What to Cook This Week

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Marcus Nilsson for The New York Times. Food stylist: Brian Preston-Campbell. Prop stylist: PJ Mehaffey.

Sunday, May 24, 2020

What to Cook This Week

Sam Sifton

Good morning. It’s funny, the things that bring happiness in these weird, unsettled times. I thrill to routine: the morning bike ride to see the sun rise; the hurried lunch alongside my children in the kitchen; Kai Ryssdal on the radio in the evenings, as I chop and steam, slice and fry. Weekends unmoor me. Anything could happen. Nothing might. So I shower a pork butt with salt and sugar and let it cure on Saturday, and Sunday it spends in the oven: my weekly bo ssam (above), David Chang and Peter Meehan’s gift to the world. At least I’ve got that.

You could join me, maybe? Start today, and there’s your Memorial Day dinner planned. You could shred the meat onto potato buns, drizzle it with vinegar, eat it with steamed clams, use it for tacos. It’s versatile, magical, forgiving, delicious.

Other things you might cook today, with tomorrow “off” work for the holiday: an Earl Grey tea cake with dark chocolate and orange zest; peanut butter brownies; strawberry shortcake; an easy rhubarb trifle. Then, for dinner, this quick ragù with ricotta and lemon.

Breakfast tomorrow: pancakes. And right after you’re done eating, make some pan bagnat. It’ll get better as it sits, leaving you time to get the bo ssam going before lunch.

Pesto on Tuesday, in a tangle of spaghetti? Or tarragon chicken instead?

I’d like hot honey shrimp on Wednesday, though could be persuaded to go with this vegan mapo tofu instead.

Turkey cutlets in Marsala for Thursday? If the wine’s a stretch, foaming the bird in hot butter and serving it with a pan gravy made with chicken stock and lots of black pepper is no crime. You might even find a can of cranberry sauce in the emergency pantry, get some green beans going, mashed potatoes: Thanksgiving in May.

And then on Friday, back to reality: rice and beans, my old friends!

Thousands and thousands more recipes to make this weekend are waiting for you on NYT Cooking, along with a lot of instruction for those of you still new to the kitchen: how to make soup, for instance, and how to roast chicken. Many more of them than usual are free to browse even if you aren’t a subscriber to our site and apps. I hope you will consider subscribing, though, all the same. Your subscription supports our work.

Come see us on Facebook, why don’t you? Come see us on Instagram, too. We’re on YouTube with videos, and on Twitter with news. And please write for help if anything goes wrong along the way, either with your cooking or our technology. We’re at cookingcare@nytimes.com. Someone will get back to you.

Now, did you know I’ve got another newsletter working, all about how to live a full and cultured life during the pandemic? Would you sign up for it? Please?

Speaking of, here’s some interesting reading from inside King Arthur Flour, which has sold a whole lot of product these last few months.

It has nothing to do with leeks or filet mignon, but I enjoyed this virtual visit to Lisa Yuskavage’s studio, via David Zwirner.

Brooke Jarvis in The New Yorker on where eels come from. Terrific.

Finally, did you know Jorma Kaukonen’s doing quarantine concerts at Fur Peace Ranch? They’re on YouTube and good noodly fun. Take one in, and I’ll be back on Monday.