#ricotta z tofu

[maddypunx]

Zupa “lasagne”

Mój partner zapytał mnie ostatnio, co ja mam z tymi zupami, bo stanowią one teraz potężną część naszego codziennego menu. Co może być jednak lepszego niż gęsta, sycąca i rozgrzewającą zupa? Nie wiem, może wyrwanie się teraz na tydzień lub dwa w jakieś cieplejsze miejsce na świecie dałoby mi trochę podobnego komfortu. Zupy jednak uwielbiam, bo dają mi dużo ciepełka, są uniwersalne, można je…

[awed-frog]

What are some of your go-to recipes for satisfying meals? I’m trying to convince my husband that we should eat less meat, but he thinks meals without meat are not as filling.

Wow, that’s a great question, but I’m not sure I have a good answer for you because ‘satisfying’ really depends on your taste and habits. These are our favourite family meals, I hope something can inspire you:

Pasta and beans of some kind. There is a lot of variation here, so I don’t have a fixed recipe, but what I like to do is to prepare some vegetables (roasted or stir-fry), add some kind of bean (lentils, white beans, fava beans, green peas) and a portion of pasta (sounds stupid, but by changing the kind of pasta you immediately get a different meal). I make the sauce either red (with tomato and possibly a touch of Porto) or white (with soy cream or, if I’m feeling motivated, a blend of white beans and cooked mushrooms in stock). You can also add saffron to a white sauce, just make sure there are no overpowering spices, otherwise the saffron gets lost. If you eat cheese, you can obviously add it whenever you want: some Philadelphia-style fresh cheese, ricotta or gorgonzola can turn a dish into something completely different.

Risotto or orzotto with beans of some kind. Orzotto is like risotto, but it’s made with pearl barley instead of rice. The only problem one can have with this kind of dish is overcooking, so make sure you check before adding more broth. Many traditional recipes have them plain with some cheese, but I like to add a bean to get my proteins (green peas are the usual choice, but you can be creative) and some veggies for taste. Some people also enjoy risotto with stuff like strawberries, you can find many recipes online.

Minestrone is an end-of-week staple: I do it by just throwing all the wonky vegetables in my fridge into the pot and adding - guess! - some cereals and beans! You can have pasta instead of cereals, and the only trick here is to check how long everything has to cook (beans, for instance, are normally added pre-cooked). You can serve it with warm bruschette with butter, tapenade, dried tomatos, hummus or melted cheese.

If you’re looking for more elaborate meals, my go-to is lasagna (I normally make a vegan béchamel with soy milk and use lentils, mushrooms or seitan in the ragù), a hearty seitan stew (seitan is very easy to make at home if you can find a bag of gluten), or one of Isa Chandra Moskowitz’ recipes, like orange-glazed tempeh, tofu in pomegranate sauce, vegan spanakotiropita and stuff like that. If you eat cheese and eggs, quiches of any kind can also be irresistible. You’ll need two hours in the kitchen but the result is definitely worth it. 

If your husband doesn’t like the idea of eating less meat, my advice is to not press the point, and instead cook what you want and then be like ‘My friend Sarah gave me this recipe!’ or ‘I found pumpkins on sale so I wanted to make something with them’ or ‘How about trying an Ethiopian dish this evening?’. People don’t like to be lectured about health, and most people who don’t want to give up even a slice of ham are just afraid of the dreary, tasteless life that’s waiting for them now the wife wants to eat ‘rabbit food’. And I mean, it’s normal to be nervous about stuff you have the wrong idea about: in a lot of Western dishes, vegetables are the overboiled, awful side to the ‘real thing’ you’re eating, so the thought of skipping that ‘real thing’ and live the rest of your life on mushy carrots is not appealing. So imo if you want to make a change you have to show your husband vegan and vegetarian food can be amazingly tasty without pressing the point. It’s not ‘I want you to live longer so have this chewy cabbage’, it’s more ‘Let’s try something new! Isn’t gorgonzola great?’. Slowly, he’ll get used to the idea these dishes are actually good and satisfying and won’t notice meat is something missing from your menus.

(As a tip on recipe books: I usually leaf through them on Amazon, and if I see something I like I download the book from the z library. Then I try a few recipes, and if I like them, I buy the book from our local bookstore. There’s no point imo in buying a recipe book before tasting a few things first.)

[tomboy014]

@alittlewomble @a-sour-nectarine I can answer this one!  I pulled the recipe from “Asian Tofu” by Andrea Nguyen.  You’ll need:

6 qt pot

5qt pot (with lid)

Large Mesh Strainer

Wooden Spatula

Blender

6 oz good quality soy beans

8 cups water

If you want to make (block) tofu, you’ll also need:

Pressing cloth (something like unbleached muslin or a tea towel)

Tofu mold

mold liner cloth

ladle

strainer

bowl or large jar

weight (~16oz can of soup or something)

thermometer (optional)

Nigari (coagulant)

1/2 cup water

Soak 6 ounces of soybeans overnight until they split apart between your fingertips when squeezed.  Drain. 

Set up your equipment.  Put the smaller pot in the sink with the strainer inside it and the pressing cloth in the strainer, edges draped over the rim.

Put the larger pot on the stove and start heating 5 cups of water.  Do not let come to a boil.

Puree the soaked soybeans with 2 cups of water using the blender.  You should have a nice, smooth bean smoothie.  This can be done in batches.

Add your soybean smoothie to the pot of water.  Rinse out the blender with 1/2 cup water and add that to the pot, too.

Cook the soybean mixture, stirring frequently with the wooden spatula to avoid scorching, until foam forms and begins to rise.  About 3 to 6 minutes according to the recipe.  Keep an eye on the pot!  As soon as the foam starts to form, it rises fast!  When it does, turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner to stop it from boiling over.  Stir a few times and wait for the foam to deflate a bit.

Pour the hot mixture into the pressing cloth you have set up in the strainer.  Scrape out any beans remaining in the large pot.

Gather and twist the pressing cloth into a sack and squeeze.  This will be hot.  You can give it a few minutes to cool or use a tool to press it like the back of a spoon.  Get out as much liquid as you can!

Open the pressing cloth and spread the solids out.  Add 1/2 cup water, stir to combine into a mush, and squeeze a second time.

Note: The solids left behind in your pressing cloth are called soy lees.  They are edible!  And a great addition to things like hot pot and stews.  Save them!

Remove the strainer from the smaller pot, and move it over to the stove.  Bring the soymilk to a gentle simmer over medium-high or high heat, stirring frequently.  Once it starts to make little bubbles along the sides, lower the heat.  The soymilk needs to cook for 5 minutes to make sure it’s fully digestible.

If you stop here ☝️, you have soy milk!  Hooray! To make block tofu:

Keep the soy milk in the smaller pot you just cooked it in. Keep it at that gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes. If a light skin forms, remove it so it doesn't break up the tofu during shaping. But it's edible, so you don't have to toss it out if you don't want to.

Dissolve 1.5 tsp nigari with 1/2 cup water. but the tofu mold on a rimmed baking sheet or shallow baking dish. Line the mold with your liner (another cloth or tea towel), letting it drape over the sides.

Once the soy milk is cooked, turn off the heat and let it cool for 2-3 minutes. Stir frequently in a Z pattern to stop a skin from forming.

Stir the spatula quickly in a vigorous back and forth Z pattern 6-8 times and pour in a third of your dissolved nigari. Stop the spatula in the middle of the pot and hold it upright until the milk stops moving. Gently lift out.

Sprinkle another third of the coagulant mix on the onto the surface. Cover the pot and wait 3 minutes.

Add the last third of the coagulant to the surface of the soy milk and stir it into the top 1/2 inch for about 20 seconds, giving extra attention to any milky areas. The soy milk should start curdling at this point.

Cover the pot and wait another 3 minutes. Uncover. If there's still milky areas, gently stir another 20 seconds to complete curdling. You should now have curds in yellow whey. It kinda looks like ricotta.

Ladle a little bit of the whey into your mold to moisten the liner. Then, gently press down on the curds with the strainer and use the ladle to start removing some of the whey from the pot and into a bowl or jar. This makes ladling out the curds easier.

Note: The whey is also edible and works great in place of water for soup stocks or other recipes you want to add some extra protein to. I recommend you save and use it. You can also freeze it if you can't or don't want to use it right away.

Ladle the curds into the mold. Be gentle! Neatly fold over the liner cloth to cover the curds and place the top of the press in place.

Put a weight on top of the lid to press. For medium tofu, press with 1 lb weight for `15 minutes. Medium firm, 1.5-2lbs for 15 minutes. Firm, 3lbs for 20 minutes.

Note: This firm tofu will not be as firm as the stuff from the grocery store.

Your tofu is now freshly pressed and delicate. It needs to cool down and firm up. Partially fill a bowl, pot, or tupperware large enough to hold your block of tofu with cold water. Gently remove your tofu from the mold and unwrap it. Watch it jiggle! Let it sit in the water for at least 5 minutes. I usually give it a few hours in the fridge to really firm up.

Congrats! You have tofu!!!! It's a bit involved, but the results are delicious and come with a lot of edible byproduct full of protein. Plus, you can't beat the taste of homemade tofu. Yes, it actually has a taste! Store in the fridge in water, and change the water everyday.

Enjoy!

How do you milk an oat

[foodffs]

These vegan stuffed shells are filled with a mix of dairy-free cashew tofu ricotta and garlicky basil pea pesto, and baked up in a creamy sauce to bubbly perfection.

Follow for recipes

Get your FoodFfs stuff here

[dentalinfotoday]

If you need dental surgery, you may have a lot of questions and concerns. How much will it cost? How much will it hurt? Who is going to drive me home? And perhaps most importantly, what can I eat? Recovery can seem a lot more stressful if you don’t stock up on acceptable soft foods in advance. Park Slope Dental Arts in Brooklyn shares a comprehensive list of foods in this article to help ease your mind—at least about one aspect of your procedure!

Types of Dental Treatments

Each type of dental treatment is different, so it’s important to follow post-operative instructions from us regarding appropriate foods to eat. Certain surgeries require a strict liquid diet for a certain amount of time before transitioning to soft foods. Types of dental procedures that require soft foods while recovering may include:

Dental implants

Extractions

Periodontal (involving the gums)

Restorative work (crowns, bridges)

Awesome Post-Op Soft Foods from A to Z

Here we go! And don’t be afraid to get friendly with your blender to make a delicious smoothie or two!

A: Applesauce, avocado, apples (baked)

B: Baby food, beans (black or baked, mashed if necessary), bananas, broccoli (steamed to softness), broth, butternut squash (cooked soft)

C: Carnation Instant Breakfast Essentials® (some available in sugar-free!), carrots (steamed soft), soft cheese, casseroles, clam chowder, cottage cheese, canned fruits and veggies, crab cakes, cranberry sauce, chicken salad, curry

D: Deviled eggs, deviled ham, dumplings (steamed)

E: Ensure®, eggs (poached, fried, or scrambled), egg salad, egg drop soup

F: Fettuccine, fish, frozen yogurt, fruit juice, fruit smoothies, soft fruits (not citrus)

G: Gravy, ground meats (turkey, beef, chicken), guacamole, gelato, gazpacho

H: Hummus

I: Ice cream

J: Jell-O®, juiced vegetables, and fruits

K: Kefir, key lime pie

L: Lentils or lentil soup (puréed), lunch meats

M: Macaroni and cheese, Malt-O-Meal®, mangoes, mashed potatoes, matzoh ball soup, meatloaf, meatballs, miso soup, mousse, muffins (no nuts), melons (very ripe), milkshakes (but don’t use a straw!)

N: Noodles (ramen, egg), nut butters (great when added to shakes and smoothies), nutmeg (for flavor)

O: Oatmeal (soft)

P: Pancakes, pasta (cooked very soft), pies, polenta, pot roast with vegetables (cooked to falling apart), protein powder, protein drinks and shakes like Premier Protein®, pudding

Q: Quiche (no crust)

R: Refried beans, ricotta cheese, risotto, rice

S: Sherbet, smoothies, soft bread (soak in soup), soufflé, soup, spaghetti, spinach, spinach dip, steamed vegetables, stew, sweet potatoes

T: Tapioca pudding, tofu, tuna salad

U: Unsweetened herbal tea (hold the lemon—too acidic!)

V: Vichyssoise (chilled potato leek soup)

W: Waffles

X: Xavier soup (Italian dumpling soup)

Y: Yellow squash, yogurt

Z: Zucchini (baked, mashed)

Foods to Avoid

We hope we’ve sparked a little kitchen creativity with the soft foods listed above, but equally important, you should know which types of foods to avoid to ensure your quickest and most comfortable recovery.

Anything acidic (tomatoes, tomato sauce, oranges, lemons, or any other acidic fruit or juice)

Seeds, cracked pepper, or popcorn (can become lodged, causing discomfort or infection)

Spicy foods (may lead to discomfort)

Crunchy or especially chewy foods (can interfere with postoperative blood clotting)

Over-the-counter mouth rinses should also be avoided during your recovery. Even though they are not technically a food, they are commonly used and interfere significantly with healing. Dentists will usually prescribe a safe mouth rinse for use following dental surgery.

