Crispy Haloumi with Honey and Pistachio by Alison Roman

Crispy what? Crispy haloumi! Haloumi isn’t a common ingredient, and I’m met with some blank stares when I say the word. So for those of you who need it, allow me to introduce you to my friend and co-conspirator, haloumi. (He says hi.) 

Haloumi is a semi-hard, unripened cheese made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk. It has a high melting point and so can easily be fried or grilled. Haloumi is especially common in Greek cuisine. It is typically sliced into ½-inch “steaks,” which can be seared on medium-high heat on a skillet or grill pan. The cheese will not melt! Instead, it’s surface gets a nice brown color, like a fried cheese steak. About 4 minutes on each side, though the second side might brown a little faster. 

It comes in a tight plastic package that has a small amount of brine encasing the block of cheese. I found my haloumi at Trader Joes. The block was 8.8 oz, and rather small, so it required some “Where’s Waldo” skills to find in the midst of the very crowded cheese section. 

Haloumi is quite salty. Which is why its pairing with drizzled honey and toasted nuts is a brilliant combination. The entire plate was gone in mere minutes. I served it on its own (no crackers required), and right off the pan. Let the cheese cool too much, and it loses some of its magic. 

In fact, I waited until my guests arrived to start frying it so they could watch me prepare them, which built the sense of enthusiasm and anticipation. I toasted and chopped my pistachios ahead of time so they were ready to go. This was such a simple, easy appetizer, that I will be making this many more times in the future. 

82 recipes cooked, 143 to go.

Perfect Asparagus with Garlic and Salted Olive Oil by Alison Roman

For every way to prepare great asparagus, there are at least eight ways to screw it up. I like asparagus, but the reason I don’t love it is because I’ve had far more asparagus-gone-wrong’s, than right’s. Too soggy, too tough, too stringy, too limp, too mushy – we’ve all made asparagus one or more of these ways. It’s easy to do! 

Alison claims that she’s found the *perfect* way to cook asparagus. In my opinion, she’s gotten pretty darn close. 

Alison’s asparagus method includes blanching the greens in a pot of boiling, salted water for 45 seconds (that’s it!). The asparagus must be on the thinner side for this to work. Not so thin that the top flops over, but not so thick that it doesn’t do a little wavering when you hold it up from the bottom. Once the 45 seconds are up, the asparagus can rest on a plate with paper towels to soak up excess water. Plate the greens and drizzle with a mixture of olive oil, salt, grated garlic and aleppo pepper, and of course, flaky sea salt. The flavor is subtle. The asparagus (asparagi?) are still crunchy, but not tough. They’re a beautiful bright green, and taste as fresh as they look…

The longer I think about it, the more I’m inclined to agree that it is the perfect asparagus. 

81 recipes cooked, 144 to go.

Blueberry Cake with Almond and Cinnamon by Alison Roman

It’s softer than any coffee cake. It’s richer than any fruit crumble. It’s more nuanced than any other fruit cake. It takes the cake, because it is THE cake. This blueberry cake with almond and cinnamon is wonderful. 

Allow me to highlight the aspects of this cake that really set it apart: 

1. Almond flour – The recipe utilizes a mixture of almond flour and regular all-purpose, which lends a nutty depth to the batter. Almond flour also makes the crumb slightly more dense than other breakfast cakes. And for those of you wondering, I did swap the all-purpose flour with gluten-free all-purpose flour. I also added an extra egg and a 1/4th tsp. of Xanthan gum. The conversion worked beautifully. 

2. Cinnamon – When Madeline took her first bite, the next words out of her mouth were, “ooo the spices!” To which I responded, “it’s actually just cinnamon!” But I agreed with her – somehow this tasted like a nice blend of spices. Nutmeg and a dash of allspice, maybe? Perhaps it’s the almond flour that gave it the depth. No matter the cause, the cinnamon really transformed this cake from a straightforward berry cake to one with depth. 

