My Books Press Home About Articles Contact Events! Subscribe

My latest work

The Washington Post •

Column | An asparagus tart topped with Caesar dressing welcomes spring in style

Every spring, one question starts to occupy more and more of my brain: How can I get more asparagus on the table?As soon as the local spears appear in markets, I start steaming, shaving, broiling and roasting. But I live with people who aren’t as into what I consider spring’s biggest star as much as I am, so at some point I need to get a little more creative.Last year, I bathed them in a vinaigrette and mounded fluffy grated eggs on top for the classic French dish Asparagus Mimosa. (I know, I kn...
The Washington Post •

Asparagus Caesar Tart

This simple-to-assemble tart features tender asparagus baked under a blanket of vegan Caesar dressing on a crisp puff pastry crust. The recipe makes about twice as much dressing as needed for the tart, but you can use it on all manner of salads, roasted vegetables and more. Serve the tart with a salad and/or soup for a complete meal. For a party appetizer, cut into 12 pieces.

Make ahead: The Caesar dressing can be made and refrigerated up to 4 days in advance. Bring to room temperature before a...
The Washington Post •

Column | Greek fasolada is a soup to sustain you during times both good and bad

In a Zoom interview from New York, where she is promoting “Yassou,” Lipa explains that she is referring to the times Greece has faced widespread poverty. (Two such stretches were after World War II and during the recession that started in 2007 and hurt the nation’s economy for many years after.)The recipe she’s describing is fasolada, a soup of white beans and vegetables with a complex flavor that belies its simple preparation. “It’s not an expensive recipe,” she says. “Dried beans are so low-co...
The Washington Post •

Fasolada (Greek White Bean Soup)

Fasolada, Greece’s classic bean soup, is simple in technique but complex in flavor. Traditionally, white beans are cooked in water, and then aromatic vegetables, crushed tomatoes and herbs are added, but “Yassou” cookbook author Shaily Lipa likes to start with the Italian technique for soffritto: sauteing the vegetables in olive oil first to create a richer and more concentrated soup.

This version makes the soup even more streamlined by using canned cannellini beans, along with their liquid for...
The Washington Post •

Column | Air fryer patatas bravas brings the tapas bar favorite home

In Spain, chef Omar Allibhoy tells me, nobody talks about Spanish cuisine.Of course, they talk about food; I think you could probably make a credible argument that they talk about little else. What he means is that when they do, they describe it as Galician or Catalan or Andalusian. “Spanish cuisine is very regional,” he says in a Zoom interview from his home in London, where he moved from Madrid two decades ago. “In fact, you would really never hear anybody use the phrase ‘Spanish cuisine.’”Dif...
The Washington Post •

Air Fryer Patatas Bravas

This classic Spanish tapa of fried potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce is called patatas bravas because bravas can mean “fierce,” a reference to the heat, but the spice level is easy to control. In the traditional recipe, the potatoes are double-fried, but this version simplifies things by steaming them first in the microwave, and then air frying them until crispy, although they can also be steamed on the stovetop and roasted in the oven (see Variations).

To help cut the spice, the potatoes are al...
Washington Post •

When you’ve got eggplant, ricotta and marinara, just roll with it

First things first, says Lidia Bastianich. Before I can even get the first question out of my mouth when I call her to talk about one of my favorite Italian dishes, she wants to make sure I know something very important. “Rollatini is not an Italian word,” she says.No, it’s not. In Italy, eggplant rollatini — the dish I’m interviewing her about — is known as involtini di melanzane, right alongside all the other involtini: di pollo, di carne, di vitello, di pesce, to mean little bundles of chicke...
Washington Post •

Rao's Marinara Sauce

This simple, classic marinara sauce is pedigreed: The recipe is from Rao’s, the New York City institution whose store-bought sauce is also beloved. (It was the clear winner in The Washington Post’s 2023 taste test of grocery store marinara sauces.) The ingredients are minimal: good canned San Marzano tomatoes, olive oil, and small amounts of garlic, onion, oregano and basil. Conveniently, this makes about the same amount as a 24-ounce jar of Rao’s — with about half the sodium.

Storage: Refriger...
Washington Post •

Eggplant Rollatini

By Joe YonanThis classic Italian dish, called involtini di melanzane in Italy, consists of eggplant slices rolled around a ricotta mixture and baked in marinara sauce. The eggplant slices are often floured and fried, but this simpler version broils them for just a few minutes per side until they soften. Be sure to use high-quality, whole-milk ricotta for the best results; for a vegan version, use the artichoke-cashew filling from the related recipe for Baked Stuffed Shells. Using eggplants that...
Washington Post •

Column | You have to break a lot of eggs to make a Spanish tortilla. Or do you?

The first time I traveled to Spain, on a glorious two-week trip with my sister almost two decades ago, I followed an omnivorous diet, which was helpful in the land of jamón Ibérico and gambas al ajillo. The second time, I was vegetarian, so the menu was shorter — but still plenty satisfying: I enjoyed my fill of vegetable paella, escalivada, pan con tomate (sin anchoas, por favor) and, most ubiquitous of all, tortilla española.The latter dish, an icon of Spanish cuisine, is little more than eggs...
Washington Post •

Vegan Spanish Tortilla

By Joe YonanThis vegan version of a classic Spanish potato tortilla uses two types of tofu instead of eggs for creamy texture, plus kala namak (black salt) for eggy flavor. Resist the urge to skimp on the olive oil: It is a big part of what makes this beloved dish so distinctively silky. Serve as a main course with a salad or soup, or as an appetizer (or tapa, of course).Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.Where to buy: Kala namak (black salt) can be found in Indian markets, natural foods stor...
Washington Post •

