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Chris Graves
Journalism professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Storyteller, author, editor. Believer in the future of news and the power of human connection through community and stories.
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Latest Articles
When you’ve got eggplant, ricotta and marinara, just roll with it
First things first, says Lidia Bastianich. Before I can even get the first question out of my mouth when I call her to talk about one of my favorite Italian dishes, she wants to make sure I know something very important. “Rollatini is not an Italian word,” she says.No, it’s …
Eggplant Rollatini
By Joe YonanThis classic Italian dish, called involtini di melanzane in Italy, consists of eggplant slices rolled around a ricotta mixture and baked in marinara sauce. The eggplant slices are often floured and fried, but this simpler version broils them for just a few minutes per side until they soften. …
Rao's Marinara Sauce
This simple, classic marinara sauce is pedigreed: The recipe is from Rao’s, the New York City institution whose store-bought sauce is also beloved. (It was the clear winner in The Washington Post’s 2023 taste test of grocery store marinara sauces.) The ingredients are minimal: good canned San Marzano tomatoes, olive …
Column | You have to break a lot of eggs to make a Spanish tortilla. Or do you?
The first time I traveled to Spain, on a glorious two-week trip with my sister almost two decades ago, I followed an omnivorous diet, which was helpful in the land of jamón Ibérico and gambas al ajillo. The second time, I was vegetarian, so the menu was shorter — but …
Vegan Spanish Tortilla
By Joe YonanThis vegan version of a classic Spanish potato tortilla uses two types of tofu instead of eggs for creamy texture, plus kala namak (black salt) for eggy flavor. Resist the urge to skimp on the olive oil: It is a big part of what makes this beloved dish …
Column | These ‘tuna’ melts show vegan cooking can be about abundance, too
Jenné Claiborne has me thinking about Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor and the idea of vibrations.Claiborne, who just turned 38, writes about vegan cooking from her home in Atlanta under the brand Sweet Potato Soul. Smart-Grosvenor, who died in 2016 at age 79, was the Geechee poet, broadcaster and culinary anthropologist who wrote …
Carrot and Chickpea “Tuna” Melts
In this vegan take on a tuna melt, finely shredded carrots and mashed chickpeas join forces with seaweed flakes, dill and other ingredients that help evoke the flavor of tuna salad. Cookbook author Jenné Claiborne was inspired by the carrot “tuna” at Tassili’s Raw Reality, a restaurant in Atlanta. The …
Column | Yes, you can fry soft tofu — and give it the salt-and-pepper treatment
I and others have written previous columns, articles and recipes attempting to counter all of the above. Today I’m offering a recipe that aims to correct another tofu misunderstanding: the idea that the only tofu suitable for frying is the absolute firmest you can find. If you’ve never tasted fried …
Salt and Pepper Tofu
Fried soft tofu — crispy on the outside and custardy inside — gets the Chinese salt-and-pepper treatment, a flavor combination that includes floral white pepper and a pinch of five-spice powder, plus garlic, ginger and chiles. The addition of MSG, which is optional, makes this dish extra savory. If you …
Column | This pasta dish makes Brussels sprouts taste positively indulgent
In Barrow’s case, the objects of his affection were an appliance his parents had given him almost a decade earlier and the food it could help him make: fresh pasta. Barrow had worked as a pastry chef and bread baker until last year, and he sees a tight connection between …
Orecchiette With Shredded Brussels Sprouts
By Joe YonanThis pasta dish turns Brussels sprouts — shredded and cooked with a generous amount of butter, nutmeg and sage — into something almost decadent. In testing, this recipe produced outstanding results whether vegetarian or vegan, so both options are listed in the ingredients.Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 …
Column | This rustic tofu cacciatore gets a nonna’s stamp of approval
Giuseppe Federici has plenty of things to be proud of: He’s got hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, he runs marathons, and his debut cookbook is now out in North America. What is he proudest about? “That I wrote the cookbook while my grandparents were still around,” the …
Tofu Cacciatore
The classic Italian cacciatore, which features bell peppers and mushrooms in a tomato sauce, gets a plant-based twist with firm tofu standing in for chicken. Serve with pasta as a main, or as an antipasto with bread or crackers. Make ahead: The tofu can be roasted up to 2 days …
Column | Vegan chili with beans, lentils and edamame floods the protein zone
Recently, I started a diet and exercise program that came with a big challenge: Increase my protein intake to about 135 grams a day. As anyone who has played with the balance of macros knows, the strategy to control the ratio of protein, carbohydrates and fat, along with a weightlifting …
