture, but the rice itself should not be mushy.

Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the Parmesan, and the parsley. Add the salt and pepper, taste, and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Serve immediately with extra grated cheese on the side.

COOKING NOTE Enriching a simmering soup or stew with cheese rinds is an old practice that makes flavorful use of what would otherwise be treated as garbage. Store them in a zip-top bag in your freezer and plop them in your pot of soup as it nears the end of its cooking time, or, alternatively, when you’re reheating it, just before serving. Discard after using.

SUBSTITUTION NOTE Play up the use of Japanese ingredients in this risotto by swapping in that country’s medium-grain rice.

I was thinking of arancini, the fried snacks formed from the previous day’s risotto, when I plotted this recipe. But it’s not as if Italy has a monopoly on repurposing rice this way; in India you’ll find crispy pakora, and in New Orleans, sweet-battered Creole calas, both made with the precooked grains. Since no country can claim them, I gave my balls a nonspecific name. With a drizzle of honey and a flick of chili flakes, these fritters are a reward for a rough day at school and also do well as party hors d’oeuvres. I recommend them with a bowl of Broccoli Leek Soup (this page) for lunch. Before you race off to your kitchen to heat the oil, a word: the fritters should be refrigerated for at least an hour before frying.

3 cups beef or chicken stock

1 dried bay leaf

5 sprigs fresh thyme, tied together with kitchen twine

1 cup Arborio rice

⅔ teaspoon sugar

1½ medium yellow onions

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

Pinch of baking soda

⅓ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

A few grinds of freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 large eggs

1⅓ cups bread crumbs

17 (½-inch) cubes Gruyère cheese (about ½ cup)

Neutral oil, for frying

Combine the stock, bay leaf, and thyme in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the grains are tender and the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and thyme. Spread the cooked rice on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, heat the sugar in a medium stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat until completely melted and light brown, shaking and swirling the pan occasionally to prevent sticking or burning, about 4 minutes. Add the onions and, using a wooden spoon, stir them to coat in the melted sugar. Add the butter, baking soda, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the onions release all their liquid and a brown coating builds up on the bottom, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons water to the onions and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Continue cooking, shaking occasionally, until the coating begins to build up again, 3 to 5 minutes. Repeat the loosening and cooking steps three or four more times until the onions are deep brown. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and allow to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes.

Combine ¼ cup of the grated Parmesan and the parsley in a small bowl; set aside.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl, then stir in the cooled rice, caramelized onions, the remaining ½ cup Parmesan, and ⅔ cup of the bread crumbs to combine. With damp hands, scoop up about 3 tablespoons of the mixture and round it in your palm. Using the thumb of your other hand, make a depression in the center of the rice and sprinkle in about 1 teaspoon of the parsley-Parmesan mixture. Place a cube of Gruyère on top of it, pushing the cheese into the rice and closing the rice mixture around it to cover the filling completely, and shape it to form a ping-pong-ball-size sphere, about 1½ inches in diameter. Repeat with the remaining mixture to make 17 balls.

Place the remaining ⅔ cup bread crumbs in a shallow bowl or small baking dish. Roll the balls through the bread crumbs and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Heat 3 inches of oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350°F. Working in batches, fry the rice balls, turning, until golden brown on all sides, about 4½ minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with salt, if needed. Let cool, slightly, and serve while still hot.

Of all the things you can do with leftover rice, turning it into a piecrust is probably the coolest. Bound with an egg white and some Parmesan cheese, it begins to take on the consistency of dough. As someone who always manages to dribble batter in her wake, I appreciate this crust for being forgivingly messproof; if anything, it welcomes spills. Should any of the filling accidentally slosh out as you pour it in, the rice mixture will absorb it in the oven and become crispier for it. You can use the base for any savory tart; just change the cheese and seasonings to match. Similarly, you can pour the creamy custard teeming with onions into a pastry shell and call it a quiche.

1½ cups packed cooked Arborio rice

2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1 large egg white

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing

5 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 9 cups)

5 large egg yolks

1 cup heavy cream

In a large bowl, combine the rice, ½ teaspoon of the salt, ¼ teaspoon of the pepper, the sage, and the cheese. Add the egg white and mix well to incorporate; the mixture should hold together when you press it in your palms.

Press the rice evenly into the prepared pan. As you push it into the pan, it will start to resemble a dough. Place the pan on a baking sheet and parbake to set the crust, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let cool completely, about 45 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF. Within 2 hours of baking it, the prepared crust can be wrapped in plastic and stored in the refrigerator overnight; let it come to room temperature before proceeding.

Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon of the salt, giving them a quick, gentle stir. Cover and cook, being sure they don’t take on any color. (If they begin to, reduce the heat.) As they sweat, they should release a noticeable amount of liquid. When they’re soft and sloshy, after about 30 minutes, uncover and continue to cook them, stirring occasionally, until almost all of the liquid has evaporated, about 1 hour more. Transfer the onions and any remaining liquid to a large bowl to cool. The onions will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cream. Add the mixture to the bowl with the onions, whisking to incorporate. Add the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

Carefully pour the onion mixture into the cooled crust, filling it as high as you can without overflowing; you will likely have some left over and can discard it. Bake until the filling is set and the top is lightly browned, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Can you think of a rice-free cuisine? Me neither. Eggs are just as pervasive and can bind the rice, create a wrapper for the nutty grain, or be scattered throughout. Conversely, lap cheong, or Chinese sausage, is geographically specific. The sweet, larded, fermented stuff makes those other two ingredients taste less generic.

