Despite my love of charred veggies and steaks, I’m a fair-weather griller. If I lived in a more temperate climate, you’d probably see me kebabing shrimp in mid-January. But since I normally hang up my grill tongs when the autumn leaves fall, I consider these last weeks of summer as one last, fiery hurray.
At the top of my to-grill list are these galbi and tteok skewers (above), a recipe from David Shim, the chef at Cote in New York City. Topped with soy- and ginger-marinated short ribs and crispy rice cakes, these skewers make a hearty dish you’ll be happy to cook well into sweater season, or even longer if you’re grilling year-round. You do have to plan ahead (marinating the meat makes a big difference), but once you’ve gathered the ingredients, they’re easy to assemble.
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Galbi and Tteok skewers
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If you’re short on time or more in the mood for a plate full of colorful veggies, Sarah Copeland’s 30-Minute Vegetable Stir-Fry is about as quick and customizable as recipes. Use whatever veggies you have in the fridge: that bunch of celery in the bottom of your drawer, the forgotten radishes, the half-withered veggies — they’re all welcome here. Sarah simply seasons them with a little rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and optional hot sauce, then mixes them with sesame seeds and toasted nuts for a crunchy taste. Serve it over rice for a meatless meal, or maybe alongside some bronzed and crispy chicken breasts.
And while we’re at it, Ali Slagle has just the recipe for it: her beloved pan-seared ranch chicken. She marinates the boneless white meat in a tangy, herby ranch dressing, some of which is saved to drizzle on top. Any leftover dressing can be mixed with the vegetables for an instant salad the next day.
Or maybe you’re looking for a salad with spice and zest? I’m in love with Ligaya Mishan’s latest column for DailyExpertNews Magazine and the accompanying recipe for green salad with warm goat cheese (salad de chèvre chaud).
In the article, Ligaya recalls a spontaneous dinner on the Côte d’Azur. It was the kind of late, lingering night, fueled by conversation and bottles of wine, that it’s so easy to get into when you’re young and far from home. The salad, she writes, is “a careless toss of greens under rounds of goat cheese with a thin coating of breadcrumbs, gently crisped in a hot pan.” I plan on making it to bring back some summer evenings of my own, and because it’s simply an excellent and classic French dish, it’s definitely worth revisiting.
For a dessert you’ll remember for years to come, David Tanis’ plum crostata, made with crumbled amaretti biscuits (or almond flour), takes full advantage of the sweet drupe currently at its peak.
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I’m so happy to be back and look forward to seeing you all here again on Monday!