the kitchen

I got a rotisserie chicken at the market and made this side for it.

Ingredients:

• okra
• onion
• garlic
• tomato
• paprika

I added the sliced onion and garlic to the hot pan with a spray of oil. While they cooked, I washed and sliced the okra, then added it to the pan. I added salt and paprika and mixed. I waited a few minutes, then I added a bit of water and covered. I added the diced tomato a little bit later, then let it cook until it was done.

Okra pairs really well with chicken, as it tastes similar to zucchini, but it's more intense.

I made a hamburger for my boyfriend and this for me.

Ingredients:

• minced beef
• onion
• cabbage
• sweet potato
• tomato
• paprika
• kefir

I set up a pan with a spray of oil and when it was hot I added half a diced onion, then one peeled, cubed sweet potato. While it cooked I unwrapped a few leaves from the cabbage and cut them in thin slices. I added water to the pan and covered it. Once the potato started to get soft, I added the beef, paprika, salt, and mixed it. I let it cook until the meat was brown, while dicing the tomatoes. I put everything together in a bowl and topped it with a bit of kefir.

Cheater entry: I didn't cook this, but it's still home cooking, so I wouldn't add it to the "eating out" diary. My mother came up with this combination; it's nothing outlandish, but it was delicious. A great version of classic tuna pastas made for the summer heat (do you know how hot it gets in the Po valley?)

Ingredients:

• short pasta
• canned tuna
• sun-dried tomatoes
• taggiasche olives
• onions
• capers

She cooked the pasta and let it cool while she added everything else raw: the onions very thinly cubed, the tomatoes chopped into tiny pieces, the tuna mixed well with everything else. I'd never had sun-dried tomatoes in a tuna pasta, but they greatly elevated the dish with that bit of acidity that balances out the rest. It's best served at room temperature.

I had some things in the fridge I needed to finish, so I made two kinds of cabbage leaf fillings. Here are the ingredients:

• cabbage leaves (from the heart)
• genoese pesto
• oil-free canned tuna
• cottage cheese
• taggiasche olives

The first batch had cottage cheese and tuna. I mixed it directly in a bowl, so that the wetness of the cheese could soften the tuna. I simply laid spoonfuls of it onto the leaves, added olives on top, and ate it. You can add black pepper if you wish. The flavours complement each other well, it tastes much like a tuna sandwich.

The second batch was made by spreading cottage cheese onto the leaves and topping it with pesto. The two flavours go really well together, sort of like a lighter version of pesto and burrata: a very savoury, yet not overwhelming combo, especially if you get the balance right. Cherry tomatoes would make a good addition, but I disn't have any on hand. This will be my go-to way to finish leftover pesto.

I have been unable to eat more than a slice of mortadella for a few years; the fattiness overwhelms me, I get nauseous immediately. So when I saw a low-fat chicken mortadella in the grocery shop last month I though, what the hell, let's try it. It sat in my fridge until today, when it was about to expire, so I had to make up something. I first had some by itself: as I expected, it tasted quite similar to regular mortadella, but it was way lighter and less nauseating, with a more delicate flavour. It didn't taste like chicken more than regular mortadella tastes like pork. I did miss the pistachios, though.

I was not in the mood to get out a pan and cook, so Anthony Bourdain's mortadella sandwich will have to wait. What I did end up pairing it with was:

• corn cakes (as in the round crackers, like rice cakes but corn)
• fresh goat cheese (spread onto the corn cakes)
• oil-free sun-dried tomatoes (on top)

I don't know if I'd recommend this open sandwich to everyone, but it did work for me. The tomatoes were the most savoury part, so I had to use little pieces to prevent them from overwhelming the rest of the ingredients. The cheese bridged the gap between the cakes and the meat both physically and when it came to flavour, and the bits of tomato added a bit of acidity, giving the combo a more well-rounded flavour.

Not a stellar dish by any means, but it was a way to prevent waste and it turned out pretty okay. I'll surely buy chicken mortadella again, but I might try different pairings next. (Side note: it might be one of the most difficult cured meats to pair stuff with. Aside from pistachios, you never know how it might turn out).

I recently suffered an intestinal illness and I was told not to eat anything fermented, irritating, or fibrous, which is what my diet usually consists of. This is what I came up with when I was getting sad eating nothing but plain rice and plain potatoes.

Essential ingredients:

• rice (use either jasmine rice or a risotto variety like carnaroli. It needs to be starchy)
• chicken breast (it's plain)
• ginger (good for nausea and intestinal irritation)
• turmeric powder (anti-inflammatory)
• salt

Recommended ingredients:

• egg
• baking soda
• spray oil

Equipment:

• non-stick pot
• wooden or silicone spatula
• knife, cutting board, bowl (to prepare chicken)
• grater (for ginger, but you can dice it or slice it thinly too)

Start by cutting the chicken into thin pieces, against the grain is better. Put it into a bowl and add the turmeric powder and a pinch of baking soda to marinade it. You can use water to ease the mixing, if you're worried oil will irritate your stomach.

Peel the ginger and grate or cut it. Add one spray of oil to the pot and add the ginger. Move it as you sautee it, don't let it burn.

Once the pot has taken enough aroma, add the chicken, salt it, and sautee it as well. You can break a piece to check inside if it's cooked.

Once the chicken is cooked, add enough water to cover it and a bit more salt, then, when it's boiling, add the rice.