In China, people often start—and finish—the day with congee. It’s an all-the-time-everywhere comfort food. Some version of the savory rice-based porridge exists in countries throughout Asia; the seasonings and add-ons change from one locale to the next, but the soupy foundation stays the same. You can look at each steaming bowlful as a catchall for many of your favorite ingredients. I stir an egg into mine for extra silkiness. The toppings are where it gets personal (and fun). I think everyone should garnish everything with French’s fried onions, but it’s your congee; you make the call.

1 cup uncooked jasmine rice (see Substitution Note)

1 (2-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger

8 cups chicken stock, plus more as needed

Salt to taste

2½ links dried Chinese sausage, casing removed and roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 whole scallions, thinly sliced, dark green parts separate

Dried red chili flakes to taste (optional)

4 large eggs

Ground white pepper to taste

Juice of 1 lime

French’s Crispy Fried Onions, for garnish

Using a sieve, rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Place the rice in a medium to large saucepan along with the ginger and 8 cups chicken stock. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If the porridge looks stiff or dry during cooking, add more stock, ½ to 1 cup at a time. It’s ready when the rice is on the brink of falling apart and resembles porridge. If you like it looser, add more stock. Taste and season with salt as needed.

When your congee looks almost finished, heat a large cast-iron skillet on the stove, gradually increasing the heat from low to medium. Add the sausage and sauté, stirring occasionally, until it’s crisp and the fat has been rendered, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, white and light green scallion slices, and a pinch of chili flakes (if using), sautéing them with the sausage until the scallions are tender, stirring frequently, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Ladle the congee into 4 bowls and, while it’s piping hot, crack an egg into each, stirring it in so it cooks in the porridge. Spoon some of the sausage mixture, fat included, into each bowl, and season each with a pinch of white pepper and some lime juice. Garnish each bowl with the dark green scallion slices and as many fried onions as you like.

I discovered the miracle of crunchy rice through a Persian specialty known as tah dig, or the golden, crackle-pop crust of rice formed in the bottom of a pan. The crispy-to-shattering caramelized layer beneath the mound of fluffy grains is the calling card of a good home cook in that region. You’ll find similar pot-sticking practices beyond Iran—in Spain, Thailand, and Senegal, to name a few. My version of this “rice brittle” (a term I’m submitting to whichever official committee presides over culinary nomenclature) is a coconutty multicultural mishmash, from its toasty bottom to its gooey fried-egg top.

1 (13½-ounce) can full-fat unsweetened coconut milk

1¼ cups finely shredded unsweetened coconut

1½ cups uncooked basmati rice

2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

3½ links dried Chinese sausage, casing removed and sliced into ¼-inch-wide rounds

6 whole black peppercorns

3 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed

3 tablespoons melted unrefined coconut oil

8 teaspoons unsalted butter

4 large eggs

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Up to ½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar (see Cooking Note)

Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Heat about half of the coconut milk in a small saucepan over low-medium until steam begins to rise off the surface. Stir in the coconut and set it aside to rehydrate for 30 minutes. Strain the coconut through a sieve set over a medium bowl. Place the flakes in a small bowl and reserve the steeped coconut milk.

Meanwhile, using a clean sieve, rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. In a medium pot, bring 6 cups water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt and the rinsed rice, and cook until the centers of the grains just start to look chalky, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet on the stove, gradually increasing the heat from low to medium-low. Add the sausage and sauté just until its edges are beginning to crisp, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the peppercorns and cardamom pods, and toast until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the reserved coconut flakes and sauté, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the reserved rice, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons of the reserved steeped coconut milk, and the coconut oil. Stir to incorporate, then spread the mixture evenly across the skillet; using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes into the surface of the rice to allow steam to escape. Cover the skillet and increase the heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes.

Add all of the remaining coconut milk (both steeped and still in the can). Place a clean kitchen towel under the lid to catch the condensation, put the lid back on the pan, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook the rice until it starts to smell nutty or sounds like gently popping corn, 40 minutes or so; check it at 30 minutes to see how the crust is progressing by lifting the rice from the skillet with a spatula. Rotate the pan around the flame every 10 minutes as the rice cooks, shifting it occasionally for even crisping and to avoid burning. Remove the skillet from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over medium heat, melt 2 teaspoons of the butter. When the butter is sizzling, crack 2 of the eggs into the skillet and fry until their whites are cooked through and the yolks are barely set, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a plate and sprinkle each with a pinch of salt and a couple grinds of pepper. Repeat with 2 more teaspoons of the butter and the remaining 2 eggs.

