I’m a lazy cook.

This might not sound credible after I’ve told you about, say, making hundreds of tortellini for a restaurant book dinner. But if you’ve been reading me closely over the years, months, or even weeks, you surely have picked up on what I mean. I’m always looking for ways to do less in the kitchen, particularly when I think doing more is, well, kind of pointless. Last week it was about brunoise, those exacting little cubes classical French technique would have you create from aromatic vegetables.

I don’t think so. Even when I’m not making an Italian rice salad where the veg is supposed to be the same size as grains of rice, do I carefully cut … anything so all the pieces are just the same size? Please. They might not all arrive at the perfect doneness level at precisely the same time, but that’s only if you care about “perfect” and “precisely” and even then only if their sizes are pretty dramatically different. Otherwise, as my sister Rebekah would say: Yeah, no.

I’m trying to think ahead, at least a little bit. Do I push soups or sauces through a fine-mesh strainer? Not if they’re going into the Vita-Mix.

Do I peel … virtually any vegetable? Rarely. The only one I can think of offhand is celery, and that’s only if I’m serving a pile of it in a raw salad. (I’ll write more about this beauty one day.)

Do I roast, steam, and then slip off the papery, wrinkled, blackened skin from bell peppers or poblanos? Not if I can help it — and not if they’re going into a food processor to become a dip.

The peppers are usually destined for romesco sauce, that classic Spanish delight I’ve been making for decades. And over those years my method has gotten simpler and simpler. Now I throw virtually everything onto a sheet pan, roast it all for a short time at high heat, and puree with a little smoked paprika, cayenne, and vinegar. Trust me, it tastes every bit as vibrant and can’t-stop-eating good as the stuff that requires multiple pans and bowls.

When I was working on some sauce recipes for “Mastering,” I noticed what so many cooks have realized before me, that romesco is obviously a close cousin to another favorite sauce, this one from the Levant: Muhammara. Swap out the almonds for walnuts, the smoked paprika for Aleppo and cumin, vinegar for lemon juice, and add pomegranate molasses, and bingo, you’ve just traveled east, from Spain to Syria.

Use either one as a condiment for wraps, a topping for roasted vegetables (they’re a  particularly stunning match with cauliflower, broccoli, and other brassicas), and/or a dip for pita chips or crudites. You can even thin either out with water into an excellent cold soup; just make sure to taste and adjust the seasoning.

I’m also just now realizing: Why am I saying “either”? The best strategy would be to double up on the repeated ingredients, get out two sheet pans instead of one, crank up the oven, and go for both. I have never wished I had less sauce around, and I don’t think I ever will.

We’ve got a nice crowd gathering for my next Zoom cooking class, but since we’re virtual, there’s room for plenty more. The subject: cooking the best tofu (or should I say “tofus”?) ever! On Sunday, Sept. 27, from noon to 2 p.m. Eastern, I’ll be sharing more details on decades’ worth of tofu revelations as we make this menu:

Your ticket purchase grants you access to the live Zoom, where you can cook along or just watch or ask questions or some combination of those; and to the private recording afterward, which you can enjoy at your leisure. Sign up by clicking the button below!

Makes 3 cups // Time: Weekday // Storage: Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks (drizzle with olive oil to cover first) or freeze (without extra olive oil) for up to 3 months.

Romesco

Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C).

On a sheet pan, toss together the bell peppers, bread, tomatoes, garlic, almonds, olive oil, and salt. Roast, stirring or tossing occasionally, until the mixture browns in spots and the garlic is tender, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Peel the garlic and add to a food processor. Add the bell peppers, bread, tomatoes, almonds, smoked paprika, cayenne (if using), and vinegar. Puree until mostly smooth but with a little chunky texture, scraping down the side of the bowl partway through if needed. Taste and season with more salt and/or vinegar if needed.

Drizzle with olive oil before serving.

Muhammara

Follow the recipe for Romesco, but after you add the garlic to the food processor, add the bell peppers, tomatoes, walnuts, bread cubes, Aleppo pepper, cumin, pomegranate molasses, and lemon juice. Puree until mostly smooth but with a little chunky texture, scraping down the side of the bowl partway through if needed. Taste and season with more salt and/or pomegranate molasses or lemon juice if needed.

Drizzle with olive oil and pomegranate molasses before serving.

Substitutions

Adapted from “Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking” (Ten Speed Press, 2024), copyright Joe Yonan.

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