A Quick Chinese Meal

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

One of the first Chinese dishes I learned to cook was Ma Po Tofu. I was introduced to this recipe by my sister Judy, newly married to a young scientist from Taiwan and living in Berkeley, California.

Through the years, I’ve stripped down the recipe so it doesn’t require a trip to Chinatown for any special ingredients, making this dish a good dinner choice when you’re time-pressed and don’t know what to cook. You should be able to bring this dish to the table in about 20 minutes.

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Red Onion Rings

By Andrew Hunter
For The Family Table, a blog for busy families

Families cannot live on spinach alone, so on special occasions when the boys are really good, onion rings are in order. Deep-frying in the house is kind of a messy proposition, so I thought I was a genius when I set up the electric fryer on the patio table ... you might want to try the same.

I used to slice yellow or white onions for my onion rings until I met Patsy, my beloved mother-in-law. Patsy likes three things in abundance: ice, iced tea and red onions. Sometimes at lunch, I wonder why she bothers with the lettuce, but it’s just a foil for her thinly sliced red onions.

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The Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich for One

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

During the week, breakfast is pretty much on the go, with a hard-boiled egg that I cooked over the weekend (using eggs my chickens have laid for me the week before) with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Alternating, I have some yogurt and blueberries.

However, now that it has turned super-hot, the girls are simply not in the laying mood so it’s been slim pickings as of late. And just last week, there were only two eggs found in the nest. So now I have resorted to hoarding them and the usual lucky recipients of a gift box of eggs will have to simply fend for themselves until this heat wave is over.

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The Answer to Something Sweet

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

After every meal I eat, I always need something sweet. It's been the bane of my body all my life, but the boon to my soul.

However, when it gets hot outside, I only want something icy-cold and refreshing. But thanks to my lactose intolerance, ice cream is out of the question. And sorbets…well, let’s just say I've never tasted one worth having again.

My solution is chilled pudding that I keep in the fridge in tiny cups and dole out to myself when I need a quick, sweet, cold fix. The secret to mine is coconut milk and very little sugar, which keeps it somewhat healthy, or at least less horrible than traditional pudding, and allows me to add fruit or whatever else I want as toppings to sweeten it up more naturally.

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The Ultimate Weeknight Meal

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

Whenever I’m strapped for ideas and ingredients to make a quick weeknight meal, there’s one dish I can always rely on: polenta. Essentially “Italian grits,” polenta is simply cooked ground dried corn kernels. In their uncooked form, they last for months. I always have some in the pantry and it’s at its best when cooked with just some salt and pepper.

Since it’s summer, and I like my polenta hot from the stove, I make a fresh tomato sauce and chill it down for contrast when eating this piping hot polenta. Use fresh tomatoes if you have some, but canned always work as well, since they’re canned at the height of freshness and flavor.

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