<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[The Heat]]></title><description><![CDATA[Recipes, kitchen notes and ideas from close to the flame by Gabriel Poltorak]]></description><link>https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ObbL!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F58f7f134-280b-44a4-b4c5-554e9d7f47e5_840x840.png</url><title>The Heat</title><link>https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Sat, 30 May 2026 00:36:32 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[gabrielpoltorak@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[gabrielpoltorak@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[gabrielpoltorak@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[gabrielpoltorak@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[korean asparagus]]></title><description><![CDATA[with lemon yogurt]]></description><link>https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/korean-asparagus</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/korean-asparagus</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 14:57:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNGq!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ac609a6-1dcb-4b05-a337-a7b25db8915a_3236x2159.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNGq!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ac609a6-1dcb-4b05-a337-a7b25db8915a_3236x2159.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNGq!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ac609a6-1dcb-4b05-a337-a7b25db8915a_3236x2159.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNGq!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ac609a6-1dcb-4b05-a337-a7b25db8915a_3236x2159.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNGq!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ac609a6-1dcb-4b05-a337-a7b25db8915a_3236x2159.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNGq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ac609a6-1dcb-4b05-a337-a7b25db8915a_3236x2159.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNGq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ac609a6-1dcb-4b05-a337-a7b25db8915a_3236x2159.jpeg" width="3236" height="2159" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNGq!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ac609a6-1dcb-4b05-a337-a7b25db8915a_3236x2159.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNGq!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ac609a6-1dcb-4b05-a337-a7b25db8915a_3236x2159.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNGq!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ac609a6-1dcb-4b05-a337-a7b25db8915a_3236x2159.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNGq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ac609a6-1dcb-4b05-a337-a7b25db8915a_3236x2159.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Asparagus season. You&#8217;ve probably seen it everywhere: on your feed, at the market, on every menu. Hollandaise, ham and eggs, in a pasta. All good, but I wanted to do something different.</p><p>This is my version: blanched asparagus tossed in a korean-inspired dressing, with a spoonful of lemon yogurt underneath. Bold, a little spicy, a little sweet and it comes together in about 20 minutes. I really loved it and I hope you will too!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3>Ingredients (serves 2 as a side)</h3><p><strong>For the asparagus:</strong></p><ul><li><p>500g green asparagus, woody ends cut off and peeled</p></li><li><p>Salt for blanching water</p></li></ul><p><strong>For the Korean dressing:</strong></p><ul><li><p>2 tbsp gochujang</p></li><li><p>1 tbsp sesame oil</p></li><li><p>1 tbsp rice vinegar</p></li><li><p>1 tsp soy sauce</p></li><li><p>1 tsp honey</p></li><li><p>1 small garlic clove, finely grated</p></li><li><p>1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated</p></li><li><p>1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, plus more to finish</p></li></ul><p><strong>For the lemon yogurt:</strong></p><ul><li><p>100g full-fat Greek yogurt</p></li><li><p>1 tbsp lemon juice</p></li><li><p>Pinch of salt</p></li></ul><h3>Method</h3><ol><li><p>Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Set a bowl of ice water beside it.</p></li><li><p>Blanch the asparagus for 2-3 minutes. Thicker spears may need 30 seconds more - pierce with a knife tip to check. The colour should turn vivid green.</p></li><li><p>Drain immediately and plunge into the ice water. Leave for 2 minutes, then lift out and pat completely dry. Wet spears won&#8217;t hold the dressing.</p></li><li><p>Whisk the dressing ingredients together. Taste: it should be bold, a little sweet, hot and a little funky. Add a splash more rice vinegar if it feels flat.</p></li><li><p>Stir the lemon juice and a pinch of salt into the Greek yogurt until smooth.</p></li><li><p>Add the asparagus to the dressing and toss until every spear is coated and glossy.</p></li><li><p>Spread the lemon yogurt as a base, lay the asparagus on top, finish with a squeeze of lemon and a scatter of sesame seeds.