Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

The Bloody Mary has evolved into an all-purpose cocktail that can be tailored to any taste. Swap out the spirits, vary the juice component or the spices, or go big on the garnishes, and you have a cocktail that can range from elegant to garish. This classic version, from Adam Estes, the bar manager at the Wren in Baltimore, has a superb balance of flavors yet still leaves room for personal preference. Garnish as you wish — a celery stalk or a pickled onion is a great idea. Eric Asimov, Cathy Lo

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov brought this recipe to The Times in 1998, part of a round-up of some of the specialty sandwich shops cropping up in Manhattan at the time. “Sandwiches are as American as Dagwood Bumstead,” he wrote, “and outlandishness has always been part of the recipe.” The new combinations he wrote about went well beyond the ham and cheeses, tuna salads and pastrami on ryes of the past. This recipe, adapted from Sandbox, a small chain, elevates the classic chicken salad, with Madras curry powder and slow-roasted tomatoes deepening its savory qualities, and the walnut-raisin bread adding a bit of sweetness and bite. Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

This recipe, from the cocktail writer David Wondrich, is adapted from the “Steward and Barkeeper’s Manual,” a cocktail book from 1869. The punch may have been named after Tim “Flute” Maginley, a New York flutist of the 1860s. It can be scaled up as needed.

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Bright broccoli, lightly coated with a rich sauce that conveys a bit of heat, mingles with pasta in this dish from Majordomo, David Chang's first Los Angeles restaurant. There, they make their own thick noodles from scratch, using a combination of wheat flour and cassava starch. You don't have to. The restaurant's executive chef Jude Parra-Sickels suggests bucatini as a substitution. In preparing and serving the dish, do not short change the mixing of the ingredients because the broccoli tends to hide under the pasta. You have to coax it out, especially as you serve it. Vegetarians could use untoasted sesame oil, preferably cold pressed, in place of the pork fat. Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Port is one of David Wondrich's favorite cocktail ingredients, along with sherry. “One of the easiest ways to come up with new cocktails is simple substitution, port for vermouth, for example," he said. "Equivalent proof, but new textures and flavors.” By port, Mr. Wondrich means ruby port, a simpler, fruity, more accessible cousin of vintage port, and a blend of several vintages. Years ago Mr. Wondrich invented the St. Valentine, a blend of ruby port, white rum, Grand Marnier and lime juice that has a wonderfully ripe, round, punchlike refreshing quality. He reserves tawny ports for things like variations on the manhattan. Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

What is tonic? Like its partner gin, tonic can be a blend of many different things, depending on the recipe, which is generally proprietary. But, also like gin (which, no matter what other ingredients, must begin with juniper berries), tonic must start with quinine, which is derived from the bark of the cinchona tree of South America. Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Here is a remarkable gumbo recipe that Eric Asimov scored off Tony Garnier, the bassist who plays behind Bob Dylan and is sometimes called his musical director, in 1998. It calls for all kinds of interesting meats, most of which can be substituted if you can't find them at the store, though the duck is tough to live without. Mr. Garnier picked up the recipe in the 1970s at Jay's Lounge and Cockpit in Cankton, Louisiana, a dive deep in Cajun country where the proprietor would keep a pot of gumbo simmering for when the music and the cockfighting were done for the night. ''I became interested in how to cook it, so I'd sneak back to the kitchen and ask questions,'' Mr. Garnier said. He refined the recipe for years. It is now at its apex.

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

This splendidly summery concoction is proof that punch, often associated with fall and winter holidays, can be made seasonal with the delicate spring sweetness of strawberries, and summery with the tropical tang of limes. Sure, you could settle for a vodka base, but bourbon adds a marvelous backbone of vanilla richness. Or make it without alcohol and serve at a children’s party. Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Rafael Mateo, the proprietor of Pata Negra, a Spanish wine bar in the East Village, formulated this sangria that is winelike and very refreshing, with a keen balance of tart and fruity flavors. Unlike many recipes, which specify Rioja made from the tempranillo grape, Mr. Mateo prefers using garnacha from Campo de Borja in central Spain, which he said has backbone without being overly tannic. He lightens the blend by adding rosé, and sweetens it with orange liqueur and orange soda rather than with fruit purée, a common addition, which he dislikes because, he said, it gives the sangria a grainy texture. He experimented with orange juice rather than soda, but found it, too, changed the texture. Finally, he allows the punch to knit together overnight and adds cut fruit only at the end, as a garnish. Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

The important thing for this dish is to have good, sweet, ripe watermelon that is firm enough to retain its shape once cubed, as well as good-quality pancetta, cut thick enough so that you can cube it to match the shape of the melon. Don’t use prepackaged pancetta or have it sliced into paper-thin wisps. Also important is to use good chicken stock. The best, obviously, is to make it yourself. But if that’s not available, good, organic, low-sodium stock will work, too.

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov