Maybe you find yourself singing “Peanut . . . Peanut Butter and JELLY” without realizing it. Or perhaps you prefer videos of dancing bananas. Even if you don’t regularly enjoy one of these tasty sandwiches today, it’s hard to escape the simple appeal of a food that takes you back to your childhood.
In honor of National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, here are some key questions to ask yourself, and potential partners. You can learn a lot about a person by how they like their PB&J. Crunchy vs. creamy isn’t quite grounds for a breakup, but it’s always good to know in advance. Clearly, a grown man who won’t eat the crust needs a mother instead of a lover.
How do you like your peanut butter?Crunchy, creamy, or maybe that all-natural stuff that tends to separate?
What type of jelly? Grape, strawberry, or something more out of the ordinary like marmalade?
How do you cut the bread? Crustless, diagonal, down the middle, or no divisions?
Solo cooks can have a restaurant-worthy meal at home without filling the sink with dishes—especially important when you are both chef and cleanup crew. One large bowl and one pot means this vegetarian dish is light on cleanup, but not flavor. Frozen spinach will also work in a pinch, just thaw in your serving bowl and strain out the excess liquid. And, I’ll admit this recipes makes two generous servings, but what is the joy of cooking without yummy leftovers?
Pasta tip: Choose a pasta shape with holes or ridges to complement this chunky creamy vegetable sauce.
1/2 pound fresh spinach (or 1/2 box of 10 oz. frozen)
1/2 one pound box dried pasta
1/2 cup ricotta cheese (quarter of a 16 oz. container)
2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese
1/4 cup milk
salt and pepper
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons walnuts, optional
1. Fill medium pot with water and place on high heat. As water boils, cook pasta according to package instructions to almost al dente (it will continue to cook slightly).
2. Meanwhile, toast walnuts lightly. Clean spinach and dry (or microwave frozen). In serving bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan, milk, salt, and pepper to make sauce.
3. Drain pasta into large strainer. Rinse pasta pot and dry. Return to heat and add olive oil and garlic. When hot, add dry spinach and sauté until wilted.
4. Combine spinach, pasta, and sauce in pot. Transfer to serving bowl and top with toasted walnuts, if desired.
When I found 20 Ways to Get Creative with Mac ‘n’ Cheese (via Kitchen Monki) I realized I’d also found my raison d’être. Since Mac ‘n’ Cheese was the meal that gave me the idea for Breakup Cookbook, I have a particular affinity. I know I’m not alone in this, but that doesn’t tamper my feelings. So without further ado, may I present the tantalizing Lobster Mac ‘n’ Cheese, the exotic Neapolitan Mac ‘n’ Cheese , the earnest Vegan Mac ‘n’ Cheese …
The Police once sang, “When the world is running down, you make the best of what’s still around.” Perhaps they were talking about leftovers? I know I have tremendous respect for those who can turn random ingredients into something that amuses my bouche. I want to be you!
One step I’ve taken in that direction is a series I’ll be working on, called 5-Ingredient Dinners. (I’ll aim to keep it to stuff you already have in your kitchen as much as possible.) Through trial and (much) error, I’ve discovered that some of the best dishes don’t need anything else. And when I was going through a breakup and couldn’t put two thoughts together, five ingredients was about the most I could handle.
Editors Note: Aaron Starmer writes books. His latest is the middle-grade novel DWEEB. It contains lots of action, tween angst, and all-around silliness. No enchiladas appear in the story, but they certainly fueled some of the writing.
By Aaron Starmer
My father grew up in southern Arizona, very close to Mexico. So close, he claims, that kids from his high school would hop over the border at lunchtime to get drunk and chow down. My father’s stories are to be taken more as fables than facts, but there’s no doubt he experienced some sort of cultural exchange during his formative years. Because the man knows how to cook an enchilada and he taught me his secrets.
Purists constantly remind us that Mexican food in most of America is a bastardization of Mexican border food, which itself a bastardization of true Mexican cuisine. Let them be bitter and curse the bastards. My problem with Mexican food in America isn’t authenticity. It has more to do with love and dedication. They say you always remember your first great enchilada (no they don’t, but indulge me). And you compare every subsequent enchilada to it. Well, I had my first great enchilada surprisingly early in life, and no one has been able to woo me since with an enchilada that outshines my childhood sweetheart. It’s okay if you’ve taken a little longer to settle down with a delicious and decadent enchilada. We all find our “one” at our own pace.