</p></li></ol><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!sX5s!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F891df032-f225-4836-9b2b-b75b7587d4e3_1434x2160.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!sX5s!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F891df032-f225-4836-9b2b-b75b7587d4e3_1434x2160.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!sX5s!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F891df032-f225-4836-9b2b-b75b7587d4e3_1434x2160.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!sX5s!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F891df032-f225-4836-9b2b-b75b7587d4e3_1434x2160.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!sX5s!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F891df032-f225-4836-9b2b-b75b7587d4e3_1434x2160.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!sX5s!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F891df032-f225-4836-9b2b-b75b7587d4e3_1434x2160.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!sX5s!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F891df032-f225-4836-9b2b-b75b7587d4e3_1434x2160.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!sX5s!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F891df032-f225-4836-9b2b-b75b7587d4e3_1434x2160.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!sX5s!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F891df032-f225-4836-9b2b-b75b7587d4e3_1434x2160.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/korean-asparagus?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/korean-asparagus?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p>If you give this a go, I&#8217;d love to see it. Send me a message or leave a comment!</p><p>If you like these recipes, consider leaving your e-mail below, to get future ones straight to your inbox!</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading this far! Subscribe to receive new recipes and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Cheers, <br>Gabriel</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[crispy chicken thigh, warm lentils & lemon crème fraîche]]></title><description><![CDATA[Lentils have a reputation problem.]]></description><link>https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/crispy-chicken-thigh-warm-lentils</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/crispy-chicken-thigh-warm-lentils</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 21 May 2026 14:01:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Rqz!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7645399f-299a-4da0-9f8b-8a5cb4f095e4_3039x1730.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Rqz!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7645399f-299a-4da0-9f8b-8a5cb4f095e4_3039x1730.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Rqz!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7645399f-299a-4da0-9f8b-8a5cb4f095e4_3039x1730.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Rqz!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7645399f-299a-4da0-9f8b-8a5cb4f095e4_3039x1730.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Rqz!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7645399f-299a-4da0-9f8b-8a5cb4f095e4_3039x1730.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Rqz!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7645399f-299a-4da0-9f8b-8a5cb4f095e4_3039x1730.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Rqz!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7645399f-299a-4da0-9f8b-8a5cb4f095e4_3039x1730.jpeg" width="3039" height="1730" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Rqz!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7645399f-299a-4da0-9f8b-8a5cb4f095e4_3039x1730.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Rqz!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7645399f-299a-4da0-9f8b-8a5cb4f095e4_3039x1730.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Rqz!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7645399f-299a-4da0-9f8b-8a5cb4f095e4_3039x1730.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Rqz!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7645399f-299a-4da0-9f8b-8a5cb4f095e4_3039x1730.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Lentils have a reputation problem. They&#8217;re the thing you eat when you&#8217;re trying to be good. Virtuous, a bit sad, the culinary equivalent of going to bed early. And most of the time, the way people cook them doesn&#8217;t help.</p><p>This one&#8217;s different. Here, the lentils don&#8217;t stand alone. They go straight into a pan that just finished cooking crispy chicken - all that rendered fat, those sticky golden bits still clinging to the bottom - and they absorb every last bit of it. Shallots, Dijon, a splash of vinegar. Two minutes and they taste like something completely different.</p><p>The chicken is super crispy, because it has been sitting skin-side down in a cold pan. Slowly rendered fat, until the skin is deep gold. A simple lemon cr&#232;me fra&#238;che on the side and you have yourself a great lunch or dinner.</p><p>One pan. Twenty minutes. Let me know if you try it!