One of the great joys of my job is that there are people in my life who commandeer me when I see them and tell me what they’ve made from New York Times Cooking. My favorite interactions are with my doctor, a consummate New Yorker whom I love, and who has taken care of me for many years. Yesterday, in the exam room during an appointment, she took out her phone, opened the Cooking app, and began scrolling as she gave me the rundown on recipes:
Blistered green beans with pistachios: “This is the only way to make string beans.”
Dutch baby: “It didn’t work with oat milk, but it’s still good.”
Broccoli salad with garlic and sesame: “This? Delish.”
In return, I serve as a private recipe concierge and steer her toward dishes I think she’ll like. A handful of those are below, along with a few of her own picks. You can always tell me what you think, too: [email protected]. Hearing from you is the best.
1. Chicken Schnitzel With Pan-Roasted Grapes
There is just something about warm, burst grapes, and they mix beautifully with meat. In this Lidey Heuck recipe, they accompany chicken schnitzel; a side of sour cream spiked with lemon ties it all together.
2. Pasta Amatriciana
A classic of Italian cooking, amatriciana is a dish that has so few ingredients, but the ones that are there make for something powerful, almost magical, when they’re combined. This recipe, from Kay Chun, is a moment of ecstasy in a bowl.
3. Spring Barley Soup
Ali Slagle pairs an umami-blessed miso base with chewy pearled barley, asparagus and peas for an April version of a January soup. You could add cubed soft or firm tofu if you’re looking to make it a more filling meal.
4. Silken Tofu With Spicy Soy Dressing
My doctor said that she loved this Hetty McKinnon recipe, inspired by dishes like hiyayakko, and that she also used the spicy soy dressing for shrimp and sugar snap peas on the side; it’s also delicious with eggs and rice. This one is popular with our editors too.
