Photo: Oprah Magazine
Kick off Women’s History Month with recipes from some of our favorite female chefs and cooks. From Julia Child’s approachable French cooking to Alice Waters’s genius use of vegetables, all of these culinary icons have impacted the way we cook in our homes. Cook one, or cook them all, this is guaranteed to be a tasty month.
Julia Child’s Classic French Bouillabaisse
Photo: Family Style Food
In the 1950s, Julia Child brought French cuisine from the fine dining kitchens of Paris to the home kitchens in America. One of her most iconic dishes? This seafood-laden Bouillabaisse paired with a toasty slice of bread smeared with a garlicky red pepper rouille. Everything is cooked in a large stock pot, leaving your kitchen smelling of aromatic saffron and fennel. This is one-pot cooking 2.0.
Dorie Greenspan’s World Peace Cookies
Photo: Leite’s Culinaria
Dorie Greenspan, the celebrated cookbook author and New York Times writer, also is frequently referred to as the “Cookie Queen.” Her famous “World Peace Cookies” are not your average chocolate cookie: They are buttery and crumbly like a sablé, but chewy and studded with chocolate chunks like a chocolate chip cookie. As Dorie says, “If everyone had one, peace would reign over the planet.”
Tanya Holland’s Fried Chicken and Waffles
Photo: Oprah Magazine
Tanya Holland is an Oakland-based cookbook author, chef and former Top Chef contestant who is serving up some of the best soul food in the country at her restaurant, Brown Sugar Kitchen. Her super-popular restaurant played a large role in the transformation of Oakland. Make Tonya’s recipe for Fried Chicken and Waffles, featured in Oprah Magazine. The key to the chicken is letting it soak in buttermilk, herbs and spices overnight so that the meat is extra-tender and juicy. Oh, and the Crisp Cornmeal Waffles and Apple Cider Syrup served alongside help, too.
Alice Waters’s Garden Salad Tacos
Photo: Food & Wine
It’s not often that someone comes up with a new way to eat salad, but if anyone can do it, it’s Alice Waters. Her restaurant Chez Panisse led the charge in what is now defined as “California Cooking” because of her approach to sustainability, fresh produce and simple, elegant food. These clever Salad Tacos for Food & Wine Magazine are the perfect weeknight meal (it all comes together in under 30 minutes). The crunchy vegetables and assertive vinaigrette keep things light, while the warm corn tortillas and hidden melty cheese make it totally satisfying.
Ina Garten’s Skillet-Roasted Lemon Chicken
Photo Credit: Tasting Table
Ina Garten is the queen of effortless entertaining and impressive, but accessible food. There are few people who know how to roast a chicken better than Ina and, thanks to her husband Jeffrey’s love of “Friday Night Chicken,” she has many ideas on how to do it. This is one of our favorites: A spatchcocked chicken is roasted on a bed of sliced lemon and onion and brushed with a lemony dressing. As the chicken cooks, it releases all of its juices, making a killer pan sauce. Serve with a green salad and plenty of bread for sopping up the sauce.
Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce
Photo Credit: Food52
Before there was Mario or Giada, there was Marcella. Her simple approach to traditional Italian cooking has inspired many professional and home cooks. Her tomato sauce might just be the most remembered. All you need are 3 ingredients: tomatoes, butter and an onion. Don’t be scared by the amount of butter – this makes a lot of sauce. As the butter melts, it softens the acidity of the tomatoes and the onion adds just a touch of flavor. Discard the cooked onion at the end, or cut it up and toss it with the pasta. Marcella’s traditional recipe calls for peeled, fresh tomatoes, but you can easily use canned whole San Marzano tomatoes.
Leah Chase’s Okra Gumbo with Blue Crabs and Shrimp
Photo Credit: Food & Wine
Leah Chase is the Queen of Creole cooking – her food and influence can be found all over Louisiana. In this loaded gumbo with blue crab and shrimp for Food & Wine Magazine, Leah calls for extra chopped okra. The starchy juices from the vegetable help thicken the stew.
Martha Stewart’s Shrimp and Crudité Platter
Photo Credit: Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart has defined elegant home entertaining. If you’ve ever wondered how to properly set a table or get that perfect golden-brown Thanksgiving turkey, Martha knows. This bountiful take on the Provencal dish, Le Grand Aioli, will be an impressive centerpiece for any cocktail party. Other than making the two dips and poaching your shrimp, the rest is rather easy! Make sure your vegetables stay crisp in the fridge until guests arrive and that everything from the soft-boiled eggs to the cooked potatoes are seasoned with a touch of salt and pepper.
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