3. Amount of fresh blueberries – Two whole cups! Blueberries bursting in every bite. This helped keep the cake moist. There weren’t any real dry patches, save for a few tiny ones at the very edges of the cake. FYI, I think using frozen blueberries here are a real no-go, unless you’re willing to totally thaw and drain them first. 

4. Sugar on top – To give it a crackly texture on top, Alison instructs you to sprinkle 3 tbsp. of granulated sugar over the cake’s surface before baking. The sugar hardens and forms cracks along the top, giving it a nice textural contrast and a punch of sweet in every bite. 

I loved this cake. I can especially see this coming in handy when I need to contribute to a breakfast or brunch of some kind. It’s a crowdpleaser. But I’m also just as willing to make it for myself on a random Wednesday. I’ll have no problem eating it on my own.

80 recipes cooked, 145 to go.

Avocados with Everything by Alison Roman

I grew up in sunny Southern California, where citrus is cheap and avocados are aplenty. Californian cuisine is famous for finding creative ways to incorporate avocados into just about any recipe (and charging you an extra $3 for it too). My aunt and uncle who live in Redlands have a backyard full of avocado trees, and a few times a year we’d come home from a visit carrying a large grocery bag full of unripened avocados. We’d wait patiently for at least a week, checking them every morning to see if they were ready for a bowl of guacamole yet. Those were special days. 

I’ve only been to New York once, and there I ate the best bagel I’ve ever had. An Everything bagel, toasted, with chive cream cheese. My breath smelled awesome for the rest of the day. I’m a sucker for anything super salty and umami-y, so naturally the Everything bagel is my favorite. (Since going Gluten-Free, I tried to make my own sourdough bagels with Everything-but-the-bagel seasoning. Sadly, my attempt thoroughly failed. I’ll try again someday with a different recipe.)

Combine my hometown and one of my all-time vacation spots, and what do you get? Avocados with Everything! Half an avocado, sprinkled with lemon juice, and Everything seasoning. Eat with a spoon for breakfast, lunch, or a snack. It’s ripe with nostalgia. 

79 recipes cooked, 146 to go.

Harissa-Rubbed Pork Shoulder with White Beans and Chard by Alison Roman

You know that feeling when you’re eating a bag of Flaming Hot Cheetos and your mouth is on fire but you still can’t wait to eat another one? It’s a scorched craving sensation; the burn you can’t wait to feel. 

This was exactly my experience with this pork shoulder recipe. I hate to love it. It set my mouth on fire and left me wanting more. For Jordan, he just loved it – no fire (I have a low spice tolerance). 

This recipe requires almost no work – dare I say it’s the easiest “main course” recipe of Alison’s thus far? First, the pork is rubbed with a marinade made of harissa paste (a whole half-cup!), tomato paste, brown sugar, distilled vinegar, and salt and pepper. This is the most hands-on part, and it’s over before you know it. The pork and 1.5 cups of water take a shallow dive into a dutch oven to cook, lid on, for 3-3.5 hours at 325. The low-and-slow braising method strikes again! 

Once the meat is close to falling apart and the smell is impossibly good, two cans of rinsed and drained white beans join the fun, lid off, for about 45 minutes at 425. I chose Great Northern instead of Cannelini. Mostly because that’s what I had on hand, but also because Great Northern tend to be stronger and lose their structure more quickly. During their time in the pot, the beans soak up a majority of the liquid. 

Before plating, a bunch of torn swiss chard and sliced preserved lemon get stirred into the beans to wilt. What results is a tender, fall-apart pork bursting with spicy, rich flavor, and softened white beans and chard with briny lemon that do just enough to counterbalance the heat. I still needed a glass of oat milk to calm down my tastebuds, but to Jordan, it was absolutely perfect. And both of us wanted more. 

I left for a quick trip the morning after I made this, but I’m told that the leftovers were just as excellent. 

78 recipes cooked, 147 to go.