If you have any questions about dental surgery, your Brooklyn dentists would love to answer them. Get in touch with us at Park Slope Dental Arts today!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

    The post Applesauce to Zucchini: What Should I Eat After Dental Surgery? appeared first on Park Slope Dental Arts.

from Park Slope Dental Arts https://www.parkslopedentalarts.com/blog/applesauce-to-zucchini-what-should-i-eat-after-dental-surgery/ Park Slope Dental Arts 506 3rd St. Brooklyn, NY 11215 (718) 962-0300

[bberrycharn]

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http://mebestarticle.blogspot.com/2019/08/low-carb-das-kochbuch-f-berufst.html – im Job: Low Carb Rezepte für gesundes Essen und schnelle Gerichte

Kennen Sie das auch? Dieses Konzentrationstief vorm PC? Die gähnende Müdigkeit nach dem Essen in der Kantine, den Null-Motivations-Durchhänger vor dem Nachmittags-Meeting? Jetzt schnell etwas Süßes – denken sich dann viele. Mal eben die Tüte Gummibärchen aufmachen, ein paar Besprechungs-Kekse naschen, und eine Cola dazu! Das hebt kurz die Laune – aber dann spielt der Blutzucker auch schon wieder verrückt und fährt Achterbahn. Und man fühlt sich noch schlapper als zuvor. Und das Schnitzel mit Pommes in der Mittagspause? Trägt auch nicht dazu bei, dass die Leistungskurve einen ganzen 8-Stunden-Bürotag lang steil nach oben zeigt. Und abends nach der Arbeit? Wollte man doch eigentlich mit dem gesund Abnehmen beginnen, endlich auf gesunde Ernährung achten und sich öfter mal etwas Frisches kochen. Aber nach einem langen Arbeitstag? Wer hat da schon Lust aufs Kochen?

Der Ernährungsplan für den Büroalltag: Low Carb Rezepte, die den Stoffwechsel anregen! Stress lass‘ nach: Mit Low Carb – Das Kochbuch für Berufstätige von GU lässt sich auch im Büroalltag ab sofort den ganzen Tag über der Turbogang einlegen! Über 75 gesunde Rezepte für schnelle Gerichte sorgen dafür, dass  gesunde Ernährung und gesund Abnehmen auch während der Arbeit und nach Büroschluss mit Genuss möglich sind. Gerade unter der Woche und im Berufsalltag, wenn die Frage, was koche ich heute für viele einfach nur lästig ist. Die 75 Low Carb Rezepte von Low Carb – Das Kochbuch für Berufstätige sorgen dafür, dass Körper und Seele alles bekommen, was satt, glücklich und den ganzen Arbeitstag lang fit und leistungsfähig macht: kohlenhydratarme Rezepte mit viel gesundem Eiweiß, hochwertigen Fetten und geballter Vitalstoffpower. Einfache Rezepte für ganz viel Energie!

Leckere schnelle Rezepte für die alltagstaugliche Low Carb Diät: Vom Frühstück low carb über Low Carb Snacks und Fingerfood Rezepte, Low Carb Pasta, Low Carb Brot und Low Carb Kuchen bis zum Low Carb Abendessen sind alle Rezepte von Low Carb – Das Kochbuch für Berufstätige super schnell gemacht, easy vorzubereiten und problemlos mit Zutaten aus dem Supermarkt zu kochen und vorzubereiten. Leichter kann endlich abnehmen nicht sein! Die Low Carb Rezepte sind so zusammengestellt, dass der Stoffwechsel den ganzen Tag lang langsam und kontinuierlich Energie aufnimmt. So bleiben Heißhungerattacken aus – und dickmachende Pommes, Käsebrötchen & Co. garantiert links liegen. Schöner Nebeneffekt: Man bleibt dauerhaft fit und schlank! Viele vegetarische Gerichte sind genauso unter den Rezeptideen wie leckere einfache Rezepte für die fettarme Ernährung zum schlank werden:

Blitzrezepte für den Feierabend: z. B. Garnelenspieße mit Mangosalat, Gelber Linseneintopf mit Chorizo, Kräutersuppe mit Shrimps, Blumenkohlpizza mit Spinat und Ricotta, Knusprige Kohlrabi-Plätzchen mit Petersiliensauce, Tofu-Piccata mit Zucchininudeln, Orangenhähnchen auf Quinoa, Lachskotelett auf Fenchel im Orangensud, Schweinemedaillons auf Backpflaumengemüse …

Mittagsgerichte to go: z. B. Nektarinen-Tomaten-Carpaccio mit Käsebrot, Melone-Gurken-Salat mit Hähnchenbrust, Quinoa-Bratlinge mit Gurkensalat, Sesam-Sellerieschnitzel mit Möhrensalat, Bulgur mit Räuchertofu, Low Carb Pancakes aus Zucchini, Putenfrikadellen mit Spinatsalat, Gemüsemuffins mit Schinken, Curry-Vollkorn-Pilaw mit Garnelen, Spinat-Crêpes mit Hüttenkäse (Low Carb Wrap) …

Frühstück: z. B. Chia-Pudding mit Schoko und Banane, Hüttenkäse mit Orange und Kokosnuss, Himbeer-Smoothie Bowl mit Mandeln, Avocado-Erdbeer-Bowl mit Chia, Luftiges Blaubeer-Omelette mit Mandeln, Aprikosen-Frühstücksoblaten, Müsliriegel mit Mandeln und Schokolade, Erdbeer-Aufstrich mit Chia, Vollkorn-Bruschette mit Forelle, Hafer Low Carb Pancakes mit Schinkencreme, Avocado-Feta-Frittata …

Low Carb für jeden Tag, schnell, einfach, alltagstauglich: Damit die Ernährungsumstellung auf Low Carb auch im Büroalltag locker funktioniert, ist vor allem eines wichtig: dass sich die Low Carb Rezepte gut vorbereiten lassen. Darauf legen die beiden Autoren von Low Carb – Das Kochbuch für Berufstätige großen Wert. Ob schnelle Dressing-Ideen für Low Carb Salat Rezepte wie Honig-Chili-, Zitrone-Dill- oder Himbeer-Dressing, ob Dip Rezepte für Low Carb Snacks im Büro, ob einfache Rezepte fürs Low Carb Frühstück oder leckere Rezepte fürs Low Carb Mittagessen – sie sind alle ganz relaxed am Abend vorzubereiten, blitzschnell gemacht und für unterwegs einfach mitzunehmen. Damit lässt sich Low Carb to go problemlos genießen! Basic Wissen über die Low Carb Ernährung, die besten Low Carb Lebensmittel aus dem Supermarkt und eine übersichtliche Low Carb Pyramide machen den Ernährungsplan zum gesund Abnehmen und Stoffwechsel anregen auch für Einsteiger in die Low Carb Diät nachvollziehbar und leicht. Und sollte ausnahmsweise doch mal wieder die Lust auf Süßkram gesiegt haben – dann bringen die Tipps und Tricks bei Heißhunger und kleinen Sünden im Serviceteil des Buchs den Stoffwechsel garantiert wieder ins Lot!

Low Carb – Das Kochbuch für Berufstätige auf einen Blick:

Low Carb Rezepte, perfekt für den Berufsalltag: 75 gesunde Rezepte für schnelle Gerichte – vom Power Low Carb Frühstück über Low Carb Snacks bis zum Low Carb Mittagessen und Low Carb Abendessen – alles blitzschnell fertig und einfach gemacht!

Schnelles Essen kochen nach Büroschluss: Alle Rezepte sind einfach vorzubereiten und schnell zu kochen – damit wird Low Carb endlich auch im Job und nach Feierabend für alle machbar!

Fit, satt und glücklich – der Ernährungsplan für alle, die top im Job sein wollen: Vollwertige Rezepte für die gesunde Ernährung, leckere Rezepte mit guten Fetten, hochwertigem Eiweiß und gesunden Kohlenhydraten.

Gesund abnehmen als Nebeneffekt: Kohlenhydratarme Rezepte, kalorienarme Rezepte und einfache Rezepte, die den Stoffwechsel anregen, sorgen dafür, dass Heißhungerattacken ausbleiben – damit wird endlich Abnehmen auch im Büro möglich!

–

[- Low Carb: Das Kochbuch für Berufstätige. Schnelle Rezepte für den Alltag. (GU Di& - im Job: Low Carb Rezepte für gesundes Essen und schnelle GerichteKennen Sie das auch?

[parents-for-life-me]

Week 2

X: Wat gaan we eten vandaag? Y: Maakt niet uit, doe maar wat. X: Oke, we eten lollies. Y: Ja, maar ik bedoelde iets lekkers. X: Wat bedoel je met lekkers? Y: Iets waar ik zin in heb maar ik weet het zelf nog niet.

Herkenbaar? Op voorhand een weekmenu maken zorgt er voor veel mensen voor dat je gezonder en gevarieerder gaat eten. Het kan vaak ook goedkoper zijn om een weekmenu te maken. Je kan immers veel minder en veel gerichter je inkopen doen en wordt minder makkelijk verleid tot impulsaankopen.

Er zijn echter altijd omstandigheden waarin je de energie ontbreekt om een menu op te stellen: Het kind werd 107,3 keer wakker tijdens de voorgaande nacht. Het kind ‘lust geen avondeten’ waardoor alle inspiratie ondertussen helemaal zoek is. Er is altijd tijd tekort.

En wij.. .. wij helpen graag.

Elke zondag kan je hier een weekmenu terugvinden. Op tijd om de week te starten met alvast een gedachtenkramp minder.

MAANDAG

Rode kool met appeltjes en pensen 4pµ

1 rode kool

4 middelgrote ajuinen, in halve ringen

8 appelen, in blokjes + 1 extra appel voor de afwerking

4 el smout of zoete lies (spekvet)

2 kruidentuiltje (peterselie, tijm, laurier)

4 el kandijsuiker

2 scheutjes water

4 aardappelen, geschild

2 witte pensen

2 rode pensen

2 kleine scheutjes azijn

versgemalen peper – zout

BEREIDEN

Verwijder het buitenste blad van de rode kool en snijd de kool in fijne reepjes. Smelt 1 eetlepel smout in een grote kookpot en stoof hierin de rode kool, ajuin en appeltjes. Breng op smaak met peper en zout en doe het kruidenboeketje erbij. Werk af met de kandijsuiker en giet het scheutje water erbij. Roer om, zet het deksel op de kookpot en laat 2 uur sudderen op een laag vuur.

Lepel met de pomme parisiennelepel bolletjes uit de aardappelen. Kook de aardappelbolletjes beetgaar in licht gezouten water.

Smelt voor de pensen de rest van de smout in een pan. Bak de pensen hierin goudbruin op een zacht vuurtje. Draai af en toe om en overgiet regelmatig met bakvet.

WERK AF

Lepel met de pomme parisiennelepel bolletjes uit de extra appel. Neem een tweede pannetje en doe hierin een beetje bakvet van de pensen. Bak hierin de aardappelen en appeltjes goudbruin.

Besprenkel de rode kool met een klein scheutje azijn. 

SERVEREN:

Gebruik een hoge dresseerring om de rode kool en de appel- en aardappelbolletjes op de voorverwarmde borden te schikken. Snijd de pensen in schijfjes en verdeel over de borden. Werk af met een lepeltje bakvocht en tast toe.

  DINSDAG

Avocado-erwten saus met schorseneren en pasta (4p)

400g schorseneren

2 cup erwten

2 avocado’s

2 dl room

dragon

chilipoeder

zonnebloempitten (of pijnboompitten)

p&z

feta

BEREIDING

Maak de schorseneren schoon. Je kan ze eerst wat laten weken in water zodat de aarde loskomt. Ik schil ze onder stromend water. Eens geschild gaat de schorseneer in een azijn-water bad zodat ze niet bruin worden.

Als al de schorseneren geschild zijn, snijd je ze in gelijke stukken van zo’n 5 à 7 cm. Ik sneed ze ook in de lengte door zodat ze niet te dik waren. Kook de schorseneren in water met zout en citroensap. Kook ze niet plat, zorg dat er nog wat bite aan is. Giet de schorseneren af en bak ze in boter.

Kook de erwtjes gaar.

Pureer de advocado’s en meng ze met de room en kruiden. Voeg de erwten toe.

Voeg de schorseneren toe aan de saus.

Rooster wat zonnebloempitten (of pijnboompitten) met grof zout.

Verkruimel de feta en kook pasta. Wij aten het met tagliatelle.

Dien het op met de geroosterde pitten en feta.

WOENSDAG

Quiche met ham, prei en oesterzwammen 4p

1 vel ruimeldeeg (of zelfbereid ongezoet kruimeldeeg)

een klontje boter en een beetje bloem

200 g ovengebakken ham of breydelham (dikke plakken)

4 eieren

2.5 deciliters room

100 g gemalen kaas (bv. emmentaler, gruyère)

1 stam prei

150 g oesterzwammen

1 ui

1 teentje look

gedroogde tijm

muskaatnoten

cayennepeper

peper

zout

een groentesla naar keuze (bv. Romeinse sla en tomaten)

BEREIDING

De quichebodem blind bakken

Verwarm de oven voor tot 180° C.

Wrijf de taartvorm in met een klein beetje boter. Bepoeder het ingevette oppervlak met wat bloem. Zo kan je de quiche later gemakkelijk uit de vorm halen.

Bepoeder je werkvlak met bloem en wikkel de lap kruimeldeeg rond je deegrol en drapeer hem voorzichtig bovenop de vorm. Laat het deeg erin zakken en druk het in de hoekjes aan.

Snij het overtollig deeg weg met een scherp mesje.

TIP Druk het deeg nu rondomrond een beetje aan, zodat het klein beetje boven de rand uitsteekt. Tijdens het bakken zal de quichebodem een beetje krimpen. Leg een (rond) vel bakpapier bovenop het deeg en strooi er een flinke laag baklinzen of bakgewichtjes in.

Schuif de quichebodem in de oven van 180°C en bak het deeg ‘blind’ gedurende zo’n 20 minuten. (Hou nadien de oven warm.)

Bereid de vulling voor.

Plet de look tot pulp. Snipper de ui fijn.

Maak de oesterzwammen schoon. Snij of scheur grote exemplaren in kleine stukken.