Melt the remaining 4 teaspoons butter in the same skillet over medium heat. When the foaming subsides, add the vinegar and a generous pinch or two more of salt, swirling the skillet to incorporate; it will bubble up and hiss. When a sauce forms and reduces slightly, 3 to 4 minutes, remove the skillet from the heat.

Stir the rice up from the bottom of its pan, incorporating the crunchy crust into the rest, discarding the peppercorns and cardamom pods. Evenly divide the rice among 4 bowls, slide an egg on top of each, and pour a couple of spoonfuls of the sauce over the top. Garnish with fresh cilantro to your taste. Serve immediately.

Next time you order Chinese food for delivery, don’t throw out that extra carton of rice they give you. You can make omelets with it. I definitely thought this was a screwy-sounding idea until I tried it. Omuraisu, as the dish is called, is Japanese home cooking at its best. You dump the leftover starch in a hot pan, as you would for fried rice, season it with a salty-sweet sauce you’ll want to bottle, then fold it all up in a thin, fluffy egg wrapper. The filling can be made with any day-old cooked rice and enjoyed on its own, but I encourage you to follow the recipe through to the end: I promise this omelet is a bundle of joy.

¼ cup white miso

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2½ links dried Chinese sausage, casing removed and roughly chopped

1 small yellow or sweet onion, finely chopped

2 cups cooked rice

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

6 large eggs

4 tablespoons crème fraîche

Salt to taste

8 teaspoons neutral oil

Roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Heat the miso, maple syrup, ketchup, and soy sauce together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly to combine, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Watch closely, as it can burn quickly. Remove pan from the heat.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet on the stove, gradually increasing the heat from low to medium. Add the sausage and sauté, stirring occasionally, until it’s crisp and the fat has been rendered, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and sauté just until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the rice, using a wooden spoon to break it up, and combine the ingredients. Cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes, then stir in 3 tablespoons of the sauce to incorporate. Season with pepper. Transfer the rice to a medium bowl and stir in the basil.

In a medium bowl, lightly beat together the eggs, crème fraîche, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a spouted measuring cup. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in an 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, pour in one-fourth of the egg mixture (about ⅓ cup). As the eggs begin to set, tilt the pan toward you and, using a spatula, lift the edges of the omelet so any uncooked egg can run underneath. Next, tilt the pan away from you. Repeat this tilting and lifting, back and forth, until the omelet is set but still slightly runny on top, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and gently slide the omelet out flat onto a plate. Line half of the omelet with one-fourth of the rice mixture, then fold the empty half over the filling to form a half-moon.

Repeat to make 3 more omelets, using the rest of the oil and egg-and-rice mixtures as above, and plating each separately. Wipe the pan clean between omelets. Drizzle some of the remaining sauce over each omelet, garnish with the fresh herbs, and serve.

Some Americans have an affinity for apple pie with Cheddar; others think that’s peculiar. Since fruit-and-cheese pairings aren’t uncommon, it’s probably the dessert-related circumstances that throw people off. But aged Gouda has brown-sugar undertones, which makes it a better fit for apples and a perfect one for oats, regardless of context.

Risotto asks that you hurry up and wait. Be patient, it says. But it’ll punish you for pokiness. You’ve got to be quick on your feet. Like many Americans, I learned how to prepare it, if indirectly, from Italian culinary legend and cookbook author Marcella Hazan, who died from emphysema at age eighty-nine and was said to have smoked Pall Mall 100s and drank bourbon from start to finish every day. I like to use her risotto technique on other grains, too, like oats. This particular “oatotto” is a spin-off of a risotto with green apples that comes from the Alto Adige region and was one of the first I ever made. I’ve taken it totally out of Italy, replacing its white wine with ale and its Parmigiano-Reggiano with aged Gouda.

3 to 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large red onion, finely chopped

2 apples, peeled, cored, quartered, and thinly sliced (I like Granny Smith)

1 cup steel-cut oats

1 cup beer (see Cooking Note)

¾ cup finely grated aged Gouda, plus more for serving

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Bring the stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to low to maintain the simmer as you continue cooking.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the apples and oats and continue to cook, stirring often, until the oats emit a nutty aroma, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beer and simmer, adjusting the heat as needed, until the liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add 1 cup of the simmering stock to the oats and cook, letting the grains soak up most of the liquid. Add another ½ cup stock, letting it absorb as before. Repeat this process until the oats have expanded and become chewy and slightly tender and a thick sauce has formed; this should take about 25 minutes total.

Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the Gouda, and ¼ cup of the chives. Season with the salt and pepper, tasting and adjusting as needed.

Divide the oatotto among 4 bowls and garnish each with some of the remaining 2 tablespoons chives. Serve with extra grated aged Gouda on the side.

Whenever I’m away from my kitchen too long, I start to get antsy. What I miss most of all is having my hands in a bowl of flour tossed with cold cubes of butter, pressing my fingers into the chilled fat and working it into the fluffy white powder. This is the first step for piecrust, biscuits, and, the dark horse of the pastry basket, scones. To make these softly crumbling oat-stippled wedges, I like to toast my grains, which draws out their nuttiness, just like it does for, well, nuts.