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3>Ingredients (serves 2)</h3><p><strong>Chicken</strong></p><ul><li><p>2 skin-on chicken thighs</p></li><li><p>Salt and black pepper</p></li></ul><p><strong>Lentils</strong></p><ul><li><p>1 can green or Puy lentils, drained and rinsed</p></li><li><p>1 large shallot, finely sliced</p></li><li><p>1 tbsp Dijon mustard</p></li><li><p>1.5 tbsp red wine or sherry vinegar</p></li><li><p>Large handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped</p></li></ul><p><strong>Lemon cr&#232;me fra&#238;che</strong></p><ul><li><p>2 tbsp cr&#232;me fra&#238;che</p></li><li><p>Zest of 0,5 lemon and a squeeze of juice</p></li><li><p>Drizzle of good olive oil</p></li><li><p>Salt</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/crispy-chicken-thigh-warm-lentils?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/crispy-chicken-thigh-warm-lentils?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></li></ul><h3>Method</h3><ol><li><p>If you have time, salt your chicken an hour in advance on both sides. If not, a few minutes will do. Pat them very dry. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down in a cold pan. Turn the heat to medium and weigh them down with a small pan or weight. Starting cold is the move, because the fat renders out slowly, and you get a deep even golden crust. Don&#8217;t touch it for around 8 minutes. It&#8217;s ready to flip when it releases easily from the pan. Flip, cook another 6 minutes, then rest on a plate.</p></li><li><p>Don&#8217;t touch that rendered fat. Add the shallots straight into it over medium heat and let them cook slowly for 4 to 5 minutes until soft, sweet, and just starting to color at the edges.</p></li><li><p>Add the lentils. Stir through the Dijon and vinegar, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until everything is warm and the lentils have absorbed the fat and the acid. Off the heat, stir through the parsley.</p></li><li><p>Mix the cr&#232;me fra&#238;che with the lemon zest, a squeeze of juice, a pinch of salt, and a drizzle of olive oil.</p></li><li><p>Lentils on the plate, chicken on top, a drizzle of olive oil and a touch of lemon juice to finish. Cr&#232;me fra&#238;che to the side and enjoy!</p></li></ol><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q_ck!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9d29a89-4e73-4932-82a3-66edd6803eed_3223x2160.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q_ck!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9d29a89-4e73-4932-82a3-66edd6803eed_3223x2160.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q_ck!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9d29a89-4e73-4932-82a3-66edd6803eed_3223x2160.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q_ck!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9d29a89-4e73-4932-82a3-66edd6803eed_3223x2160.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q_ck!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9d29a89-4e73-4932-82a3-66edd6803eed_3223x2160.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q_ck!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9d29a89-4e73-4932-82a3-66edd6803eed_3223x2160.jpeg" width="472" height="316.3264039714552" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e9d29a89-4e73-4932-82a3-66edd6803eed_3223x2160.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:2160,&quot;width&quot;:3223,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:472,&quot;bytes&quot;:1044500,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/198616591?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc6783f57-f982-4f35-93aa-f4ff268799cf_3840x2160.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q_ck!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9d29a89-4e73-4932-82a3-66edd6803eed_3223x2160.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q_ck!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9d29a89-4e73-4932-82a3-66edd6803eed_3223x2160.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q_ck!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9d29a89-4e73-4932-82a3-66edd6803eed_3223x2160.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q_ck!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9d29a89-4e73-4932-82a3-66edd6803eed_3223x2160.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>If you&#8217;re new here and you&#8217;re enjoying these recipes, drop your email below and I&#8217;ll send the next one straight to your inbox!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>Speak soon!</p><p>Cheers, <br>Gabriel</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[smashed cucumber & chili shrimp salad]]></title><description><![CDATA[with fried ricepaper crisps]]></description><link>https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/smashed-cucumber-and-chili-shrimp</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/smashed-cucumber-and-chili-shrimp</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 07 May 2026 14:01:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0ChA!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F94fb3784-8e07-4c6d-bc0a-4bd46a3507a9_1920x1080.