One Good Dish
Starred Review. Tanis (A Platter of Figs) turns his focus to an eclectic array of simple, casual meals that satisfy and are appropriate to be eaten at any time of day. Tanis's whimsy runs from bread, snacks, and condiments to vegetables, griddled foods, desserts, and more. Waffle-iron grilled cheese, gorgonzola and walnut crostini; and ham and gruyere bread pudding are highlights among the rustic offering of bread entries. Snack options are diverse and wholly appetizing, including smaller nibbles such as quail eggs with flavored salt and cucumber spears with dill, along with more substantial dishes such as potato salad with peppers and olives, polenta pizza with crumbled sage, and cold chicken with spicy scallion oil. His chapter titled Eating with a Spoon centers on pleasures in a bowl and contains a full-bodied, save-your-life garlic soup, rice porridge with salted egg, yellow risotto with saffron and lemon, and clams in the shell with fennel and parsley. Recipes based on vegetables are robust and inventively appealing, including long-cooked kale, which incorporates Spanish chorizo and red pepper flakes; well-charred endives with anchovy butter; and braised lettuce, sweet peas, and ham. Accompanied by numerous full-color photographs, the recipes in this collection are suitable for solo dining or entertaining guests and are certain to please. (Nov.)