Smelt een klont boter in een stoofpot of een ruime pan. Bak de stukken paddenstoel op een matig vuur. Roer tussendoor de lookpulp eronder en voeg even later de uisnippers toe.

Verwijder het zwoerd van de ham en snij het vlees in gelijke reepjes of stukjes. Laat het vlees kort meebakken.

Spoel de prei grondig. Snij het wit en een deel van het groen van de stam in fijne stukjes en stoof ze mee.

Kruid de hele inhoud van de pan met een snuif gedroogde tijm, een snuif muskaatnoot en een beetje straffe cayennepeper.

Laat de mix van groenten en vlees nog 10 minuten stoven op een zacht vuur. Laat voldoende vocht verdampen, zodat de mix voldoende ‘droog’ in de quiche verwerkt wordt.

De quiche afwerken

Breek de eieren in een mengschaal. Schenk er de room bij en kluts beide ingrediënten met de garde. Voeg naar smaak wat versgemalen peper en een snuif zout toe.

Verwijder de bakgewichten en het bakpapier uit de voorgebakken deegbodem.

Schep de vulling in het kruimeldeeg en verdeel ze gelijkmatig.

Schenk het mengsel van ei en room in de quiche. Laat het tussen de stukjes vulling sijpelen.

Strooi de gemalen kaas gelijkmatig over de hartige taart.

Bak de quiche in een oven van 180°-190°C, gedurende minstens 30 minuten.

Ontvorm het gebak voorzichtig, snij de quiche in taartpunten en serveer ze warm.

DONDERDAG

Ovenschotel met butternut en tofu ricotta 4p

Ingredienten

1 middelgrote butternut pompoen

500 g pasta (bv. farfalle)

250 g tofu

1 teentje knoflook

1 handje verse basilicum

sap van 1 citroen

peper en zout

4 el edelgistvlokken

400 g tomatensaus

100 g jonge bladspinazie

vegan geraspte kaas of parmezaan (optioneel)

BEREIDING

Verwarm de oven voor op 200°C.

Schil de butternut, verwijder de pitjes en snijd in blokjes.

Kook de butternut samen met de pasta beetgaar.

Blend de tofu, look, basilicum, citroensap, peper en zout en edelgistvlokken tot een kruimelige massa.

Verwarm de tomatensaus samen met de tofuricotta. Voeg de spinazie toe.

Voeg vervolgens de pasta en pompoenblokjes toe en meng goed.

Verdeel het mengsel over en grote ovenschaal en bestrooi eventueel met wat vegan parmezaanse kaas.

Bak 20 minuten in de oven op 200°C.

VRIJDAG

Schelvis met bulgurrisotto, erwtjes en saffraan 4P

Ingredienten

200 g bulgur

6 dl groentebouillon

1 sjalot

1 teen knoflook

enkele takjes tijm

enkele blaadjes laurier

2 dopjes saffraan

olijfolie

400 g erwtjes (vers)

1 ui

boter

100 g parmezaan

peper

zout

Voor de vis:

600 g schelvis

boter

een scheutje witte wijn

peper

zout

BEREIDING

Bulgurrisotto:

Dop de erwtjes. Verwarm de groentebouillon.

Verwarm een scheut olijfolie in een pan. Pel en snipper de sjalot. Stoof in de olie. Kneus en pel de knoflook. Snipper de teen fijn en plet met een mes. Stoof de lookpulp met de sjalot. Leg de tijm en de laurier in de pan. Doe er de bulgur bij en laat kort mee bakken.

Bevochtig met de groentebouillon. Doe er het saffraanpoeder bij en laat garen op een zacht vuur. Haal de risotto van het vuur en vis er de tijm en de laurier uit. Roer er een klontje boter door. Rasp de parmezaan en roer door de risotto.

Breng water met een snuifje zout aan de kook. Kook de erwtjes 3 minuten. Laat uitlekken in een vergiet.

Pel en snipper de ui. Smelt een klontje boter in een pan en stoof de ui. Doe de erwtjes bij de ui en kruid met peper en zout.

Vis:

Verwarm de oven voor tot 180 °C.

Verdeel de vis in porties en kruid met peper en zout.

Wrijf een ovenschaal in met boter. Leg er de schelvis in en giet er een scheutje wijn (of water) over.

Dek af met aluminiumfolie en laat ongeveer 15 minuten garen in de voorverwarmde oven.

Afwerken en serveren:

Roer de jus van de vis door de risotto. Serveer de bulgurrisotto met erwtjes en schelvis.

ZATERDAG

Boeuf bourguignon met pastinaak 4p

INGREDIENTEN

750 g runderschenkels (of stoofvlees)

100 g spekblokjes (gerookte)

400 g zilveruien

4 pastinaken (kleine, of wortelen)

2 teentjes knoflook

bruine fond (of bouillon)

20 ml cognac

500 ml rode wijn

verse tijm

peper

zout

BEREIDING

Pel de zilveruitjes en de knoflook. Schil de pastinaken en snij ze in grove stukken.

Verdeel de helft van het spek over de bodem van een braadpan. Laat zachtjes smelten. Doe er de uitjes en het vlees bij en kruid met peper en zout. Bak rondom aan.

 Pers de look boven de pan en voeg de stukken pastinaak, de tijm en de rest van het spek toe. Overgiet met de cognac en de rode wijn. Dek de pan af en laat op een zacht vuurtje 3 uur sudderen. Giet er gedurende die tijd zo veel runderfond bij als nodig is (het vlees mag niet uitdrogen).

 Proef en kruid bij met peper en zout. Bind de saus indien nodig met wat maïszetmeel. Serveer de boeuf bourguignon met gekookte aardappeltjes of gratin dauphinois.

ZONDAG

Varkensmignonette met gebakken aardappelen en wortelen 4p

INGREDIENTEN

4 varkensmignonnettes (beenhouwerij)

600 g wortelen

250 g champignons

3 takjes verse tijm

800 g aardappelen

1 ui

1 eetl. mosterd

4 eetl. olijfolie

peper en zout

BEREIDING

Snij de wortelen in gelijke staafjes. 

Snij de champignons in 4 of in 6. 

Snipper de ui fijn. 

Schil de aardappelen en snij in gelijke stukken.

Kook de aardappelen 20 min. gaar in lichtgezouten water. Giet af.

Verhit intussen 2 eetl. olijfolie in een pan en bak de mignonettes goudbruin aan beide kanten. Kruid met peper en zout. Zet het vuur lager en laat nog  ± 10 min. verder garen. Haal het vlees uit de pan en hou warm.

Bak de aardappelen 3 à 4 min. lichtbruin in de pan van het vlees.

Verhit intussen 1 eetl. olijfolie in een kookpot en bak de champignons 5 min. op een hoog vuur. Haal uit de kookpot.

Verhit opnieuw 1 eetl. olijfolie in de kookpot en bak de ui 1 à 2 min. glazig. Voeg de wortelen toe en kruid met de takjes tijm, peper en zout. Overgiet met 1 dl water en laat ± 10 min. garen op een zacht vuur.

Meng de champignons en de mosterd onder de wortelen.

Afwerking

Snij de mignonettes in schuine reepjes en verdeel samen met de groenten en de aardappelen over de borden.

Bronnen

Ma: njam.tv

Di: elfjeskruid.wordpress.com

Wo: dagelijksekost.een.be

Do: www.evavzw.be

Vr: www.lekkervanbijons.be

Zat: www.libelle-lekker.be

Zon: colruyt.be

  Het bericht Week 2 verscheen eerst op Parents For Life.

from Parents for Life http://bit.ly/2SDfl9V via

[culinaryinquisitor-blog]

It Takes Two: Cooking Projects for You and Your Va...

New Post has been published on https://culinaryinquisitor.com/it-takes-two-cooking-projects-for-you-and-your-va/

It Takes Two: Cooking Projects for You and Your Va...

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[Photograph: Vicky Wasik, Shao Z.]

Let’s make one thing clear right out of the gate: Cooking as a couple isn’t for everyone. (Two years ago, we published a whole essay about this, albeit with a happy ending.) Maybe neither of you has Daniel’s sky-high standards in the kitchen, but successfully assembling a dinner together is one of those projects that tend to pull the veil off a relationship, exposing the tender spots of tension therein: needs for control or approval, tiny currents of judginess or thin competitive streaks. Even absent the complexity introduced by romance, deeply intertwined lives, and intimate knowledge of each other’s foibles, suddenly teaming up on a task that you’re used to doing alone can be a tough row to hoe—think of workplace collaboration, or The Amazing Race. You’ve been warned, is what we’re saying.

But! You’ve clicked on this article, you’ve read this far, and you’re a grown-up (we hope) who (we’ll assume) can point to the strength of your relationship and/or past triumphant team-cooking experiences as ample counterevidence. You already know that making a meal together can be a lovely expression of love, a way to create Valentine’s in your and your partner’s own image, on your own schedule, and avoid the headaches of dining out on that particular day. You’re here for recipes, not marriage advice, for chrissake! Well, fine.

While you can split up the duties required of almost any dish, some projects make more sense for this purpose than others. At the top of the list are any recipes that involve a lot of painstaking assembly, including items made in bulk to be frozen (dumplings and ravioli!) or stored in the pantry (DIY Milk Duds!) for later. Some of these recipes won’t make entrées, much less full meals, but we’ve included them because they provide good opportunities for collaboration, and because cooking projects can be enjoyable and worthwhile even if they don’t directly result in dinner. Pour a couple of glasses of wine and peruse this list together now, then stock up on everything you need well in advance, so you can be as relaxed as possible on the day of.

Homemade Mozzarella

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

High-quality fresh mozzarella—those delicate, moist orbs with a mild flavor of little more than good milk—can be hard to come by if you don’t live in Italy, or, at least, within close range of a well-supplied Italian grocery. Are you and your innamorato destined to go without? Not if we have anything to say about it. Armed with nonhomogenized, low-temperature-pasteurized milk (best obtained from a local farmers market), a couple of specialty ingredients you can order online, and a thorough reading of our explanation, you can take matters into your own hands, kind of literally. The teaming-up part comes when it’s time to stretch and shape the curd: After it’s been divided, both of you can stretch and lovingly shape your own balls of mozz before lowering them into whey to rest. For maximum collaboration, shape the cheese into tiny bocconcini instead of full-size balls, the better to pop into each other’s mouths right after they’re made. No, really: Eat these immediately, totally naked (the cheese, we mean, but y’all do y’all!), or with just a sprinkling of sea salt. Don’t even think about putting them in the fridge for later—true love might wait, but fresh mozzarella does not.

Get the recipe for Fresh Mozzarella From Scratch »

Pasta, All Ways

The Best Fresh Pasta Sheets

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Like making your own mozzarella, rolling and cutting your own fresh pasta dough will give you more than a terrific feeling of personal accomplishment; it’ll also result in a far tastier product than you’ll be able to buy at the vast majority of stores. One person can handle making the dough, sure, but kneading it is time-consuming, so it’s a good candidate for dividing between partners. If you’re using a manual pasta roller, it also helps to have one person feeding the dough in while the other turns the crank. If you’re lucky enough to have a stand mixer attachment for making pasta, well, take turns standing there and looking pretty. (Speaking of looking pretty: Incorporating beet purée is an easy way to turn your pasta a vibrant shade of pink that’s made for Valentine’s Day, without imparting any noticeable beet flavor.)

Get the recipe for Classic Fresh Egg Pasta »

This recipe makes pasta sheets that are ideal for slicing into linguine or fettuccine. Looking for something more involved? May we suggest…

Ravioli and Tortellini

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

If you and your valentine still have energy to burn after rolling out that homemade pasta dough, there’s nothing stopping you from turning it into an impressive spread of mushroom tortellini, ravioli filled with ricotta or butternut squash and blue cheese, or—for the high achievers among you, the couples who go running together in matching compression tights, you know who you are—an eye-popping dish of uovo in raviolo, extra-large ravioli filled with creamy ricotta and a soft-yolked egg. You will probably need a ravioli mold, or at least a fluted pastry wheel, when it’s time to cut the dough shapes, and you’ll definitely want both sets of hands available for portioning out the filling. If you’re making standard ravioli or tortellini, by all means enjoy your work for dinner in the evening, but make enough to freeze and eat later, too.

Stuffed Shells

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Want something a little softer and easier? A filled pasta that’s not quite as handcrafted, but still delicious, one that’ll leave you plenty of time for drinking wine and playing video games? Try our classic ricotta- and spinach-stuffed shells, or this incredible version with shells filled with crab, shrimp, and scallops, a bit like the love child of crab cakes and pasta Alfredo. Both of them start with store-bought dried pasta, but will still go a lot faster when you’ve got two people to do the stuffing.

Ricotta Gnudi

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Gnudi comes from the old Tuscan-language equivalent of the word for “naked” in Italian, a name that’s both thematically appropriate for Valentine’s and practically descriptive of the dish: dumpling-like spheres of soft and creamy ricotta that lack a true pasta shell. Instead, they’re individually coated in a layer of semolina flour—a step that’s made quicker and easier with a partner—then allowed to sit until the thinnest of skins form on their exteriors. You’ll need to plan ahead for that step, as it can take a few days, and, above all, don’t skimp on the quality of the ricotta! With barely a fig leaf of pasta to cover it, so to speak, the cheese is highly exposed, which means it needs to be in top form. If excellent ricotta, containing no gums or stabilizers, isn’t available commercially where you live, tack on a bonus cooking project by making your own—it’s much easier than you think.

Get the recipe for Ricotta and Black Pepper Gnudi With Sage and Brown Butter »

A Dumpling Feast

[Photograph: Shao Z.]

