A friend of ours in California emailed the other day for advice:

What do I do with leftover “special” ingredients?
For example, my current remnants: Heavy cream from mashed potatoes, coconut milk from pad thai… Something quick, simple and doesn’t require another shopping trip…

The key to using leftover perishables is having a kitchen stocked with key non-perishables. If you’ve got canned tomatoes, beans, stock, mustard and spices in the pantry and you make a habit of picking up carrots, onions, potatoes and hearty greens whenever you go to the store, you’ll be in a much better position to use the leftover bits of things like herbs and cream.

Meanwhile, here are a few off-the-cuff suggestions:

Heavy cream
#1 - Whisk together with an egg yolk, grated parmesan and red pepper flakes, then toss with hot noodles in a bowl.
#2 - Drizzle over fennel, asparagus, thinly sliced potoates or any other vegetable in a gratin dish, cover with grated cheese and bake or broil.
#3 - Whisk together with herbs and vinegar or lemon juice for a creamy dressing.
#4 - Stir into soups and stews at the end for richness.

Coconut milk
#1 - Braise chicken (or shrimp) in it with any combination of cilantro, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, lime juice and fish sauce, then serve over rice.
#2 - Stir into soups and stews with cilantro, fish sauce and chiles.

We are looking for an editorial/web assistant to work on a part-time (10-20 hours/week) contract basis for a few months, with the strong possibility of coming on full-time in the spring. Though we’ll consider everyone, we’re really looking for someone in or around D.C. Read more at craigslist.

From Béa of La Tartine Gourmande:
pink peppercorns
yellow raspberries
white currants
red currants
brown carrots
blue quail egg
brown quail egg
scallion in a sieve
pea omelet
pear in a bowl

A cabbage’s outer leaves are often thin and damaged. First pull off and discard 2 or 3 layers to reveal thicker smoother leaves. Rinse the cabbage well and pat it dry.

With a long knife, cut the head in half through the core.

Cut each half in half again through the core.

Remove and discard the tough white cores by holding each quarter upright and slicing downward behind them at an angle.

Now you can slice the cabbage as the recipe or whim demands. Slice it into very thin long strips for slaws and salads, into thicker strips for stir-frys, braises and sautees, and into larger pieces for a longer cooking.

It all started with a chunky cup of strawberry soy yogurt.

For years, I’ve been an enthusiastic, if casual, reader of the craigslist rants & raves boards. There, under the cloak of anonymity, any fed up kook (there aren’t many raves to speak of) can slander, accuse, whine and rage against whatever celebrity, computer error, ethnic group, political constituency, athlete, social injustice, behavior or international conglomerate he feels threatened or dissed by.

No matter the topic, someone almost always disagrees with the ranter and a RE:RE:RE: bout of name-calling ensues, the more preposterous the claims the more inclined the claimants are to lob expletives and mandhandle basic grammar.

As someone who enjoys reading these exchanges, I do sometimes get bored with the subjects, the great majority of which could be lumped into the broad category of “Slur Justification.” So I was happy this morning to come across an ongoing wrangle about Whole Foods on the Washington, D.C. board.

It started simply enough yesterday morning: someone who shops at the Whole Foods at Clarendon was angry about some soy yogurt that expired a day or so after the purchase. That minor fuss, along with the gratuitous slur thrown in at the end, sparked a cluster of responses (26 as of 9:30am today) that have touched on just about every hot social issue out there and included some obscenities I had forgotten existed. It has even inspired its own ballad.

Start at the bottom of the full exchange and read your way up. And if you’re a Whole Foods-shopping, horse-loving Congressional aide who talked recently to a guy with a broken arm who was ahead of you in line, you may want to read this.

I appreciate the tradition of sameness from one Thanksgiving meal to the next. It’s a meal designed for comfort, a link between the years. But this year, with family coming to D.C. to see our newest member, I wanted to experiment a little and play around with contrast. It wasn’t a defiance of tradition, just a variation on it. A summary:

Roasted turkey breast
Brined with peppercorns and star anise for 6 hours, then patted dry, rubbed with duck fat, and roasted at 400F until cooked through but still moist (160F in the thickest part).

Roasted beef tenderloin
Coated with kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper. Seared in clarified butter, then roasted at 400F until medium rare (130F in the thickest part).

Potato gratin
Yukon gold potatoes peeled and sliced very thin. Simmered in whole milk with mashed garlic and nutmeg until barely tender, then layered in a gratin dish with Emmenthal cheese and heavy cream. Baked at 375F until golden brown and bubbly.

Brussels sprouts with bacon and ginger
Sauteed cubed, thick cut bacon until crisp, then removed it to a paper towel to drain. Cut the Brussels sprouts into quarters through the core, then sauteed them in the same pan with thin matchsticks of ginger. Added the bacon back in at the end.

Red wine-braised cabbage
Thinly sliced red cabbage, red onion and apple. Sauteed them in butter for about 20 minutes. Added good red wine, a couple of cloves, red pepper flakes and balsamic and red wine vinegars to cover, then simmered everything for 2 hours.

Green beans with lemon zest and pine nuts
Blanched the green beans in boiling salted water until bright green and barely tender, about 4 minutes. Stopped the cooking by plunging them into a bowl of ice water. Patted them dry then sauteed them in olive oil with about 2 T. of lemon zest and toasted pine nuts.

Mom’s dressing
Made by my mom and sister and brought up from North Carolina. Our traditional component, the binding that held it all together. Made with cornbread, onion and celery.

