Recipes By David Tanis
752 recipes found
Chard-Wrapped Greek Yogurt Pies
These little Greek-style pies are traditionally wrapped in grape leaves, but chard leaves make a fine alternative. Served warm, the texture is akin to a fresh cheese, perfumed with dill, mint and olive oil.
David Tanis's Yogurt Sauce
Creamy Corn Soup With Basil
This soup is divine when made with freshly picked sweet summer corn. There is no cream or dairy: The creaminess comes from thoroughly whizzing the corn. For the creamiest texture, pass the puréed soup through a fine-mesh sieve.
Indian-Spiced Corn Soup With Yogurt
The sweetness of summer corn marries nicely with a burst of Indian spices and tangy thick yogurt. Serve this vegetarian soup hot or chilled.
Cranberry Curd Tart
If you are a fan of lemon curd or the classic French tarte au citron, you will love this cranberry version. To minimize kitchen time, make it in stages, preparing the crust and curd a day or two in advance. The finished tart keeps well for a couple of days too. The wheat-free hazelnut crust is adapted from a cookie recipe from the pastry chef and writer David Lebovitz’s popular website.
Wild Salmon With Green Sauce
Wild salmon, green beans, new potatoes and herbs: simple seasonal ingredients for an epic summer dining experience. The most important thing here is not to overcook the salmon. Whether baked or grilled, it is ready as soon as you see white juices rising to the surface, which means the fish will be succulent, not dry. It is better to err on the rare side.
Mushroom Miso Soup
This miso-enriched brothy soup is pleasing on many levels. You get complex flavor with minimal effort, especially if you make the dashi in advance. All the little garnishes are optional.
Moroccan Herb Jam
Paula Wolfert's first and still-influential book, "Couscous and Other Good Food From Morocco," published in 1973, influenced a generation of cooks yearning to expand its horizons. This fascinating recipe for a mixture of long-cooked greens, which she learned while living in Morocco, appeared in her 2003 book, "The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen: Recipes for the Passionate Cook". The acclaimed chef Russell Moore of Camino restaurant in Oakland, Calif., a great fan of Ms. Wolfert and this recipe, has now adapted it and incorporated herb jam into his menu on a daily basis. Among its virtues: It tastes wonderful and lasts for a week or more in the refrigerator; it is great when spread on toasted bread or stirred into a soup; and it uses greens, like the outer leaves of lettuce, that would otherwise be wasted.
Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Soup)
In Korean cuisine, kimchi is not only a condiment or pickle; it is also used as an ingredient in many cooked dishes. Kimchi soup, called jjigae, is a satisfying example. The fermented kimchi vegetables quickly provide deep flavor to the broth, so the soup can be produced in little more than half an hour. Aged kimchi, which is more intensely sour, is the preferred type to use. Surprisingly mellow, the soup is neither too spicy nor too salty. This version incorporates butter, an addition inspired by a recipe from Lauryn Chun, the founder of Mother-in-Law’s Kimchi and the author of “The Kimchi Cookbook.”
Italian-Style Tuna Sandwich
Though an American cook (or even a French one) usually adds mayonnaise to the bowl when dressing canned tuna for a sandwich, Italian cooks invariably anoint theirs with olive oil instead. Capers, olives and anchovy often join the festivities; here they are combined with garlic and parsley to make a zesty salsa verde. Choose the best quality Italian or Spanish canned tuna—the extra cost is well worth it. The other essential ingredient is freshly baked bread, like a good crisp baguette or crusty ciabatta roll.
Miniature Home-Cured 'Ham'
My version of Southern biscuits and ham exposes me as a Yankee impostor, since it's not made with real country ham. It is, instead, a much smaller brine-cured pork tenderloin, easy to cure and cook (though it does take some advance planning). Serve with tender, hot biscuits, sweet butter and mustard.
Hibiscus Punch
This bright beverage, inspired by Caribbean sorrel drink and Mexican agua de Jamaica, is made by steeping hibiscus flowers to extract flavor — and color. It is then lightly sweetened and served chilled, like iced tea. Add cinnamon, ginger and allspice if you wish. It makes a great ruby-colored cocktail mixer as well.
Tangerine Sorbet With Sake
Even people who don’t want dessert can manage a bowl of fruit sorbet. This one is exceedingly easy, and makes a perfect ending to any meal. Made with fresh tangerine juice and a small amount sugar, the sorbet mixture needs a bit of alcohol to keep it from freezing solid. A little sake does the trick here, while a splash of sake at serving time adds interest. If you’re not a fan of sake, use flavorless vodka in the base, and a citrus-infused vodka or citrus liqueur to finish. The alcohol gives the sorbet a softer consistency, but you can omit it if you wish.
Roasted Peppers With Capers, Olives and Anchovy
A fresh sweet pepper roasted at home can be revelatory. The flames of an outdoor grill, stovetop burner or broiler add a touch of smokiness, while helping to remove a pepper’s tough skin. To prevent the pepper from overcooking, do not place it in a closed container after roasting, as some suggest — just let it cool uncovered on a plate. The skin will still come off and the flesh won’t be mushy. The combination of sweet pepper and salty anchovy is classic. Serve this carpaccio-style, using a whole pepper to cover the plate, or arrange in alternating rows.
