#mark bittman

Untitled  , Owl from Waldhaus -David Noonan, 2002.:: Australian, b.1969- :: Oil on canvas ,   35.8 x 28.0 cm.

* * * *

I doubt there is a more quotable man in the United States. (You can readily see this by reading the text of the talk, or by visiting this lovely page of Wendell Berry quotes.) Monday, he spoke of the “mechanical indifference” of a financial trust, that it had the “indifference of a grinder to what it grinds,” saying, “It did not intend to victimize its victims. It simply followed its single purpose of the highest possible profit, and ignored the ‘side effects.’” This from a poet and an essayist who, by following his love of the land and its people, describes the current state of affairs as accurately and succinctly as anyone on earth: “The two great aims of industrialism — replacement of people by technology and concentration of wealth into the hands of a small plutocracy — seem close to fulfillment.” Wendell Berry, American Hero A visit with the spiritual founder of the food movement in the United States. OPINIONATOR.BLOGS.NYTIMES.COM|BY MARK BITTMAN

The Irish Potato Famine is famous, but it's hardly unique. Fam­ines have been a part of human history from the beginning. The horrible irony, however, is that once agriculture had advanced enough to nourish all the world's people, famines only became even more common and horrific, a direct result of imperialism and colonialism, which demanded of agriculture not food for people, but goods for market.

Falafel Hash With Tahini Sauce

All the crunchy taste of iconic chickpea fritters with a fraction of the time and work: Serve this hash and the accompanying sesame drizzle on top of torn greens, in a pita sandwich, or as part of a rice or couscous bowl. Also consider dairy/non-dairy yogurt or crumbled feta cheese as toppings. And while you're waiting for tomatoes to come into season, chopped citrus makes a solid stand-in.

Makes: 4 servings Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped garlic

Salt and pepper

½ cup tahini (without much of the oil that floats on top)

Juice of 1 lemon

½ cup boiling water

3 cups cooked chickpeas (or two 15-ounce cans), drained

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

Aleppo or cayenne pepper to taste

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Put the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the onion and 1 tablespoon of garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion and garlic are soft and turning golden, 5 to 10 minutes.

2. While the aromatics cook, make the sauce. Put the remaining teaspoon garlic in a small bowl with the tahini, lemon juice, and boiling water; sprinkle with salt and whisk until smooth. Taste, and adjust the seasoning. The mixture will thicken a little as it cools.

3. Transfer the aromatics to a small bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving behind as much oil as possible. Return the skillet to medium heat and add the chickpeas and baking soda. Stir, then crush about half the chickpeas with a fork or potato masher. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits, until the hash is crisp, 5 to 10 minutes.

Cover: The Penny Marshall Only the Cast of Laverne & Shirley Knew 

Page 1: Contents -- What I’ve Learned -- Clint Eastwood, Joke of the Week -- Kate McKinnon 

Page 2: Generation Wow -- Embellished Dresses -- Angela Bassett, Naomi Watts, Leslie Mann, Patricia Clarkson 

Page 3: Linda Cardellini, Octavia Spencer, Nicole Kidman, Geena Davis 

Page 4: Kate Winslet reunites with James Cameron for a pair of sequels to Avatar 

Page 5: Dolly Parton joins her family in mourning her late younger brother Floyd, Frances Fisher gushes about being a grandma 

Page 6: Hellos & Goodbyes 

Page 10: Picture Perfect -- Elizabeth Banks, Tiffany Haddish 

Page 11: Joanna Gaines shows off her baby son Crew, Amy Robach and Sara Haines, Viola Davis 

Page 12: Stephen Colbert and Patrick Stewart and Gritty the Philadelphia Flyers mascot, Jonathan Bennett and Lea Thompson, Brie Larson and Tracee Ellis Ross 

Page 14: Pink and her family, Carson Daly, Wayne Brady on Let’s Make a Deal with Arminda “Punky” Milligan 

Page 16: Kevin Bacon -- What I’ve learned at age 60 

Page 18: The late Penny Marshall’s Laverne & Shirley co-stars recall the hard work and fun times making the TV classic 

Page 22: Shirley MacLaine has had many fiery affairs but she learned to love herself my being alone 

Page 24: Linda Ronstadt doesn’t let her battle with Parkinson’s Disease get her down 

Page 27: Spot the Difference -- John Ross Bowie on Speechless 

Page 29: Horoscopes -- Aquarius Matt Dillon 

Page 30: Entertainment -- Olivia Newton-John and Delta Goodrem on the biopic Hopelessly Devoted to You, Blake Shelton on the Elvis All-Star Tribute, In the Spotlight -- Anna Paquin 

Page 32: Movies: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on Fighting With My Family 

Page 34: Television 

Page 36: Great Escape -- Cameron Mathison in Bagan, Myanmar 

Page 38: Please try a plant-based diet, like this Mixed Mushroom Pho by Mark Bittman 