With the help of store-bought wonton wrappers, making your own dumpling feast becomes as simple as whipping up the filling and starting up a two-person assembly line: one person to drop filling by the spoonful into each dumpling skin, the other to wet the edges, press, and seal. (For the sake of conjugal harmony, be sure to switch roles now and then, since partner #2 does the lion’s share of the work here.) We’ve got a number of recipes that start with store-bought wrappers, for dumplings as invitingly easy as they are tasty: pan-fried vegetable dumplings stuffed with wood ear mushrooms, five-spice tofu, and seitan; cute little shrimp and pork siu mai, made extra rich with pork fat mixed into the filling; Japanese pork and cabbage gyoza; and Sichuan-style wontons that pack a punch with hot, sour, sweet, and savory flavors. (Don’t forget the dipping sauces, too!)

Not enough of a challenge for you, unstoppable power couple that you are? Try your hands at dumplings that are homemade from start to finish, including the wrappers—like diaphanous har gow crammed with plump shrimp, or hearty Taiwanese pan-fried leek buns (shui jian bao). Perhaps the crowning achievement in a homemade-dumpling résumé, if there is such a thing, is xiao long bao, or soup dumplings, twist-topped bundles of dough hiding a liquid center of broth that gushes when you bite into it. Though they’re not all that difficult to make, they do rely on the gelatin content of homemade broth, so get ready for some extra canoodling over a mound of chicken backs.

You can find even more homemade-dumpling recipes to try out, either solo or together, here.

Tamales

[Photograph: Joshua Bousel]

Yes, tamales have a reputation, and a pretty well-deserved one at that, for being terribly labor-intensive. But dammit, is it ever hard to come by a truly good tamale—light, flavorful masa dough wrapped around a savory core of fillings���in the US, unless you live in one of a very few places with strong Mexican-American influences…or unless you have a special someone to help you make them at home. Our guide smooths the way for you by describing the testing process in detail and including photographs of each step in the assembly process. With help from his wife, Josh was able to put together 60 tamales in under half an hour—not a bad turnaround time—before steaming them or freezing for later. Choose a filling of red chili with chicken, roasted peppers and Oaxaca cheese, or green chili with pork.

Sushi

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Making makizushi (sushi rolls) is one of the most enjoyable yet approachable hands-on cooking projects you can dream up. It’s less humdrum than filling dumplings or assembling tamales, and, while it does take a bit of practice and maybe just a smidge of artistry, don’t be intimidated! Equipped with a couple of bamboo rolling mats for turning out tight, even rolls—and as long as you remember to keep your hands moistened and avoid laying the rice and fillings on too thick—you’ll be proudly snapping selfies with your very own maki rolls in short order. Look for fresh, soft, deep-green nori sheets, and, of course, use only the freshest raw fish you can find.

Get the recipe for Makizushi (Sushi Rolls) »

See all of our Sushi Week posts »

Spring Rolls

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Though many American eaters associate the name with the crispy, golden-fried sticks from Thai takeout menus, “spring rolls” is a catchall term that encompasses a wide range of filled-and-rolled appetizers, including the lighter, greener version pictured above. At any other time of year, they’re great for entertaining: Set out a platter of filling options—this recipe calls for fried tofu matchsticks, pea shoots, julienned carrots, and piles of fresh herbs—and a stack of flexible rice paper wrappers, and let everyone make their own. For Valentine’s, limit the guest list to just the two of you, stuff yourselves silly, and don’t skimp on the sweet/salty/spicy peanut-tamarind dipping sauce.

Get the recipe for Easy Vegan Crispy Tofu Spring Rolls »

Desserts

Sandwich Cookies

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Any homemade cookie from one of Stella’s recipes should be enough to get you in the mood (or maybe that’s just me I’m thinking of), but sandwich-style cookies will give you an extra chance to lightly touch elbows as you apply dollops of creme and carefully center those top wafers. Choose from BraveTart’s incredible “fauxreos”, bright and crunchy ginger-lemon cookies, E.L. Fudge–style chocolate-filled vanilla cookies, peanut butter and jelly cookies for the kid in you, and soft and tender alfajores con cajeta, to name a few. Springing for a heart-shaped cutter will of course automatically increase your cuteness quotient by 10%.

Milk Duds

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

There’s something about a slightly messy DIY project, especially if the mess it produces is edible, that can’t help but feel a little sensual. You’ve got to check your inhibitions at the door if you want to plunge your hands into a vat of melted chocolate, and that’s exactly how you’ll be coating these chewy caramels—which happily introduces the possibility of secretly touching fingers inside the pot and devising clever methods of getting all that chocolate off of each other. You don’t need us for that, but you will want to closely follow Stella’s instructions for making the caramel, and read up on Kenji’s guide to tempering chocolate.

Get the recipe for Homemade Milk Duds »

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[tebbyclinic11]

It Takes Two: Cooking Projects for You and Your Va...

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[Photograph: Vicky Wasik, Shao Z.]

Let’s make one thing clear right out of the gate: Cooking as a couple isn’t for everyone. (Two years ago, we published a whole essay about this, albeit with a happy ending.) Maybe neither of you has Daniel’s sky-high standards in the kitchen, but successfully assembling a dinner together is one of those projects that tend to pull the veil off a relationship, exposing the tender spots of tension therein: needs for control or approval, tiny currents of judginess or thin competitive streaks. Even absent the complexity introduced by romance, deeply intertwined lives, and intimate knowledge of each other’s foibles, suddenly teaming up on a task that you’re used to doing alone can be a tough row to hoe—think of workplace collaboration, or The Amazing Race. You’ve been warned, is what we’re saying.

But! You’ve clicked on this article, you’ve read this far, and you’re a grown-up (we hope) who (we’ll assume) can point to the strength of your relationship and/or past triumphant team-cooking experiences as ample counterevidence. You already know that making a meal together can be a lovely expression of love, a way to create Valentine’s in your and your partner’s own image, on your own schedule, and avoid the headaches of dining out on that particular day. You’re here for recipes, not marriage advice, for chrissake! Well, fine.

While you can split up the duties required of almost any dish, some projects make more sense for this purpose than others. At the top of the list are any recipes that involve a lot of painstaking assembly, including items made in bulk to be frozen (dumplings and ravioli!) or stored in the pantry (DIY Milk Duds!) for later. Some of these recipes won’t make entrées, much less full meals, but we’ve included them because they provide good opportunities for collaboration, and because cooking projects can be enjoyable and worthwhile even if they don’t directly result in dinner. Pour a couple of glasses of wine and peruse this list together now, then stock up on everything you need well in advance, so you can be as relaxed as possible on the day of.

Homemade Mozzarella

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

High-quality fresh mozzarella—those delicate, moist orbs with a mild flavor of little more than good milk—can be hard to come by if you don’t live in Italy, or, at least, within close range of a well-supplied Italian grocery. Are you and your innamorato destined to go without? Not if we have anything to say about it. Armed with nonhomogenized, low-temperature-pasteurized milk (best obtained from a local farmers market), a couple of specialty ingredients you can order online, and a thorough reading of our explanation, you can take matters into your own hands, kind of literally. The teaming-up part comes when it’s time to stretch and shape the curd: After it’s been divided, both of you can stretch and lovingly shape your own balls of mozz before lowering them into whey to rest. For maximum collaboration, shape the cheese into tiny bocconcini instead of full-size balls, the better to pop into each other’s mouths right after they’re made. No, really: Eat these immediately, totally naked (the cheese, we mean, but y’all do y’all!), or with just a sprinkling of sea salt. Don’t even think about putting them in the fridge for later—true love might wait, but fresh mozzarella does not.

Get the recipe for Fresh Mozzarella From Scratch »

Pasta, All Ways

The Best Fresh Pasta Sheets

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Like making your own mozzarella, rolling and cutting your own fresh pasta dough will give you more than a terrific feeling of personal accomplishment; it’ll also result in a far tastier product than you’ll be able to buy at the vast majority of stores. One person can handle making the dough, sure, but kneading it is time-consuming, so it’s a good candidate for dividing between partners. If you’re using a manual pasta roller, it also helps to have one person feeding the dough in while the other turns the crank. If you’re lucky enough to have a stand mixer attachment for making pasta, well, take turns standing there and looking pretty. (Speaking of looking pretty: Incorporating beet purée is an easy way to turn your pasta a vibrant shade of pink that’s made for Valentine’s Day, without imparting any noticeable beet flavor.)

Get the recipe for Classic Fresh Egg Pasta »

This recipe makes pasta sheets that are ideal for slicing into linguine or fettuccine. Looking for something more involved? May we suggest…

Ravioli and Tortellini

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

If you and your valentine still have energy to burn after rolling out that homemade pasta dough, there’s nothing stopping you from turning it into an impressive spread of mushroom tortellini, ravioli filled with ricotta or butternut squash and blue cheese, or—for the high achievers among you, the couples who go running together in matching compression tights, you know who you are—an eye-popping dish of uovo in raviolo, extra-large ravioli filled with creamy ricotta and a soft-yolked egg. You will probably need a ravioli mold, or at least a fluted pastry wheel, when it’s time to cut the dough shapes, and you’ll definitely want both sets of hands available for portioning out the filling. If you’re making standard ravioli or tortellini, by all means enjoy your work for dinner in the evening, but make enough to freeze and eat later, too.

Stuffed Shells

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Want something a little softer and easier? A filled pasta that’s not quite as handcrafted, but still delicious, one that’ll leave you plenty of time for drinking wine and playing video games? Try our classic ricotta- and spinach-stuffed shells, or this incredible version with shells filled with crab, shrimp, and scallops, a bit like the love child of crab cakes and pasta Alfredo. Both of them start with store-bought dried pasta, but will still go a lot faster when you’ve got two people to do the stuffing.

Ricotta Gnudi

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Gnudi comes from the old Tuscan-language equivalent of the word for “naked” in Italian, a name that’s both thematically appropriate for Valentine’s and practically descriptive of the dish: dumpling-like spheres of soft and creamy ricotta that lack a true pasta shell. Instead, they’re individually coated in a layer of semolina flour—a step that’s made quicker and easier with a partner—then allowed to sit until the thinnest of skins form on their exteriors. You’ll need to plan ahead for that step, as it can take a few days, and, above all, don’t skimp on the quality of the ricotta! With barely a fig leaf of pasta to cover it, so to speak, the cheese is highly exposed, which means it needs to be in top form. If excellent ricotta, containing no gums or stabilizers, isn’t available commercially where you live, tack on a bonus cooking project by making your own—it’s much easier than you think.

Get the recipe for Ricotta and Black Pepper Gnudi With Sage and Brown Butter »

A Dumpling Feast

[Photograph: Shao Z.]

With the help of store-bought wonton wrappers, making your own dumpling feast becomes as simple as whipping up the filling and starting up a two-person assembly line: one person to drop filling by the spoonful into each dumpling skin, the other to wet the edges, press, and seal. (For the sake of conjugal harmony, be sure to switch roles now and then, since partner #2 does the lion’s share of the work here.) We’ve got a number of recipes that start with store-bought wrappers, for dumplings as invitingly easy as they are tasty: pan-fried vegetable dumplings stuffed with wood ear mushrooms, five-spice tofu, and seitan; cute little shrimp and pork siu mai, made extra rich with pork fat mixed into the filling; Japanese pork and cabbage gyoza; and Sichuan-style wontons that pack a punch with hot, sour, sweet, and savory flavors. (Don’t forget the dipping sauces, too!)

Not enough of a challenge for you, unstoppable power couple that you are? Try your hands at dumplings that are homemade from start to finish, including the wrappers—like diaphanous har gow crammed with plump shrimp, or hearty Taiwanese pan-fried leek buns (shui jian bao). Perhaps the crowning achievement in a homemade-dumpling résumé, if there is such a thing, is xiao long bao, or soup dumplings, twist-topped bundles of dough hiding a liquid center of broth that gushes when you bite into it. Though they’re not all that difficult to make, they do rely on the gelatin content of homemade broth, so get ready for some extra canoodling over a mound of chicken backs.

You can find even more homemade-dumpling recipes to try out, either solo or together, here.

Tamales

[Photograph: Joshua Bousel]

Yes, tamales have a reputation, and a pretty well-deserved one at that, for being terribly labor-intensive. But dammit, is it ever hard to come by a truly good tamale—light, flavorful masa dough wrapped around a savory core of fillings—in the US, unless you live in one of a very few places with strong Mexican-American influences…or unless you have a special someone to help you make them at home. Our guide smooths the way for you by describing the testing process in detail and including photographs of each step in the assembly process. With help from his wife, Josh was able to put together 60 tamales in under half an hour—not a bad turnaround time—before steaming them or freezing for later. Choose a filling of red chili with chicken, roasted peppers and Oaxaca cheese, or green chili with pork.

Sushi

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Making makizushi (sushi rolls) is one of the most enjoyable yet approachable hands-on cooking projects you can dream up. It’s less humdrum than filling dumplings or assembling tamales, and, while it does take a bit of practice and maybe just a smidge of artistry, don’t be intimidated! Equipped with a couple of bamboo rolling mats for turning out tight, even rolls—and as long as you remember to keep your hands moistened and avoid laying the rice and fillings on too thick—you’ll be proudly snapping selfies with your very own maki rolls in short order. Look for fresh, soft, deep-green nori sheets, and, of course, use only the freshest raw fish you can find.

Get the recipe for Makizushi (Sushi Rolls) »

See all of our Sushi Week posts »

Spring Rolls

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Though many American eaters associate the name with the crispy, golden-fried sticks from Thai takeout menus, “spring rolls” is a catchall term that encompasses a wide range of filled-and-rolled appetizers, including the lighter, greener version pictured above. At any other time of year, they’re great for entertaining: Set out a platter of filling options—this recipe calls for fried tofu matchsticks, pea shoots, julienned carrots, and piles of fresh herbs—and a stack of flexible rice paper wrappers, and let everyone make their own. For Valentine’s, limit the guest list to just the two of you, stuff yourselves silly, and don’t skimp on the sweet/salty/spicy peanut-tamarind dipping sauce.