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1¼ cups cold heavy cream

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon maple syrup

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and chilled

1 cup chopped apple (I like Granny Smith)

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage

1½ cups loosely packed grated aged Gouda

Preheat the oven to 375°F and place a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Spread out the oats evenly on the prepared baking sheet and toast until lightly browned and fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool. Leave the oven on and line the baking sheet with clean parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cream and maple syrup. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, toasted oats, baking powder, and salt.

Add the chilled butter to the dry ingredients and, with your fingers, toss the cubes to coat. Break the butter up and rub it into the ingredients until it resembles a coarse meal.

Add the sweetened cream to the dry ingredients and, using a fork, incorporate just until the dough comes together. Add the apple pieces and the sage, and, with your hands, gently knead the dough in the bowl to integrate the mix-ins and smooth it out. Be sure any remaining dry ingredients stuck to the bottom of the bowl have been worked in and the liquid is thoroughly incorporated. The dough should be wet and sticky. Quickly knead ¾ cup of the Gouda into the dough just enough to distribute it evenly.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat it into a 1½-inch-thick 7 x 7 inch square. Using a bench scraper, slice it into four 3½-inch squares, then cut each square on the diagonal, forming 2 triangles. Sprinkle the triangles with the remaining ¾ cup Gouda, patting the cheese onto the scones so it forms a small mound and sticks to the dough. This dough can be prepared and portioned in advance, layered between wax paper in an airtight container, and stored in the fridge overnight or the freezer for up to a month. Top the scones with Gouda before baking.

Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet and bake until they’re golden brown and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Let sit on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

When the term savory granola began appearing on menus, I wrote it off as another example of chefs trying to convince us a garnish is news. With so many healthy-hippy and kitchen-sink hipster blends out there, it already seemed like anything could pass for granola. It was unavoidable: I was forced to try it and had to admit I liked it. Then I made it myself. My version of not-sweet granola was constructed for a not-sweet apple salad. Sprinkle leftovers on other salads, roasted vegetables, soups, plain yogurt, or fresh ricotta with a drizzle of honey. Prediction: After you’re done mocking it, you’re going to want to eat it all the time.

SAVORY GRANOLA (MAKES ABOUT 2¼ CUPS)

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

½ cup roughly chopped hazelnuts

¼ cup raw sesame seeds

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

1½ teaspoons caraway seeds

1½ teaspoons fennel seeds

¾ teaspoon flake salt

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1½ teaspoons honey

SALAD

2 apples, cored, quartered, and thinly sliced (I like Granny Smith)

3 stalks celery, trimmed and sliced about ⅛ inch thick

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon curry powder

¼ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

¼ pound aged Gouda

Make the granola. In a medium bowl, toss together the oats, hazelnuts, sesame seeds, rosemary, caraway and fennel seeds, and flake salt. Add the beaten egg white and stir to coat. Add the olive oil and honey and stir again to incorporate. Spread the mixture evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden and toasty, stirring once halfway through, about 17 minutes. Let cool completely. The granola can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, and curry powder with a fork. Season with the salt and a few grinds of black pepper, whisking again to incorporate. Pour the dressing over the apples and celery and toss to coat.

Add ¾ cup granola and toss to distribute evenly. Just before serving, shave the Gouda over the salad using a cheese slicer or vegetable peeler.

We are rarely at a loss for bread or uses for it. Since the advent of canning, tomatoes have also been on call full-time. Once cooked, with their savoriness out in full force, they highlight the loaves’ yeastiness. Soft, fresh, milky ricotta brings under-stated luxury to its commonplace companions.

One of the most romantic things you can do is offer someone a bowl of pappa al pomodoro. It can accurately be described as either a tomato-based bread dish or a bread-based tomato dish. Some like to think of (and eat) it as a soup. But the Italian word pappa translates to “porridge,” and I happen to prefer the denser preparations. The more memorable ones have a toasted flavor that comes from browning the stale bread before adding the other ingredients, instead of throwing it in at the end. Mine starts with the bread and makes it the focal point of flavor and texture; any richer or denser and this wouldn’t be pappa. When the weather turns cold, cook it for someone you love, with ricotta on top.

10 ounces rustic loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes (5 to 6 cups)

1 (14-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with their juices

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

6 large fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced into ribbons

4 medium cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1¼ cups vegetable stock

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Sugar to taste (optional; see Cooking Note)

½ cup best-quality fresh ricotta cheese

Arrange the bread on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake until it has dried out and crisped up, tossing it once or twice along the way, 40 to 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, pass the tomatoes through a food mill set over a medium bowl and grind them to a pulp. Discard the remains.

When the bread cubes are ready, combine the olive oil and butter in a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted and combined with the oil, add the bread. Using a wooden spoon, stir the cubes continuously until they begin to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the sage and garlic, and continue to cook, still stirring, until the bread is golden, about 2 minutes more. Add the tomato paste and keep stirring for 1 minute to cook it through. At this point, the bread should be toasty brown.