Citrus Salad With Fennel and Olives
An orange salad can be a simple affair. Add sliced oranges, a few black olives and a drizzle of oil, and it’s a winning combination, known throughout the eastern Mediterranean, southern Italy and perhaps especially in Morocco. You can up the interest factor in any number of ways. Add thinly sliced fennel and red onion, some arugula, mint or basil leaves, a sprinkling of red pepper, a pinch of wild oregano or a little flaky salt. The salad needn’t be restricted to only navel oranges. In season, blood oranges, Cara Cara oranges or grapefruit are welcome to join.
Oven-Fried Patatas Bravas (Crispy Potatoes With Two Sauces)
Served with spicy salsa brava and garlicky allioli, crispy hot patatas bravas are traditionally served in tapas bars throughout Spain. The salsa brava is made with pimentón, the smoked Spanish paprika sold as picante (hot) and dulce (sweet). Some cooks include a lot of chopped tomato, but my friends in Madrid tell me they prefer this version, which looks a bit like rusty gravy. As for the allioli, you can mount it by hand with a whisk, or use a stick blender as most Spaniards do. Though patatas bravas are typically pan-fried on the stovetop, I came up with this easier, oven-fried method. The potatoes emerge beautifully browned and crisped, and their flavor is sensational cooked in extra-virgin olive oil. This is not fancy fare. Grab a fork and dip the hot potatoes in both sauces for the optimal experience.
Beet Soup With Tarragon, Chives and Yogurt
Freshly cooked beets, though they take a while to prepare (see Tip), are so delicious that they’re worth the effort. Cook them the day before you need them and keep them in the fridge for up to a week, to use in salads or for a soup. For this borscht-inspired soup, a splash of vinegar tempers the beets’ natural sweetness, which is perfectly complemented by a splash of tart herby yogurt. The good news is this soup may be served warm or chilled; each way is refreshing.
Black-Eyed Peas With Ham Hock and Collards
For the New Year’s good fortune, a plate of black-eyed peas or other beans is considered auspicious, auguring wealth and prosperity. In the American South, they are traditionally eaten on the first day of the year. Adding cooked greens (the color of money) is said to make them even luckier. Simmered with onion and a meaty ham bone (other options are salt pork, bacon, pig’s feet, hog jowl and ham hock), black-eyed peas are often seasoned quite simply, with just salt and pepper. They may also be made highly seasoned with hot pepper and spices. Freshly baked cornbread is the perfect accompaniment.
Sizzling Pork Tacos
Heavily spiced strips of pork shoulder fried crisp in a pan. Warm corn tortillas. Tomatillo salsa and hot sauce. Pair the tacos with a pot of garlicky black beans, an avocado salad and mangoes for dessert, and you’ve got an incredible dinner for about an hour’s work. Go to.
Galbi (Korean-Style Short Ribs)
This dish, known as galbi, is a fine thing to eat in a restaurant, but it also makes for a wonderful and easy meal at home. If you buy English-style short ribs, which are cut along the bone, you must butterfly the meat into a thin, long strip. If the ribs you buy are flanken-style, in which a band saw is used to cut across the ribs, creating half-inch slices of beef dotted with three little bones, rinse them under cold water before seasoning to remove any bone fragments. It’s a good idea to let the ribs marinate for at least two hours to allow the seasoning to penetrate; marinating overnight is even better.
Julienne Carrot Salad
Sometimes a classic, masterfully executed salad is just what you want, and the easier the better. Enter this simple French salad, also known as called carottes râpées. It is grated carrots dressed with a simple vinaigrette; a lemony one works well. I prefer to cut the carrots into a fine julienne rather than use a box grater, which makes them a bit raggedy. The julienne carrots have a more appealing texture, and they look gorgeous piled on a platter, scattered with chives. It’s not necessary to stay absolutely traditional with this salad. I often veer North African with it, adding pinches of cumin, cinnamon and hot pepper. Nor would it be out of place to introduce Vietnamese seasonings like cilantro, mint, fish sauce and lime.
Pasta Fredda with Cherry Tomatoes, Anchovies and Herbs
Italian cooks are famous for occasionally sneaking a bit of anchovies into a cooked tomato sauce to add flavor and brightness. It works well for this extremely simple summer pasta of marinated uncooked cherry tomatoes.
Curly Endive Salad With Mustard Dressing, Egg and Gruyère
This wintry salad uses the pale center leaves of the curly endive — save the outer leaves for another use, like adding to a soup — but you could also combine them with Belgian endive and Chioggia, Treviso or speckled Castelfranco radicchio. As for the eggs, which add heft, cook them as you prefer, with a runny, gooey or moist yolk.
Rice Salad With Currants, Almonds and Pistachios
Summer buffets often feature potato salad and pasta salad, but rice salad, quite popular throughout the Mediterranean, is another terrific option to keep in mind. This simple one, which takes inspiration from Middle Eastern cuisine, uses pantry ingredients. It is delicious on its own with a bit of salad or with grilled chicken or fish. To keep the rice grains separate, boil the rice in a large pot of water as for pasta.