Get the recipe for Easy Vegan Crispy Tofu Spring Rolls »

Desserts

Sandwich Cookies

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Any homemade cookie from one of Stella’s recipes should be enough to get you in the mood (or maybe that’s just me I’m thinking of), but sandwich-style cookies will give you an extra chance to lightly touch elbows as you apply dollops of creme and carefully center those top wafers. Choose from BraveTart’s incredible “fauxreos”, bright and crunchy ginger-lemon cookies, E.L. Fudge–style chocolate-filled vanilla cookies, peanut butter and jelly cookies for the kid in you, and soft and tender alfajores con cajeta, to name a few. Springing for a heart-shaped cutter will of course automatically increase your cuteness quotient by 10%.

Milk Duds

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

There’s something about a slightly messy DIY project, especially if the mess it produces is edible, that can’t help but feel a little sensual. You’ve got to check your inhibitions at the door if you want to plunge your hands into a vat of melted chocolate, and that’s exactly how you’ll be coating these chewy caramels—which happily introduces the possibility of secretly touching fingers inside the pot and devising clever methods of getting all that chocolate off of each other. You don’t need us for that, but you will want to closely follow Stella’s instructions for making the caramel, and read up on Kenji’s guide to tempering chocolate.

Get the recipe for Homemade Milk Duds »

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It Takes Two: Cooking Projects for You and Your Va...

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[Photograph: Vicky Wasik, Shao Z.]

Let’s make one thing clear right out of the gate: Cooking as a couple isn’t for everyone. (Two years ago, we published a whole essay about this, albeit with a happy ending.) Maybe neither of you has Daniel’s sky-high standards in the kitchen, but successfully assembling a dinner together is one of those projects that tend to pull the veil off a relationship, exposing the tender spots of tension therein: needs for control or approval, tiny currents of judginess or thin competitive streaks. Even absent the complexity introduced by romance, deeply intertwined lives, and intimate knowledge of each other’s foibles, suddenly teaming up on a task that you’re used to doing alone can be a tough row to hoe—think of workplace collaboration, or The Amazing Race. You’ve been warned, is what we’re saying.

But! You’ve clicked on this article, you’ve read this far, and you’re a grown-up (we hope) who (we’ll assume) can point to the strength of your relationship and/or past triumphant team-cooking experiences as ample counterevidence. You already know that making a meal together can be a lovely expression of love, a way to create Valentine’s in your and your partner’s own image, on your own schedule, and avoid the headaches of dining out on that particular day. You’re here for recipes, not marriage advice, for chrissake! Well, fine.

While you can split up the duties required of almost any dish, some projects make more sense for this purpose than others. At the top of the list are any recipes that involve a lot of painstaking assembly, including items made in bulk to be frozen (dumplings and ravioli!) or stored in the pantry (DIY Milk Duds!) for later. Some of these recipes won’t make entrées, much less full meals, but we’ve included them because they provide good opportunities for collaboration, and because cooking projects can be enjoyable and worthwhile even if they don’t directly result in dinner. Pour a couple of glasses of wine and peruse this list together now, then stock up on everything you need well in advance, so you can be as relaxed as possible on the day of.

Homemade Mozzarella

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

High-quality fresh mozzarella—those delicate, moist orbs with a mild flavor of little more than good milk—can be hard to come by if you don’t live in Italy, or, at least, within close range of a well-supplied Italian grocery. Are you and your innamorato destined to go without? Not if we have anything to say about it. Armed with nonhomogenized, low-temperature-pasteurized milk (best obtained from a local farmers market), a couple of specialty ingredients you can order online, and a thorough reading of our explanation, you can take matters into your own hands, kind of literally. The teaming-up part comes when it’s time to stretch and shape the curd: After it’s been divided, both of you can stretch and lovingly shape your own balls of mozz before lowering them into whey to rest. For maximum collaboration, shape the cheese into tiny bocconcini instead of full-size balls, the better to pop into each other’s mouths right after they’re made. No, really: Eat these immediately, totally naked (the cheese, we mean, but y’all do y’all!), or with just a sprinkling of sea salt. Don’t even think about putting them in the fridge for later—true love might wait, but fresh mozzarella does not.

Get the recipe for Fresh Mozzarella From Scratch »

Pasta, All Ways

The Best Fresh Pasta Sheets

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Like making your own mozzarella, rolling and cutting your own fresh pasta dough will give you more than a terrific feeling of personal accomplishment; it’ll also result in a far tastier product than you’ll be able to buy at the vast majority of stores. One person can handle making the dough, sure, but kneading it is time-consuming, so it’s a good candidate for dividing between partners. If you’re using a manual pasta roller, it also helps to have one person feeding the dough in while the other turns the crank. If you’re lucky enough to have a stand mixer attachment for making pasta, well, take turns standing there and looking pretty. (Speaking of looking pretty: Incorporating beet purée is an easy way to turn your pasta a vibrant shade of pink that’s made for Valentine’s Day, without imparting any noticeable beet flavor.)

Get the recipe for Classic Fresh Egg Pasta »

This recipe makes pasta sheets that are ideal for slicing into linguine or fettuccine. Looking for something more involved? May we suggest…

Ravioli and Tortellini

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

If you and your valentine still have energy to burn after rolling out that homemade pasta dough, there’s nothing stopping you from turning it into an impressive spread of mushroom tortellini, ravioli filled with ricotta or butternut squash and blue cheese, or—for the high achievers among you, the couples who go running together in matching compression tights, you know who you are—an eye-popping dish of uovo in raviolo, extra-large ravioli filled with creamy ricotta and a soft-yolked egg. You will probably need a ravioli mold, or at least a fluted pastry wheel, when it’s time to cut the dough shapes, and you’ll definitely want both sets of hands available for portioning out the filling. If you’re making standard ravioli or tortellini, by all means enjoy your work for dinner in the evening, but make enough to freeze and eat later, too.

Stuffed Shells

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Want something a little softer and easier? A filled pasta that’s not quite as handcrafted, but still delicious, one that’ll leave you plenty of time for drinking wine and playing video games? Try our classic ricotta- and spinach-stuffed shells, or this incredible version with shells filled with crab, shrimp, and scallops, a bit like the love child of crab cakes and pasta Alfredo. Both of them start with store-bought dried pasta, but will still go a lot faster when you’ve got two people to do the stuffing.

Ricotta Gnudi

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Gnudi comes from the old Tuscan-language equivalent of the word for “naked” in Italian, a name that’s both thematically appropriate for Valentine’s and practically descriptive of the dish: dumpling-like spheres of soft and creamy ricotta that lack a true pasta shell. Instead, they’re individually coated in a layer of semolina flour—a step that’s made quicker and easier with a partner—then allowed to sit until the thinnest of skins form on their exteriors. You’ll need to plan ahead for that step, as it can take a few days, and, above all, don’t skimp on the quality of the ricotta! With barely a fig leaf of pasta to cover it, so to speak, the cheese is highly exposed, which means it needs to be in top form. If excellent ricotta, containing no gums or stabilizers, isn’t available commercially where you live, tack on a bonus cooking project by making your own—it’s much easier than you think.

Get the recipe for Ricotta and Black Pepper Gnudi With Sage and Brown Butter »

A Dumpling Feast

[Photograph: Shao Z.]

With the help of store-bought wonton wrappers, making your own dumpling feast becomes as simple as whipping up the filling and starting up a two-person assembly line: one person to drop filling by the spoonful into each dumpling skin, the other to wet the edges, press, and seal. (For the sake of conjugal harmony, be sure to switch roles now and then, since partner #2 does the lion’s share of the work here.) We’ve got a number of recipes that start with store-bought wrappers, for dumplings as invitingly easy as they are tasty: pan-fried vegetable dumplings stuffed with wood ear mushrooms, five-spice tofu, and seitan; cute little shrimp and pork siu mai, made extra rich with pork fat mixed into the filling; Japanese pork and cabbage gyoza; and Sichuan-style wontons that pack a punch with hot, sour, sweet, and savory flavors. (Don’t forget the dipping sauces, too!)

Not enough of a challenge for you, unstoppable power couple that you are? Try your hands at dumplings that are homemade from start to finish, including the wrappers—like diaphanous har gow crammed with plump shrimp, or hearty Taiwanese pan-fried leek buns (shui jian bao). Perhaps the crowning achievement in a homemade-dumpling résumé, if there is such a thing, is xiao long bao, or soup dumplings, twist-topped bundles of dough hiding a liquid center of broth that gushes when you bite into it. Though they’re not all that difficult to make, they do rely on the gelatin content of homemade broth, so get ready for some extra canoodling over a mound of chicken backs.

You can find even more homemade-dumpling recipes to try out, either solo or together, here.

Tamales

[Photograph: Joshua Bousel]

Yes, tamales have a reputation, and a pretty well-deserved one at that, for being terribly labor-intensive. But dammit, is it ever hard to come by a truly good tamale—light, flavorful masa dough wrapped around a savory core of fillings—in the US, unless you live in one of a very few places with strong Mexican-American influences…or unless you have a special someone to help you make them at home. Our guide smooths the way for you by describing the testing process in detail and including photographs of each step in the assembly process. With help from his wife, Josh was able to put together 60 tamales in under half an hour—not a bad turnaround time—before steaming them or freezing for later. Choose a filling of red chili with chicken, roasted peppers and Oaxaca cheese, or green chili with pork.

Sushi

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Making makizushi (sushi rolls) is one of the most enjoyable yet approachable hands-on cooking projects you can dream up. It’s less humdrum than filling dumplings or assembling tamales, and, while it does take a bit of practice and maybe just a smidge of artistry, don’t be intimidated! Equipped with a couple of bamboo rolling mats for turning out tight, even rolls—and as long as you remember to keep your hands moistened and avoid laying the rice and fillings on too thick—you’ll be proudly snapping selfies with your very own maki rolls in short order. Look for fresh, soft, deep-green nori sheets, and, of course, use only the freshest raw fish you can find.

Get the recipe for Makizushi (Sushi Rolls) »

See all of our Sushi Week posts »

Spring Rolls

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Though many American eaters associate the name with the crispy, golden-fried sticks from Thai takeout menus, “spring rolls” is a catchall term that encompasses a wide range of filled-and-rolled appetizers, including the lighter, greener version pictured above. At any other time of year, they’re great for entertaining: Set out a platter of filling options—this recipe calls for fried tofu matchsticks, pea shoots, julienned carrots, and piles of fresh herbs—and a stack of flexible rice paper wrappers, and let everyone make their own. For Valentine’s, limit the guest list to just the two of you, stuff yourselves silly, and don’t skimp on the sweet/salty/spicy peanut-tamarind dipping sauce.

Get the recipe for Easy Vegan Crispy Tofu Spring Rolls »

Desserts

Sandwich Cookies

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Any homemade cookie from one of Stella’s recipes should be enough to get you in the mood (or maybe that’s just me I’m thinking of), but sandwich-style cookies will give you an extra chance to lightly touch elbows as you apply dollops of creme and carefully center those top wafers. Choose from BraveTart’s incredible “fauxreos”, bright and crunchy ginger-lemon cookies, E.L. Fudge–style chocolate-filled vanilla cookies, peanut butter and jelly cookies for the kid in you, and soft and tender alfajores con cajeta, to name a few. Springing for a heart-shaped cutter will of course automatically increase your cuteness quotient by 10%.

Milk Duds

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

There’s something about a slightly messy DIY project, especially if the mess it produces is edible, that can’t help but feel a little sensual. You’ve got to check your inhibitions at the door if you want to plunge your hands into a vat of melted chocolate, and that’s exactly how you’ll be coating these chewy caramels—which happily introduces the possibility of secretly touching fingers inside the pot and devising clever methods of getting all that chocolate off of each other. You don’t need us for that, but you will want to closely follow Stella’s instructions for making the caramel, and read up on Kenji’s guide to tempering chocolate.

Get the recipe for Homemade Milk Duds »

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It Takes Two: Cooking Projects for You and Your Va...

New Post has been published on https://cucinacarmela.com/it-takes-two-cooking-projects-for-you-and-your-va/

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[Photograph: Vicky Wasik, Shao Z.]

Let’s make one thing clear right out of the gate: Cooking as a couple isn’t for everyone. (Two years ago, we published a whole essay about this, albeit with a happy ending.) Maybe neither of you has Daniel’s sky-high standards in the kitchen, but successfully assembling a dinner together is one of those projects that tend to pull the veil off a relationship, exposing the tender spots of tension therein: needs for control or approval, tiny currents of judginess or thin competitive streaks. Even absent the complexity introduced by romance, deeply intertwined lives, and intimate knowledge of each other’s foibles, suddenly teaming up on a task that you’re used to doing alone can be a tough row to hoe—think of workplace collaboration, or The Amazing Race. You’ve been warned, is what we’re saying.

But! You’ve clicked on this article, you’ve read this far, and you’re a grown-up (we hope) who (we’ll assume) can point to the strength of your relationship and/or past triumphant team-cooking experiences as ample counterevidence. You already know that making a meal together can be a lovely expression of love, a way to create Valentine’s in your and your partner’s own image, on your own schedule, and avoid the headaches of dining out on that particular day. You’re here for recipes, not marriage advice, for chrissake! Well, fine.