Add the vegetable stock and cook until the bread absorbs it, 4 to 5 minutes. When the pan is nearly dry, reduce the heat to low and add the pureed tomatoes. Use a wooden spoon to gently break up the bread and incorporate it into the liquid. Cook until the bread has absorbed as much of the tomatoes’ juices as possible and any remaining liquid has reduced, 8 to 10 minutes. You should have a thick porridge-like stew; the bread should be completely incorporated. Use your spoon to break down any remaining noticeably large chunks of bread.

Discard the garlic cloves and remove the pot from the stove. Taste the pappa and add the salt, pepper, and a pinch or two of sugar, if necessary. Serve immediately, dividing the pappa among 4 bowls. Top each with 2 tablespoons fresh ricotta, a liberal drizzle of olive oil, and some pepper.

Many moons ago, my friend Becca invited me to her annual Easter brunch and introduced me to her strata. Layered with tomatoes and fresh herbs, salty with prosciutto, and laden with what seemed like an Italianish pimiento cheese, the savory bread pudding was a crowning achievement. It was also lots of work, although I had a feeling it didn’t need to be. A streamlined strata—one that requires less effort and fewer, but well-chosen, ingredients—is a better strata. With contributions from pimenton and harissa, this one is smoky and spicy and needs to sit in the fridge for at least 8 hours before baking. I’ll be eating it every Easter now that Becca’s moved away. She left her recipe behind, but I don’t need it. (Sorry, Becca.)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large onion, finely chopped (about 2¼ cups)

2¼ teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

⅓ cup plus 1½ tablespoons roughly chopped fresh oregano leaves

⅛ teaspoon sugar (optional; see Cooking Note, this page)

1 day-old baguette (8 to 9 ounces), cut into 1-inch cubes (about 8 cups)

2 cups fresh ricotta cheese (1 pound)

1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

2¾ cups whole milk

9 large eggs

2½ tablespoons harissa

Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add ½ teaspoon of the salt, the pepper, and the smoked paprika, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute to incorporate the seasoning. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the diced tomatoes, ⅓ cup of the oregano, and another ½ teaspoon of the salt. Taste and add the sugar, if desired.

Arrange one-third of the bread cubes evenly in a 13 × 9-inch gratin dish or baking dish. Add one-third of the tomato-onion mixture around the bread cubes, scattering it evenly, followed by one-third of the ricotta, dolloping a few spoonfuls in the gaps and using the back of your spoon to smear it around. It doesn’t have to be perfect or tidy. Sprinkle one-third of the Parmesan cheese on top. Repeat the layering twice more, reserving the final third of the Parmesan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, harissa, and the remaining 1¼ teaspoons salt. Pour the mixture evenly over the strata. Cover the strata with plastic wrap and transfer it to the refrigerator so the bread can absorb the custard, at least 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a rack in the center position. Remove the strata from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Just before putting it in the oven, sprinkle the top of the strata with the remaining 1½ tablespoons oregano and the reserved final third of Parmesan. Bake until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Think about it: some of the most widely adored foodstuffs are just simple pairings of bread with tomato or cheese, or a combination of the three. In late summer when tomatoes are at the ripest, we slice the heirloom fruit and sandwich it between pieces of nothing-special white bread, with or without mayo. We love an old-fashioned grilled cheese, and some of us like to have it with a bowl of tomato soup. Then there’s pizza—is anything more perfect? You don’t need to do much to the ingredients, but I realized that if you treat each with a little extra care before putting them together, you get something equally simple but notably better. That’s all I did here.

ROASTED TOMATOES

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing

RICOTTA

2 cups fresh ricotta cheese (1 pound)

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

⅝ teaspoon fennel seeds

½ teaspoon flake salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

TOAST

4 (½-inch-thick) large slices crusty country loaf

1 clove garlic, halved

Extra-virgin olive oil, to finish

Flake salt

Honey (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375°F, placing one rack in the center position and another under the broiler. Lightly grease a medium roasting pan.

Roast the tomatoes. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, sea salt, cardamom, and pepper. Arrange the tomatoes in the prepared roasting pan, cut-side up, in a single layer. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with the sugar-spice mixture. Roast until bubbling and beginning to brown at the edges, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and increase the temperature to 400°F. Transfer the roasted tomatoes to a small serving bowl.

Prepare the ricotta. In a large bowl, season the cheese with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, 2 teaspoons of the thyme, ½ teaspoon of the fennel seeds, the flake salt, and pepper. Use a rubber spatula to combine. Transfer to an 8-inch gratin dish. Use your fingertips to spread the cheese so it fills the dish, leaving slight dimples over the surface of the ricotta. Sprinkle the cheese with the remaining teaspoon thyme and ⅛ teaspoon fennel seeds, then drizzle with the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove it from the oven and heat the broiler.

Make the toast. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Toast the bread on both sides under the broiler, turning it over after the top just begins to brown, 2 to 4 minutes total. Remove the toast from the oven and rub the top of each with the cut side of one of the garlic halves and drizzle with olive oil.

