The Bite (Issue 88): Back to basics

Because it's too hot for anything else [View in browser](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmeV_OP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcmprMHRjMWFxbS8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1kd2VzcDh6d3k0VwNzcGNCCmSS0dqWZAo-ELxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) Partway through my creative pursuits, I’ve always had a tendency to “gild the lily,” as my[grandmother](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmeV_OP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbGhpajJ3eDU0ai8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1kd2VzcDh6d3k0JmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmSS0dqWZAo-ELxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~)would say with a head shake and a knowing half-smile. I’m not exactly sure from where that compulsion stems, but I see its [tendrils wrap around](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmeV_OP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveWIxZjVsMG1pay8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1kd2VzcDh6d3k0JmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmSS0dqWZAo-ELxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) the majority of my second drafts. Not my first drafts and certainly (I hope) not my last, but I always manage to find myself on this unsettling, almost vertiginous middle ground in any project where I suddenly step back and ask, “Am I doing enough?” And then I promptly proceed to do too much. The amount of overdone watercolor paintings, for instance, that I have laid to rest in my [kitchen](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmeV_OP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvYThoaGY3cDAwbC8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1kd2VzcDh6d3k0JmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmSS0dqWZAo-ELxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) trash can is a testament to this pattern. One night recently, I was painting a street corner that I really like; it’s at the intersection of Division and Wood in Chicago and if you angle yourself just right, you can really take in Phyllis’ Musical Inn, a[modern-day saloon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmeV_OP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvOHRhYm5hMzh0di8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1kd2VzcDh6d3k0JmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmSS0dqWZAo-ELxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~)with glass-brick windows and a classic Old Style Beer sign. I left the painting at a good, if incomplete stopping point. Then, the next morning, I was determined to add “realistic detail" and started to use an ink pen to cross-hatch some texture into the brick wall. It wasn’t quite hitting, so I decided to try to stipple the bricks with some dark mahogany paint. It was too much too fast and, soon, there was a sizable chunk of my painting that looked like an inkblot a psychiatrist would show someone struggling with rage issues. “What do you see?” they’d ask. “A dumpster fire engulfed in smoke,” they’d respond. Like so many others before it, that version of the painting met its end, torn in half and sitting under a layer of[kitchen scraps](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmeV_OP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcmZkMHZwdW40cS8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1kd2VzcDh6d3k0JmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmSS0dqWZAo-ELxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) in black plastic garbage bag. I will say though, for my flaws, I do tend to learn from my mistakes — the next version of the painting was crisp, precise (thanks to the help of a ruler and a modicum of patience) and had just the appropriate amount of stipple on the painted brick wall. I occasionally do the same thing when I’m cooking. There’s a running joke with my partner, Stephen, about this coconut-cod stew — based on an old recipe of my grandmothers that was similar to Brazilian moqueca — that I had developed early in our dating relationship. I don’t think it has ever tasted the same way twice. The first time I made it, it was very simple: I sweated down chopped[leeks and garlic](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmeV_OP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMmNucDZmbHpjei8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1kd2VzcDh6d3k0JmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmSS0dqWZAo-ELxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~)until they were a little glassy and fragrant, then topped them with a mixture of diced red bell pepper and jalapeño. After that I added a ton of paprika, a little cayenne and a pinch of turmeric, before covering the entire mixture with good stock and [fresh coconut milk](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmeV_OP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvOWtrczZ2c3Nvby8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1kd2VzcDh6d3k0JmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmSS0dqWZAo-ELxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~). After that had stewed for a while, I added cubed potatoes and then, finally, the cod, which is cooked white and flaky. It was pretty impeccable. But then, of course, I had to continue riffing. One time, I swapped chickpeas for[potatoes](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmeV_OP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvMzJubG9kYmx4eS8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1kd2VzcDh6d3k0JmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmSS0dqWZAo-ELxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~), while another time, I purposely inverted the order and amount of spices. I’ve experimented with different types of fish and debated whether coconut cream is the superior add-in, rather than coconut milk. It got further and further away from the original dish, until it was no longer recognizable. That’s not inherently a bad thing, of course. That is when innovation happens, after all. That said, sometimes you need to know when to return to the basics. And in the realm of cooking, there is no better time to do so than the summer. This is the time of year that all I want to eat are simple meals, made with just a few ingredients, that don’t require me standing over the stove for more than about ten minutes (after that, I start to feel like I’m the one being baked). In this week’s issue of The Bite, Salon Food’s weekly newsletter, I’m going to share some of our best, basic summer recipes from the archives. I hope you enjoy and that you have a weekend filled with good food and even better company — Ashlie Stevens, food editor Dispatches from Salon Food's archives - [The perfect pasta for hot summer nights stars fresh tomatoes and buttery brie](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmeV_OP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveWJhN3QzcGg3ai8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1kd2VzcDh6d3k0JmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmSS0dqWZAo-ELxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) - [Cherries and goat cheese meet for a tangy, sweet grain salad](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmeV_OP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvcGZoZXM5YjdhbS8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1kd2VzcDh6d3k0JmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmSS0dqWZAo-ELxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) - [Garden overrun with cucumbers? Use them to make midori-zu, a vibrant Japanese green vinegar](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmeV_OP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveG8xMzR1YjEwbS8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1kd2VzcDh6d3k0JmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmSS0dqWZAo-ELxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) - [Chef Abra Berens’ summer squash epiphany: Fall in love with the season's underappreciated produce](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmeV_OP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMveGlnMWp3Y3lxby8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1kd2VzcDh6d3k0JmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmSS0dqWZAo-ELxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) - [Make Giada De Laurentiis' luscious zuccotto, a frozen cake with a whipped chocolate filling](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmeV_OP0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvY3YzbTZrNmZ6eC8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1kd2VzcDh6d3k0JmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmSS0dqWZAo-ELxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) If you found yourself here without subscribing, make sure to sign up for [The Bite](~/AASU4wA~/RgRmeV_OP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbnM1MTZlbnc2di8_bGhfYWlkPTM0NTA5JmxoX2NpZD1kd2VzcDh6d3k0VwNzcGNCCmSS0dqWZAo-ELxSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAJQ~~) so you don't miss anything! 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