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0ChA!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F94fb3784-8e07-4c6d-bc0a-4bd46a3507a9_1920x1080.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0ChA!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F94fb3784-8e07-4c6d-bc0a-4bd46a3507a9_1920x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0ChA!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F94fb3784-8e07-4c6d-bc0a-4bd46a3507a9_1920x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0ChA!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F94fb3784-8e07-4c6d-bc0a-4bd46a3507a9_1920x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0ChA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F94fb3784-8e07-4c6d-bc0a-4bd46a3507a9_1920x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0ChA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F94fb3784-8e07-4c6d-bc0a-4bd46a3507a9_1920x1080.jpeg" width="1456" height="819" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0ChA!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F94fb3784-8e07-4c6d-bc0a-4bd46a3507a9_1920x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0ChA!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F94fb3784-8e07-4c6d-bc0a-4bd46a3507a9_1920x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0ChA!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F94fb3784-8e07-4c6d-bc0a-4bd46a3507a9_1920x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0ChA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F94fb3784-8e07-4c6d-bc0a-4bd46a3507a9_1920x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>This is a starter. A proper one. Smashed cucumber and shrimp dressed in a punchy, tangy dressing, served with shards of crispy, salty fried rice paper. Cold, fresh, sharp, with a little heat running through everything. 15 minutes max, start to finish. And honestly, one of the more fun things I've made recently. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3><strong>Ingredients (serves 2)</strong></h3><p>Rice paper</p><ul><li><p>3 sheets dried rice paper</p></li><li><p>Neutral oil for frying (sunflower or vegetable), about 0,5 cm deep</p></li></ul><p>Cucumber</p><ul><li><p>1 large cucumber</p></li><li><p>1 tsp sea salt</p></li></ul><p>Dressing</p><ul><li><p>1.5 tbsp fish sauce</p></li><li><p>Juice of 1 lime</p></li><li><p>1 tbsp sugar</p></li><li><p>1 small garlic clove, finely grated</p></li><li><p>1.5 cm fresh ginger, finely grated</p></li><li><p>0.5 tbsp rice vinegar</p></li><li><p>1 tbsp chili crisp (Lao Gan Ma or similar, available at most supermarkets and definitely at Asian supermarkets)</p></li><li><p>1 tsp chili crisp oil from the chili crisp above</p></li></ul><p>Shrimp</p><ul><li><p>150 g pre-cooked shrimp, patted very dry</p></li></ul><p>To finish</p><ul><li><p>Small handful of fresh coriander leaves (or parsley)</p></li><li><p>Small handful of fresh mint leaves</p></li><li><p>2 spring onions, green parts only, thinly sliced</p></li><li><p>Toasted sesame seeds</p></li><li><p>Optional: extra chili crisp</p></li></ul><h3><strong>Method</strong></h3><ol><li><p>Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat until a small piece of rice paper dropped in immediately puffs and blisters, at about 170&#176;C. Fry one sheet at a time, about 5-10 seconds. They should puff almost instantly. Remove with tongs, drain on a small rack, and season with salt straight away (see video below) </p><div class="native-video-embed" data-component-name="VideoPlaceholder" data-attrs="{&quot;mediaUploadId&quot;:&quot;3a782a98-d9af-4ca7-8c2a-9d0926d10cc3&quot;,&quot;duration&quot;:null}"></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/smashed-cucumber-and-chili-shrimp?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/smashed-cucumber-and-chili-shrimp?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></li><li><p>Wash the cucumber. Use a peeler to remove strips of cucumber skin lengthways, alternating - peel one strip, leave one - so you get a striped pattern around the whole cucumber. Lay it on a board and smash firmly. You want it broken and jagged, not destroyed. Then cut on a steep diagonal, rotating slightly between cuts, so you get uneven oblique chunks. Toss with the salt and leave in a colander for 10 minutes. Rinse lightly, pat dry, then toss with the rice vinegar and sugar.</p></li><li><p>Mix the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl including the chilli crisp. Taste. It should be salty, sour, a little sweet, and have a background hum of heat. Adjust with more lime or fish sauce if needed.</p></li><li><p>Add the cucumber to the big bowl, pat the shrimp very dry (so the dressing sticks). Add them, and then mix in the spring onion, mint and coriander (or parsley). Toss well so everything is coated. Let it sit for a few minutes.</p></li><li><p>Lay the rice paper pieces across a plate or board. Pile the dressed shrimp and cucumber loosely next to it. Finish with sesame seeds.