Hello, friends — and happy new year! I’m still busy dealing with puppy life (the little guy lost a second tooth while I wrote this paragraph!), but I’m happy to say that the off-and-on cooking block I’ve experienced over the past year might finally be subsiding. I’ve been bookmarking recipes and actually getting around to cooking them, I’m flipping through cookbooks that haven’t been opened in a while to seek inspiration and I’m feeling optimistic about the days I’m on kitchen duty. But I also haven’t made just one particular thing that I feel is worthy of showcasing as the main recipe for this month’s newsletter, so I’m doing another one of my mini editions — maybe you’ll find something you’d be interested in making soon.
RECIPE Recommendations
(Pictured: Carbone Spicy Rigatoni Vodka, Spiced Chocolate-Pumpkin Cake and Pork Vindaloo. Yes, there are a lot of orange and brown hues, but they all taste good.)
Carbone Spicy Rigatoni Vodka - I was turned onto this recipe via Dining With Skyler by my cousin sometime late last year, and I decided to kick off 2022 by making it the main attraction of our New Year’s Eve dinner. I made the same adjustment my cousin did (less for “health” and more out of laziness/working with what I had in my fridge) — instead of using the heavy cream, I mixed 3/4 cup whole milk with 1/4 cup of melted butter. (Yes, I still incorporated the separate tablespoon of butter listed in the recipe.) I also just eyeballed the Calabrian chili pepper quantity and used three good-sized ones.
Spiced Chocolate-Pumpkin Cake With Pumpkin Glaze - I received a copy of Yossy Arefi’s Snacking Cakes for Christmas (I am a big fan of eating cake just because) and I made this one at the start of the new year as well. (I’m linking to the recipe via Bon Appetit for those of you who are curious.) It was delicious and I’m genuinely looking forward to making every cake in the book.
NYT Cooking Successes - I’ve been making a few things via NYT Cooking and yes, it’s subscription-based but in the chance you are a subscriber, I would recommend trying the following: Mushrooms and Dumplings | Coconut Curry Chickpeas With Pumpkin and Lime | Slow-Cooker Goan Pork Vindaloo
Bites of Culture
I’ve been inspired by some of the cooking I’ve been doing, and I’m happy to say I’m also inspired by some reading (finally): I recently read Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho, which feels like something of a collection of short stories and a novel all at once.
I also devoured I Hold a Wolf By The Ears by Laura van den Berg, a book I randomly picked up in the fall while browsing my local bookstore’s tables — it may not be for everyone, but the stories are quietly unsettling in a really good way.
This weekend, I finished C. Pam Zhang’s How Much of These Hills Is Gold (reviewed by my friend Books on GIF before I got around to reading it), which I felt started a bit slowly, but eventually completely sucked me in.
On TV, I’m catching up on the latest episodes of Ozark and checking out Take Out With Lisa Ling. I’m also joining the choir of people who love ABC’s Abbott Elementary, which is just a sweet smart little network sitcom.
Thanks for reading this edition of Rad Dishes! You can follow me on my occasionally updated Instagram account. A streamlined version of Rad Dishes (the original food blog) is here.
Earlier Newsletters
Cocktail-style Chicken Meatballs
Strawberry and blueberry clafoutis