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Julia Turshen He wants you to break the rules.

Once upon a time, everything was done by weighing or measuring things to the gram or teaspoon; this was due to her self-described difficulties with disordered eating and the need to be precise in the recipes she developed for the cookbooks she penned or co-wrote.

Over time, Turshen learned to relax in the kitchen. And now he wants us to do the same. How? Through a series of graphs.

“Keep Calm and Keep Cooking” is the mantra (and podcast/newsletter name) of the New York-based Hudson Valley author and food equity advocate, who has introduced the concept of recipe charts on Instagram and in her own article. bottom stack In 2023.

“Rice + ingredients in one potwas the caption of the first graphic he shared on Instagram. Buy some cooked rice, then choose a meat, a vegetable, spices, a liquid and sauces, he coached. This template-style culinary tutorial received such a positive response that she followed the soup, salad, and cornbread charts and quickly realized she had what it took for a book.

“Graphs gave me a way to show how I think about cooking instead of telling you how I think about cooking,” Turshen said. “It’s not just a collection of recipes, it’s a blueprint for how recipes work. Understanding this is empowering and unlocks so much territory to explore.”

Turshen’s October 2024 cookbook, “Compatible with“, includes 20 tables, 100 recipes, and “endless possibilities,” with chapters focusing on casseroles (Mushroom Cacciatore), quick pastas (Caesar Spaghetti), fruity eggplants and nachos (Pear, Cherry, and Almond Crisp), and more. The book covers everything from brunch to It’s aptly complemented by menu suggestions that range from – you guessed it – a graphic-styled holiday meal.

You might think that graphics mean rules and regulations. But Turshen said he hopes to create a formula with his graphics that will allow readers to move away from thinking there’s only one way to cook something “right” to a more relaxed, relaxed theme. By incorporating measurements like “a handful,” sprinkling in plenty of substitutions, and suggesting results like “serves 6 to 8,” Turshen aims to instill a less rigid mindset when it comes to cooking and eating. “You’re making dinner, you’re not perfecting a code,” he said.

Each recipe comes with a photo; Turshen took all the photos himself after making this dish in his home kitchen. No food stylist, no fuss.

Some visual learners told Turshen that until now, cooking had never “clicked” for them. People with autism and other types of neurodivergence He also added that they communicated and stated that this was how they finally understood cooking.

If you’re stressed about hosting a full meal this holiday season or afraid to contribute one, you can make one or both of these, Turshen said. Turşen wrote in the introduction of his new book, “If you do not yet trust yourself in your kitchen, I think you will soon.” “Please know that I already know this.”

With Friendship Day on the horizon, I was tempted by a combo dish that felt as warm and welcoming as Turshen’s approach: Twice-Baked Cacio and Pepe Potatoes, a concept housed in the stuffed veggies section.

Take a hollow vegetable (a scooped baked potato), fill it with something starchy (that soft potato), add a fatty element (butter, sour cream, and pecorino cheese) and a flavor mix (“tons of black pepper”), and you have a great stuffed you have vegetables. It tastes like a classic Italian pasta dish with potatoes instead of noodles.

When I asked Turshen for advice on how to recreate this recipe, she suggested baking the potatoes a few days in advance. Or he said I could prepare his recipe a day in advance; then cool the potatoes overnight and store in the refrigerator, then reheat in an oven set to 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. If you prefer, air fry or microwave the potatoes instead of baking them to shave off about an hour of prep time, he recommended.

From now on, just three steps using three ingredients (not counting salt and pepper) and a little patience stand between us and a cozy batch of cacio e pepe potatoes.

Strengthened by her support, I tied on my apron, preheated the oven, and set about preparing a large batch of stuffed potatoes to share at my upcoming feast. I stuck to the recipe except for the sour cream. I forgot this on my grocery list, so I substituted plain Greek yogurt instead. When the potatoes were baked a second time to reach their fully golden brown, twice-baked state, I found this improvement to be exactly the goal.

“Of course I will be thrilled if you cook directly from the recipes,” Turshen wrote. “But I’ll be even more excited if you put them aside and create your own favorite dishes.”

The finished product still came out crispy on the outside, fluffy and creamy on the inside, and nicely peppery. During the last part of the meal, my fellow Friendship Day participants were playfully fighting.

Even if my cacio e pepe creation doesn’t turn out “perfectly,” Turshen tells me that taking the time to gather around the table is what really matters.

“Both of my parents had been working full time since I was born, so it was very rare that we could sit down and eat together with my mom, dad, and brother. It felt very special when it happened,” Turshen said.

“As I got older, I realized that this was the best way to spend time with people. My marriage, family and relationships are the most important things to me; Food is the social glue that holds us all together.”

Makes 8 potato halves

Preparation time: About 15 minutes

Total cooking time: Approximately 1 hour 20 minutes

● 4 large potatoes

● 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

● ½ cup sour cream

● ¾ cup finely grated pecorino cheese (divided)

● 1 teaspoon kosher salt

● 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Pierce each potato several times with a fork or paring knife (to help steam escape as it cooks). Place the potatoes directly on the middle oven rack and bake until they pierce easily with a paring knife or thin skewer, about 1 hour.

3. Transfer the potatoes to a cutting board (leave the oven on). Carefully cut each potato in half lengthwise. Once cool enough to handle, remove almost all of the meat from each potato half, leaving enough to form a sturdy skin (like a canoe) on each, and transfer the meat to a large bowl.

4. Add the butter, sour cream, half a cup of cheese, salt, and pepper to the hot potato batter and use a fork or potato masher to mash everything thoroughly. Then stir the mixture a few times with a large spoon to make sure all the ingredients are well combined. Divide the mixture evenly among the potato skins. It’s okay if they look overstuffed; that makes them fun.

5. Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment, place the potatoes on top, and sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of cheese over the top. Return the potatoes to the oven and bake until the tops are golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Recipe adapted from Julia Turshen’s book “What Goes With What: 100 Recipes, 20 Charts, Endless Possibilities.” Copyright © 2024 by Julia Turshen. Published by Flatiron Books.

karla walsh She is a freelance lifestyle writer based in Des Moines, Iowa, with more than 15 years of editorial experience.