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Washington Post •

Column | Gather around Vedge’s rutabaga fondue for your next cocktail party

The first time I ate at Vedge, one of my favorite restaurants in Philadelphia, I started with a cocktail. It came to the table glistening in its coupe, a concoction of gin, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice and a touch of grapefruit bitters, all of them in perfect balance. But what struck me before I even took a sip was something I had never seen before: a whole sage leaf floating on the surface.

The first time I ate at Vedge, one of my favorite restaurants in Philadelphia, I started with a cock...
Washington Post •

Rutabaga Fondue

This smooth vegan fondue uses nutty-tasting rutabaga, plus potato, miso and nutritional yeast, to capture the essence of cheese. One of the most popular dishes at Vedge restaurant in Philadelphia and the now-closed Fancy Radish in D.C., the fondue gets much of its creamy texture from vegan sour cream, which also helps keep it smooth even at room temperature. Serve with baguette slices, soft pretzels, or raw or lightly steamed vegetables.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Let sit at room te...
Washington Post •

Column | Make masa an everyday ingredient with these bean and cheese gorditas

I know the word “masa” means dough, particularly corn dough, but it might as well be short for “miracle,” because the process of producing this staple of Mexican (and other Central and South American) cooking is pure alchemy. Dating back to Mesoamerica, nixtamalization (derived from an Aztec phrase) involves boiling field corn with an alkaline substance to soften its hull and make it more nutritious, then grinding it into a dough that can become a variety of traditional products.

I know the wor...
Washington Post •

Vegan Bean and Cheese Gorditas

These Mexican street treats are named gorditas (“little fat ones”) because, unlike tortillas or quesadillas, they are made from thicker disks of masa, which are griddled and then split and filled. That also makes them easier to put together, because you can pat them out by hand without a tortilla press. This recipe keeps things simple with refried beans and vegan cheese. Although these are considered antojitos (snacks) in Mexico, you can turn them into a meal by serving them with rice and a sala...
Washington Post •

Column | Indian food layers spices masterfully. This pumpkin dish shows how.

Make a Romy Gill recipe, in my experience, and you end up marveling at two things: the straightforward ease and the surprisingly complex flavors. The key to both is the layering of spices and spice mixes, often in different forms (whole and ground) and at different points in a recipe.The last time I wrote about her, the subject was her second book, “On the Himalayan Trail,” and the dish that captivated me was paneer in yellow gravy, where nine spices mingle to create what she called “a bowl of g...
Washington Post •

Stir-Fried Spiced Pumpkin

This simple Bengali dish infuses pumpkin or other winter squash with layers of warming Indian spices and fiery heat. The skin is left on the squash, and it softens when cooking, adding texture and color to the dish. Eat as a side dish, or as a main course with flatbread or rice.

Save the seeds from the squash to roast for a savory snack.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Where to buy: Panch phoron, a mix of whole spices, can be found in Indian or international markets, or online.
Washington Post •

Phyllo-Wrapped Celery Root With Cider Glaze

By Joe YonanEncasing roasted whole celery root in phyllo and glazing it with a sweet-and-sour apple cider syrup takes the humble vegetable into dinner-party-worthy territory. Diced apples and walnuts add more flavor and crunch. This makes a vibrant centerpiece for vegetarian and vegan eaters at a holiday meal, or you could serve it as an appetizer or side dish.Make ahead: The celery root needs to roast for up to 2 hours before you let it cool slightly, then glaze and wrap it in phyllo. If you wa...
Washington Post •

Instant Pot Black Bean Soup

By Joe YonanThis speedy Instant Pot riff on Cuban black bean soup infuses the legumes with the aromatic vegetables common in a traditional sofrito, along with wine, vinegar and a little sugar for depth and balance. Skipping the soaking of black beans results in a richer flavor and color, but you can soak them if you’d like to speed the cooking up even further; see Notes. See Variations for how to make this on the stovetop if you don’t mind the time. The soup is traditionally served with a scoop...
Washington Post •

Veggie Phyllo “Pizza”

If you like your pizza super-crisp and light, you’ll love this decidedly nontraditional but simple method using phyllo instead of pizza dough. The toppings are minimal: cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, scallions and olives, with no sauce and a small amount of cheese (mozzarella plus a little feta). By assembling it in a sheet pan and brushing some of the phyllo sheets with oil, you create those characteristic flaky layers. This makes a great lunch or dinner with a salad and tofu or another protein...
Washington Post •

Column | Instant Pot black bean soup lets the flavors of Cuban cooking shine

When she was growing up in Miami, Ana Quincoces tells me, every day “instead of an alarm, I woke up to the sound of the pressure cooker.” She makes a hissing noise and smiles.Quincoces, 58, is Cuban American, so you can probably guess what was in that pressure cooker: black beans. And to her, they represented just about everything that she loves about the food of her parents’ homeland, and still do: They’re comforting, and especially when made the Cuban way, they boast deep, satisfying flavors....
Washington Post •

Column | Mac and cheese, but make it with beans, in this speedy one-pot meal

“I don’t know how to make things complicated,” Jenny Rosenstrach tells me. “I kind of wish I did, because I think my recipes would be next level.”Rosenstrach is being modest, because the truth is, her recipes are indeed next level. As the force behind the popular book, website and newsletter “Dinner: A Love Story,” Rosenstrach keeps her focus squarely on the most important quality of any recipe: its accessibility. “The reality is, my zone has always been in helping people figure out real-life di...
Washington Post •

Beans and Cheese

This twist on mac and cheese uses white beans as the carb instead of pasta, but keeps the cheese and crunchy topping. The more flavorful the cheese, the better. This recipe can use either canned beans or ones you cook from dried, depending on your capacity for planning. Serve with a crunchy green salad.

Make ahead: The casserole can be assembled, covered and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance. Let it come to room temperature for about 1 hour, then bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until...
Washington Post •

Column | These saucy stuffed shells are satisfying, even without the cheese

“What did you put in the ricotta?” Ann Maloney asked me.We were at a holiday party for the Food team at my house, and Ann — The Post’s recipes editor at the time — was raving about a dish of baked stuffed shells I had made. In our years of working together, Ann and I got to know not just each other’s cooking style, but our communication style, too. So my response was nonverbal: a raised eyebrow, a sly grin and a shake of the head.Her reaction was everything I had hoped for: As an Italian America...
Washington Post •

Vegan Baked Stuffed Shells

This vegan take on an Italian American classic fills the pasta shells with a savory, slightly tangy concoction made with jarred artichokes and cashews. It's is a great option for dinner any night of the week, or for potlucks, dinner parties or as a gift for a friend who needs some comfort food. Make sure to look for shells labeled jumbo, not large.

Make ahead: The cashews need to be soaked overnight before making the dish. The dish can be assembled, covered and refrigerated up to 2 days in adva...
Washington Post •

Column | A fragrant chickpea tagine captures the essence of a Moroccan classic

The subtitle of Steve Sando’s latest cookbook is “100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds of Beans.” And this is no understatement: With his wildly popular company, Rancho Gordo, Sando has made heirloom bean varieties so popular that his quarterly membership-club shipments go out to tens of thousands of customers — and tens of thousands more are on the waiting list.In “The Bean Book” (Ten Speed Press, 2024), before a reader gets to a single recipe, Sando lays out descriptions and photos for 50 he...
Washington Post •

Column | For flavorful, crispy and versatile tofu: Just grate it

Nisha Vora’s evolution as a vegan cook sounds so familiar. When she first decided to go vegan eight years ago, she says, “I didn’t know how to make my food taste interesting.” That’s because, like so many others in her position (including me), she was single-mindedly focused on what she subtracted from her go-to dishes to adapt them to her new diet.“So once I took out all of the chicken and the fish and the sour cream and the mayo and the butter, I was just left with the other stuff that I was e...
Washington Post •

Spicy Grated Tofu

Pan-frying grated tofu gives it a delightfully crispy and chewy texture, while pan-Asian condiments combine for an umami-rich, savory sauce. The result: a surprisingly meaty dish that you can eat with rice or noodles, in lettuce cups or fresh spring rolls, on salads or wrapped in tortillas.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Where to buy: Gochugaru and Chinese black vinegar can be found in well-stocked supermarkets, Asian and/or global markets and online.
Washington Post •

Column | Summer peaches and corn shine in an end-of-season bread salad

September always makes me a little wistful. Whether it’s because of the deep-seated childhood memories of going back to school, the fact that my birthday is mid-month or merely the seasonal change in the air, I find myself reflecting on Septembers past — and wondering what fall might bring.It’s also when I try to get my fill of my favorite farm-fresh summer produce, before it disappears for another 10 months or so.You might expect me to be talking about tomatoes, but I’m not. Every year, in fact...
Washington Post •

Column | Plant-based cooking is its own cuisine. We all can learn from it.

Editor’s note: This is an edited excerpt from “Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking” by Joe Yonan (Ten Speed Press, 2024).Of all the eating trends over the last few decades, few have gotten more traction — or press — than the move toward plant-based cooking.The truth is, vegetarian and vegan diets date back millennia, to the Buddhism and Jainism of the Indian subcontinent and to ancient Greece. And what’s really grown over the last decade or two is not the number of people who label themselv...
Washington Post •

Vegan Buttermilk

This vegan buttermilk brings its characteristic tangy flavor and thick texture to a variety of plant-based recipes, including biscuits, cornbread and pancakes. It’s made by combining pureed cashews with full-fat coconut milk and letting the contents of a probiotic capsule transform the mixture through fermentation.

Make ahead: The cashews need to soak for at least 2 hours before blending. The buttermilk needs to ferment for at least 1 day to develop flavor.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 2 wee...
Washington Post •

Fluffy Vegan Pancakes

By Joe YonanHomemade vegan buttermilk and a little vinegar give these plant-based pancakes the flavor and lift you want. A generous amount of vanilla and a little sugar give them family-friendly appeal. They also take beautifully to additions and other flavorings; see Variations.Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Adapted from “Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking” by Joe Yonan (Ten Speed Press, 2024).Ingredientsmeasuring cupServings: 4 (makes 8 pancakes)1 1...
Washington Post •

Jerk spice adds spark to this vegan, teen-approved Rasta pasta

“He doesn’t like vegan food.”That was what my husband has said multiple times about our son, and just about every time I have to correct him. Doesn’t he remember the vegan sausages the teenager destroyed on a fridge raid, or the red beans and rice that almost always prompt him to go back for seconds, even thirds?Besides, saying someone doesn’t like vegan food is saying that they don’t like, say, rice. Or strawberries. So many foods, of course, contain no animal products at all, and pretty much e...
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