Recipes

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

Christine Muhlke

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

Christine Muhlke

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

Christine Muhlke

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

Christine Muhlke

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

Christine Muhlke

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

Christine Muhlke

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

Christine Muhlke

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

Biscuit recipes don’t vary much. Usually, the difference between a good biscuit and a great one is technique. Scott Peacock honed the technique taught to him by the great Southern cook Edna Lewis while he was a chef at Watershed restaurant in Decatur, Ga. It’s a touch fussy – one is required to make baking powder from baking soda and cream of tartar – but the results are superior. Christine Muhlke

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

There is no true definition of buttermilk, according to Anne Mendelson, the author of “Milk.” Originally it was the liquid that separated from churned butter. In warm climates, like the American South or India, it refers to sour milk, since unrefrigerated milk turns within hours. Today most buttermilk is made from milk to which cultures of lactic-acid bacteria are added. Christine Muhlke

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

Strictly traditional poundcakes don’t include any leavening – just one pound each of eggs, sugar, flour, and butter – which explains why they are often leaden and crumbly. This recipe has a touch of baking soda and a shot of buttermilk, which work together to lighten the crumb and give it moisture and tang. It’s the perfect foil for summer berries and superb plain on its own. Buttermilk you can buy from local dairy farms may not be “real” buttermilk – which is the leftover liquid from churning cream into butter – but it will certainly be fresher and richer-tasting than supermarket brands. Christine Muhlke

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

Christine Muhlke

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

Christine Muhlke

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

Christine Muhlke

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

Christine Muhlke

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

The abalone’s oceanic flavor comes with a uniquely al dente texture — it’s like an oyster crossed with a scallop with a twist of snail. (Only otters can eat it straight from the shell: fresh abalone requires tenderizing to transform its eraserlike consistency.) Long prized in Asian cuisine, it has become an American delicacy as well, served in high-end restaurants like Michel Richard's Citronelle in Washington. Christine Muhlke

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

Christine Muhlke

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

Christine Muhlke

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

Christine Muhlke

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

This recipe is adapted from “The Pleasures of Cooking for One” by Judith Jones, Julia Child’s longtime editor at Knopf, who gave it to The Sunday Times Magazine in 2009. It is easily prepared and a savory accompaniment to a steak or roast, crisp and buttery, with just a hint of garlic. Christine Muhlke

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

Christine Muhlke

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

Christine Muhlke

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

Christine Muhlke