My new cooking column for SELF

I edit a section called INDULGE at Self magazine. Some months we cover travel but most months we feature great recipes that are both healthy and delicious. Because I want it all: at work, home, and even on my plate. 

It used to be that there were nutritious meals and gourmet meals, and never the twain shall meet. Now, thanks to Michael Pollan and other luminaries in the food world, there's been a convergence of the two. My column focuses on the cookbooks that are at the forefront of that change. The books I cover are filled with recipes that are equal measures nutritious, seasonal, delicious and satisfying. 

Here is the first column in my series. I hope you'll keep reading it and let me know what you think about it at Tatiana_Boncompagni@condenast.com. What kinds of recipes do you want me to try? What's your dream recipe makeover? Is there a cookbook out there that should be on my radar?

 I’ll admit it: I am a creature of routine. Familiarity is comforting to me. I seek it at the office, the gym and especially in the kitchen. My cooking repertoire, therefore, is somewhat limited. I’ll break out a new recipe for a dinner party (a Moroccan-spiced chicken dish was a recent hit), but on most weeknights, I prepare simple, wholesome meals for my family. Think grass-fed steak, a fresh salad and roasted potatoes, or pan-seared pork tenderloin with buttered green beans and rice. On the weekends, I rely on a half-dozen crowd-pleasers—an old family recipe for arroz con pollo, black beans, key lime or pumpkin pie. What I do cook, I cook well, and I’m passionate about using seasonal, local and organic ingredients as often as possible. But there’s no doubt that my culinary horizons could use some expanding.

Especially now. As SELF magazine’s lifestyle director, my job requires me to pore over all the new cookbooks that walk through our door. The photography is so beautiful, the recipes so mouthwatering—it’s hard not to get inspired. My goal for the New Year: To try a new recipe once a week. I’ll focus mostly on new or recently released cookbooks, and specifically on recipes that are both delicious and healthful. I’ll tweak and sub in ingredients when necessary (or I think advisable), and I’ll be honest about the level of difficulty and prep time. My hope is that my adventures in cooking and baking will inspire you to try new things in the kitchen—and life.  

Fearlessness has to start somewhere, so why not let it be with what you put into your body.

With all that in mind, I cracked open Plenty More, Vibrant Vegetable Cooking from London’s Ottolenghi. The author, Yotam Ottolenghi, has three other cookbook bestsellers under his belt and runs a group of eponymous restaurants in the U.K.. Plenty More is the vegetarian follow-up to Plenty and is packed, cover-to-cover, with delectable dishes I want to make (and eat!), like Tagliatelle with Walnuts and Lemon, Eggplant Cheesecake and Smoky Polenta Fries.

I decided to try the Quinoa and Fennel Salad first—mostly because I already had quinoa in my pantry and, thanks to the Winter CSA my husband had so smartly signed us up for, some particularly beautiful fennel in my fridge. To round out the meal, which I served as a light lunch for eight, I made roasted rosemary garlic potatoes, two ways, and paprika-dusted hard-boiled eggs over cumin-spiced lentils.

The prep was easy. Basically, you throw together prepared quinoa (1 cup, boiled for 9 minutes) with sautéed fennel, generous handfuls of cilantro and dill and add some chili, segmented limes and currants. I omitted the fava beans in the recipe because I was also making a lentil dish and didn’t want to overdo it with the legumes. I didn’t miss the beans, but I think you would if you wanted the salad to work as an entrée. In fact, the cookbook suggests adding pumpkin seeds, walnuts or goat cheese to make it feel more substantial. 


(Recipe here)

The fennel caramelizing in the pan made my country kitchen smell heavenly and caused me to wonder why I didn’t cook with it more often. Even just roasted on a baking sheet with salt, pepper and a little olive oil, it would be a delicious side to grilled wild salmon or beef tenderloin. Segmenting limes was also an eye-opener. I could add the bright green, juicy morsels to a fruit plate or creamy dessert to add a pop of citrus and color. So much cooler than a sprig of mint!
In fact, maybe this is what trying out new recipes is all about—not simply discovering another dinner party go-to, but picking up new skills and ideas you can use every day. Because I believe we should indulge a little every day and aim to keep an open mind—in the kitchen and beyond. Life can be so much more satisfying that way.

RELATED LINKS:

• Quinoa And Fennel Salad