What’s Cooking
Recipes from more than a quarter-century of Debra's newsletters - from our award winning kitchen, and three cookbooks
Sep 2023

We shred summer squash – using a spiralizer, a julienne peeler, or by hand. That’s our “pasta.” And then we do it up aglio e olio style. That’s Italian for “garlic and oil.” E gamberi means “and shrimp,” and it’s the shrimp that transform what’s basically a glorified salad into a full-out meal.     Now let’s talk cheese: there’s generic romano, and there’s pecorino romano. The

Sep
2023
Aug 2023

We use organic purple “riceberry” rice from Thailand to make this… is it a dessert? a breakfast? Either way, it’s easy, nutritious, yummy and nourishing.

Aug
2023
Jun 2023

toppings, toppings, toppings are… unecessary. But lovely! Here we use some chickpeas reserved from the original blending, plus pine nuts and za’atar, plus a healthy drizzle of olive oil. In a perfect world, you’ll use a good olive oil to make the hummus, and a GREAT olive oil to top it. Other topping options: some

Jun
2023
Mar 2023

This isn’t authentic, and it probably lacks artistry. But it’s yummy, a foolproof weeknight staple that’s good for you. In the winter, I use chopped carrots, and frozen peas and corn. In summer, why not throw in some snow peas?

Mar
2023
Feb 2023

This is my favorite rice! The Riceberry cultivar was developed in Thailand 20 years ago, as a cross between a purple sticky rice and a long-grain jasmine. No GMOs here, they just crossed the two strains the old fashioned way. Riceberry is soft, sticky, nutty & fragrant; and like most deep-dark-purple-almost-black foods, it’s packed with health anthocyanin

Feb
2023
Purple Sweet Potato Porridge
Feb 2023

Purple sweet potatoes are just what they sound like: sweet potatoes, that are purple.  You can bake them, boil them…  For this dish, you cook them in the same pot as the oatmeal.  So it’s no muss, no fuss.  It looks pretty, and now you’re having vegetables for breakfast.    And the dried fruit…  goji berries

Feb
2023
Turkish Red Lentil Soup
Jan 2023

This is a super-easy weeknight dinner, and then the urfa chili oil add a depth of flavor that might surprise you

Jan
2023
Dec 2022

My mother’s cassoulet recipe (originally published in these pages 2017) is a delight, and a revelation. Lots of beans and meat. Rich and warming. Fatty and delicious. Creamy on the bottom; melt-in-your mouth crispy on top. The perfect Sunday dinner for family, and a holiday table centerpiece.

Dec
2022
salad
Nov 2022

radicchio | citrus | shaved fennel | toasted hazelnuts I was in Italy early October, on Lake Bolsena, with my father and brothers and sister, and all the children.  They rented a big house.  Every day, we went somewhere, walked around, and ate lunch out.  Every evening, we came home and made a big family

Nov
2022
butternut soup
Oct 2022

My wife makes a pot of this probably 3-4 times a month all during the cold seasons. It is simple, dependable, and nourishing. And, if you use frozen or pre-cubed squash, the whole thing is about 5 minutes of prep. We tend to use butternut, but you can use any winter squash, really – including

Oct
2022
black cherry hazelnut torte with a
Sep 2022

Impressive enough for guests, and nourishing enough for breakfast. 100% plant-based, and almost entirely raw.

Sep
2022