While you can split up the duties required of almost any dish, some projects make more sense for this purpose than others. At the top of the list are any recipes that involve a lot of painstaking assembly, including items made in bulk to be frozen (dumplings and ravioli!) or stored in the pantry (DIY Milk Duds!) for later. Some of these recipes won’t make entrées, much less full meals, but we’ve included them because they provide good opportunities for collaboration, and because cooking projects can be enjoyable and worthwhile even if they don’t directly result in dinner. Pour a couple of glasses of wine and peruse this list together now, then stock up on everything you need well in advance, so you can be as relaxed as possible on the day of.

Homemade Mozzarella

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

High-quality fresh mozzarella—those delicate, moist orbs with a mild flavor of little more than good milk—can be hard to come by if you don’t live in Italy, or, at least, within close range of a well-supplied Italian grocery. Are you and your innamorato destined to go without? Not if we have anything to say about it. Armed with nonhomogenized, low-temperature-pasteurized milk (best obtained from a local farmers market), a couple of specialty ingredients you can order online, and a thorough reading of our explanation, you can take matters into your own hands, kind of literally. The teaming-up part comes when it’s time to stretch and shape the curd: After it’s been divided, both of you can stretch and lovingly shape your own balls of mozz before lowering them into whey to rest. For maximum collaboration, shape the cheese into tiny bocconcini instead of full-size balls, the better to pop into each other’s mouths right after they’re made. No, really: Eat these immediately, totally naked (the cheese, we mean, but y’all do y’all!), or with just a sprinkling of sea salt. Don’t even think about putting them in the fridge for later—true love might wait, but fresh mozzarella does not.

Get the recipe for Fresh Mozzarella From Scratch »

Pasta, All Ways

The Best Fresh Pasta Sheets

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Like making your own mozzarella, rolling and cutting your own fresh pasta dough will give you more than a terrific feeling of personal accomplishment; it’ll also result in a far tastier product than you’ll be able to buy at the vast majority of stores. One person can handle making the dough, sure, but kneading it is time-consuming, so it’s a good candidate for dividing between partners. If you’re using a manual pasta roller, it also helps to have one person feeding the dough in while the other turns the crank. If you’re lucky enough to have a stand mixer attachment for making pasta, well, take turns standing there and looking pretty. (Speaking of looking pretty: Incorporating beet purée is an easy way to turn your pasta a vibrant shade of pink that’s made for Valentine’s Day, without imparting any noticeable beet flavor.)

Get the recipe for Classic Fresh Egg Pasta »

This recipe makes pasta sheets that are ideal for slicing into linguine or fettuccine. Looking for something more involved? May we suggest…

Ravioli and Tortellini

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

If you and your valentine still have energy to burn after rolling out that homemade pasta dough, there’s nothing stopping you from turning it into an impressive spread of mushroom tortellini, ravioli filled with ricotta or butternut squash and blue cheese, or—for the high achievers among you, the couples who go running together in matching compression tights, you know who you are—an eye-popping dish of uovo in raviolo, extra-large ravioli filled with creamy ricotta and a soft-yolked egg. You will probably need a ravioli mold, or at least a fluted pastry wheel, when it’s time to cut the dough shapes, and you’ll definitely want both sets of hands available for portioning out the filling. If you’re making standard ravioli or tortellini, by all means enjoy your work for dinner in the evening, but make enough to freeze and eat later, too.

Stuffed Shells

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Want something a little softer and easier? A filled pasta that’s not quite as handcrafted, but still delicious, one that’ll leave you plenty of time for drinking wine and playing video games? Try our classic ricotta- and spinach-stuffed shells, or this incredible version with shells filled with crab, shrimp, and scallops, a bit like the love child of crab cakes and pasta Alfredo. Both of them start with store-bought dried pasta, but will still go a lot faster when you’ve got two people to do the stuffing.

Ricotta Gnudi

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Gnudi comes from the old Tuscan-language equivalent of the word for “naked” in Italian, a name that’s both thematically appropriate for Valentine’s and practically descriptive of the dish: dumpling-like spheres of soft and creamy ricotta that lack a true pasta shell. Instead, they’re individually coated in a layer of semolina flour—a step that’s made quicker and easier with a partner—then allowed to sit until the thinnest of skins form on their exteriors. You’ll need to plan ahead for that step, as it can take a few days, and, above all, don’t skimp on the quality of the ricotta! With barely a fig leaf of pasta to cover it, so to speak, the cheese is highly exposed, which means it needs to be in top form. If excellent ricotta, containing no gums or stabilizers, isn’t available commercially where you live, tack on a bonus cooking project by making your own—it’s much easier than you think.

Get the recipe for Ricotta and Black Pepper Gnudi With Sage and Brown Butter »

A Dumpling Feast

[Photograph: Shao Z.]

With the help of store-bought wonton wrappers, making your own dumpling feast becomes as simple as whipping up the filling and starting up a two-person assembly line: one person to drop filling by the spoonful into each dumpling skin, the other to wet the edges, press, and seal. (For the sake of conjugal harmony, be sure to switch roles now and then, since partner #2 does the lion’s share of the work here.) We’ve got a number of recipes that start with store-bought wrappers, for dumplings as invitingly easy as they are tasty: pan-fried vegetable dumplings stuffed with wood ear mushrooms, five-spice tofu, and seitan; cute little shrimp and pork siu mai, made extra rich with pork fat mixed into the filling; Japanese pork and cabbage gyoza; and Sichuan-style wontons that pack a punch with hot, sour, sweet, and savory flavors. (Don’t forget the dipping sauces, too!)

Not enough of a challenge for you, unstoppable power couple that you are? Try your hands at dumplings that are homemade from start to finish, including the wrappers—like diaphanous har gow crammed with plump shrimp, or hearty Taiwanese pan-fried leek buns (shui jian bao). Perhaps the crowning achievement in a homemade-dumpling résumé, if there is such a thing, is xiao long bao, or soup dumplings, twist-topped bundles of dough hiding a liquid center of broth that gushes when you bite into it. Though they’re not all that difficult to make, they do rely on the gelatin content of homemade broth, so get ready for some extra canoodling over a mound of chicken backs.

You can find even more homemade-dumpling recipes to try out, either solo or together, here.

Tamales

[Photograph: Joshua Bousel]

Yes, tamales have a reputation, and a pretty well-deserved one at that, for being terribly labor-intensive. But dammit, is it ever hard to come by a truly good tamale—light, flavorful masa dough wrapped around a savory core of fillings—in the US, unless you live in one of a very few places with strong Mexican-American influences…or unless you have a special someone to help you make them at home. Our guide smooths the way for you by describing the testing process in detail and including photographs of each step in the assembly process. With help from his wife, Josh was able to put together 60 tamales in under half an hour—not a bad turnaround time—before steaming them or freezing for later. Choose a filling of red chili with chicken, roasted peppers and Oaxaca cheese, or green chili with pork.

Sushi

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Making makizushi (sushi rolls) is one of the most enjoyable yet approachable hands-on cooking projects you can dream up. It’s less humdrum than filling dumplings or assembling tamales, and, while it does take a bit of practice and maybe just a smidge of artistry, don’t be intimidated! Equipped with a couple of bamboo rolling mats for turning out tight, even rolls—and as long as you remember to keep your hands moistened and avoid laying the rice and fillings on too thick—you’ll be proudly snapping selfies with your very own maki rolls in short order. Look for fresh, soft, deep-green nori sheets, and, of course, use only the freshest raw fish you can find.

Get the recipe for Makizushi (Sushi Rolls) »

See all of our Sushi Week posts »

Spring Rolls

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Though many American eaters associate the name with the crispy, golden-fried sticks from Thai takeout menus, “spring rolls” is a catchall term that encompasses a wide range of filled-and-rolled appetizers, including the lighter, greener version pictured above. At any other time of year, they’re great for entertaining: Set out a platter of filling options—this recipe calls for fried tofu matchsticks, pea shoots, julienned carrots, and piles of fresh herbs—and a stack of flexible rice paper wrappers, and let everyone make their own. For Valentine’s, limit the guest list to just the two of you, stuff yourselves silly, and don’t skimp on the sweet/salty/spicy peanut-tamarind dipping sauce.

Get the recipe for Easy Vegan Crispy Tofu Spring Rolls »

Desserts

Sandwich Cookies

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Any homemade cookie from one of Stella’s recipes should be enough to get you in the mood (or maybe that’s just me I’m thinking of), but sandwich-style cookies will give you an extra chance to lightly touch elbows as you apply dollops of creme and carefully center those top wafers. Choose from BraveTart’s incredible “fauxreos”, bright and crunchy ginger-lemon cookies, E.L. Fudge–style chocolate-filled vanilla cookies, peanut butter and jelly cookies for the kid in you, and soft and tender alfajores con cajeta, to name a few. Springing for a heart-shaped cutter will of course automatically increase your cuteness quotient by 10%.

Milk Duds

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

There’s something about a slightly messy DIY project, especially if the mess it produces is edible, that can’t help but feel a little sensual. You’ve got to check your inhibitions at the door if you want to plunge your hands into a vat of melted chocolate, and that’s exactly how you’ll be coating these chewy caramels—which happily introduces the possibility of secretly touching fingers inside the pot and devising clever methods of getting all that chocolate off of each other. You don’t need us for that, but you will want to closely follow Stella’s instructions for making the caramel, and read up on Kenji’s guide to tempering chocolate.

Get the recipe for Homemade Milk Duds »

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It Takes Two: Cooking Projects for You and Your Va...

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[Photograph: Vicky Wasik, Shao Z.]

Let’s make one thing clear right out of the gate: Cooking as a couple isn’t for everyone. (Two years ago, we published a whole essay about this, albeit with a happy ending.) Maybe neither of you has Daniel’s sky-high standards in the kitchen, but successfully assembling a dinner together is one of those projects that tend to pull the veil off a relationship, exposing the tender spots of tension therein: needs for control or approval, tiny currents of judginess or thin competitive streaks. Even absent the complexity introduced by romance, deeply intertwined lives, and intimate knowledge of each other’s foibles, suddenly teaming up on a task that you’re used to doing alone can be a tough row to hoe—think of workplace collaboration, or The Amazing Race. You’ve been warned, is what we’re saying.

But! You’ve clicked on this article, you’ve read this far, and you’re a grown-up (we hope) who (we’ll assume) can point to the strength of your relationship and/or past triumphant team-cooking experiences as ample counterevidence. You already know that making a meal together can be a lovely expression of love, a way to create Valentine’s in your and your partner’s own image, on your own schedule, and avoid the headaches of dining out on that particular day. You’re here for recipes, not marriage advice, for chrissake! Well, fine.

While you can split up the duties required of almost any dish, some projects make more sense for this purpose than others. At the top of the list are any recipes that involve a lot of painstaking assembly, including items made in bulk to be frozen (dumplings and ravioli!) or stored in the pantry (DIY Milk Duds!) for later. Some of these recipes won’t make entrées, much less full meals, but we’ve included them because they provide good opportunities for collaboration, and because cooking projects can be enjoyable and worthwhile even if they don’t directly result in dinner. Pour a couple of glasses of wine and peruse this list together now, then stock up on everything you need well in advance, so you can be as relaxed as possible on the day of.

Homemade Mozzarella

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

High-quality fresh mozzarella—those delicate, moist orbs with a mild flavor of little more than good milk—can be hard to come by if you don’t live in Italy, or, at least, within close range of a well-supplied Italian grocery. Are you and your innamorato destined to go without? Not if we have anything to say about it. Armed with nonhomogenized, low-temperature-pasteurized milk (best obtained from a local farmers market), a couple of specialty ingredients you can order online, and a thorough reading of our explanation, you can take matters into your own hands, kind of literally. The teaming-up part comes when it’s time to stretch and shape the curd: After it’s been divided, both of you can stretch and lovingly shape your own balls of mozz before lowering them into whey to rest. For maximum collaboration, shape the cheese into tiny bocconcini instead of full-size balls, the better to pop into each other’s mouths right after they’re made. No, really: Eat these immediately, totally naked (the cheese, we mean, but y’all do y’all!), or with just a sprinkling of sea salt. Don’t even think about putting them in the fridge for later—true love might wait, but fresh mozzarella does not.

Get the recipe for Fresh Mozzarella From Scratch »

Pasta, All Ways

The Best Fresh Pasta Sheets

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Like making your own mozzarella, rolling and cutting your own fresh pasta dough will give you more than a terrific feeling of personal accomplishment; it’ll also result in a far tastier product than you’ll be able to buy at the vast majority of stores. One person can handle making the dough, sure, but kneading it is time-consuming, so it’s a good candidate for dividing between partners. If you’re using a manual pasta roller, it also helps to have one person feeding the dough in while the other turns the crank. If you’re lucky enough to have a stand mixer attachment for making pasta, well, take turns standing there and looking pretty. (Speaking of looking pretty: Incorporating beet purée is an easy way to turn your pasta a vibrant shade of pink that’s made for Valentine’s Day, without imparting any noticeable beet flavor.)

Get the recipe for Classic Fresh Egg Pasta »

This recipe makes pasta sheets that are ideal for slicing into linguine or fettuccine. Looking for something more involved? May we suggest…

Ravioli and Tortellini

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

If you and your valentine still have energy to burn after rolling out that homemade pasta dough, there’s nothing stopping you from turning it into an impressive spread of mushroom tortellini, ravioli filled with ricotta or butternut squash and blue cheese, or—for the high achievers among you, the couples who go running together in matching compression tights, you know who you are—an eye-popping dish of uovo in raviolo, extra-large ravioli filled with creamy ricotta and a soft-yolked egg. You will probably need a ravioli mold, or at least a fluted pastry wheel, when it’s time to cut the dough shapes, and you’ll definitely want both sets of hands available for portioning out the filling. If you’re making standard ravioli or tortellini, by all means enjoy your work for dinner in the evening, but make enough to freeze and eat later, too.

