Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

"I heard what people thought about French food," the chef Michel Richard said to Marian Burros in a 1993 interview. "They say it's too rich, it's too heavy, there's too much sauce. When I opened Citrus, immediately I had less butter and less cream. You don't need butter and cream. The Chinese don't use it." For this recipe, chicken is steamed over a broth made from chicken stock and tea. Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

An adaptation of a recipe from Thomas Jefferson's granddaughter, who corresponded with him when he was in France about these peas.

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

The chef Michel Richard spends most of his waking hours running from his French-California restaurant, Citrus, in Los Angeles, to his three less-ambitious French-California restaurants in Santa Barbara, Calif., Washington and Baltimore -- all called Citronelle. He knows he should take a little time for a diet and exercise regimen, but says he's too busy conjuring up ways to make French food more accessible, more casual and more in keeping with what Americans say they want to eat. What Americans say they want to eat (light) and what they actually consume (rich) make life difficult for most chefs. After 15 years working as a pastry chef in the U.S., Mr. Richard determined that what Americans want to eat is light, but with a strong taste. Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Ideas come to the chef Michel Richard wherever he goes. "My kids eat Cream of Wheat every morning," he said to The Times in 1993. "I had never tasted it. I tasted it and it reminded me of a dessert my mother used to make." At a dinner he served it cooked in chicken stock with shallots, tomato essence, red wine vinegar, chives and salt and pepper. It produced just the reaction from the diners that Mr. Richard seeks. "I want people to say, WOW!," he said. "I want to create a surprise that you don't expect: something elegant, something sharp, something silky, something crunchy." Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

This recipe, adapted from “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” by Julia Child, was featured in The New York Times in 1990 in an article on eggs. It is for a cooked meringue that can be used with chocolate mousse or lemon soufflé. When done correctly, the meringue should have a soft white sheen and hold its shape. A candy thermometer is a helpful tool in this regard. Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

This eggplant parmesan recipe is an adaptation of one found in Jamie Oliver’s book, “Jamie’s Italy.” This version of the traditional Italian-American juggernaut omits the often messy process of breading and frying the eggplant, and instead calls for roasting it until golden brown. The eggplant and sauce can be prepared and the dish assembled ahead of time; cover and refrigerate it for up to 2 days and bring it to room temperature before baking. Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

For the chef Michel Richard, using less butter and cream requires making deft use of sauces. For these chops, a rich chicken stock is lightened by the addition of baby peas and spinach. Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

What Americans say they want to eat (light) and what they actually consume (rich) make life difficult for most chefs. Few of them have figured out how to succeed with the light without the rich. Not the chef Michel Richard. After working for 15 years in this country as a pastry chef, Mr. Richard said he has determined what people really want. Light, yes, but with strong taste." Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

The Times published Marian Burros’s recipe for Plum Torte every September from 1983 until 1989, when the editors determined that enough was enough. The recipe was to be printed for the last time that year. “To counter anticipated protests,” Ms. Burros wrote a few years later, “the recipe was printed in larger type than usual with a broken-line border around it to encourage clipping.” It didn’t help. The paper was flooded with angry letters. “The appearance of the recipe, like the torte itself, is bittersweet,” wrote a reader in Tarrytown, N.Y. “Summer is leaving, fall is coming. That's what your annual recipe is all about. Don't be grumpy about it.” We are not! And we pledge that every year, as summer gives way to fall, we will make sure that the recipe is easily available to one and all. The original 1983 recipe called for 1 cup sugar; the 1989 version reduced that to ¾ cup. We give both options below. Here are five ways to adapt the torte.

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

The sausages were often served for breakfast with scrambled eggs. Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

This is one of those dishes that illustrates how recipes can be tweaked without any noticeable effect. It called for milk; I had skim milk. It wanted butter for sautéing; I used olive oil. Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

This recipe came to The Times in a 2007 article by Marian Burros about the then newly burgeoning locavore scene. This dish, adapted from Melissa Kelly, the chef at Primo Restaurant in Rockland, Me., makes the most of spring onions and green garlic, two verdant savories that are abundant before summer. Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Salmon replaces tuna in this old-fashioned sandwich.

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

To reduce the amount of butter and cream in his dishes, the chef Michel Richard works with three elements: reductions or concentrations, sauces or juices; crusts to keep food moist; and firecrackers, the crunch from oven-dried vegetables and fruits. Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

The chef Michel Richard featured these tuna burgers in his 2006 cookbook, "Happy in the Kitchen." At the time of publication, Mr. Richard's Washington, D.C., restaurant, Citronelle, was considered one of the best in the country. Basil, soy, anchovies and garlic add layers of flavor to this simple-to-assemble tuna burger. Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking