This Northern Vietnamese boodle dish hits all five major taste sensations: salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and umami (savory). The unusual ingredient combination includes galangal, shrimp sauce, sesame rice crackers, and sour cream, the last standing in for me, the same mash of fermented cooked rice traditionally used in mock turtle stew (page 153). For many Vietnamese, the definitive cha ca is the rather complicated version served at the landmark Hanoi restaurant Cha Ca La Vong. There, the fish is cooked partially on a grill and then finished at the table in a skillet of oil, scallion, and dill. While that restaurant rendition is delicious, my family takes an easier path to making the dish. We broil the fish and then enrich it with scallion and dill seared in hot oil. The fish can also be grilled over a medium-hot fire, but the small pieces can be difficult to manage on a grill.
Add a few dashes of Angostura bitters to the top of this lemon-lime-ade for a dreamy ombré look.
A feel-good dinner designed to cram a ton of veg in each serving.
Crusty, chewy, and actually easy. No lye or barley syrup needed.
This classic carbonara traps crispy pancetta and all that silky sauce in big tubes of rigatoni.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
The silky French vanilla sauce that goes with everything.
Your new house dressing: creamy, herby, and dangerously dippable.
All the cozy vibes of the classic gooey-cheesy dish, made into a 20-minute meal.