A Quick Masterclass In Cooking

 ANyone can be a good home chef. It just takes practice and recipes that hone and expand skills. Luckily there's np need t watch You Tube videos or get books. There's an easier way.
 

It come from senior staff editor and regular contributor Nikita Richardson who wrote the guide for yesterday's New York Times Food section. This is a must keep, especially for those who feel they need some help.I love the recipes.Some are basic like the French toast recipe (made with out the usual dash of cinnamon and vanilla) and the cheesy scrambled eggs.This is a flavorful scrambled eggs made with butter for body and flavor and shredded cheese like Montery Jack or Cheddar mixed in.It's served on plain toast, but it would be great on it's own , scooped up with a croissant or brioche.This could also make a great lunch with another of Ms. Richardson's recipes- roasted mixed vegetables. These are a wide mix of everything from cherry tomatoes  to broccoli florets to mushrooms. They're roasted with olive oil and fresh or dried thyme. There is a garlicky Greek yogurt sauce you can serve with them. If you're using thicker veggies like cauliflower and sweet potatoes  cur into three and half inch chunks and add an extra tablespoon of oil and a bit more salt for flavoring.

The other dishes are out of the ordinary and perfect for dinner and dinner parties. Try Ms Richardson's chicken with potatoes and oregano. This is roasting lemon and chicken thighs together on a sheet pan. Yukon Gold potatoes are also added  along with a good sprinkling of oregano. The juice is squeezed over the meat and potatoes. Once cooked it can be served with  more lemon wedges along with more salt and oregano. For a really fun dinner. This is a simple cheese one that can be filled with  Mexican cheese, cheddar or Montery Jack Serve it with the guacamole recipe. Again this is an easy make, made fiery with the addition of white onions and jalapenos. On the tamer side there is broiled salmon with mustard and lemon. Again this is a sheet pan meal of broiled salmon seasoned with  sea salt and pepper, then brushed with oil and mustard .It's served with a squeeze of lemon juice. vegetarians will love Ms Richardson's Vegetable Tofu Curry.This is a sauce pan meal The tofu, green beans and peas are cooked in coconut cream and seasoned with curry powder.Serve it over basmati rice.

This guide has the perfect recipes for easy but delicious dishes. You can try your hand at breakfast ones or ones for a hot lunch or dinner. They're all good for honing cooking skills.

A Sweet Breakfast Treat

French toast is one of those special breakfast treats.Imagine amping it up wit fruit, sour dough and a variety of spices. It turns into a perfect breakfast or brunch treat that's easy to make and wonderful to eat - even on a hot day.

Great chef and baker Yotam Ottolenghi created this for yesterday's New York Times Food section. French toast in Britain is called eggy bread and its savory instead of sweet. Chef Ottolenghi creates a fruity version with the addition of Braeburn or Gala apples and mixed berries. You could even add fresh peaches, this being peach season. He uses star anise and cinnamon but you can just use cinnamon if that's all you have. (star anise can be found in your grocery's spice section). As for the bread. Chef Ottolenghi uses crustless sourdough which produced a wonderfully chewy and tangy mouthfeel. As a sub try a boule of French bread or even a loaf of Italian as long as it equals two cups. There's also rolled oats for texture  and vanilla bean paste or extract for flavor. You will need superfine or caster sugar. However if  you can't find it, then grind granulated sugar in a food processor.It's topped with refrigerated cream with vanilla flavoring but again you could use Greek yogurt for some bite.

As far ass assembling and cooking, it's peeling and coring the apples.They're then baked to soften but not baked enough that they're mush. The butter is also browned at this time in a skillet , then placed in a heat proof bowl. Use the skillet to toast the sour dough. Add it to the butter. Then add the oats to the skillet until they're lightly basted. The flavorings are then added, the sugar, star anise and  flaky sea salt. The oats mixture is then added to the bread.It's then adding in the cooked apples, berries and two tablespoons of water evenly over the sourdough pieces and oats. All this is then baked in a 350 F degree oven for thirty minutes until it's golden and bubbling. Leave it to cool for ten to fifteen minutes. Add the cold cream and remaining three quarters teaspoon of vanilla in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Serve this crumbly French toast with the cream on top. You could easily turn it into a bread pudding dessert with the addition of vanilla or strawberry ice cream.

There's nothing like French toast. Try this version whether for breakfast, brunch or even dessert. It sweet, crumbly eggy and butteryv- all the best flavors rolled into one.