</p></li></ol><p>If you decide to give this one a go, I&#8217;d love to see it. Also, feel free to send me a message with any questions. Happy to help! :)</p><p>And if you&#8217;re new here and enjoying these recipes, consider leaving your e-mail below to get all my recipes sent straight to your inbox!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>Cheers, <br>Gabriel</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[short rib ragù]]></title><description><![CDATA[with parpadelle]]></description><link>https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/short-rib-ragu</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/short-rib-ragu</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2026 17:59:49 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dN_3!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F656e246d-a524-464f-9f43-529b6c5c2cf9_1206x1836.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dN_3!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F656e246d-a524-464f-9f43-529b6c5c2cf9_1206x1836.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dN_3!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F656e246d-a524-464f-9f43-529b6c5c2cf9_1206x1836.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dN_3!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F656e246d-a524-464f-9f43-529b6c5c2cf9_1206x1836.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dN_3!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F656e246d-a524-464f-9f43-529b6c5c2cf9_1206x1836.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dN_3!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F656e246d-a524-464f-9f43-529b6c5c2cf9_1206x1836.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dN_3!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F656e246d-a524-464f-9f43-529b6c5c2cf9_1206x1836.jpeg" width="361" height="549.5820895522388" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/656e246d-a524-464f-9f43-529b6c5c2cf9_1206x1836.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1836,&quot;width&quot;:1206,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:361,&quot;bytes&quot;:472363,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/196197511?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3c9a92e2-b39a-4849-ae47-559b913f4404_1206x2356.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dN_3!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F656e246d-a524-464f-9f43-529b6c5c2cf9_1206x1836.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dN_3!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F656e246d-a524-464f-9f43-529b6c5c2cf9_1206x1836.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dN_3!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F656e246d-a524-464f-9f43-529b6c5c2cf9_1206x1836.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dN_3!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F656e246d-a524-464f-9f43-529b6c5c2cf9_1206x1836.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Short rib rag&#249; is not a weeknight dinner. It&#8217;s a Sunday dish, or a Saturday dish, or a &#8220;I have absolutely nowhere to be for the next four  hours&#8221; dish. You sear the meat, build the base, get it into the oven, and then the whole thing just sits there and slowly becomes something extraordinary while you do nothing. </p><p>The cut matters here. Short ribs have fat running through the muscle in a way that brisket or chuck doesn&#8217;t, and three hours at 150&#176;C turns all of that into something silky and deeply savoury. The connective tissue breaks down into gelatin, which thickens the sauce from the inside. By the time you pull the lid off, the meat is falling off the bone and the sauce has body without you having to do anything to it. You shred the beef back in, stir through a handful of Parmesan, and it&#8217;s done.</p><p>Give it a go!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3><strong>Ingredients (serves 4&#8211;5)</strong></h3><ul><li><p>~1 kg beef short ribs</p></li><li><p>Salt and black pepper</p></li><li><p>Olive oil</p></li><li><p>1 large onion, diced</p></li><li><p>2 celery stalks, diced</p></li><li><p>2 carrots, diced</p></li><li><p>3&#8211;4 cloves garlic, minced</p></li><li><p>3 tbsp tomato pur&#233;e</p></li><li><p>200 ml red wine</p></li><li><p>400 g canned plum tomatoes</p></li><li><p>300 ml beef stock</p></li><li><p>2 sprigs rosemary</p></li><li><p>2 sprigs thyme</p></li><li><p>1 bay leaf</p></li><li><p>400&#8211;500 g pappardelle</p></li><li><p>Parmesan, finely grated</p></li><li><p>Fresh basil, chopped</p></li></ul><p><strong>Method</strong></p><ol><li><p>Pat the short ribs dry and season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.</p></li><li><p>Heat a large oven-safe pot over high heat and add a splash of olive oil. Sear the ribs until well browned on all sides. Don&#8217;t rush this step - the colour you build here goes straight into the flavour of the sauce. Remove and set aside.</p></li><li><p>Lower the heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot to the same pot and cook gently for about 8 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Stir in the tomato pur&#233;e and let it cook for 1&#8211;2 minutes so it caramelises slightly against the base of the pot.