Page 40: 5 tips to survive freezing weather 

Page 42: Readers Ask -- Clark Gable gave away his Oscar, Meg Ryan was on Tattletales, Whatever happened to the cast of Footloose -- Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, Sarah Jessica Parker, Elizabeth Gorcey, Chris Penn 

Page 43: Best Day of My Life -- Animal advocate Carolyn Hennesy on meeting an elephant 

Page 44: Who Am I? Rachel Weisz, Ryan Reynolds, Celine Dion’s hobby is collecting shoes, It Happened This Week 

Page 45: Closer to the Heart 

Page 46: Carrie Ann Inaba on how she finally found her voice and her true calling 

Page 50: Noah Wyle puts wife Sara Wells’ joy first 

Page 52: Jane Seymour gets a second chance at love with David Green 

Page 54: Remembering Kristoff St. John 

Page 56: Inside the new Cher exhibit 

Page 58: On the Move -- Paulina Porizkova

Page 60: The Big Picture -- Jon Voight and Burt Reynolds in 1972 

Page 62: Winter Style -- Hilary Swank 

Page 64: The Style of Rachel Weisz 

Page 68: Best Friends -- Bridget Everett and her rescue dog, Michelle Monaghan and Tiny the Giraffe, Thora Birch and a black cat on the Hocus Pocus set 

Page 70: My Life in 10 Pictures -- Catherine O’Hara 

Butterflied Shrimp with Spicy Miso Glaze is excerpted from HOW TO GRILL EVERYTHING © 2018 by Mark Bittman. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Makes: 4 servings Time: 20 to 25 minutes

Why bother to butterfly when shrimp already cook so fast? More surface area. And that means more of what you love about grilled shrimp. The quick searing time gives you an opportunity to use more sugar-heavy glazes which might otherwise risk burning over high heat. Don’t bother fussing with anything smaller than jumbo shrimp or you’ll go nuts. If you’re not a big fan of hot sauce, leave out the sriracha or go with something milder.

½ cup any miso ¼ cup mirin (or 2 tablespoons each honey and water mixed together) 1 tablespoon sriracha or other garlicky hot sauce Salt and pepper (optional) 2 pounds jumbo or colossal shrimp (21/25 or under 15 count), peeled 2 tablespoons chopped scallion greens

1)     Start the coals or heat a gas grill for hot direct cooking. Make sure the grates are clean.

2)     Whisk the miso, mirin, and sriracha together in a small bowl until smooth. Taste and add a little salt and pepper if you like.

3)     Butterfly the shrimp (see “Butterflying Shrimp,” below). Spread the butterflied shrimp out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. (You can butterfly the shrimp and make the glaze up to several hours ahead and refrigerate until ready to grill.) Brush the shrimp with the glaze, then turn them all over and brush the other side.

4)     Put the shrimp on the grill directly over the fire one at a time, flattening them quickly by hand or with tongs as you work. Close the lid and cook, turning once, until the shrimp are opaque all the way through and the glaze is browned, 2 to 4 minutes per side, depending on their size and how hot the fire is. Garnish with the scallion greens and serve.

Butterflying Shrimp

STEP 1: Cut through the back of the shrimp with a small knife until you almost cut all the way through—to the tail, if there is one.

STEP 2: If you’d like, remove the vein.

STEP 3: Holding the shrimp on either side, open it until it lies flat.

Mark Bittman: Pesto 3 Ways

Makes about 1 cup, 10 min.

The best pesto is made with a mortar and pestle, and in Genoa, where pesto originated, few people will admit to using a food processor. But when you get into their kitchens, that’s just what they do. And so do I.

Don’t add the Parmesan until you’re ready to use the pesto. And to help retain its bright green color, drizzle a layer of olive oil over the top once you’ve put the pesto in a container. Herb pastes made with less oil do not keep as well, so eat them sooner rather than later. If you have a garden filled with basil, by all means make as much pesto as you can and throw it into the freezer. But if you’re using store-bought basil, unless it’s incredibly cheap you might as well just make pesto in the quantities given here and enjoy it fresh.

Although it is not traditional, you can substitute parsley or any other tender-leafed herb for all of some of the basil, with fine but distinctively different results.

Ingredients

2 lightly packed cups fresh basil leaves

Salt  

1/2 clove garlic, or more to taste

2 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, or more, plus extra for topping for storage

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino Romano

Instructions

1. Put the basil with a pinch salt, the garlic, nuts, and about half the oil in a food processor or blender. Process, stopping to scrape down the side of the container if necessary and adding the rest of the oil gradually. 2. Add more oil if you prefer a thinner mixture. Serve or transfer to an airtight container and top with a thin layer of olive oil. Store in the refrigerator for a week or 2 or in the freezer for several months. Stir in the Parme- san by hand just before serving.

Mint or Dill “Pesto” Try it on pasta or grilled vegetables: Substitute mint or dill for the basil; the garlic is optional. Use a good-quality vegetable oil and omit the cheese. Finish, if you’d like, with a squeeze of lemon juice. Use within a day.