Episode 4: Guess What? Chicken Butt Is Delicious (with Yo-Yo Ma)
We’re closing out our miniseries with happy bellies, full hearts, and international treasure Yo-Yo Ma (@YoYo_Ma). In this episode, we talk about comfort, memories, the act of cooking as an act of love, and the art of wrapping food inside other food.
For a transcript of this episode, click here.
Food ideas discussed in this episode:
The Big Lasagna [ link ]
Tapioca pudding [ link ]
Chocolate mousse [ link ]
Posset
Mix heavy cream and sugar, and bring it up just barely to a boil. Take it off the heat and then add some freshly squeezed lemon juice, or the sour juice of any fruit. Allow to cool and thicken.
Aveggato
Halve an avocado and put half a hard-boiled egg where the pit used to be. Remove the yolk and put a cherry tomato in the space. We don’t actually know if this tastes good.
Winged gyoza
Put oil in a pan and place dumplings close together on top. Fry until they brown, then add water, place a lid on top, and steam until they are cooked through.
Foods wrapped in other foods
Tacos, summer rolls, Japanese hand rolls, lettuce wraps, cabbage rolls, enchiladas!
Tamales
Mix ground masa with warm water or chicken stock, salt, a little baking powder, and a fat (chicken fat, lard, oil, or butter). Soak banana leaves or corn husks. Smear a thin amount of masa mixture onto the leaf then add filling, roll, and seal the leaf. Fillings could be chicken mole, charred peppers and monterey jack, or anything you like!
Pinwheel sandwiches
Place brightly colored fillings such as vegetables, soft cheeses or deli meats in a wide flatbread like lavash, injera or tortillas. Roll tightly and slice into wheels.
Chicken thighs
Salt bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, preferably a day in advance, but no worries if not. Place them skin side up on a cast iron pan, or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast in the oven at 425 for about 45 minutes, until they are brown, the skin is crisp, and the meat is falling off the bone.
Roasted cauliflower
Roast a cauliflower. Carve it like a piece of meat.
Taco meal for mixed eaters
Provide tortillas and a variety of fillings to satisfy everyone: shredded chicken, carnitas, beans, multiple salsas, cheese, cream, cabbage slaw, radishes, cilantro. Make chilaquiles with the leftovers!
Middle Eastern dinner for mixed eaters
Provide pita, hummus, and falafel along with vegetable salads: carrot raisin salad, beets, yogurt sauce, tahini sauce, harissa sauce. Chicken kebabs or ground lamb can be added for meat-eaters.
Burger dinner for mixed eaters
Everything’s the same (fries, toppings, buns) but the patties are different.
Portobello mushroom burger
Slice mushroom in half crosswise, so it's thin. Batter in buttermilk and flour, then deep fry.
David Lebovitz’s ginger cake [ link ]
Ginger-garlic paste
Put equal amounts garlic and ginger into a blender and blend until they make a paste. Cover with oil and keep in the fridge for up to a week. Use with fresh vegetables by sizzling paste quickly in a pan, then tossing with veggies such as green beans, peas, or spinach.
Kimchi grilled cheese
Try it!
Kimchi fried rice
Make fried rice with leftover rice, eggs, kimchi and whatever vegetables you need to use (peas, carrots, spinach, broccoli…)
Kimchi Soondubu Jjigae [ link ]
Kimchi pancakes [ link ]
Sourdough starter pancake
Mix green onions into sourdough starter. Cook in olive oil. Serve topped with chili oil, dill, and a fried egg.
Tomato confit
Cook tomatoes very slowly in olive oil until they're falling apart.
Duck Confit
Cook duck legs very slowly in rendered duck fat. Preserve under fat in a cool place.
Illustration by Mamie Rheingold