Last week, in this newsletter, I asked what you’re cooking, and in return I got a lot of emails that took me across the country and into your kitchens. It was a blast of warmth in this weird, chilly time. Thank you for that!
One of my favorite notes was from a reader named Tammy, who told me she was making a stew that she was mixing up in a Dutch oven and baking for 3 to 4 hours.
“It was loaded with mushrooms, beef, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, seasoning and turned out really delicious,” she said. She took it over to a new mother along with freshly baked carrot muffins, raspberry sorbet and cookies. Do I have to have another baby to get someone to bring this meal to my house? Please let me know.
You’re making honey-glazed mushrooms with udon; chicken and rice soup; baked rigatoni and cauliflower; strawberry drop biscuits, but adapted with all kinds of fruit. Someone wrote me just to say how much they love Melissa Clark. (As do I.)
Lastly, I got a note from a reader named Barry, who said he was making Kay Chun’s bulgogi Bolognese and then added: “I get to have dinner with my amazing wife of 26 years! And we’re both healthy! How lucky are we?” I love that, Barry!
There’s still time to send me what you’re cooking at dearemily@nytimes.com. What I’m cooking this week is below, along with a few recommendations from you.
1. Tomato and White Bean Soup With Lots of Garlic
A few of you wrote to tell me you were making Ali Slagle’s tomato soup, which has remarkably deep flavor for a fast-cooking pantry soup, thanks to the way that the garlic is crushed. This would be a great dinner with a baguette or sourdough toast on the side, and some cheese or a salad.
2. Korean Bulgogi Bolognese
Reader Barry was correct in his assessment of Kay Chun’s mash-up of Korean barbecue and Bolognese sauce, writing that it is “the perfect dish for a bitter cold night.” Buy prechopped carrots, onions and celery — also known as mirepoix — to save yourself time. And if you’re doing that, why not use prechopped garlic and ginger, too?
3. Ginger-Dill Salmon
This is one I’ll be cooking this week: Ali Slagle’s ginger-dill salmon, which makes great use of citrus at the height of its season. The fish is gently cooked, then served with an easy salad of oranges and grapefruit, and I’ll probably add arugula. (My kids won’t touch that salad, but they’ll eat the fish with undressed pieces of orange on the side.)
4. Lemony Shrimp and Bean Stew
Here’s a sunny, lemony moment for January from Sue Li — a stew that feels a little fancy (the shrimp, the buttery base) but is pretty easy to pull together. Stretch the dish by serving it over pasta. This is a good use for bagged frozen shrimp, by the way.
5. Skillet Chicken With Couscous, Lemon and Halloumi
There are a few ingredients I default to when I have no idea what to cook: chicken thighs, rice, tofu, tortillas. This is one of my favorite ways to use those thighs, a dish from Yewande Komolafe that’s more involved than just sticking the pan in the oven, but infinitely more special, too, because of the halloumi-walnut topping.
Thanks for reading and cooking. If you like the work we do at New York Times Cooking, please subscribe! You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest, or follow me on Instagram. I’m dearemily@nytimes.com, and previous newsletters are archived here. Reach out to my colleagues at cookingcare@nytimes.com if you have any questions about your account.