Column | These ‘tuna’ melts show vegan cooking can be about abundance, too

Jenné Claiborne has me thinking about Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor and the idea of vibrations.Claiborne, who just turned 38, writes about vegan cooking from her home in Atlanta under the brand Sweet Potato Soul. Smart-Grosvenor, who died in 2016 at age 79, was the Geechee poet, broadcaster and culinary anthropologist who wrote the seminal 1970 book “Vibration Cooking.” (In it, she wrote, “When I cook, I never measure or weigh anything. I cook by vibration.”)I met Smart-Grosvenor more than a decade a...
Washington Post •

Carrot and Chickpea “Tuna” Melts

In this vegan take on a tuna melt, finely shredded carrots and mashed chickpeas join forces with seaweed flakes, dill and other ingredients that help evoke the flavor of tuna salad. Cookbook author Jenné Claiborne was inspired by the carrot “tuna” at Tassili’s Raw Reality, a restaurant in Atlanta. The mixture is also great on a cold sandwich, without the cheese.

Storage: Refrigerate the salad for up to 4 days.

Where to buy: Ume plum vinegar and dulse seaweed flakes can be found in Asian market...
Washington Post •

Column | Yes, you can fry soft tofu — and give it the salt-and-pepper treatment

I and others have written previous columns, articles and recipes attempting to counter all of the above. Today I’m offering a recipe that aims to correct another tofu misunderstanding: the idea that the only tofu suitable for frying is the absolute firmest you can find. If you’ve never tasted fried soft tofu, with its unbeatable textural contrast between crispy and custardy, I can’t wait for you to try this recipe.We have an excuse for all the misconceptions, by the way: Tofu is complex, with di...
Washington Post •

Salt and Pepper Tofu

Fried soft tofu — crispy on the outside and custardy inside — gets the Chinese salt-and-pepper treatment, a flavor combination that includes floral white pepper and a pinch of five-spice powder, plus garlic, ginger and chiles. The addition of MSG, which is optional, makes this dish extra savory. If you thought only firm or extra-firm tofu should or could be fried, this recipe proves otherwise.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Where to buy: Soft tofu, five-spice powder and MSG (monosodium...
Washington Post •

Column | This pasta dish makes Brussels sprouts taste positively indulgent

In Barrow’s case, the objects of his affection were an appliance his parents had given him almost a decade earlier and the food it could help him make: fresh pasta. Barrow had worked as a pastry chef and bread baker until last year, and he sees a tight connection between the two hands-on disciplines. As he puts it, “You need to feel everything properly.”Almost five years and tens of thousands of Instagram followers later, pasta has become Barrow’s brand. The 25-year-old turned his posts featurin...
Washington Post •

Orecchiette With Shredded Brussels Sprouts

By Joe YonanThis pasta dish turns Brussels sprouts — shredded and cooked with a generous amount of butter, nutmeg and sage — into something almost decadent. In testing, this recipe produced outstanding results whether vegetarian or vegan, so both options are listed in the ingredients.Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Adapted from “The Monday Pasta Club” by Ed Barrow (Kyle Books, 2024).Ingredientsmeasuring cupServings: 2-3 (makes about 4 1/2 cups)1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more as needed8...
Washington Post •

Column | This rustic tofu cacciatore gets a nonna’s stamp of approval

Giuseppe Federici has plenty of things to be proud of: He’s got hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, he runs marathons, and his debut cookbook is now out in North America. What is he proudest about? “That I wrote the cookbook while my grandparents were still around,” the Londoner tells me on a Zoom call. “I mean, it’s an achievement to write a cookbook, let alone with your 85-year-old grandmother.”In fact, his grandmother, Marianna Sgarito, is so central to the project that he nam...
Washington Post •

Column | Vegan chili with beans, lentils and edamame floods the protein zone

Recently, I started a diet and exercise program that came with a big challenge: Increase my protein intake to about 135 grams a day. As anyone who has played with the balance of macros knows, the strategy to control the ratio of protein, carbohydrates and fat, along with a weightlifting regimen, aims to result in the loss of pounds without the loss of muscle.I’ve long preached that the obsession with protein was overblown, and that for vegetarian and even vegan eaters, the world of vegetables, l...
Washington Post •

Kidney Bean, Lentil and Tempeh Chili

By Joe YonanThis vegan chili is packed with protein-rich ingredients, including red kidney beans, lentils, tempeh and seeds. Serve with saltine crackers. If you’d like, you can adapt this into an all-purpose vegan crumble to use on grain bowls and salads, in tacos and more places; see Variations.Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.From Food and Dining editor Joe Yonan.Ingredientsmeasuring cupServings: 8 (makes about 12 cups)2 tablespoons olive oil1 medium red onio...
Washington Post •

Column | Smart shortcuts coax big flavor out of a speedy chickpea noodle soup

You may not know Julia Turshen personally, but read one of her recipes — or, better yet, one of her cookbooks — and you’ll feel like you do. Turshen is one of those food writers who seems to always be saying, in one way or another, “You got this,” and you immediately believe her.

You may not know Julia Turshen personally, but read one of her recipes — or, better yet, one of her cookbooks — and you’ll feel like you do. Turshen is one of those food writers who seems to always be saying, in one wa...
Washington Post •

Chickpea Noodle Soup

This quick soup stars chickpeas and noodles, in a base that gets much of its flavor from a potent seasoning paste (made by Better Than Bouillon) and a finishing touch of raw garlic and herbs. If you’d like, you can double down on the chickpeas and increase the protein (while making this gluten-free and vegan) by using chickpea noodles (see Substitutions).

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. The soup will thicken in storage as the noodles absorb the broth; add wa...
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...
Load More