</p></li><li><p>Deglaze with the red wine. Scrape up any bits from the bottom and let it reduce for a couple of minutes.</p></li><li><p>Add the canned plum tomatoes and beef stock. Tie the rosemary, thyme and bay leaf together to make a bouquet garni and add it to the pot. A nice trick: pull a thick fibre from one of the celery stalks and use that as your string. If you have a Parmesan rind in the fridge, drop that in too. It melts into the sauce and adds a depth in flavour you'll notice. Return the ribs to the pot, making sure they're mostly submerged.</p></li><li><p>Cover with a lid and braise in the oven at 150&#176;C for around 3 hours, until the meat is completely fall-apart tender.</p></li><li><p>Remove the ribs and the bouquet garni. Shred the meat and discard the bones. Stir the shredded meat back into the sauce along with a generous handful of grated Parmesan. Let it simmer gently for a minute. Taste and season.</p></li><li><p>Cook the pappardelle in well-salted water until al dente. Reserve a glass of pasta water before draining. Add the pasta to the rag&#249; with a good splash of pasta water and toss until everything is coated and glossy.</p></li><li><p>Serve immediately, topped with more Parmesan and fresh basil.</p></li></ol><p>If you make this, I&#8217;d love to see it. Send me a message or leave a comment below. Know someone who appreciates a proper rag&#249;? Feel free to share this one with them! :)</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share The Heat&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share The Heat</span></a></p><p>Cheers,<br>Gabriel</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Italian bean stew]]></title><description><![CDATA[with rosemary sausages]]></description><link>https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/italian-bean-stew</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/italian-bean-stew</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2026 14:31:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bBp1!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa591ce6f-80f5-4caa-aa2a-e2f60efc7219_1080x1920.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bBp1!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa591ce6f-80f5-4caa-aa2a-e2f60efc7219_1080x1920.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bBp1!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa591ce6f-80f5-4caa-aa2a-e2f60efc7219_1080x1920.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bBp1!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa591ce6f-80f5-4caa-aa2a-e2f60efc7219_1080x1920.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bBp1!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa591ce6f-80f5-4caa-aa2a-e2f60efc7219_1080x1920.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bBp1!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa591ce6f-80f5-4caa-aa2a-e2f60efc7219_1080x1920.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bBp1!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa591ce6f-80f5-4caa-aa2a-e2f60efc7219_1080x1920.jpeg" width="346" height="615.1111111111111" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a591ce6f-80f5-4caa-aa2a-e2f60efc7219_1080x1920.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1920,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:346,&quot;bytes&quot;:1515073,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/196314995?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa591ce6f-80f5-4caa-aa2a-e2f60efc7219_1080x1920.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bBp1!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa591ce6f-80f5-4caa-aa2a-e2f60efc7219_1080x1920.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bBp1!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa591ce6f-80f5-4caa-aa2a-e2f60efc7219_1080x1920.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bBp1!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa591ce6f-80f5-4caa-aa2a-e2f60efc7219_1080x1920.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bBp1!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa591ce6f-80f5-4caa-aa2a-e2f60efc7219_1080x1920.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>There are some dinners that don&#8217;t need much explaining. This is one of them.</p><p>Sausages browned until deeply golden, cherry tomatoes blistered and burst, white beans absorbing everything - the wine, the stock, the rosemary, the tomato juices. It all comes together in one pan into something that feels much more considered than the effort it actually takes. Proper comfort food, but not heavy.</p><p>Give it a go!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3><strong>Ingredients (serves 2&#8211;3)</strong></h3><ul><li><p>4 good pork sausages (I used rosemary ones, but use whatever you have)</p></li><li><p>400 g cherry tomatoes</p></li><li><p>1 x 400 g tin cannellini beans, drained &amp; rinsed</p></li><li><p>3 garlic cloves, sliced</p></li><li><p>2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped</p></li><li><p>100 ml dry white wine</p></li><li><p>100 ml chicken or veg stock</p></li><li><p>Extra virgin olive oil</p></li><li><p>Salt and pepper</p></li><li><p>Parmesan, to finish</p></li></ul><h3><strong>Method</strong></h3><ol><li><p>Brown the sausages in a wide, heavy pan over medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil, turning every couple of minutes until deeply golden all over, about 6 minutes. Remove and set aside.