To serve, slice each piece of toast in two, crosswise, and stack the halves on a plate. Set the plate, the just-baked ricotta, the bowl with the tomatoes, and a dish each of flake salt and honey (if desired) on the table. Diners should spread the cheese on the toast, top with the tomatoes, then garnish with a sprinkling of the flake salt and a drizzle of the optional honey.

Using bread in desserts spares you the effort of making dough and helps you achieve an outcome that isn’t cloying. Really good chocolate and olive oil share an inherent earthy fruitiness, and neither is too sweet. Bake with all three and you’ll never fail to get something modern and grown-up.

Chef Anne Rosenzweig’s legendary buttery, chocolate-seeped brioche bread pudding was served with a brandied custard pour-on that even kids wanted to drink at her long-gone Arcadia restaurant in New York City. In re-creating it, I’ve removed the butter and the brioche, using olive oil and sourdough where those were. The oil makes another appearance, stepping in for the brandy in the sauce. You’ll really want to taste its flavor throughout the dish, so find the best-quality bottle you can, a greener-hued, pungent one with fruity notes—ideally a newly pressed olio nuovo. And you’ll need to soak the toasted bread overnight, so plan accordingly. Allegedly, Anne has tried my version of her custard and is stealing the recipe. (I wonder if she drank it!)

BREAD PUDDING

8 (1-inch-thick) slices sourdough Pullman bread, crusts on, cut into 1-inch cubes

⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped

1 cup sugar

9 large egg yolks

2¼ cups heavy cream

¾ cup whole milk

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon salt

OLIVE OIL–CUSTARD SAUCE

2 large egg yolks

⅓ cup sugar

⅓ cup whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

Pinch of salt

¼ cup best-quality extra-virgin olive oil, preferably olio nuovo

Make the bread pudding. In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes in the olive oil to coat, and let sit for 15 minutes to absorb all the oil. Spread them evenly on a baking sheet and toast until golden on all sides, tossing halfway through, 12 to 14 minutes total.

Fill the bottom of a double boiler with water and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat (see Cooking Notes). Add the chocolate to the top pot and, using a rubber spatula, stir it a few times to smooth it out as it melts. When it’s completely melted, turn off the heat.

Whisk together the sugar and yolks in a large bowl until the mixture resembles a bright yellow lemon curd. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream and milk to a near boil (you should see small bubbles gathering around the rim of the pan); swirl the pan a few times during heating to prevent a skin from forming on the surface. Whisking constantly, stream the cream-milk mixture into the beaten sugar and eggs to incorporate and make a smooth custard. Strain through a sieve set over a large bowl and discard the solids.

Whisk the custard into the melted chocolate to combine. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the pot, reserving the pod. Add the cinnamon and salt, and whisk just to combine. Add the reserved pod.

Arrange the bread cubes evenly in a 13 × 9-inch baking dish. Add the chocolate custard, including the split vanilla bean pod, cover with plastic wrap, and weight it down with a smaller pan so the bread stays submerged. Transfer the weighted baking dish to the refrigerator and let it sit overnight to soak through.

Take the bread pudding from the refrigerator and remove the weight and plastic wrap. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Prick the surface of the foil a few times with a fork to allow steam to escape. Place the covered baking dish in a larger roasting pan and carefully pour hot water around the baking dish to fill the pan (see Cooking Notes). Bake the bread pudding until any of the chocolate custard that hasn’t been absorbed by the bread is glossy and set and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the yolks and sugar until the mixture resembles a pale yellow lemon curd.

Bring the milk and cream to a near boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, swirling it occasionally to prevent a skin from forming on the surface. Remove the pan from the heat.

Whisk half of the milk-cream mixture into the bowl with the yolks and sugar. Slowly whisk the combined cream-yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk-cream mixture and cook over medium-low heat. Continue to whisk the sauce until the cream starts to thicken, being careful not to let it boil, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the salt and strain the mixture through a sieve set over a medium bowl and discard the solids. Slowly stream in the olive oil, whisking to incorporate it. Cover the bowl and transfer it to the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour. Quickly whisk the custard again before serving to reincorporate. The sauce can be prepared a day in advance.

Discard the vanilla bean pod from the bread pudding. Serve warm with the olive oil custard on the side.

COOKING NOTES

To rig a double boiler equivalent, fit a heatproof bowl securely into a saucepan that’s been filled with enough water to approach but not touch the base of the inserted bowl. The bowl shouldn’t come into contact with the water in the pan.
If you don’t own a baking vessel large enough to hold the one with the bread pudding, fill an ovenproof pan with water and place it on the bottom rack of the oven right before you put the pudding in on a rack above it.

Until recently, I’d never made semifreddo, but I’d eaten a good deal of it. “Semi frozen” is what its name means. The Italian confection is a cross between gelato and mousse, yet unlike either of those, it can be sliced! You get these cold slabs of creamy, feathery velvet. My version would be perfumed with olive oil; that was all I knew. I didn’t realize how easy the rest would be: you combine hot sugar with egg yolks, fold that into whipped cream, then flavor it however you’d like. Dotted with crunchy hazelnuts, my near-frozen triumph is quite sweet on its own, but a slightly herbal dark-chocolate sauce and a sour, almost salty piece of toast mitigate the sugar. The grassy oil is the tie that binds.

