“Cooking without recipes is a kitchen skill, same as cutting vegetables or flipping an omelet,” writes Sam Sifton, The New York Times food editor and founding editor of NYT Cooking, in the introduction to the recently published “The New York Times Cooking No-Recipe Recipes” (Ten Speed Press, $28).
Rather than specify a precise list of measured ingredients and exacting instructions for using them, Sifton’s compilation of no-recipe recipes is “an invitation for you to improvise in the kitchen.”
Cooking in this manner, he proposes, helps to improve kitchen confidence and brings an element of fun to what, at times, can feel like drudgery.
I’m a no-recipe gal myself. There’s freedom in going off-script, especially since the ingredients I have on hand vary from day to day, as do my level of creativity and the amount of time I can apply that energy toward cooking.
The greens, garlic, raisins and pine nuts form the core for the wilted greens dish below. Warm heat coaxes out bitterness from greens and pungency from the garlic; raisins — currants or golden raisins would be fancy — offer sweetness; toasted pine nuts bring mild buttery flavor and crunch, although walnuts are good here, too. But, as you can see by the ingredients list below, other things are welcome to join the pan, and a splash of balsamic at the end gives it just the right mellowed tartness.
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
No-recipe Sauteed Greens and Things
This one-pot dish makes for a nice side, whether served warm or at room temperature. Toss in cooked cannellini beans or chickpeas near the end of cooking to boost the protein and elevate it to entree status. I like to serve it with crusty bread for sopping up the flavorful liquid released by the greens (and things) during cooking. Sometimes, I ditch a fork altogether and use the bread as a utensil.
Nutritional content has been omitted for this recipe because quantities and ingredients will vary depending on your cooking preferences.
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