It’s the sauceIn addition to being your weeknight dinner correspondent and a professional recipe recommender, I’m the editor of New York Times Cooking. One question I get a lot is: What do we look for in the recipes we publish? Put another way: What makes a dish right for NYT Cooking? There are a few factors, but a big one is what I think of as the lightbulb moment — an “aha!” moment inherent to the recipe, whether it’s a particular ingredient, a technique, a piece of equipment or even just an idea. That’s what Genevieve Ko gave us in her latest column and recipe, a dish animated by its quick sauce, which has numerous variations across Vietnamese cuisine. She says that sauce changed the way she cooks — an endorsement if ever I’ve heard one. Suggestions? Requests? Write to me at dearemily@nytimes.com. I love to hear from you.
1. Caramelized Garlic FishGenevieve’s recipe is inspired by cá kho tộ, a Vietnamese fish dish that revolves around a sauce made with sugar, garlic and fish sauce. She pairs it with cod, but it’s also great with chicken, beef, pork, tofu, vegetables and other seafood (including catfish and other flaky white fillets).
2. Lemony Chicken With Potatoes and OreganoI find that chicken and potatoes for dinner always hits the mark. This simple recipe from Melissa Clark gets even simpler, albeit less lemony, if you skip Step 2 and omit the lemon from the pan.
3. Creamy Mushrooms and GnocchiA fancy-ish dish that will not break the bank, this recipe from Christian Reynoso combines cream and cremini mushrooms to luxurious effect. Just add a tablecloth, a candle and a bottle of wine. (Or pencil shavings, permission slips and other kid detritus scattered across the table. Both settings work.)
4. Shrimp ÉtoufféeVallery Lomas’s delicious riff on étouffée — swapping shrimp in for crawfish tails — makes it easy to cook all year round and far beyond Louisiana. The combination of Creole seasoning and the “holy trinity” of Cajun and Creole cooking (celery, onion, green bell pepper) will always remind you where this one’s from.
5. Baked TofuThe recipe from Kristina Felix is exactly what you need to easily add tofu to a meal. I first made it for a party at which I served bo ssam for 12 and needed a vegetarian alternative; topped with kimchi, gochujang and scallion sauce, it tucked into a lettuce wrap perfectly. Since then, I’ve served this tofu with dumplings and greens, with chile crisp dribbled on top. For a limited time, you can enjoy free access to the recipes in this newsletter in our app. Download it on your iOS or Android device and create a free account to get started. Thanks for reading and cooking with me. If you like the work we do at New York Times Cooking, please subscribe! (Or give a subscription as a gift!) 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. View all recipes in your weekly plan.
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