This story is part of On Repeat, a series in which we ask top chefs, cookbook authors, and other famous foodies about the dishes they just can’t quit.
This week for On Repeat, we’ve got a goodie from author Kate Christensen. In addition to eight novels—including the PEN/Faulkner Award-winning The Great Man and her latest, Welcome Home, Stranger—she’s also penned two food-focused memoirs: Blue Plate Special and How to Cook a Moose.
When asked about her favorite go-to plant-based recipe, she immediately called upon Mollie Katzen’s broccoli and tofu in spicy peanut sauce. It’s a delicious, nutritious dish that she’s been downing for decades. It’s from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, one of the now-iconic cookbooks to come out of Katzen’s Moosewood restaurant in Ithaca, N.Y., which helped popularize veggie-forward fare around the country.
Why I love it
“This was one of the first recipes I learned to make by myself. I loved it even though it had tofu in it—and now I love it because it has tofu in it. It manages to be easy to make, healthy, luscious, and fun. The beautifully balanced sauce is a combination of salty, sweet, and spicy, and it’s made out of things you’ve probably got in your cupboard, hence: my go-to.
“I served it to my father-in-law once—and he is a snob about food—and I was sure he would turn up his nose at it as hippie food. But he took one bite and said, ‘I could eat this every night for the rest of my life,’ and I kind of feel the same way. It’s the perfect dish when you’re a little bilious and you want to come to ground with something homey and savory and filling and simple.”
What I’ve changed
“Like all recipes I’ve made a lot and have at my fingertips, I never consult the recipe anymore when I make it. So every time it’s a little bit different—but it’s always essentially true to Katzen’s great original recipe. Sometimes I add sliced carrots. They add a little sweetness and variety. Sometimes I add mushrooms, which are also really good in it, but never both at the same time, because I’m a half-purist.
“So this is where I confess that I’m a huge fan of garnishes. If I don’t have scallions, cilantro is really good on top. And roasted salted peanuts are good if you want more peanut flavor and crunch. You could also put bean sprouts on top if you swing that way, and sriracha. And it might be good with a squeeze of lime. It’s always fun to play, so that’s basically the spirit.”
What else I’m into right now
Dish Bonnets. I have these little bonnets that I put over dishes. I have tons of them. Yes they’re plastic, but they’re washable and reusable—and I use them instead of saran wrap.
Indigenous Cookbooks. Wherever I live, I love to search out old cookbooks to find out how people ate before modern agriculture and transportation. To eat historically is to eat locally. Here in New Mexico, I found a couple of historical cookbooks that use all local vegetables, beans and chiles, corn tortillas, herbs, and cheese. These recipes are simple and cheap and largely vegetarian. My favorites are Spanish rice, squash with green chile, and spinach with beans.
Anything Frittatas. I try to never waste food, so I make frittatas with any leftovers. I heat up the leftovers and throw some beaten egg on top and call it a frittata.