Stuffed Shells

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Want something a little softer and easier? A filled pasta that’s not quite as handcrafted, but still delicious, one that’ll leave you plenty of time for drinking wine and playing video games? Try our classic ricotta- and spinach-stuffed shells, or this incredible version with shells filled with crab, shrimp, and scallops, a bit like the love child of crab cakes and pasta Alfredo. Both of them start with store-bought dried pasta, but will still go a lot faster when you’ve got two people to do the stuffing.

Ricotta Gnudi

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Gnudi comes from the old Tuscan-language equivalent of the word for “naked” in Italian, a name that’s both thematically appropriate for Valentine’s and practically descriptive of the dish: dumpling-like spheres of soft and creamy ricotta that lack a true pasta shell. Instead, they’re individually coated in a layer of semolina flour—a step that’s made quicker and easier with a partner—then allowed to sit until the thinnest of skins form on their exteriors. You’ll need to plan ahead for that step, as it can take a few days, and, above all, don’t skimp on the quality of the ricotta! With barely a fig leaf of pasta to cover it, so to speak, the cheese is highly exposed, which means it needs to be in top form. If excellent ricotta, containing no gums or stabilizers, isn’t available commercially where you live, tack on a bonus cooking project by making your own—it’s much easier than you think.

Get the recipe for Ricotta and Black Pepper Gnudi With Sage and Brown Butter »

A Dumpling Feast

[Photograph: Shao Z.]

With the help of store-bought wonton wrappers, making your own dumpling feast becomes as simple as whipping up the filling and starting up a two-person assembly line: one person to drop filling by the spoonful into each dumpling skin, the other to wet the edges, press, and seal. (For the sake of conjugal harmony, be sure to switch roles now and then, since partner #2 does the lion’s share of the work here.) We’ve got a number of recipes that start with store-bought wrappers, for dumplings as invitingly easy as they are tasty: pan-fried vegetable dumplings stuffed with wood ear mushrooms, five-spice tofu, and seitan; cute little shrimp and pork siu mai, made extra rich with pork fat mixed into the filling; Japanese pork and cabbage gyoza; and Sichuan-style wontons that pack a punch with hot, sour, sweet, and savory flavors. (Don’t forget the dipping sauces, too!)

Not enough of a challenge for you, unstoppable power couple that you are? Try your hands at dumplings that are homemade from start to finish, including the wrappers—like diaphanous har gow crammed with plump shrimp, or hearty Taiwanese pan-fried leek buns (shui jian bao). Perhaps the crowning achievement in a homemade-dumpling résumé, if there is such a thing, is xiao long bao, or soup dumplings, twist-topped bundles of dough hiding a liquid center of broth that gushes when you bite into it. Though they’re not all that difficult to make, they do rely on the gelatin content of homemade broth, so get ready for some extra canoodling over a mound of chicken backs.

You can find even more homemade-dumpling recipes to try out, either solo or together, here.

Tamales

[Photograph: Joshua Bousel]

Yes, tamales have a reputation, and a pretty well-deserved one at that, for being terribly labor-intensive. But dammit, is it ever hard to come by a truly good tamale—light, flavorful masa dough wrapped around a savory core of fillings—in the US, unless you live in one of a very few places with strong Mexican-American influences…or unless you have a special someone to help you make them at home. Our guide smooths the way for you by describing the testing process in detail and including photographs of each step in the assembly process. With help from his wife, Josh was able to put together 60 tamales in under half an hour—not a bad turnaround time—before steaming them or freezing for later. Choose a filling of red chili with chicken, roasted peppers and Oaxaca cheese, or green chili with pork.

Sushi

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Making makizushi (sushi rolls) is one of the most enjoyable yet approachable hands-on cooking projects you can dream up. It’s less humdrum than filling dumplings or assembling tamales, and, while it does take a bit of practice and maybe just a smidge of artistry, don’t be intimidated! Equipped with a couple of bamboo rolling mats for turning out tight, even rolls—and as long as you remember to keep your hands moistened and avoid laying the rice and fillings on too thick—you’ll be proudly snapping selfies with your very own maki rolls in short order. Look for fresh, soft, deep-green nori sheets, and, of course, use only the freshest raw fish you can find.

Get the recipe for Makizushi (Sushi Rolls) »

See all of our Sushi Week posts »

Spring Rolls

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Though many American eaters associate the name with the crispy, golden-fried sticks from Thai takeout menus, “spring rolls” is a catchall term that encompasses a wide range of filled-and-rolled appetizers, including the lighter, greener version pictured above. At any other time of year, they’re great for entertaining: Set out a platter of filling options—this recipe calls for fried tofu matchsticks, pea shoots, julienned carrots, and piles of fresh herbs—and a stack of flexible rice paper wrappers, and let everyone make their own. For Valentine’s, limit the guest list to just the two of you, stuff yourselves silly, and don’t skimp on the sweet/salty/spicy peanut-tamarind dipping sauce.

Get the recipe for Easy Vegan Crispy Tofu Spring Rolls »

Desserts

Sandwich Cookies

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Any homemade cookie from one of Stella’s recipes should be enough to get you in the mood (or maybe that’s just me I’m thinking of), but sandwich-style cookies will give you an extra chance to lightly touch elbows as you apply dollops of creme and carefully center those top wafers. Choose from BraveTart’s incredible “fauxreos”, bright and crunchy ginger-lemon cookies, E.L. Fudge–style chocolate-filled vanilla cookies, peanut butter and jelly cookies for the kid in you, and soft and tender alfajores con cajeta, to name a few. Springing for a heart-shaped cutter will of course automatically increase your cuteness quotient by 10%.

Milk Duds

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

There’s something about a slightly messy DIY project, especially if the mess it produces is edible, that can’t help but feel a little sensual. You’ve got to check your inhibitions at the door if you want to plunge your hands into a vat of melted chocolate, and that’s exactly how you’ll be coating these chewy caramels—which happily introduces the possibility of secretly touching fingers inside the pot and devising clever methods of getting all that chocolate off of each other. You don’t need us for that, but you will want to closely follow Stella’s instructions for making the caramel, and read up on Kenji’s guide to tempering chocolate.

Get the recipe for Homemade Milk Duds »

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It Takes Two: Cooking Projects for You and Your Va...

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[Photograph: Vicky Wasik, Shao Z.]

Let’s make one thing clear right out of the gate: Cooking as a couple isn’t for everyone. (Two years ago, we published a whole essay about this, albeit with a happy ending.) Maybe neither of you has Daniel’s sky-high standards in the kitchen, but successfully assembling a dinner together is one of those projects that tend to pull the veil off a relationship, exposing the tender spots of tension therein: needs for control or approval, tiny currents of judginess or thin competitive streaks. Even absent the complexity introduced by romance, deeply intertwined lives, and intimate knowledge of each other’s foibles, suddenly teaming up on a task that you’re used to doing alone can be a tough row to hoe—think of workplace collaboration, or The Amazing Race. You’ve been warned, is what we’re saying.

But! You’ve clicked on this article, you’ve read this far, and you’re a grown-up (we hope) who (we’ll assume) can point to the strength of your relationship and/or past triumphant team-cooking experiences as ample counterevidence. You already know that making a meal together can be a lovely expression of love, a way to create Valentine’s in your and your partner’s own image, on your own schedule, and avoid the headaches of dining out on that particular day. You’re here for recipes, not marriage advice, for chrissake! Well, fine.

While you can split up the duties required of almost any dish, some projects make more sense for this purpose than others. At the top of the list are any recipes that involve a lot of painstaking assembly, including items made in bulk to be frozen (dumplings and ravioli!) or stored in the pantry (DIY Milk Duds!) for later. Some of these recipes won’t make entrées, much less full meals, but we’ve included them because they provide good opportunities for collaboration, and because cooking projects can be enjoyable and worthwhile even if they don’t directly result in dinner. Pour a couple of glasses of wine and peruse this list together now, then stock up on everything you need well in advance, so you can be as relaxed as possible on the day of.

Homemade Mozzarella

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

High-quality fresh mozzarella—those delicate, moist orbs with a mild flavor of little more than good milk—can be hard to come by if you don’t live in Italy, or, at least, within close range of a well-supplied Italian grocery. Are you and your innamorato destined to go without? Not if we have anything to say about it. Armed with nonhomogenized, low-temperature-pasteurized milk (best obtained from a local farmers market), a couple of specialty ingredients you can order online, and a thorough reading of our explanation, you can take matters into your own hands, kind of literally. The teaming-up part comes when it’s time to stretch and shape the curd: After it’s been divided, both of you can stretch and lovingly shape your own balls of mozz before lowering them into whey to rest. For maximum collaboration, shape the cheese into tiny bocconcini instead of full-size balls, the better to pop into each other’s mouths right after they’re made. No, really: Eat these immediately, totally naked (the cheese, we mean, but y’all do y’all!), or with just a sprinkling of sea salt. Don’t even think about putting them in the fridge for later—true love might wait, but fresh mozzarella does not.

Get the recipe for Fresh Mozzarella From Scratch »

Pasta, All Ways

The Best Fresh Pasta Sheets

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Like making your own mozzarella, rolling and cutting your own fresh pasta dough will give you more than a terrific feeling of personal accomplishment; it’ll also result in a far tastier product than you’ll be able to buy at the vast majority of stores. One person can handle making the dough, sure, but kneading it is time-consuming, so it’s a good candidate for dividing between partners. If you’re using a manual pasta roller, it also helps to have one person feeding the dough in while the other turns the crank. If you’re lucky enough to have a stand mixer attachment for making pasta, well, take turns standing there and looking pretty. (Speaking of looking pretty: Incorporating beet purée is an easy way to turn your pasta a vibrant shade of pink that’s made for Valentine’s Day, without imparting any noticeable beet flavor.)

Get the recipe for Classic Fresh Egg Pasta »

This recipe makes pasta sheets that are ideal for slicing into linguine or fettuccine. Looking for something more involved? May we suggest…

Ravioli and Tortellini

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

If you and your valentine still have energy to burn after rolling out that homemade pasta dough, there’s nothing stopping you from turning it into an impressive spread of mushroom tortellini, ravioli filled with ricotta or butternut squash and blue cheese, or—for the high achievers among you, the couples who go running together in matching compression tights, you know who you are—an eye-popping dish of uovo in raviolo, extra-large ravioli filled with creamy ricotta and a soft-yolked egg. You will probably need a ravioli mold, or at least a fluted pastry wheel, when it’s time to cut the dough shapes, and you’ll definitely want both sets of hands available for portioning out the filling. If you’re making standard ravioli or tortellini, by all means enjoy your work for dinner in the evening, but make enough to freeze and eat later, too.

Stuffed Shells

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Want something a little softer and easier? A filled pasta that’s not quite as handcrafted, but still delicious, one that’ll leave you plenty of time for drinking wine and playing video games? Try our classic ricotta- and spinach-stuffed shells, or this incredible version with shells filled with crab, shrimp, and scallops, a bit like the love child of crab cakes and pasta Alfredo. Both of them start with store-bought dried pasta, but will still go a lot faster when you’ve got two people to do the stuffing.

Ricotta Gnudi

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Gnudi comes from the old Tuscan-language equivalent of the word for “naked” in Italian, a name that’s both thematically appropriate for Valentine’s and practically descriptive of the dish: dumpling-like spheres of soft and creamy ricotta that lack a true pasta shell. Instead, they’re individually coated in a layer of semolina flour—a step that’s made quicker and easier with a partner—then allowed to sit until the thinnest of skins form on their exteriors. You’ll need to plan ahead for that step, as it can take a few days, and, above all, don’t skimp on the quality of the ricotta! With barely a fig leaf of pasta to cover it, so to speak, the cheese is highly exposed, which means it needs to be in top form. If excellent ricotta, containing no gums or stabilizers, isn’t available commercially where you live, tack on a bonus cooking project by making your own—it’s much easier than you think.

Get the recipe for Ricotta and Black Pepper Gnudi With Sage and Brown Butter »

A Dumpling Feast

[Photograph: Shao Z.]

With the help of store-bought wonton wrappers, making your own dumpling feast becomes as simple as whipping up the filling and starting up a two-person assembly line: one person to drop filling by the spoonful into each dumpling skin, the other to wet the edges, press, and seal. (For the sake of conjugal harmony, be sure to switch roles now and then, since partner #2 does the lion’s share of the work here.) We’ve got a number of recipes that start with store-bought wrappers, for dumplings as invitingly easy as they are tasty: pan-fried vegetable dumplings stuffed with wood ear mushrooms, five-spice tofu, and seitan; cute little shrimp and pork siu mai, made extra rich with pork fat mixed into the filling; Japanese pork and cabbage gyoza; and Sichuan-style wontons that pack a punch with hot, sour, sweet, and savory flavors. (Don’t forget the dipping sauces, too!)

Not enough of a challenge for you, unstoppable power couple that you are? Try your hands at dumplings that are homemade from start to finish, including the wrappers—like diaphanous har gow crammed with plump shrimp, or hearty Taiwanese pan-fried leek buns (shui jian bao). Perhaps the crowning achievement in a homemade-dumpling résumé, if there is such a thing, is xiao long bao, or soup dumplings, twist-topped bundles of dough hiding a liquid center of broth that gushes when you bite into it. Though they’re not all that difficult to make, they do rely on the gelatin content of homemade broth, so get ready for some extra canoodling over a mound of chicken backs.

You can find even more homemade-dumpling recipes to try out, either solo or together, here.

