Go for the gold: What to Cook Right Now

June 20, 2022

David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

What to Cook Right Now

By Sam Sifton

Good morning. It's difficult to imagine a more delicious thing to eat on a Monday night in the second half of June than a crispy fried tofu sandwich (above).

Alexa Weibel adapted our recipe from one used by the cooks at Superiority Burger, a vegetarian restaurant in New York that Brooks Headley opened in 2015. The process may look complicated, but it's actually serial work of no great difficulty. And if you don't want to subject yourself to the mess of frying, you can try an oven-fried version instead, roasting the battered tofu in high heat on an oiled sheet pan.

If that's not of interest, take a look at these frijoles de la olla: pinto beans blasted in an electric pressure cooker, then topped with cilantro, jalapeños and avocado, and served with warm tortillas. I like a few chiles de árbol in there as well, to bring a little heat.

Or maybe an orzo salad with peppers and feta? Stir-fried lettuce with crispy garlic and fried eggs? Or Tuscan farro soup?

Spaghetti al limone with shrimp is a powerful argument for the deliciousness of tarragon, particularly against the sweetness of the shrimp and the bright acidity of the lemon. This smoky eggplant salad makes similar claims for mint.

Pork chops in pipian should be up for consideration as well, with its nutty, complex sauce, a perfect partner for the chops. So, too, that old standby of beef and broccoli. And, always, cannellini-bean pasta with beurre blanc.

There are many thousands more recipes to cook right now waiting on New York Times Cooking. Asked and answered: You need a subscription to access them. Subscriptions support our work and allow it to continue. If you haven't done so already, will you consider subscribing today? Thank you. (You can write to us at cookingcare@nytimes.com if you need help doing that.)

Housekeeping: I'm traveling for work this week, and my colleagues will be writing these newsletters while I'm on the road. You're in very good hands. I'll return on June 29.

Now, it's nothing to do with Frenching a rack of lamb or tempering chocolate, but you should read Michael Kimmelman's recent article for The Times, about how Houston has made remarkable progress in reducing homelessness in the nation's fourth-largest city, and what that might mean for the rest of the country.

There's a Cindy Sherman retrospective up at Hauser & Wirth in New York, if you happen to be around. If not, you might browse a few of the images instead. How it all started: "When I was in college, I was putting makeup on and transforming myself in my bedroom when I was studying painting," she told the actress Cate Blanchett recently, in a discussion moderated by Melena Ryzik of The Times. "I think I was working out my frustration with whatever was going on in my life, and my boyfriend at the time finally just said, you know, maybe this is what you should be taking pictures of. And that seemed like a good idea."

Andelaine Tsowases has a short story in Doek!, the Namibian literary magazine: "Make It, Pay It." It's simple and straightforward and may leave you jittery with nerves.

Finally, it is the poet Paul Muldoon's birthday. He is 71. Here's his poem "The Loaf," from 2002. I will see you down the road.

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