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Irresistible in every way.

Even before you taste it, your senses are telling you a dazzling experience awaits. Aromatic herbs and pungent fish sauce evoke curiosity. A colorful medley of fresh veggies extend a visual invitation. And the actual taste? That’s where it all comes together in Vietnamese cooking. The acclaimed and diverse cuisine of Vietnam is noted for its delicious balance of flavors. All five – sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami – are often represented in a single dish. The combination is irresistible.

National flower, lotus. National cuisine, equally as distinctive.

Vietnam is a country comparable in size to Italy with food traditions centuries old. Close contact with neighboring cultures has shaped historic and contemporary Vietnamese cuisine, and the country has incorporated items from farther away such as French baguettes and chile peppers from the Americas. But with a coastline of more than 2,000 miles (excluding islands), it’s fish and seafood that influence much of Vietnam’s cooking. Fish sauce in particular is a key ingredient, and it’s included in this new recipe for Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken With Glass Noodles. A fermented sauce made from anchovies and salt, fish sauce is an umami staple, similar to gochujang in Korea or miso in Japan.

Prep, then proceed.

In addition to fish sauce, Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken With Glass Noodles builds its rich flavor profile with brown sugar, limes, crushed red pepper and other more. The recipe is simple and cooks very quickly, but the essential first step for a successful stir fry is preparation. Cook the noodles, and make sure everything is measured and cut or shredded before you start heating up the wok. Stir fry the veggies first and remove. Then add the chicken, and when it’s done, return the vegetables to the wok along with the noodles. That’s it. Top with green onions and fresh mint, cilantro or Thai basil.

More fish sauce, please.

Vietnam isn’t the only country that enjoys fish sauce. Other countries include Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar and China. In ancient Greece and Rome, a fish sauce called garum was popular. As you get familiar with fish sauce in Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken With Glass Noodles, let the balance of flavors inspire even more creativity.

Handy, healthy — and just in time.

The starting point for any pantry discussion is no two pantries are the same. Some are big, others small. Some are hyper organized, others not so much. A few could carry a family of 10 through months of self-sufficient cooking. Most stock the basics for days or weeks. The reality is a family’s pantry reflects the family itself, both in terms of food preferences and cooking choices. And what better moment than springtime to dig into the pantry and uncover its full potential.

1 + 1 + 1 = Infinite Possibilities.

In the modern kitchen, a pantry means more than dry goods on shelves. The refrigerator and freezer also store food, of course, and a few simple ideas can help keep everything organized. Consider shelf stable foods in a cupboard. You might keep starches (grains and pastas) in one area, and baking supplies in another. Sauces in jars or cans (salsa or marinara) make a logical grouping along with complementary ingredients (black beans or garbanzos).

Best of all, a single ingredient can be used in many different ways. The jelly everyone loves on toast at breakfast? It’s the basis for a delicious glaze or dipping sauce at supper. A few simple combinations are highlighted above, and this checklist of pantry basics can help stock your pantry with other multi-use items.

I got this.

Here’s the scenario. It’s a typical weeknight with after-school activities for the kids, errands for you and nothing specific in mind for dinner. What’s it going to be? Fast food carryout or a quick home-cooked meal? The second option is often healthier, and come to think of it, yes, there are chicken thighs in the fridge, apricot preserves in the fridge, several quick cooking grains in the cabinet and a loaf of whole grain bread from the bakery. Thirty minutes later, dinner is served, accompanied by a quick salad and sliced apples. The pantry comes through yet again.

There comes a time.

A well-stocked pantry makes it easy to cook a healthy main dish like this sauté with apricot preserves. Simply sauté boneless thighs (or chicken breasts) until browned, stir in the apricot and add a splash of balsamic vinegar. Raspberry jam with red wine vinegar is a variation.

And yes, most pantries get bigger over time. Sales, splurges, bulk purchases, gifts — it all adds up. So what’s a good rule of thumb? If you haven’t used an item in a year but the use-by date hasn’t passed, take it to a local food shelf. Ground spices also lose their best flavor in about a year, and frozen foods ideally rotate out of the freezer in 90 days. Check the USDA for further guidelines.

If spring cleaning is on your to-do list this year, why not include the pantry? It’s the home cook’s go-to resource for healthy meals. Give it some love, and you’ll love the new possibilities it provides in return.

Going big – fun, friends and freezer-ready meals.

What is it about winter weekends that make simmering a big pot of soup or stew such a great idea? Obviously, large batch cooking has merits in any season — armloads from the farmers market in spring, heavily laden grills in summer, harvest parties in autumn — but winter is the prime season for turning up the heat on cooking in quantity. The coldest season also inspires an additional thought. Why not freeze individual portions for fast, healthy meals later on?

Plan accordingly.

Certain meals lend themselves better than others for freezing and reheating, and savory broth-based soups and stews are among the best. The recipe featured here, Sonoran Chicken Chili, is a cold weather favorite and freezes well, retaining its flavor and consistency. Two other options are Chicken & Mini Pasta Soup and Hearty Chicken Ribollita Soup. 

Note, too, that part of your planning might include who to invite over to join the fun. Cooking in large quantities is even more enjoyable when you’re sharing the experience with friends and family. Think of it as a dinner party that repeats itself. Multiply, divide and conquer. The more cooks in the kitchen, the more new recipes you’ll learn and enjoy in the coming weeks.

Pro tips for the path to the plate.

