I Hated 30-Minute Cookbooks (Until I Did One Myself!)

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I always said that I would NEVER do a five-ingredient cookbook or a 30-minute cookbook and, like all things in life, I have managed to break my own rules. (I remember the ‘60s, when most of us were running around saying that we didn't want to live past 30. Now anything under 40 seems like child's play and even 60 sounds middle-aged.)

My distaste for quick cookbooks that transform regular recipes into fast ones stems from the fact that they are trying to make cats out of dogs—they are just two very different things. However, some recipes are naturally quick and would not improve with more ingredients or more time. For example, a lemon-almond pesto is delicious, fast, and has a short ingredient list. There is nothing arbitrary or jury-rigged about it. Toss it with spaghetti and dinner is done in 15 minutes.

Some of the best quick suppers are the ones that lean on high-impact ingredients, like the Thai holy basil and trio of savory sauces in this pad kraprao, the honey-soy mixture in this glazed stir-fried pork, and the unusual blend of dried chilies, garlic, and honey roasted peanuts we use to make the salsa macha that coats these pan-fried pork chops. All deliver big flavor, fast, without any slow-roasting, caramelizing or other, more time-intensive techniques.

And enough with sous-vide cooking; it’s just not suitable to weeknight cooking. Unless your steak is two inches thick (or thicker), a simple sear works beautifully and you can use the fond to make a pan sauce with a little wine, some butter, and chopped shallot. Or rub it with gochujang—a fermented Korean chili paste that’s salty, sweet, spicy, and earthy all at once. Sear it, and serve with non-instant ramen or lo mein and kimchi. Combine a little more of the gochujang with sesame oil and mirin (a sweet-ish, sake-like Japanese cooking wine), and you’ve got a dressing to tie it all together.

A few other Tuesday night-friendly recipes that actually make sense:

• 30-minute Chicken Katsu: Frying delivers crispier texture faster than a hot oven. Panko-breaded chicken cutlets are quickly pan fried so the meat retains moisture and flavor, and the broad surface area offers lots of crisp, golden brown crust.
• Chili-soy Noodles with Bok Choy: Made in just 20 minutes, these noodles get their flavor from a combination of soy sauce, brown sugar and store-bought chili crisp. Add peanuts for crunch.
• Tlayudas (Oaxacan Quesadillas): Oversized tortillas are stuffed with beans, Mexican chorizo, stretchy mozzarella cheese, pickled onion and chilies, then folded and baked in a hot oven.
• Spaghetti with Pancetta, Parmesan and Herbs: We fry sage and rosemary in rendered pancetta fat and butter, then combine it all with reserved pasta water to make a simple but flavorful sauce.
• Steak Salad with Walnuts and Goat Cheese: We use pomegranate molasses in the dressing for this main-course salad. Its fruity, tangy flavor pairs well with the savory meat and peppery watercress.

You also can throw together an omelet, frittata, or a stir-fry or heat up leftovers and serve over a bowl of steaming hot rice. Or just pour a cocktail—like this simple layered highball—and serve it with guacamole and crackers. Let supper be in the eye of the beholder.

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Christopher Kimball

Christopher Kimball is founder of Milk Street, which produces Milk Street Magazine, Milk Street Television on PBS, and the weekly public radio show Milk Street Radio. He founded Cook’s Magazine in 1980 and was host and executive producer of America’s Test Kitchen until 2016. Kimball is the author of several books, including "The Yellow Farmhouse" and "Fannie’s Last Supper."