Good morning. I wrote about freezing pesto recently and got a great suggestion from a reader that I wanted to share: Mix together equal parts pesto and softened butter, dollop that mixture on parchment paper and roll it up into a log before freezing. Then slice off coins to use on vegetables, chicken, meat and even pasta. It makes for an herby green compound butter with a distinct, garlicky bite.
Melissa explains it all: No alliums? No problem.A question that comes up often is what to substitute for alliums like garlic, onions, leeks, shallots and scallions for those who can’t digest them. This one is a doozy because so many savory recipes call for at least one of them, if not several. And while there’s no way to mimic that specific allium pungency, there are other aromatics and vegetables you can use to add a similar depth to dishes. For the sweetness of caramelized onions, sauté some sliced fennel bulb, which will turn beautifully golden if you cook it slowly in butter or oil. (See Caroline Gelen’s caramelized fennel pasta for a fantastic, Parmesan-laden illustration of the point). Celery and celery root can also add roundness and body to soups and stews. View this recipe: Caramelized fennel pasta For a sharp bite that takes the place of garlic, try grated fresh ginger, minced chiles, briny olives, capers and preserved lemons. A pinch or two of asafetida bloomed in a little oil is the closest thing to the flavor of onions and garlic, though it doesn’t provide any texture. And other spices such as cumin and coriander, as well as spice blends like garam masala, will add a warm complexity. More food for thoughtThe weekend is prime time for a big pot of something soupy on the stove, whether it’s thick and creamy (like my seared broccoli and potato soup) or savory and slurpable, ready to hold tender beef and chewy noodles. For a limited time, you can enjoy free access to the recipes in this newsletter in our app. Download it on your iOS or Android device and create a free account to get started. And before you go“Snow White’s apple may have been crimson and comely,” Sarah Karnasiewicz writes for New York Times Cooking, “but these days some of the most exciting varieties in American orchards are old, odd and decidedly unpolished. Their names have the ring of Dickensian villains — Esopus Spitzenburg, Cornish Gilliflower, Fearns Pippin, Hubbardston Nonesuch — and their flavors vary from honeyed sweetness to dark clove spice.” Read more about these heirloom apples here, and then make Sarah’s slow-cooker applesauce, which turns the apples of your choice — no peeling necessary! — into a velvety purée.
Thanks for reading! Melissa Clark has been writing about food for The New York Times since 1997 and is the author of 46 cookbooks. Her latest is “The Big Book of Dinner,” coming in November. You can reach her at hellomelissa@nytimes.com. Editors: Mia Leimkuhler and Li Goldstein. Host photo by Melanie Dunea. For help with your New York Times Cooking subscription, please email cookingcare@nytimes.com. Was this email forwarded to you? You can sign up for our New York Times Cooking newsletter here.
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