Here’s What Dawn Davis Is Cooking This Month
With friends and family visiting and kids off from school, I have to be prepared for multiple scenarios. Stews and sides that can feed a crowd, appetizers that can be made (and frozen) for more intimate catch-ups, and desserts that are as pretty as they are tasty.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Dana Bonagura1/11Oven Risotto With Crispy Roasted Mushrooms
Risotto is the epitome of comfort food to me. This Oven Risotto With Crispy Roasted Mushrooms, which calls for a pound of mixed wild mushrooms and is finished with lemon zest, is both earthy and bright. I find stirring a risotto calming, but for those who don’t, this recipe has the added advantage of being baked in a preheated oven, no stirring necessary! The end result is moist and everyone-asks-for-seconds good.
Photo by Gentl & Hyers2/11Kale and Cucumber Salad with Roasted Ginger Dressing
On our new podcast Dinner SOS, in which we help callers solve dinner party dilemmas, food director Chris Morocco alludes to this Kale and Cucumber Salad with Roasted Ginger Dressing, a recipe developed by Josh Walker and Duolan Li, restaurateurs in Charleston. I’m now obsessing over this recipe and suspect it will become a regular in my household, one I will eat all winter long.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce3/11Crepes With Brandy
My son will return home from his freshman year at college this winter break and I want to make sure a few of his favorites are on offer. He loves crepes, or at least he did as a child. To turn back the hands of time, I’m going to make this crepe recipe. The alcohol burns off, and they can be filled with jelly or sprinkled with sugar. (But can’t you do both?)
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Monica Pierini. Salad Bowl Courtesy of Heath Ceramics.4/11Torn Potatoes of Many Colors With Chile-Lime Butter
This platter of Torn Potatoes of Many Colors With Chile-Lime Butter is the most beautiful potato dish I’ve seen, and it feeds a crowd, so it’s ideal for accompanying a Sunday roast.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Pearl Jones5/11Roasted Carrot and Fennel Soup With Miso-Glazed Mushrooms and Cashew Cream
This time of year, I could eat soup every single day. And while I love carrot soup, it can be a little predictable. This Roasted Carrot and Fennel Soup With Miso-Glazed Mushrooms and Cashew Cream, in which fennel and carrots are roasted and then simmered with ginger and mirin before being topped with a cashew cream, caught my attention. It happens to be vegan, which means on the days my husband declares himself a vegan, I’ve got options.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou6/11Cheesy Samosa Puffs
One of the first friends I met when I moved to New York is coming to visit from Paris. Back in the day, we regularly hosted dinner parties, cracking each other up as we cranked out dish after dish. I’m sure we’re going to plan one while she’s here, but first cocktails and a bite for a long, overdue catch-up. These Cheesy Samosa Puffs look so good and, as the base is made from frozen puff pastry, relatively easy to make. For cocktails, this Tumeric Cumin Margarita is the perfect complement.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton7/11Instant Pot Lamb Haleem
Years ago I regularly made a fragrant lamb stew with sweet potatoes and spinach, star anise and cinnamon sticks. I must have tired of it because I haven’t made it in years, though friends still request it from time to time. In search of a new standard, I’m drawn to this Instant Pot Lamb Haleem, with deep flavors from garam masala, turmeric, and ginger and its crunchy fried shallot and ginger topping.
Photo by Bobbi Lin8/11Cranberry-Lime Pie
“The spirit of a Key lime pie in the guise of a luscious cranberry curd” is how this Cranberry-Lime pie (with a gingersnap cookie crust) is described in the recipe’s headnotes. I was instantly sold as I associate a Key lime pie with the happy vibes of summer. This pie is definitely making its debut on my table this holiday season.
Photo by Peden & Munk9/11Red Snapper With Coconut-Clam Broth
I love making fish. It can be so beautifully plated, perfect when you want to impress at a dinner party. This Red Snapper with Coconut Clam Broth uses fennel seeds to form a crust on red snapper which, when finished, is served in a coconut-clam stock. I love snapper but your fishmonger can suggest alternatives if you prefer other fish. The broth and that fennel crust are the thing.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert10/11Vanilla No-Bake Cheesecake With a Chocolate Cookie Crust
If I am running behind schedule during a dinner party and need the oven for the mains and sides, I am going to make Jessie Sheehan’s no-bake cheesecake from her book Snackable Bakes.
Photograph by Christopher Testani, Food styling by Victoria Granof, prop styling by Alex Brannian11/11Sweet Potato Loaf Cake With Dark Chocolate Ganache
Yes, sweet potatoes in the form of sides and pies grace the holiday table, but in Cheryl Day’s hands they also make for an absolutely delicious Sweet Potato Loaf Cake With Dark Chocolate Ganache. The orange zest brings all the other flavors into sharp relief. While I wouldn’t have thought to pair chocolate and sweet potatoes, I’m glad Day did. Delightful.