Large batch cooking doesn’t necessarily require enormous stock pots or kettles. They’re handy, but two medium-size pots work just as well and are easier to stir. For dividing into portions and preparing, airtight glass containers are ideal because you can use the same container to safely thaw the food in the refrigerator and reheat it in the microwave. Just let the soup or stew completely cool before placing individual portions in the freezer, and leave some room for freezer expansion. A half inch of headspace under the lid should be enough.

We meet again.

In the perfect world, meals rotate out of the freezer for thawing and reheating in 90 days. Even in that amount of time, though, it’s easy to forget key details. If you’re using glass containers, a practical solution is to user freezer tape to record the name of the meal, the date you made it and specific reheating instructions. Most reclosable freezer bags include a labeling area.

Got a lazy winter weekend coming up? Snow day in the forecast? Quiet evening at home? Large batch cooking looks ahead to times when life isn’t quite so leisurely. What’s for dinner when time is short? It’s already in the freezer.

An Italian-American favorite, with emphasis on the hyphen.

This story begins with eggplant. But before launching into the origins of one of the world’s most favorite chicken entrées, a word about this new series, Classics Redefined. This article takes a similar approach, presenting a fresh look at a familiar dish and exploring new options for ingredients and sides. It’s also the start of a new series called Classics Redefined, which will appear several times throughout the year.

What’s the connection between eggplant and chicken parmesan? In southern Italy, there is in fact a dish known as eggplant parmigiana. Food historians point to it as the predecessor of the meat-based recipes that originated on the east coast of the United States in the early- to mid-20th century. In America, chicken and veal were readily available at a more reasonable cost than in Italy, and newcomers adopted what they knew from the old country to the new. What’s next for this Italian-American classic? It’s time to find out.

Get to know fennel.

Fennel originated in the Mediterranean region and is a cold season vegetable. Just looking at it, some people might mistake it for celery or even dill. But once you taste this crunchy, slightly sweet vegetable with a licorice-like, anise flavor, the fresh taste of fennel is unmistakable. It’s a welcome addition to many different recipes, and all of it is edible — the bulb, fronds and seeds. This recipe features a sauce made with onion, garlic, fresh rosemary, sliced fennel, fennel seeds and San Marzano tomatoes. If you can’t find fresh tomatoes, look for the canned version (whole tomatoes, 28 ounces, undrained).

Lean chicken, maximum flavor.

The key to perfectly cooked chicken is to flatten the chicken into an even thickness with a meat mallet or rolling pin. Dipped into lightly beaten eggs, the cutlets will be dredged in a mixture of coarsely ground cornmeal, garlic powder and fresh mozzarella cheese. The initial baking time is brief, just 12 minutes. Heat through until internal temperature reads 165ºF. Remove, top with parmesan cheese and return to the oven for a few more minutes. This dish is ready for your fennel-rich sauce and a perfect side.

Perfect with polenta.

You can definitely serve this dish with pasta, and many people do. But here’s another idea — pre-cooked polenta, available in the produce section of your grocery store. It perfectly complements the cornmeal the chicken is coated with, and it’s gluten-free. For a perfect veggie side, a quick sauté of zucchini squash cut into long, thin slices is ideal.

Find a night soon for this new take on chicken parmesan. Family and friends will smile at the mere mention. But once they see, smell and taste how a classic can be redefined, they — like you — will look forward to many more creative new meals to come.

Light fare, both kinds.

The farther north you live, the more you appreciate the significance of the summer solstice, the first day of summer. To reach this point, it’s taken six months for the days to get longer and the nights to get shorter, and in some places the transition is extreme. Take Sweden’s northernmost town of Kiruna, located above the Arctic Circle. In December on the first day of winter, the sun never even rises above the horizon, and it’s not until the first week of January that residents see the sun again. From there, it’s a slow but steady march to the summer solstice in June with a full 24 hours of sunlight. Reason to celebrate? Yes, Sweden has every reason to celebrate the solstice.

The midsommar smorgasbord.

Other cultures, of course, celebrate the summer solstice too. If you’re in Austria on the first day of summer, you might see bonfires on mountain peaks. If you’re in Portugal, you might cheer for fireworks filling the night sky for St. John’s Day.

But if you’re in Sweden, you want to leave the city and get outdoors, preferably at a lake cabin or by the sea. Family and friends are there with plenty of food and drink, and to keep things active and informal, buffets are perfect for bringing people together and keeping the festivities moving. After all, the term smörgåsbord is Swedish, and this sometimes lavish array of food items can include hot and cold meats, breads, cheeses, fresh berries, fresh produce and more. Finger foods are a great way to fuel the fun, and that means one favorite is required, Swedish meatballs.

A new spin on meatballs.

Classic Swedish meatballs, or köttbullar, are usually made with a ground meat mixture of beef and pork. But since the goal of midsummer is being active and making the most of every minute of daylight, why not lighten things up with Swedish-Style Chicken With Creamy Dill Gravy? It’s a quick, delicious recipe. Simply cube boneless skinless chicken breasts into 1-inch squares and sauté. Then make the gravy in the same skillet and combine. Less time cooking, more time celebrating. That’s the way to savor the solstice.

Summer at its peak.

Swedish-Style Chicken With Creamy Dill Gravy takes advantage of seasonal herbs, in this case chopped fresh dill. But there’s so much more available at local farmers markets or growing in home gardens. Start planning your solstice celebration or summer feast today. The long, leisurely days of midsummer don’t last forever. Such golden moments are truly times of celebration.