Good Bread Good Meat Good God Let's Eat : The New York Times Recipes

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

The New York Times Recipes

Melina Hammer for The New York Times

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2016

SAM SIFTON

Good morning. I was down in Houston recently to hone my enchilada skills, in advance of writing an article for today's Food section of The Times about the joys of making them at home as one-pan family meals. My recipes are authentic insofar as they adhere to the precepts of the Spanish verb that gives the dish its name - enchiladar: to season with chiles - but I doubt Diana Kennedy or any other dons of Mexican cuisine would approve. They're Tex-Mex-ish, by way of the precepts of the American casserole. They're delicious.
So why not give one a try this week? I have a recipe for enchiladas verdes (above) that you can make with leftover roast chicken or one bought from the supermarket and shredded, enrobed in a simple green salsa of tomatillos and cilantro, with queso fresco. There's a recipe for enchiladas con carne as well, that sees the tortillas filled and topped with a simple skillet chili and plenty of melted cheese. At first blush, it seems like a project. Maybe it is the first time you make it. But after two times? It's a terrific weeknight family meal.
And for those who seek side dishes or a meatless variety of main, there is a recipe for cheese enchiladas with chili gravy that can accompany a bowl of rice and a vat of beans, or serve as a base for fried eggs. You'll notice, perhaps with antipathy, that I use a combination of processed American cheese and Cheddar to fill and top the dish. It's a technique I picked up from the Tex-Mex scholar and Houston restaurateur Robb Walsh, who defends it heartily for how it provides superior meltability, while anchoring the dish in the cultural history of South Texas. Time was, there was a lot of government cheese circulating down there. It plays a role in the cuisine not dissimilar to the one Spam plays in Korean and Hawaiian cooking. Don't knock it until you try it.
Speaking of, take a look at Margaux Laskey's smart review of Julia Reed's new cookbook, "Julia Reed's South: Spirited Entertaining and High-Style Fun All Year Long." With it comes a terrific recipe for Ms. Reed's chess pie squares, which Margaux calls "unapologetic in their simplicity and Southern-ness, equally at home on a picnic blanket or a monogrammed silver platter." If enchiladas aren't your game, maybe you could order in some takeout and make the squares instead of cooking dinner, then take them to work in the morning.
Now, some come to this newsletter on Wednesdays looking not for a proper recipe but for a narrative one, a suggestion of what to cook unencumbered by weights, measures and firm instruction. For them (for you!), let's have some mussels with tomatoes and chorizo. Sauté some cubed chorizo in olive oil, and when it starts to crisp, add a few handfuls of halved cherry tomatoes and a few cloves of chopped garlic. Let the tomatoes blister in the fat. Then add a bag of scrubbed and de-bearded mussels and a glass of white wine. Cover and allow the mussels to steam open, then garnish with chopped parsley and serve with plenty of toast.
Actual recipes to cook tonight and later this week are on Cooking, as ever. Scroll through them and save the ones you like to your recipe box. Then cook them and, when you're done, give them a rating or append a note to them if you have a substitution or emendation. And as always, if you run into problems, please reach out for help. We're atcookingcare@nytimes.com.
Finally, can I recommend the second season of "Bloodline" on Netflix? Nope. I've watched only the first episode, and it left me feeling queasy and panicked, as if I'd done something awful, irredeemable, wicked. It's hard enough living in New York City as it is. "Better Call Saul"! Enjoy your dinner.