Category Archives: Sides

Man and woman do not live by main courses alone. Sides are the chorus that makes the meal come together in all its symphonic elegance. Whatever.

Recipe: Pickled Beets

I followed the pickled beets recipe in Food in Jars, which is an excellent source of canning advice, but reduced the sugar content significantly. These are nice with arugula or green lettuce, blue cheese and glazed walnuts and a mustardy … Continue reading

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Recipe: Mediterranean Carrot Mezze

Make this easy carrot mezzo a day ahead. It will definitely taste better. It can then sit around a couple of days in the refrigerator until you want to serve it as part of an assortment in the Mediterranean/middle eastern way. … Continue reading

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Recipe: Grilled Asparagus

I prefer grilled asparagus to steamed because I can easily do it alongside other grilling tasks, but also because it’s more forgiving. Oversteam asparagus and it gets flaccid; leave it a minute too long on the grill and it gets a nice … Continue reading

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Battle Mandram: A family history

Judy Cromwell is a longtime friend who frequently comments on my recipes. She agreed to share her Mandram recipe and contributed this bonus description of her family’s tussles with this dish through the decades. Chef Otis’ interest in recreating southern … Continue reading

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Recipe: Mandram (Chopped Vegetable Salad)

Mandram is a chopped vegetable salad that may have originated in the West Indies, according to Mandrang or Mandram | The Vintage Cookbook Trials. I learned about it from my friend Judy Cromwell, who provides her own history with the … Continue reading

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Recipe: Mexican Grilled Corn

Those street vendors know what they’re doing when they’re making Mexican grilled corn. The intense heat of the grill causes the corn kernels to caramelize. You know it’s hot enough when they start to make a cracking noise, like popcorn. … Continue reading

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Recipe: Aji Verde (Mild Green Chile Sauce Peruvian-Style)

One of the two mild chile sauces I served with my anticuchos. This is a base recipe Aji Verde that can be adjusted to your liking: increase the amount of chile or reduce (or eliminate) mayonnaise for a more pungent … Continue reading

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Recipe: Aji Roja (Mild Red Chile Sauce Peruvian-Style)

This is one of two sauces I served with my anticuchos. Aji Roja has a mild chili/smoke flavor and invites generous squirting onto tacos or alongside grilled meats. A Peruvian classic, it’s possibly the inspiration for the “Tacolicious” sauce which … Continue reading

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Recipe: Carrot Pineapple Jello

I was going to share my family’s Southern recipe for carrot pineapple jello, until I found this version which really is superior. I’ve only made minor tweaks for better management of proportions. Serves 8. Ingredients: 1 3-oz package jello, lemon … Continue reading

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Recipe: Mamo’s Carrot Raisin Slaw

Carrot raisin slaw is a very good and very simple recipe that often made its appearance at holiday buffets when I was growing up in Dallas. Serves 8-12. Ingredients: 4 c grated carrots 1 c raisins/currants/golden raisins in any combination ¼ … Continue reading

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