Cover the pot and check once every few minutes that the water hasn't fully evaporated it. There should be enough to cover the rice while it's still hard, and once it's soft enough to not make it stick on the bottom. Keep a warm water cup on hand if you need to add it. Cook it following the instructions on the package, but check yourself to make sure that it's cooking properly.

Once it's nearly done, you can crack an egg into the pot. You can mix it with the rice immediately or let it steam a little so that some albumen has hardened before you do so, as to create a more varied texture.

Wait for the rest of the water to evaporate (or drain it if you've added too much) and enjoy.

The strong flavour of okra complements chicken really well. You can add more vegetables or spices if you wish, this is just my go-to.

Ingredients:

• chicken breast, better if already filleted
• baking soda
• okra
• tomatoes
• smoked paprika
• chili flakes
• salt & oil

Equipment:

• pot, better if nonstick, and lid
• bowl (for the chicken)
• knife, cutting board, wooden/silicone spoon (for mixing)

Prepare the chicken by slicing (against the grain) it into thin, bite-sized chunks. [The thinner they are, the faster they'll cook; you don't need to worry about them getting tough or dry with cooking, the baking soda will keep them soft.] Put it in the bowl with some water. Add baking soda, salt, and paprika. Mix it and leave it in the fridge.

Add a spray (or teaspoonful) of oil to the pan and heat it up. Use more oil if the pan is not nonstick.

Prepare the okra: wash it thoroughly, then slice off both ends. Cut it the way you prefer: rondelles or longer slices.

Add the okra to the pan with some salt, paprika, and chili flakes. Move it around so it doesn't stick. Dice the tomato and add it as well. (You can add tomato paste if you want).

Cook the vegetables with an open pot for a few minutes, then add a little bit of water (it's supposed to evaporate, they shouldn't be fully soaked) and cover the pot.

The cooking time depends on how big the chunks are and what kind of tomatoes you're using. Once they're almost fully cooked and the water has evaporated, raise the flame to medium, open a hole in the centre and add the chicken.

Once again, cook the chunks with an open lid and move them so they're seared on both sides. Once the pink is almost fully gone, cover the pot and check every few minutes once they're cooked.

Velveted meat is softer than regular meat, so the consistency alone won't tell you if it's cooked. If the chunks are thick, cut them open to be sure they're fully cooked. If you're in doubt, leave it on a few more minutes, just make sure it doesn't burn.

Poi is a Hawaiian staple dish. Since it's quite simple and it only requires one ingredient, I often prepare it when the weather gets warmer.

Ingredients:

• taro
• water

Equipment:

• pot (if boiling) or steamer
• any type of blender (I use an immersion one)
• large bowl
• vegetable brush (recommended)

Prepare the pot or steamer. Clean the outside of the taro to remove dirt and part of the skin.

Cook the taro until you can pierce it with a fork. The time this takes depends on the size of the tuber.

Once it's cooked, remove the taro from the cooker and remove the skin (it should be coming off easily). Chop it into cubes and put it into the bowl/blender.

Blend the taro (you can mash it and mix it, but it will take far longer). Add a little water and mix it until it's homogenous. Repeat until it reaches the consistency you prefer (it's classified depending on how many fingers you need to pick it up).

You can eat it fresh or let it ferment at room temperature for a more yogurt-y taste. Keep it in the fridge if you prefer a milder taste. Always cover it with a layer of water or it will develop a film you'll have to scrape off on top.

It's usually eaten on its own or paired with savoury fish or pork, but there are various recipes that incorporate it in more unusual ways, such as in cheesecakes or pancakes.

Not the most authentic version of the recipe, but the one I cook most often, since I don't like bell peppers and I rarely have large fresh tomatoes on hand.

Essential ingredients:

• canned tomatoes or tomato sauce
• eggs
• onion and garlic
• Spices: paprika, cumin seeds, chili pepper flakes
• Oil or spray oil and salt

Equipment:

• Pan with tall sides or wide pot
• Wooden or silicone spoon

Warm up the pan with some oil. Add diced onions and garlic. Salt them and add the spices (if you're not sure about the quantities, you can always add more later). Add tomatoes to the pan and cook it until the more watery parts of the sauce have thickened (this depends on what type of tomatoes or sauce you're using).

Make a hole in the mix for every egg you wanna add and pour an egg into each hole. Salt them lightly and cover the pan. They'll be done when the albumen is hard and the yolk is runny, but you can cook them more if you want. Serve immediately if you want a runny yolk.

These are some combinations of ingredients that work for a variety of dishes, meaning you can use them in sandwiches, bowls, wraps, etc. You can modify them to your taste.

• The mountaineer: turkey, apple, walnuts. (Possible additions: sliced radish, honey)
• The Sicilian: dried fig, almond, aged cheese
• Italian summer lunch: melon, prosciutto
• The summer protein: cottage cheese, canned tuna, olives (taggiasche or black). (Possible addition: hard-boiled egg, sun-dried tomato)
• The sweet 'n' savoury: prosciutto, soft cheese (brie, caprice), honey
• Salad classic: spring onion, cucumber, tuna, black olives, tomatoes
• Easy greens: brassica vegetables (cauliflowers, brussel sprouts, broccoli, etc), edamame, onion, egg. (Possible additions: soy sauce, tomato paste, bok choy)
• Cured pork + brassica vegetables