Kidney Bean, Lentil and Tempeh Chili
By Joe YonanThis vegan chili is packed with protein-rich ingredients, including red kidney beans, lentils, tempeh and seeds. Serve with saltine crackers. If you’d like, you can adapt this into an all-purpose vegan crumble to use on grain bowls and salads, in tacos and more places; see Variations.Storage: Refrigerate for …
Column | Smart shortcuts coax big flavor out of a speedy chickpea noodle soup
You may not know Julia Turshen personally, but read one of her recipes — or, better yet, one of her cookbooks — and you’ll feel like you do. Turshen is one of those food writers who seems to always be saying, in one way or another, “You got this,” and …
Chickpea Noodle Soup
This quick soup stars chickpeas and noodles, in a base that gets much of its flavor from a potent seasoning paste (made by Better Than Bouillon) and a finishing touch of raw garlic and herbs. If you’d like, you can double down on the chickpeas and increase the protein (while …
Column | Gather around Vedge’s rutabaga fondue for your next cocktail party
The first time I ate at Vedge, one of my favorite restaurants in Philadelphia, I started with a cocktail. It came to the table glistening in its coupe, a concoction of gin, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice and a touch of grapefruit bitters, all of them in perfect balance. But what …
Rutabaga Fondue
This smooth vegan fondue uses nutty-tasting rutabaga, plus potato, miso and nutritional yeast, to capture the essence of cheese. One of the most popular dishes at Vedge restaurant in Philadelphia and the now-closed Fancy Radish in D.C., the fondue gets much of its creamy texture from vegan sour cream, which …
Column | Make masa an everyday ingredient with these bean and cheese gorditas
I know the word “masa” means dough, particularly corn dough, but it might as well be short for “miracle,” because the process of producing this staple of Mexican (and other Central and South American) cooking is pure alchemy. Dating back to Mesoamerica, nixtamalization (derived from an Aztec phrase) involves boiling …
Vegan Bean and Cheese Gorditas
These Mexican street treats are named gorditas (“little fat ones”) because, unlike tortillas or quesadillas, they are made from thicker disks of masa, which are griddled and then split and filled. That also makes them easier to put together, because you can pat them out by hand without a tortilla …
Column | Indian food layers spices masterfully. This pumpkin dish shows how.
Make a Romy Gill recipe, in my experience, and you end up marveling at two things: the straightforward ease and the surprisingly complex flavors. The key to both is the layering of spices and spice mixes, often in different forms (whole and ground) and at different points in a recipe.The …
Retiring soon? Plot a detailed budget first before tapping your 401(k).
You might know how to save for retirement. But do you know how to spend your savings after you retire?For decades, the “4 percent rule,” laid out by renowned financial adviser William Bengen, served as the north star for financial planners. He estimated that a withdrawal rate of 4 percent …
Stir-Fried Spiced Pumpkin
This simple Bengali dish infuses pumpkin or other winter squash with layers of warming Indian spices and fiery heat. The skin is left on the squash, and it softens when cooking, adding texture and color to the dish. Eat as a side dish, or as a main course with flatbread …
Phyllo-Wrapped Celery Root With Cider Glaze
By Joe YonanEncasing roasted whole celery root in phyllo and glazing it with a sweet-and-sour apple cider syrup takes the humble vegetable into dinner-party-worthy territory. Diced apples and walnuts add more flavor and crunch. This makes a vibrant centerpiece for vegetarian and vegan eaters at a holiday meal, or you …
Veggie Phyllo “Pizza”
If you like your pizza super-crisp and light, you’ll love this decidedly nontraditional but simple method using phyllo instead of pizza dough. The toppings are minimal: cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, scallions and olives, with no sauce and a small amount of cheese (mozzarella plus a little feta). By assembling it …
Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
By Joe YonanThis speedy Instant Pot riff on Cuban black bean soup infuses the legumes with the aromatic vegetables common in a traditional sofrito, along with wine, vinegar and a little sugar for depth and balance. Skipping the soaking of black beans results in a richer flavor and color, but …
Column | Instant Pot black bean soup lets the flavors of Cuban cooking shine
When she was growing up in Miami, Ana Quincoces tells me, every day “instead of an alarm, I woke up to the sound of the pressure cooker.” She makes a hissing noise and smiles.Quincoces, 58, is Cuban American, so you can probably guess what was in that pressure cooker: black …
Column | Phyllo is the key to an off-the-cuff, flaky ‘pizza’
Suzy Karadsheh and her family love pizza, and her husband used to be the one who always made it at home. And when he does, “he goes all out,” the cookbook author tells me in a Zoom conversation from her home in Atlanta. “He takes his time, and everything is …