Frywall Recipes

We love polenta as a base for tomato sauce or a sidekick to a hearty stew. But when it's time for making cornmeal fritters, we prefer the American cousin: grits. They hold together a little better than polenta, have a slightly deeper corn flavor, and sound pleasantly contrarian. For an appetizer this week, we married our grits frites with a robust sauce of tomato and capers that, we hope you'll agree, is both right and novel.

Think steak and you probably think potato. Think steak and potato and your probably think of bliss, and also of being comatose on the couch. Here's a way to enjoy a delectable cut of beef without toppling over.

A well made taco delivers the perfect balance of meaty umami, corny starchiness, limey acidity, and oniony bite. The centerpiece of our taco is without question the skirt steak, a cut that's immensely flavor but, untreated, a bit tough. These qualities make it a perfect fit for a marinade of lime juice, garlic, cilantro and cumin, which tenderizes the meat and lends it brightness without overwhelm its essential steakiness.

Try it on a night when you want to enjoy a delicious steak and still stay responsive. You won't regret it.

In the beauty pageant of food names, "chraimeh" competes hard for last place. The "chr" is like a prelude to a spit, the "ai" a stubbing of the toe, and the "meh" a resignation without protest.

But don't let the name fool you. Chraimeh is one of the most boldly flavorful fish preparations you'll ever encounter. A North African dish that traces its origins to Sephardic Jewish cuisine in Libya, it combines the pungency of caraway and cumin, the heat of chiles, the sweetness of paprika and tomato paste, and the bite of lemon juice and garlic. The name is an agony, the flavor a revelation.

We cooked it here with swordfish steaks but other fish steaks, like salmon or halibut, will work just as well. Unlike most fish dishes, it's also easy to make ahead, and can be served either hot or just warm. Couple it with bread for a hearty appetizer or with rice for a main course.

In much of the Middle East, nothing says breakfast like shakshuka, the richly flavored and colorful egg dish on this week's menu. There's no single way to make shakshuka, though as with Texas chili, many folks feel passionately otherwise. Still, if there's one thing that makes shakshuka shakshuka it's the poaching of eggs in a hearty sauce of tomatoes and peppers – that and the shear pleasure of saying that goofy word. Shakshuka. Shakshuka. Shakshuka.

While generally served for breakfast, shakshuka also makes a great light dinner and a knockout brunch when guests are coming. Make the sauce a day ahead, and 15 minutes before the brunch bell, just turn up the heat and crack in the eggs.

Yair's mother came to visit and showed us how to make her original Hungarian-inspired chicken dish. Crispy, browned chicken thighssimmer and stew with fresh cabbage and pungent sauerkraut. Dinner is served.

Who doesn't love chicken wings? The best way to make Buffalo Wings is to fry them without batter and toss 'em in sauce. Just in time for the big game. Or whenever.

Quinoa is a hearty, wholesome grain that's loaded with protein and minerals. It's also really versatile, and in this recipe we combine it with creamy goat cheese to make delectable fritters you can serve as an appetizer or salad topper. And fancy though they sound, 25 minutes and a few ingredients is all it takes.

We love to grill, but when the weather doesn't cooperate, you can surely make delicious cheeseburgers on the stovetop. With the Frywall in place, there's no greasy mess to clean up afterward.

Pad Thai is the national dish of Thailand and a favorite at Thai restaurants everywhere. Like most Thai dishes, Pad Thai is all about the balance of contrasting flavors: sweet, sour, savory, and funky–or whichever adjective you prefer for the singular punch of fish sauce that gives this dish its signature pungency. Though the list of ingredients here is rather long, the technique isn't difficult, and it's customizable to suit your tastes. Our version here is made with chicken, but don't be shy about substituting in shrimp, beef, or tofu. We love making it at home because we can control how much oil and sugar go into the recipe. And, of course, because we love to cook!

Brussels sprouts are packed with flavor, nutritiousness, and a vegetal cuteness rivaling the miniature gherkin. Yet cooking them can be deceptively tricky. Roasted, they often emerge charred on the outside but undercooked within. Cook them in a steamer, and they'll likely turn sweet and succulent, but with a high risk of mush. This braise-and-brown method delivers the best of both worlds – thorough doneness with the depth of flavor that comes from caramelization. And the wine, herbs, pine nuts and parmesan add a simple sophistication that's really, really, really hard not to love.

This recipe for braised carrots makes the perfect side dish for a holiday roast or a weeknight family dinner. The earthy sweetness of the carrots is balanced by the salty sharpness of capers. Garlic and parsley bring the dish together but keep a relatively low profile, here. This preparation is a great alternative to maple carrots: less sweet, more dimensional, and so very handsome sidled up to a pot roast or a mound of buttery mashed potatoes. But you needn't wait for a big occasion. Try these carrots once and you'll likely add them to your root repertoire all year-round.

We've been itchin' to do this one all year. The latke is the epitome of Jewish European soul food – simple, satisfying, and ripe for debate. All agree that Hanukkah is the season for this delectable potato fritter, but then it starts. Should you call it a latke or chremslach? Should it be fluffy like a pancake, or dense like a torpedo? Is the onion essential or sacrilegious? Is a slight eggy flavor the sign of success or abject failure? Should the latke be served with sour cream or apple sauce, or in this land of plenty, both? Clearly these questions are too substantial and important to weigh here, but you may rest assured that the recipe below will yield the most authentic and delicious latke this side of Bubbe's house.