Tamales

[Photograph: Joshua Bousel]

Yes, tamales have a reputation, and a pretty well-deserved one at that, for being terribly labor-intensive. But dammit, is it ever hard to come by a truly good tamale—light, flavorful masa dough wrapped around a savory core of fillings—in the US, unless you live in one of a very few places with strong Mexican-American influences…or unless you have a special someone to help you make them at home. Our guide smooths the way for you by describing the testing process in detail and including photographs of each step in the assembly process. With help from his wife, Josh was able to put together 60 tamales in under half an hour—not a bad turnaround time—before steaming them or freezing for later. Choose a filling of red chili with chicken, roasted peppers and Oaxaca cheese, or green chili with pork.

Sushi

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Making makizushi (sushi rolls) is one of the most enjoyable yet approachable hands-on cooking projects you can dream up. It’s less humdrum than filling dumplings or assembling tamales, and, while it does take a bit of practice and maybe just a smidge of artistry, don’t be intimidated! Equipped with a couple of bamboo rolling mats for turning out tight, even rolls—and as long as you remember to keep your hands moistened and avoid laying the rice and fillings on too thick—you’ll be proudly snapping selfies with your very own maki rolls in short order. Look for fresh, soft, deep-green nori sheets, and, of course, use only the freshest raw fish you can find.

Get the recipe for Makizushi (Sushi Rolls) »

See all of our Sushi Week posts »

Spring Rolls

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Though many American eaters associate the name with the crispy, golden-fried sticks from Thai takeout menus, “spring rolls” is a catchall term that encompasses a wide range of filled-and-rolled appetizers, including the lighter, greener version pictured above. At any other time of year, they’re great for entertaining: Set out a platter of filling options—this recipe calls for fried tofu matchsticks, pea shoots, julienned carrots, and piles of fresh herbs—and a stack of flexible rice paper wrappers, and let everyone make their own. For Valentine’s, limit the guest list to just the two of you, stuff yourselves silly, and don’t skimp on the sweet/salty/spicy peanut-tamarind dipping sauce.

Get the recipe for Easy Vegan Crispy Tofu Spring Rolls »

Desserts

Sandwich Cookies

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Any homemade cookie from one of Stella’s recipes should be enough to get you in the mood (or maybe that’s just me I’m thinking of), but sandwich-style cookies will give you an extra chance to lightly touch elbows as you apply dollops of creme and carefully center those top wafers. Choose from BraveTart’s incredible “fauxreos”, bright and crunchy ginger-lemon cookies, E.L. Fudge–style chocolate-filled vanilla cookies, peanut butter and jelly cookies for the kid in you, and soft and tender alfajores con cajeta, to name a few. Springing for a heart-shaped cutter will of course automatically increase your cuteness quotient by 10%.

Milk Duds

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

There’s something about a slightly messy DIY project, especially if the mess it produces is edible, that can’t help but feel a little sensual. You’ve got to check your inhibitions at the door if you want to plunge your hands into a vat of melted chocolate, and that’s exactly how you’ll be coating these chewy caramels—which happily introduces the possibility of secretly touching fingers inside the pot and devising clever methods of getting all that chocolate off of each other. You don’t need us for that, but you will want to closely follow Stella’s instructions for making the caramel, and read up on Kenji’s guide to tempering chocolate.

Get the recipe for Homemade Milk Duds »

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It Takes Two: Cooking Projects for You and Your Va...

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[Photograph: Vicky Wasik, Shao Z.]

Let’s make one thing clear right out of the gate: Cooking as a couple isn’t for everyone. (Two years ago, we published a whole essay about this, albeit with a happy ending.) Maybe neither of you has Daniel’s sky-high standards in the kitchen, but successfully assembling a dinner together is one of those projects that tend to pull the veil off a relationship, exposing the tender spots of tension therein: needs for control or approval, tiny currents of judginess or thin competitive streaks. Even absent the complexity introduced by romance, deeply intertwined lives, and intimate knowledge of each other’s foibles, suddenly teaming up on a task that you’re used to doing alone can be a tough row to hoe—think of workplace collaboration, or The Amazing Race. You’ve been warned, is what we’re saying.

But! You’ve clicked on this article, you’ve read this far, and you’re a grown-up (we hope) who (we’ll assume) can point to the strength of your relationship and/or past triumphant team-cooking experiences as ample counterevidence. You already know that making a meal together can be a lovely expression of love, a way to create Valentine’s in your and your partner’s own image, on your own schedule, and avoid the headaches of dining out on that particular day. You’re here for recipes, not marriage advice, for chrissake! Well, fine.

While you can split up the duties required of almost any dish, some projects make more sense for this purpose than others. At the top of the list are any recipes that involve a lot of painstaking assembly, including items made in bulk to be frozen (dumplings and ravioli!) or stored in the pantry (DIY Milk Duds!) for later. Some of these recipes won’t make entrées, much less full meals, but we’ve included them because they provide good opportunities for collaboration, and because cooking projects can be enjoyable and worthwhile even if they don’t directly result in dinner. Pour a couple of glasses of wine and peruse this list together now, then stock up on everything you need well in advance, so you can be as relaxed as possible on the day of.

Homemade Mozzarella

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

High-quality fresh mozzarella—those delicate, moist orbs with a mild flavor of little more than good milk—can be hard to come by if you don’t live in Italy, or, at least, within close range of a well-supplied Italian grocery. Are you and your innamorato destined to go without? Not if we have anything to say about it. Armed with nonhomogenized, low-temperature-pasteurized milk (best obtained from a local farmers market), a couple of specialty ingredients you can order online, and a thorough reading of our explanation, you can take matters into your own hands, kind of literally. The teaming-up part comes when it’s time to stretch and shape the curd: After it’s been divided, both of you can stretch and lovingly shape your own balls of mozz before lowering them into whey to rest. For maximum collaboration, shape the cheese into tiny bocconcini instead of full-size balls, the better to pop into each other’s mouths right after they’re made. No, really: Eat these immediately, totally naked (the cheese, we mean, but y’all do y’all!), or with just a sprinkling of sea salt. Don’t even think about putting them in the fridge for later—true love might wait, but fresh mozzarella does not.

Get the recipe for Fresh Mozzarella From Scratch »

Pasta, All Ways

The Best Fresh Pasta Sheets

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Like making your own mozzarella, rolling and cutting your own fresh pasta dough will give you more than a terrific feeling of personal accomplishment; it’ll also result in a far tastier product than you’ll be able to buy at the vast majority of stores. One person can handle making the dough, sure, but kneading it is time-consuming, so it’s a good candidate for dividing between partners. If you’re using a manual pasta roller, it also helps to have one person feeding the dough in while the other turns the crank. If you’re lucky enough to have a stand mixer attachment for making pasta, well, take turns standing there and looking pretty. (Speaking of looking pretty: Incorporating beet purée is an easy way to turn your pasta a vibrant shade of pink that’s made for Valentine’s Day, without imparting any noticeable beet flavor.)

Get the recipe for Classic Fresh Egg Pasta »

This recipe makes pasta sheets that are ideal for slicing into linguine or fettuccine. Looking for something more involved? May we suggest…

Ravioli and Tortellini

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

If you and your valentine still have energy to burn after rolling out that homemade pasta dough, there’s nothing stopping you from turning it into an impressive spread of mushroom tortellini, ravioli filled with ricotta or butternut squash and blue cheese, or—for the high achievers among you, the couples who go running together in matching compression tights, you know who you are—an eye-popping dish of uovo in raviolo, extra-large ravioli filled with creamy ricotta and a soft-yolked egg. You will probably need a ravioli mold, or at least a fluted pastry wheel, when it’s time to cut the dough shapes, and you’ll definitely want both sets of hands available for portioning out the filling. If you’re making standard ravioli or tortellini, by all means enjoy your work for dinner in the evening, but make enough to freeze and eat later, too.

Stuffed Shells

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Want something a little softer and easier? A filled pasta that’s not quite as handcrafted, but still delicious, one that’ll leave you plenty of time for drinking wine and playing video games? Try our classic ricotta- and spinach-stuffed shells, or this incredible version with shells filled with crab, shrimp, and scallops, a bit like the love child of crab cakes and pasta Alfredo. Both of them start with store-bought dried pasta, but will still go a lot faster when you’ve got two people to do the stuffing.

Ricotta Gnudi

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Gnudi comes from the old Tuscan-language equivalent of the word for “naked” in Italian, a name that’s both thematically appropriate for Valentine’s and practically descriptive of the dish: dumpling-like spheres of soft and creamy ricotta that lack a true pasta shell. Instead, they’re individually coated in a layer of semolina flour—a step that’s made quicker and easier with a partner—then allowed to sit until the thinnest of skins form on their exteriors. You’ll need to plan ahead for that step, as it can take a few days, and, above all, don’t skimp on the quality of the ricotta! With barely a fig leaf of pasta to cover it, so to speak, the cheese is highly exposed, which means it needs to be in top form. If excellent ricotta, containing no gums or stabilizers, isn’t available commercially where you live, tack on a bonus cooking project by making your own—it’s much easier than you think.

Get the recipe for Ricotta and Black Pepper Gnudi With Sage and Brown Butter »

A Dumpling Feast

[Photograph: Shao Z.]

With the help of store-bought wonton wrappers, making your own dumpling feast becomes as simple as whipping up the filling and starting up a two-person assembly line: one person to drop filling by the spoonful into each dumpling skin, the other to wet the edges, press, and seal. (For the sake of conjugal harmony, be sure to switch roles now and then, since partner #2 does the lion’s share of the work here.) We’ve got a number of recipes that start with store-bought wrappers, for dumplings as invitingly easy as they are tasty: pan-fried vegetable dumplings stuffed with wood ear mushrooms, five-spice tofu, and seitan; cute little shrimp and pork siu mai, made extra rich with pork fat mixed into the filling; Japanese pork and cabbage gyoza; and Sichuan-style wontons that pack a punch with hot, sour, sweet, and savory flavors. (Don’t forget the dipping sauces, too!)

Not enough of a challenge for you, unstoppable power couple that you are? Try your hands at dumplings that are homemade from start to finish, including the wrappers—like diaphanous har gow crammed with plump shrimp, or hearty Taiwanese pan-fried leek buns (shui jian bao). Perhaps the crowning achievement in a homemade-dumpling résumé, if there is such a thing, is xiao long bao, or soup dumplings, twist-topped bundles of dough hiding a liquid center of broth that gushes when you bite into it. Though they’re not all that difficult to make, they do rely on the gelatin content of homemade broth, so get ready for some extra canoodling over a mound of chicken backs.

You can find even more homemade-dumpling recipes to try out, either solo or together, here.

Tamales

[Photograph: Joshua Bousel]

Yes, tamales have a reputation, and a pretty well-deserved one at that, for being terribly labor-intensive. But dammit, is it ever hard to come by a truly good tamale—light, flavorful masa dough wrapped around a savory core of fillings—in the US, unless you live in one of a very few places with strong Mexican-American influences…or unless you have a special someone to help you make them at home. Our guide smooths the way for you by describing the testing process in detail and including photographs of each step in the assembly process. With help from his wife, Josh was able to put together 60 tamales in under half an hour—not a bad turnaround time—before steaming them or freezing for later. Choose a filling of red chili with chicken, roasted peppers and Oaxaca cheese, or green chili with pork.

Sushi

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Making makizushi (sushi rolls) is one of the most enjoyable yet approachable hands-on cooking projects you can dream up. It’s less humdrum than filling dumplings or assembling tamales, and, while it does take a bit of practice and maybe just a smidge of artistry, don’t be intimidated! Equipped with a couple of bamboo rolling mats for turning out tight, even rolls—and as long as you remember to keep your hands moistened and avoid laying the rice and fillings on too thick—you’ll be proudly snapping selfies with your very own maki rolls in short order. Look for fresh, soft, deep-green nori sheets, and, of course, use only the freshest raw fish you can find.

Get the recipe for Makizushi (Sushi Rolls) »

See all of our Sushi Week posts »

Spring Rolls

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Though many American eaters associate the name with the crispy, golden-fried sticks from Thai takeout menus, “spring rolls” is a catchall term that encompasses a wide range of filled-and-rolled appetizers, including the lighter, greener version pictured above. At any other time of year, they’re great for entertaining: Set out a platter of filling options—this recipe calls for fried tofu matchsticks, pea shoots, julienned carrots, and piles of fresh herbs—and a stack of flexible rice paper wrappers, and let everyone make their own. For Valentine’s, limit the guest list to just the two of you, stuff yourselves silly, and don’t skimp on the sweet/salty/spicy peanut-tamarind dipping sauce.

Get the recipe for Easy Vegan Crispy Tofu Spring Rolls »

Desserts

Sandwich Cookies

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Any homemade cookie from one of Stella’s recipes should be enough to get you in the mood (or maybe that’s just me I’m thinking of), but sandwich-style cookies will give you an extra chance to lightly touch elbows as you apply dollops of creme and carefully center those top wafers. Choose from BraveTart’s incredible “fauxreos”, bright and crunchy ginger-lemon cookies, E.L. Fudge–style chocolate-filled vanilla cookies, peanut butter and jelly cookies for the kid in you, and soft and tender alfajores con cajeta, to name a few. Springing for a heart-shaped cutter will of course automatically increase your cuteness quotient by 10%.

Milk Duds

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

There’s something about a slightly messy DIY project, especially if the mess it produces is edible, that can’t help but feel a little sensual. You’ve got to check your inhibitions at the door if you want to plunge your hands into a vat of melted chocolate, and that’s exactly how you’ll be coating these chewy caramels—which happily introduces the possibility of secretly touching fingers inside the pot and devising clever methods of getting all that chocolate off of each other. You don’t need us for that, but you will want to closely follow Stella’s instructions for making the caramel, and read up on Kenji’s guide to tempering chocolate.

Get the recipe for Homemade Milk Duds »

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