Hello, Five Weeknight Dishes readers. Are we still having weeknights? Is it time for dinner? I think it’s safe to say that most of the daily cues we use to structure the day are out the window. It’s easy to lose track of the hours. But I will also say that the days when we plan to sit down to a meal are better. Cooking is both distracting and nourishing and can take up as much or as little time as you want it to. Our collections of slow-cooker recipes and bread formulas are here for you. But I’m still giving you quick and simple recipes in this newsletter, because cooking when worried isn’t easy.
If there are local restaurants you love, we hope you are also supporting them by ordering takeout and delivery. Chefs need people to cook for, especially in times of trouble.
[Sign up here to receive the Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter in your inbox every Friday.]
For you home cooks, here are recipes to get you through the week:
Whatever else is happening where you are, Thursday was still the first day of spring, and asparagus is the best way I know to be reminded of that as a cook. Heavy cream makes a little asparagus go a long way.
This is a completely different tomato sauce — bright and fruity — from a classic simmered “Sunday sauce.” You boil it furiously just until it thickens — only about 15 minutes — so it doesn’t lose all of the fresh-tomato taste, and it makes the most beautiful, simple bowls of pasta. And it keeps well.
_____
4. Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes
If there were ever a time to have Breakfast for Dinner, this is it. My mom used to put blueberries in the pancakes and serve coffee ice cream on top instead of syrup, to make it a “balanced meal.” Add bacon, of course, if you like.
_____
