Focaccia, Non-Recipe Recipes, & A Newsletter Refresh
non-recipe recipes (i.e. this focaccia pizza situation) that are too fabulous to not share plus a spring newsletter refresh!
There’s nothing like spring for a little newsletter refresh!
For the longest time, my newsletter has more or less been an afterthought (my brother went so far as to call it boring, and he wasn’t wrong). Recipe development, shooting recipes (both static imagery and video), not to mention the upkeep of my website, is a full-time job in itself. So, I never really dedicated the time/resources to properly flesh out a newsletter that was both fun and informative.
But I finally have a vision!
say hello to Cooking the Books!
Thank my brother for that fun title and the cool graphics. Aka my space for sharing more beyond structured written recipes. Like non-recipe recipes (more on that below), deep dives into my recipe development process (read: lots of crying), plus seasonal recipes and other kitchen-related stuff.
Overall, here’s what to expect. Planning to share 2 to 3 columns each month (but even the best-laid plans can fall apart so we’ll see).
One column will be dedicated to my new mini-series: non-recipe recipes.
The second column will be a deep dive into my recipe development for whichever recipe I’ve been working on recently.
And because spontaneity can be fun, the third column will be up in the air - a space for whatever I want to write about (like my extensive collection of counter appliances).
And last thing, a question for you! I typically release my columns on Sunday, but let me know which day works best for you (Friday? or Saturday?).
non-recipe recipes…
And now for the fun stuff (the food). But first, I need to give some backstory.
Growing up, my mom never measured anything. Instead, ingredients were measured by handfuls of herbs, pinches of salt, etc. To this day, staple childhood recipes my mom has made for years have no measurements (she is the true definition of a good cook).
So cooking without a measuring cup in sight is deeply ingrained in me - but when it comes to baking, you can pry my digital scale out of my cold, dead hands. This is where the idea of sharing my non-recipe recipes came from - a monthly series dedicated to unserious eats that will never have measurements but are too fabulous to not share.
I want to use this monthly column to expand more on cooking - instead of writing out a structured recipe, I want to share more about the thought process behind the ingredient pairings, techniques I used to enhance certain elements, etc. (hopefully, you get the picture).
So, here’s this month’s non-recipe recipes!
lemony arugula pesto focaccia.
Focaccia will forever be one of my favorite breads to bake: it’s low-effort, high-reward, and tastes fantastic on its own or piled with six different toppings (linking the focaccia recipe I SWEAR by here). And this specific focaccia pizza situation is my new favorite thing - think of it as a white pizza but with focaccia.
Spread a thick slice of focaccia with ricotta, liberally spread over some pesto, and top of lemony arugula salad, and flaky salt.
Unfortunately, I can’t have dairy (butter is the exception thankfully) so Kite Hill is my go-to brand for non-dairy ricotta)
For the lemony arugula salad, use 2-3 handfuls of arugula, toss with evoo, 1 lemon worth of juice, plus kosher salt and pepper to taste. I firmly believe that freshly cracked black pepper is infinitely superior to pre-ground, so if you can, highly recommend using these smoked black peppercorns from Morton & Bassett (so good).
Loving this pairing of the super lemony salad with the fatty ricotta and chewy focaccia - a heavenly pairing of ingredients that marry so well.
10-ingredient smoked turkey sammie
Loving turkey sammies at the moment - and this was heaven. And nobody asked, but sourcing is super important to me for any animal products (eggs, dairy, meat, etc.). The smoked turkey I used for this sammie comes from this amazing farm that’s woman-owned and only 5 minutes away from our house!
The 10 ingredients of this sammie: toasted sourdough (1), pesto (2), honey (3), vegenaise/mayo (4), mustard (5), lemony arugula salad with evoo, lemon, smoked black pepper, and salt (6, 7, 8, 9), salted heirloom tomatoes (10).
Built this sammie by toasting sourdough (until it’s golden-brown), then slathered one slice with pesto and a drizzle of honey (trust), and the other slice with vegenaise/mayo and mustard, then piled on the sliced turkey, salted heirloom tomatoes (more on this below), and lemony arugula salad (clearly loving this ).
Love salting tomatoes simply because it makes their flavor so much more concentrated - the salt draws out the water from the tomatoes and intensifies the tomato-ness.
The honey in this sandwich balances the salt and acid from the smoked turkey, tomatoes, and arugula salad. So don’t leave it out; it plays an important role.
spicy lentils & peas
A simple dinner I threw together because there was absolutely nothing in the fridge that turned into one of the most epic meals this past month. Detailing what I did below.
Boil some black lentils in salted water (cooking the lentils in salted water helps season them from within). Once the lentils are done (they should be soft but still have some bite), drain and rinse them thoroughly. In the same pot, blanch some peas in salted water (about 1 1/2 minutes, no more). Drain and rinse immediately in cold water to stop the cooking process (no one likes mushy peas).
You want a 3:2 ratio of lentils and peas (about 1/2 cup dry lentils and 1/3 cup fresh peas for one serving).
Prep the tadka - thinly slice some garlic and fry it off in some evoo until browned and crisp. Thinly slicing the garlic yields the crispiest, most perfectly browned garlic ever. Immediately remove from the heat and sprinkle in some cumin seeds, coriander, and za’atar - the remnant heat is just enough to bloom the spices without burning them. Pour this over the lentils and peas and toss to combine.
Mince some cilantro and throw it into the bowl of lentils and peas, along with a handful of whole mint leaves and a squeeze of lemon juice. Toss everything together and adjust for salt (anytime a dish feels flat, add more salt).
Quick note, I always add anything citrusy at the very end so it doesn’t get muted during the cooking process.
That’s all! If you made it through this, thank you and happy spring!
-Yasmeen
Lovely! Thanks Yasmeen
"Growing up, my mom never measured anything." W mom.