SEMIFREDDO

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar

7 large egg yolks

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

1½ cups hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped (see Substitution Note)

CHOCOLATE SAUCE

1 cup heavy cream

6 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped (about 1¼ cups)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

TOAST

4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

8 (½-inch-thick) slices sourdough Pullman bread, crusts on

Make the semifreddo. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, whip the cream to stiff peaks, starting on low speed and increasing to medium-high once the cream has thickened a bit. Using a rubber spatula, ease the whipped cream into a large bowl. Transfer it to the refrigerator to stay cold while you work on the rest of the semifreddo.

Line a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving a substantial overhang around the perimeter.

Combine the sugar with ¼ cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring to mix, and clip a candy or deep-fry thermometer to the side of the pan. Cook until the liquid reaches the hardball stage (247°F to 250°F). Remove the pan from the heat.

Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, whipping them at medium speed until they thicken and become a very pale yellow.

Run the mixer on low speed as you carefully drizzle the hot hardball sugar into the egg yolks, pouring it against the side of the mixing bowl to prevent splattering. When all of the sugar syrup has been added, increase the speed to medium and continue to beat until the bowl is cool to the touch. Slowly stream in the olive oil to incorporate. Add the vanilla and beat just to combine.

Gently fold the yolk mixture into the chilled whipped cream. Add the salt and fold again just to incorporate. Fold in the hazelnuts to combine.

Carefully pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan, using your spatula to guide and scrape the mixture out of the bowl. Smooth over the surface and cover it with the excess plastic wrap overhang. Transfer the pan to the freezer to chill until the semifreddo is firm, at least 8 hours or overnight; it will keep for up to 3 days in the freezer.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Bring the cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the rosemary sprigs, using a wooden spoon to gently press them into the bottom of the saucepan to extract their flavor. Remove the pot from the heat, cover it, and let the mixture cool and infuse for 30 minutes. Discard the rosemary sprigs.

Return the saucepan with the infused cream to the stove over medium-high heat. Add the corn syrup and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat and let the mixture cool for a few minutes, until it drops below 190°F, testing it with a candy or deep-fry thermometer.

Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir to combine. Start with small circles; once you see the cream and chocolate incorporating evenly, expand the circles, continuing to stir until the sauce is smooth and thoroughly combined. Add the olive oil and stir to incorporate. If you aren’t using it right away, transfer the mixture to a sealed container and refrigerate it for up to 2 days. Rewarm in a small saucepan over low heat before serving.

About 25 minutes before you plan to serve the semifreddo, make the toast. Preheat the oven to 350°F, placing a rack in the center position.

	CANNELLINI	GARLIC	CHILI
CHARACTER	Creamy, starchy, earthy	Sharp, sweet, medicinal	Fiery, raisiny, smoky
SUBSTITUTE	Alubi, Great Northern, navy, tarbais, Ayocote Blanco, flageolet, cranberry, pinto, runner, or Indian beans	Onions, shallots, scallions, Chinese chives, ramps, garlic scapes	Hot sauce, chili paste, chili oil, dried red chili flakes, cayenne pepper
TIP	Use dried and canned beans within 2 years.	When a recipe calls for mincing garlic, you can grate it instead of chopping it.	Dried chili peppers last indefinitely. Fresh chilies can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
COMPLEMENTS	Herbs, tomatoes, dark leafy greens, Parmesan, chicken stock, shellfish, tuna, pork belly, ham, sausage, lamb	Vegetables, anchovies, pasta, potatoes, shellfish, poultry, meat	Citrus, mango, watermelon, coconut, tomatoes, broccoli, eggplant, peanuts, tofu, seafood, poultry, meat, chocolate

	ORECCHIETTE	BROCCOLI RABE	PINE NUTS
CHARACTER	Knobby, starchy, chewy	Bitter, sharp, green	Crunchy, buttery, resinous
SUBSTITUTE	Cappelletti, cavatappi, cavatelli, conchiglie (small or medium), gemelli, pipette rigate, rocchetti, rotelle, rotini, campanelle, farfalle	Mustard greens, Chinese broccoli, dandelion greens, kale, turnip greens, Swiss chard, broccoli, spinach	Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pistachios
TIP	Dried noodles take longer to cook than fresh. Remember to save some pasta cooking water.	Boiling rabe before sautéing it removes bitterness. Don’t eat it raw; do try roasting it.	Because they’re high in oil, they go rancid quickly; smell to check for freshness.
COMPLEMENTS	Cauliflower, dark leafy greens, peas, sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, Parmesan, ricotta, nuts, shellfish, bacon, sausage	Garlic, tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, raisins, miso, black olives, anchovies, sausage, roast pork	Basil, sage, winter squash, roasted vegetables, salads, grains, ricotta, goat cheese, Parmesan, raisins, ground meat

