Recipes By David Tanis
753 recipes found
Broiled Leeks Vinaigrette
A classic French first course, cooked leeks dressed with a mustardy vinaigrette can be wonderful or dull, depending on the size of the leeks. Don’t use giant ones; choose medium to small leeks for tender results. A few minutes under the broiler adds flavor to this version, which is served warm.
David Tanis’s Risi e Bisi
This traditional Italian dish of rice with peas is best made in the spring when fresh peas in the pod are at their sweetest. It is similar to risotto, but a bit on the soupy side, and less rich. A flavorful homemade chicken broth is essential. Look for peas that haven’t quite filled their pods — larger peas will be starchier. Asian markets and some farmers’ markets carry leafy pea tendrils, but any tender greens are fine.
Shaved Asparagus With Arugula and Parmesan
You can get asparagus from Peru all winter long, and early spring asparagus from Mexico and Southern California. This is not a dish to make with those. It celebrates your local, regional asparagus, whenever it shows up in your local farmers' market, after months of apples, potatoes and sturdy greens. Simply shaved, then dressed with oil and paired with arugula and Parmesan, it makes for a spring salad of enormous satisfaction.
Olive Gremolata
Italian Potato-Pasta Soup With Greens
Some soups are light and refreshing preludes to a meal; others, like this one, are an entire meal in a bowl. Pasta and potatoes, like pasta and beans, are frequently combined in Italian vegetable dishes. The potatoes should be starchy, like Yukon Golds or russets, so that they lend body to the broth. Short pasta shapes add texture; onion, fennel, garlic, tomato paste and fresh herbs and greens add flavor. The soup may be made a day or so before serving: It improves in the refrigerator and reheats beautifully, but don’t add the pasta in this case until serving.
Fishmonger’s Stew
This hearty fish and shellfish stew is good for a chilly winter evening. It veers Mediterranean, with a base of leeks and onions, a bit of tomato, potatoes, saffron and garlic.
New Crop Applesauce
New-crop apples (that is, ones just picked) don’t necessarily make it to supermarkets, where the general rule is to stock four or five dependable varieties that travel well. Those may come from eastern Washington or New Zealand or Peru. Not that there is anything intrinsically wrong with supermarket apples. They still have more or less the same health benefits and versatility in the kitchen. They just aren’t going to make your heart beat faster. If you long for the thrill of new-crop apples, head to a farmers’ market, a farm stand or an honest-to-goodness apple tree on a cool day. What you will find is firm, dense fruit, some with the leaves still attached. When you take your first bite into the crisp flesh, the sweet juices fairly drip upon the tongue, not at all like the apples you recall. Smack your lips and swoon.
Pan-Fried Risotto Cakes
Pâte à Choux for Cheese Puffs and Cream Puffs
Making pâte à choux is not difficult at all. It is simply a matter of bringing water and butter to a boil, then dumping in flour and stirring it until a mass forms, which takes only a minute or two. You let the steaming dough cool for a moment, then beat in a few eggs, one at a time. That’s it.