• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

Combine all into one bowl, mixing well. Season with salt and pepper.

HOW LONG? 20 MINUTES

HOW MUCH? 12 SERVINGS

Warm Carrot and Asparagus Salad with Sesame Dressing

Lightly sautéed carrots and asparagus are dressed in a salty, savory dressing made from sesame oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. To turn this salad into a meal, add thinly sliced strips of cooked chicken and call it a stir-fry.

2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

Pinch red pepper flakes

1-pound bunch asparagus, bottoms trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths

10-ounce bag shredded carrots

¼ cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and red pepper flakes, then sauté for 30 seconds.

Add the asparagus and carrots, then sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are just barely softened. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Return the skillet to the stove, reducing the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, the rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and ginger. Simmer until reduced and thickened, about 3 minutes. Drizzle the dressing over the vegetables, then toss to coat.

Sprinkle the salad with sesame seeds and serve.

HOW LONG? 15 MINUTES

HOW MUCH? 6 SERVINGS

CHAPTER THREE

SOUPED UP

Bread and Tomato Soup

Cider-Braised Beef Stew

Shrimp and Tomato Peanut Soup

Spicy Carrot Bisque

Rosemary and Ginger Vegetable Soup

Rich Corn Chowder with Prosciutto Crumbles

Bacon, Beans, and Beer Chili

Broiled Chilled Gazpacho

No-Pain Chicken Soup

Lemon Grass and White Bean Turkey Chili

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato and Thyme Soup

Isuspect my son got a shock the first time he ate dinner at a friend’s house. The family probably did something crazy. Like just sat down and ate.

“Where is the guy who takes pictures of your food before you eat it?”

Growing up in the test kitchen of the world’s largest news organization has given Parker an odd—some would argue warped—relationship with food.

Not that I mind that the roar of the KitchenAid was all that would lull him during those colicky first six months (not sure why that trick hasn’t made the parenting books).

And sure, he asked for (and received) a five-inch santoku knife for his second birthday (like you didn’t cave when your kid asked!). And answered “Soup” when asked what he wanted to name a new stuffed animal, a chicken.

You can’t help but love a kid who jams to Jimmy Buffett’s “Cheeseburger in Paradise” and who was able to write falafel before he’d mastered his last name.

Okay, so the kid’s a little peculiar.

I do wonder what growing up in the chaos of photo shoots is doing to him. Cooks bustle through the house at all hours, and photographers have been known to use his toys as light baffles while whining about spectral highlights on tomatoes.

“Daddy, when I grow up I want to be a knight and a chef,” he explained to me one day. I didn’t have the heart to tell him Daddy is so not a chef. Chefs actually know what they’re doing.

Despite his culinary precociousness, he still can be a fussy six-year-old. He’ll eat wasabi peas and sushi. Devours chimichurri and chicken mole. Has a passion for Parmigiano-Reggiano and prosciutto. And insists on making pasta. From scratch. Yet I can’t get the kid to eat soup. On their own, the ingredients get no fight. Add liquid and it’s a no-go zone.

Maybe he thinks I’m trying to serve up Soup.

Bread and Tomato Soup

This traditional Italian soup is hearty enough to be a meal. But for a thinner soup, stir in chicken broth until it reaches the desired consistency.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

Three 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes, with juices

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 cups slightly stale good-quality