Round Up

Sauces, Sourdough Pasta, A Recipe for Asparagus, and more.

Hey, everyone!

I’ve been super busy with work and travel recently and haven’t had as much time to write this newsletter as I’d like. I’ve got a whole backlog of ideas to share in the next couple of months, so this is my public commitment to get back onto a regular publishing schedule. Every now and then I like to do a round-up style email with some ideas, product recommendations, and other random stuff. I hope you find some good stuff in here.

As always, feel free to shoot me an email if you’ve got questions or feedback!

Myles

Sauces, Condiments, and Spices

One of my secret weapons for cooking more easily (and more flavorfully) at home is to make generous use of various sauces and condiments. You can cook really simple, easy stuff (steak, grilled chicken, rice, potatoes, roasted vegetables, etc) and not have it be boring if you have a few great sauces in your repertoire. They’re an easy way to add big flavor to otherwise plain dishes.

I usually prep a versatile sauce or two at the beginning of the week and keep those on deck. I’ve shared a bunch of these in the newsletter— yogurt sauce, cherry tomato salsa, spicy herb sauce, black garlic chimichurri, roasted red pepper sauce, homemade mayo, and plenty more you can find in the backlog.

I also like to experiment with different specialty sauces, condiments, spices, oils, and other things I find in stores. They serve a similar role, adding something a bit exciting and flavorful even if you’re cooking very simple things. Here are a few recommendations that I’ve been enjoying recently.

• Bachan’s Sweet & Spicy Japanese BBQ Sauce

  I really like this sauce for rice bowls and fried chicken, but it’s made its way onto a bunch of dishes I’ve cooked recently. It’s got a great balance of sweet, spicy, and umami.

• Lindera Farms Ramp Vinegar

  This is my all-time favorite vinegar from one of the best producers in the country. All of their products are amazing, but the ramp vinegar is really special. I’ll add a splash into soups, over roasted vegetables, or in place of lemon juice in an herb yogurt sauce (one of my favorites).

• Burlap & Barrel Black Peppercorn

  Black pepper is one of the most versatile spices out there, but there’s a huge difference in the flavor of high-quality, heirloom black peppercorn versus what you find in most stores. And it must be ground fresh. This one from Burlap & Barrel is my personal favorite.

• Smoked Pickled Mustard Seeds

  Pickled mustard seeds are incredible. If you’ve never tried them, you’re in for a treat. Imagine that regular mustard and caviar had a baby, and this what you’d get. The texture is amazing, and they provide a really nice pop of acidity and umami. This smoked version adds another layer of flavor on top of that. I use these on fried chicken thighs, roasted potatoes, and salads.

• Noma Mushroom Garum

  I’ve mentioned Noma Projects in the newsletter multiple times, and I’m always impressed with the products I try from them. They tend to be really unique and super flavorful. Garum is a class of fermented condiments that includes things like fish sauce, but Noma’s garum is made with mushrooms for a potent and earthy dose of umami. I included a recipe at the end of this newsletter for a nice sauce made with this!

80/20 Cooking

In case you missed it, I released a new version of my 80/20 Cooking course a couple of months ago. I describe it as a minimalist guide to the fundamentals of cooking. It’s got 12 lessons that cover the foundational skills you need to get competent in the kitchen (and eventually learn to cook without recipes), plus about 20 practice recipes and a bunch of exclusive discounts on my favorite cookware and pantry brands.

If you want to check it out, you can use the code SUBSTACK for 20% off.

Grass-Fed, Carrot-Finished Beef

You’ve heard of grass-fed, grass-finished beef. And you’ve heard of grass-fed, grain-finished beef. But have you heard of grass-fed, carrot-finished beef?

It’s a thing, and I was delighted to learn of its existence. The company is called Santa Carota, and I got the chance to try it at Calico Fish House in Huntington Beach recently (which is an excellent restaurant if you’re ever in the area). You can buy it online, and I think it’s worth a try.

Sourdough Pasta

A few years ago I discovered a technique for sourdough pasta dough in Chad Robertson’s Bread Book, and I started making it a bunch. It’s one of the easier sourdough techniques I’ve learned— you simply add some discard from your starter into the dough and allow it to ferment overnight— but it makes a noticeable difference in digestibility and flavor.

Recently I found that Bionaturae, a brand I love, makes a dried sourdough pasta. It’s quite a bit more convenient than making the dough yourself, and it sits lighter in your stomach than regular dried pasta. I’ve noticed that it does have a fairly strong sourdough tang, so I like to pair it with a big, flavorful sauce and some other elements (here I did a tomato cream sauce with sausage, fresh basil, and burrata).

You can now get this at a lot of grocery stores (including some Whole Foods), Amazon, or their online store.

A Quick Asparagus Recipe

I whipped this up recently and absolutely loved the combination of flavors. This is also a technique I use a lot with vegetables; I saute them in a pan, add in a bit of bone broth, cover the pan to allow the vegetables to steam, and then allow the broth to reduce down into a flavorful glaze. This works with all kinds of vegetables and is a super easy and convenient way to cook them.

Ingredients

• 1 large bunch of asparagus (ends trimmed off)

• 1 tbsp butter

• 1/3 cup chicken or beef bone broth

• salt

• 1/4 - 1/3 cup mayonnaise

• 1-2 tbsp Noma mushroom garum

• Urfa chile flakes

Process

Start by making the sauce— in a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, the mushroom garum, and salt to taste. The measurements here aren’t super specific. Taste and adjust with the three ingredients to get the flavor and texture you like.

Heat a large pan over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add in a tbsp of butter.

Once the butter has melted, add in your asparagus. Toss it in the butter, season it with salt, and arrange it so that the asparagus sits in a flat layer.

Saute the asparagus for a few minutes, tossing to turn it occasionally.

Turn the heat up to medium high, and add in the broth. Cover the pan and allow the asparagus to steam for a few minutes. After a few minutes, remove the lid and allow the broth to reduce.

Once it’s reduced to a sauce-like glaze, turn off the heat and toss the asparagus to coat it in the glaze. Taste and adjust as needed with a little more salt.

Put the asparagus on a plate. Drizzle the sauce over the top and finish with a hefty sprinkling of the Urfa chile flakes. Enjoy!