It went so well that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go back to the traditional spread. With so much variation in texture, flavor, color and taste, each dish had a counterpoint that, in contrast, highlighted its qualities. A bite of the juicy beef made you crave the creamy potatoes. That bout of richness, in turn, pointed you toward the bright acidity and spice of the cabbage. A bite of the turkey breast made you crave the earthiness of the Brussels sprouts and the tanged snap of the green beans. The dressing, the traditional starchy foundation, deliciously held everything together.

This recipe comes from Grace Kim’s upcoming book The Four Way Feast: Asian, which features recipes from four different countries (China, Japan, Korea and Thailand), prepared four different ways (traditional, reduced fat, reduced carb and vegetarian).

makes about 36 meatballs

What you need
2/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons coconut milk
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef
6 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 large egg
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Ice water
2 cups coconut milk
1 1/2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar

What you do
Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly oil a large baking sheet. In a medium bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk, breaking down any lumps with the back of a fork. Let this mixture stand for 5 minutes, then add the pork, beef, 3 tablespoons of the chopped basil, onion, egg, garlic, salt and pepper.

Dip your hands in a bowl of ice water. Quickly work the meatball mixture with your hands to blend all of the ingredients. (Cold hands and a light touch will prevent your body heat from melting the fat, which keeps the meat juicy.) Dip your hands in the ice water again and quickly form 1-inch meatballs. Place them on the prepared baking sheet. Dip your hands after every third or fourth meatball until all of the mixture is gone.

Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes. Turn over, then bake an additional 15 minutes.

While the meatballs are in the oven, heat the coconut milk in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the curry paste, basil, fish sauce and sugar until smooth. Add the baked meatballs and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Reduced fat variation
Replace the beef and pork with 1 pound of ground turkey.

Replace the regular coconut milk with light or fat-free coconut milk.

Replace the large egg with two egg whites.

Reduced carb variation
Omit the breadcrumbs.

Reduce the onions to 1/4 cup.

Replace the brown sugar with 1/2 tablespoon of Splenda brown sugar blend.

Vegetarian variation
Replace the beef and pork with 16 oz. of Lightlife Smart Ground (soy protein) and 1/4 pound of soft tofu.

Replace the fish sauce with 1 tablespoon of dark brewed soy sauce.

This recipe comes from Grace Kim’s upcoming book The Four Way Feast: Asian, which features recipes from four different countries (China, Japan, Korea and Thailand), prepared four different ways (traditional, reduced fat, reduced carb and vegetarian).

serves 6-8

What you need
4 tablespoons Korean hot red pepper paste (”kochujang”)
4 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
4 large cloves of garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds chicken drummettes and wings

Combine all of the ingredients except the chicken in a large bowl. Mix with a whisk, adding water by the tablespoon (if necessary) to thin the marinade to a syrup-like consistency.

Rinse all of the chicken in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Pierce the chicken with a fork and add to the marinade. Stir well and cover the bowl with foil. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, or overnight, stirring the mixture at least twice.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Transfer the chicken to a rimmed sheet large enough to allow all of the chicken pieces to lie flat. Bake the chicken, uncovered, for 60 minutes on the center rack. Turn over half-way through baking. Serve hot.

Reduced fat variation
Carefully remove the skin and any excess fat from the chicken before marinating, or consider using boneless, skinless chicken tenders.

Reduced carb variation
Replace the brown sugar with 2 tablespoons of Splenda brown sugar blend.

Vegetarian variation
Replace the chicken with 2 boxes of Lightlife Chick’n Nuggets (soy-based nuggets). Reduce the marinade time to 20 minutes. Bake the nuggets according to package directions.

serves 4

Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), cut into bite-size pieces
2 ounces pancetta (about 6 thin slices), cut into small pieces
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
salt and pepper
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions:
1. Rinse the asparagus. Using both hands, snap off and discard the tough bottom ends of the asparagus spears. (They will naturally break at the right spot.) Cut each spear into 1-inch pieces. Cut the pancetta into short strips. Thinly slice the garlic.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When it’s hot and shimmering, add the pancetta and stir to break it apart. Sauté until the pancetta crisps and browns a little, 2-4 minutes. Add the garlic and reduce the heat slightly. Cook, stirring often, until the garlic barely browns, 1-2 minutes.

3. Add the asparagus and toss to coat it with the pancetta and garlic. Sprinkle lightly with pepper (the pancetta is salty). Cook, stirring often, until the asparagus turns bright green, 3-5 minutes.

4. Add a small splash (about 1 tablespoon) of water to the asparagus, scraping the bottom of the pan. Cook until almost all the water evaporates and the asparagus is barely tender and bright breen, 2-4 more minutes. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.

Ingredients
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons red wine (like syrah or zinfandel)
4 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 medium head savoy cabbage (about 1-1/4 pounds), cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup water
1-1/2 cups long grain white rice

Instructions
1. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. When it’s hot and shimmering, add the onions, the pepper and half the salt. Cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Add the paprika and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until the paprika smells good and the onions are soft, 3-5 minutes more.

2. Add the ground beef. Break it up and stir to combine it with the onions and spices. Cook, stirring often to combine everything, 3 minutes. Move some of the beef mixture aside to make room for the tomato paste. Add the tomato paste directly to the bottom of the pan and stir to cook it. When it darkens, stir it into the beef mixture. Add the fresh parsley and wine and cook, stirring often, 6-8 minutes more. Remove the beef mixture to a plate.

3. To the same pan, add the cabbage, rice, the remaining salt and a sprinkling of black pepper. Stir for 2 minutes. Add the water and cover. Cook until the cabbage wilts, about 5 minutes, then remove the lid to let some of the liquid evaporate for another minute or so.

4. Add the beef back in with the cabbage and stir to combine.

5. Pour the beef, cabbage and rice mixture into an oven-safe casserole and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until the rice is tender, 20-40 minutes.

6. Finish with more parsley.