However you spell it, chiliquiles are a traditional Mexican dish that can be cooked in dozens of delicious ways—but the key ingredients are tortillas, cheese, and either a red or green sauce. It’s a great way to use up stale tortillas and leftover cooked chicken. They are reputedly a good hangover cure and a popular brunch dish, but equally good for dinner. So, how about breaking up with boring cooking and moving on from another dull taco night?
My chiliquiles are made with a double batch of my Salsa Verde, a sauce made with tomatillos, green fruit with a papery husk somewhere between tomatoes and gooseberries. This casserole version also has some added vegetable goodness with zucchinis to balance out all the cheese, plus some chile to keep in hot and spicy. For more heat from this latin love, add more jalapenos or try a serrano chile in the salsa verde. Click through for the full Chiliquiles Verdes con Pollo recipe.
Things have come along way since the mid-1900s, both in dating and cooking. We’re happy to dwell on the past a little, but the key is to move on. So translating older recipes to modern girls’ kitchens is definitely a perfect adventure for us. I was recently given my late grandmother’s recipe box and it’s filled with her favorite recipes, from soup to nuts (really, there is a great recipe for roasted pecans). There is quite a mix of inspiring and interesting dishes (ham loaf, anyone?). It’s very much a product of her times. Thankfully, the rules of relationships have also changed since the 1950s. Many are little more than lists of ingredients instead of the step-by-step directions we’re used to today. I love the mix of handwritten and neatly typed 3×5 index cards, some of which have cook’s names written on them—from the kitchen of family and friends.
Here at the Breakup Cookbook, we love a culinary challenge almost as much as a good breakup story. So for my first big adventure from kitchens past, I found what is actually one of great-grandma’s recipes. She was a Texan, so I trust her corn bread recipe. I was surprised to not see butter in the ingredients but how far wrong can you go when cooking with bacon fat? Click through for more details.
Talk about comfort food . . . recently two breakup cooks got together to crank out 3 pans of lasagna in one evening. That’s enough to feed 24 people (and, yes, there were some leftovers). Baked pasta dishes are always great for a group—they can be made in advance and also travel well in a foil pan for girls on the go. We used regular noodles but the no-boil ones make it even quicker.
When we asked one of our Grandma’s for her favorite lasagna recipe she said she always just uses the back of the noodle box! So, in honor of non-Italian Grandma’s everywhere, here is our modified back of the box recipe from Ronzoni. Some fresh basil and extra spices gave it a needed kick. Just add a simple salad and warm bread to feed a crowd.
We’re on a bit of a hiatus at the Breakup Cookbook, but rather than let things get stale, we’re posting some of our favorite recipes, courtesy of web shmoozing.
So it’s been drummed into our heads about how critical breakfast is to our diet and overall view of the world. In fact, eating breakfast is supposed to help us lose weight, contrary to what my junior-high mind thinks. I don’t know how helpful this recipe will be toward weight loss, but it definitely fulfills the breakfast requirement. It’s Challah French Toast – and for those of you who don’t know, challah is a bread that is beyond bread. It’s usually served at sabbath, and it is sweet and doughy (in a good way) and just surpasses Wonder bread in every category (including pronunciation – you have to start in the back of your throat – chhhhallah). So it stands to reason that this Jewish staple would make an awesome French toast. I recommend it for those difficult mornings when you wake up just feeling lousy – it takes enough time to prepare that it occupies your mind, yet it’s not too labor-intensive. Plus, the bread adds a certain ethnic gourmet flair. Give it a try and invite a friend.
Sometimes the single life can get me down, but luckily, I happen to live two blocks from a gorgeous Italian. That’ll snap you out of it real quick. Rocco’s also charming and sweet AND makes a risotto that’ll knock your socks off. It didn’t take much convincing to get him to share his tricks from the Old Country, which interestingly doesn’t involve ancient Roman secrets, but instead a good old-fashioned Cuisinart. Watch the maestro at work. I was glad I did. I’d never heard food described as “beautiful” so much before, but when we sat down to eat I could understand the sentiment. It was also a great way to get me to eat my veggies (hear that, Mama Mia?). Great Italian dinner made for me by a smoking hot Italian? In Italy you might say che bella, but my country that’s known as a win-win. Thank you, Breakup Cookbook!
