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Newsletter: In the kitchen: Comfort food, leeks and one more Passover recipe

Recipe: Roasted one-pan chicken with leeks and barley
(Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
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Food is more than sustenance. We have our traditional dishes we turn to for celebrations and holidays, and those special foods we turn to after a long day or during a trying time. Whether or not you celebrate Passover, we have an almond macaroon recipe you’ll definitely want to have handy for any time of the year. And if you’re a cheese lover, we share a couple of recipes for reader favorites and comfort food classics. Because sometimes nothing goes better with your Prince playlist than unapologetically rich fondue or a classic croque madame.

Perhaps the mounds of seasonal leeks have caught your eye at the farmers markets. Looking sort of like an overgrown green onion, leeks add the perfect combination of onion- and garlic-like notes to many a dish. We share some of our favorite recipes.

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Finally, if you’re one of those people who finds everything tastes better with hot sauce, you’re in good company. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton confessed she keeps some in her bag, you know, just in case. We tested her favorite with similar options -- feeling our own burn of sorts -- so we could share our results.

Noelle Carter

An almond macaroon recipe that’s good for Passover, or anytime

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Recipe: Almond macaroons
(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Your ticket to bliss doesn’t get much easier than this cookie recipe. Using just a handful of ingredients, these almond macaroons take little effort and almost no time. They’re a perfect gluten-free treat for Passover — or anytime, actually.

The ultimate fondue recipe?

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Recipe: Fondue Savoyarde.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Could comfort food possibly get any better than five types of cheese? This fondue recipe does just that, combining the melted cheese with a touch of nutmeg, mustard and garlic for a little taste of heaven. Just be sure to have plenty of diced baguettes on hand to dip into this goodness.

Cheese, ham, egg and bechamel sauce meet in a sandwich

Breakfast heaven. Recipe: Croque-madame

Breakfast heaven.
Recipe: Croque-madame

(Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

If you’ve never had a croque madame, you don’t know what you’re missing. Rich bechamel sauce and ham are sandwiched between thick slices of bread, the creation topped with a mound of shredded Swiss and mozzarella cheese and baked to glorious perfection. Top this creation it with a fried egg and you’re good to go.

Leeks are in season. We have recipes

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They may take a little work to clean, but leeks add incredible flavor to a variety of dishes. We share tips for using once you’ve brought them home, as well as great recipes to use them including roast chicken, dumplings and a savory panna cotta.

Hot sauce options you’ll want to pack in your purse

Bottles of Sriracha for sampling line the table at Pok Pok LA, Andy Ricker's Thai restaurant in Chinatown.

Bottles of Sriracha for sampling line the table at Pok Pok LA, Andy Ricker’s Thai restaurant in Chinatown.

(Amy Scattergood / Los Angeles Times)

Apparently Hillary Clinton is a big fan of Ninja Squirrel, a Sriracha-like hot sauce she keeps in her bag whenever the need arises. Restaurant critic Jonathan Gold and Food editor Amy Scattergood tested the sauce alongside Huy Fong’s Sriracha and several similar hot sauces to determine their favorites.

Love cooking as much as I do? Follow me @noellecarter

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