	ARBORIO RICE	ONION	PARMESAN
CHARACTER	Starchy, creamy, medium grain	Sweet, pungent, astringent	Sharp, nutty, hard
SUBSTITUTE	Carnaroli rice, white sushi rice, Bomba rice, farro, pearled barley, Israeli couscous	Shallots, leeks, chives, scallions	Grana Padano, Pecorino Romano, Asiago, aged Gouda
TIP	Arborio, or any medium-grain rice, yields creamier rice pudding.	Soak sliced raw red onions in ice water for 15 minutes to make them milder.	Aged Parmigiano-Reggiano from Emilia-Romagna is the real thing; Parmesan is the generic term.
COMPLEMENTS	Stock, wine, pesto, saffron, asparagus, green peas, mushrooms, winter squash, pine nuts, shellfish, bone marrow	Mushrooms, figs, stinky or salty cheeses, bacon, sausage, roasted meat and chicken, calves’ and chicken livers	Soups, vegetables, pasta, potatoes, arugula, chicories, romaine, garlic, anchovies, chicken

	LONG-GRAIN RICE	CHINESE SAUSAGE	EGG
CHARACTER	Toasty, fluffy, nonsticky	Sweet, funky, dried	Versatile, rich, binding
SUBSTITUTE	Quinoa, barley, orzo; nonwhite rice (brown, black, red, purple)	Chicken-and-apple sausage, bacon, merguez, chorizo (Note: These aren’t as sweet.)	Egg replacers, silken tofu, ground flaxseed, applesauce, mashed banana (for baking)
TIP	1 cup raw rice yields about 3 cups cooked. Rinsing dry rice reduces its stickiness.	Keep this at room temperature for a few weeks or in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer for months.	Eggs are easier to separate when cold and best beaten at room temperature.
COMPLEMENTS	Spicy foods, stews, stir-fries, curries; herbs, spices, scallions, ginger, beans, coconut, butter, ghee, almonds, chicken	Fresh herbs, soy sauce, maple syrup, onions, black pepper, chestnut, winter squash, sweet potato, shellfish	Soy sauce, hot sauce, ketchup, fresh herbs, onions, scallions, mushrooms, asparagus, noodles, miso, caviar, pork

	OATS	APPLE	GOUDA
CHARACTER	Nutty, filling, absorbent, gluten-free	Crisp, sweet, tart	Salty, butterscotch, crystalline
SUBSTITUTE	Buckwheat groats, millet, quinoa, amaranth, sorghum, brown rice, wild rice, farro, barley	Pear, jicama, sweet potato, winter squash, parsnip, dried apple	Romano, aged Cheddar, Parmesan, Comté
TIP	Treat them like nuts—toast them to deepen their flavor; grind them for flour.	Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, and Jonagold are solid multipurpose varietals.	Enjoy it on its own or on a cheese plate. Sheep’s milk Ewephoria is recommended.
COMPLEMENTS	Brown sugar, maple, brown butter, olive oil, pesto, onions, nuts, roasted fruit or vegetables	Fennel, cabbage, radicchio, carrot, ginger, almonds, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, Cheddar, Brie, Taleggio, Parmesan, smoked mozzarella	Tomatoes, onions, leeks, pasta, potatoes, bread, bacon, ham, beef, beer, balsamic vinegar

	BREAD	TOMATO	RICOTTA
CHARACTER	Sour, meaty, filling	Acidic, sweet, umami	Creamy, mild, smooth
SUBSTITUTE	Pasta, rice, beans	Sweet bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, umeboshi paste, tamarind concentrate	Cottage cheese, paneer, fresh goat cheese, queso fresco, silken tofu
TIP	To accelerate staling, leave slices out for 24 hours, or cube and toast them at 350°F.	Grating ripe, whole tomatoes with a box grater is a shortcut for pureeing them.	Seek out the best-quality, freshest ricotta. It should be good enough to eat straight up.
COMPLEMENTS	Herbs, butter, olive oil, garlic, olives, cheese, anchovies	Herbs, chili peppers, sweet bell peppers, eggplant, garlic, olives, pasta, cheese, anchovies, bacon	Herbs, dried red chili flakes, dark leafy greens, balsamic vinegar, honey, olive oil, nuts, anchovies

	BREAD	CHOCOLATE	OLIVE OIL
CHARACTER	Yeasty, doughy, absorbent	Bittersweet, fermented, smooth	Fruity, peppery, green
SUBSTITUTE	Pound cake, croissant	Carob, cocoa powder, cacao nibs	Nut oil, melted coconut oil, melted butter
TIP	When baking with bread, choose one rich in flavor that isn’t too salty or crusty.	Do not refrigerate or freeze chocolate. Store it at room temperature and note its expiration date.	When baking (or drizzling) with olive oil, use olio nuovo for more pronounced flavor.
COMPLEMENTS	Warm spices, butter, brown butter, brown sugar, caramel, fruit, custard, cream cheese, eggs, nuts	Coffee, caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, chili, sesame, coconut, nuts, peanut butter, berries, figs, orange	Vinegar, citrus, butter, herbs, chili peppers, salads, vegetables, olives, pasta, potatoes, yogurt, labneh, mozzarella, ricotta, seafood