Hello and “happy” Monday! I’m filling in for Melissa today, so it feels only right to kick things off with her new recipe for creamy fish with mushrooms and bacon.
Pardon the Stefon-ism, but this recipe has it all: mild, white-fleshed fish (good for the fishy-fish averse); canned tomatoes (the pantry M.V.P.); mushrooms and bacon to add umami oomph; and crème fraîche (or heavy cream) to make everything a little lush. I’ll let Betsy, a reader, take it from here: “Y’all!!! This recipe slaps! So good! So easy! So delicious! Sauce is so creamy and amazing. Would be good on any/everything! Can’t wait to make this again!”
Featured Recipe
Creamy Fish With Mushrooms and Bacon
I once messed up a grocery delivery order, and what was supposed to be three jalapeños arrived as three big plastic clamshells of jalapeños. My instinct — and blanket solution — to “just throw it in the freezer” turned out to be a good one: The peppers froze well, and now I always have jalapeños on hand to chop as needed for recipes, like this new jalapeño-orange pork tenderloin with snap peas from Ali Slagle. I might also add some slices along with the vinegar, garlic and butter in Step 6 of Yasmin Fahr’s honey-garlic chicken; we are indeed a hot-honey house.
There’s a group of recipes here at New York Times Cooking that I fondly call “Will it bean?” recipes. The answer is always yes: Buffalo beans, pizza beans, beans alla vodka, beans au vin. The newest and equally successful entry into this happy group is Carolina Gelen’s recipe for garlicky Alfredo beans, which are just what you think they are. Serve with soft breadsticks and a crunchy iceberg salad for exquisite Olive Garden vibes.
Not beany, but also comforting and vegetarian: Kay Chun’s spring vegetable japchae, which tosses Korean glass (or sweet potato) noodles with all things colorful and crunchy. Since the noodles are wheat-free, this is a great dish for anyone avoiding gluten, and since the dish is delicious at room temperature, it’s a great option for anyone hoping to avoid a sad desk lunch.
I’ll end with another mistake-turned-marvelous situation: I once misremembered the time I was meeting friends for dinner and arrived hours before our reservation. Already hungry, I ducked into a nearby Van Leeuwen for an affogato. It was kind of a brilliant move; the ice cream cured my hanger, and the espresso gave me the perkiness I needed to last through dinner (and laugh off my error). Could I have eaten a granola bar or baby carrots instead? Sure. But then I wouldn’t have had an affogato.
Thanks for reading! Melissa is back with us on Wednesday, and I’ll see you on Thursday.