</p></li><li><p>Reduce the heat to medium. Add the cherry tomatoes whole and let them sit, stirring occasionally, until they blister. Press a few gently with a spoon to help them burst. Season with salt and pepper.</p></li><li><p>Drop the heat slightly and add the sliced garlic and finely chopped rosemary. Cook for about 90 seconds until fragrant.</p></li><li><p>Add the beans, pour in the white wine, then the stock. Stir everything together. The tomato juices, wine and stock will form a loose, brothy sauce. Taste and season if needed.</p></li><li><p>Nestle the sausages back into the pan, pushing them down into the beans and tomatoes. Put the lid on, keep the heat low, and let everything cook together for 5 minutes.</p></li><li><p>Spoon a few generous ladles of the stew into a bowl, one or two sausages on top. Grate Parmesan generously over everything, finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.</p></li></ol><p>Again, if you give this a go, let me know what you think!</p><p>And if you&#8217;re new here and enjoying these recipes, you can leave your e-mail below to get future ones straight to your inbox. It&#8217;s a simple way to follow along and support my work!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>Cheers, <br>Gabriel</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[burnt leek with creamy green sauce]]></title><description><![CDATA[There&#8217;s something great about burning a vegetable on purpose.]]></description><link>https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/burnt-leek-with-creamy-green-sauce</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/burnt-leek-with-creamy-green-sauce</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 26 Apr 2026 05:30:53 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f1c8a2bb-055f-4c91-a481-52d9f7a5a6b3_1077x1170.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DwrO!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0d17f320-77b7-49b4-bcec-c46ec094db2e_1080x1920.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DwrO!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0d17f320-77b7-49b4-bcec-c46ec094db2e_1080x1920.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DwrO!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0d17f320-77b7-49b4-bcec-c46ec094db2e_1080x1920.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DwrO!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0d17f320-77b7-49b4-bcec-c46ec094db2e_1080x1920.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DwrO!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0d17f320-77b7-49b4-bcec-c46ec094db2e_1080x1920.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DwrO!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0d17f320-77b7-49b4-bcec-c46ec094db2e_1080x1920.jpeg" width="288" height="512" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/0d17f320-77b7-49b4-bcec-c46ec094db2e_1080x1920.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1920,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:288,&quot;bytes&quot;:1124960,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/195478904?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0d17f320-77b7-49b4-bcec-c46ec094db2e_1080x1920.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DwrO!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0d17f320-77b7-49b4-bcec-c46ec094db2e_1080x1920.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DwrO!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0d17f320-77b7-49b4-bcec-c46ec094db2e_1080x1920.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DwrO!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0d17f320-77b7-49b4-bcec-c46ec094db2e_1080x1920.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DwrO!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0d17f320-77b7-49b4-bcec-c46ec094db2e_1080x1920.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>There&#8217;s something great about burning a vegetable on purpose. With the leek the outer layers go completely black in the oven, and underneath, it turns silky, sweet and almost melting. It&#8217;s a technique that feels more impressive than it is.</p><p>I paired it with a very nice green sauce: pistachios for body and nuttiness, spinach to keep it fresh and bright, yoghurt and lemon for tang. It&#8217;s thick enough to hold its shape on the plate but smooth enough to coat everything. Together, the two are really good. Charred, sweet leek against something creamy and herby. Simple to make, and it looks the part.</p><p>Give it a go!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3><strong>Ingredients (serves 2)</strong></h3><p><strong>Leeks</strong></p><ul><li><p>2 large leeks</p></li></ul><p><strong>Pistachio &amp; spinach sauce</strong></p><ul><li><p>100 g shelled pistachios, unsalted</p></li><li><p>70 g fresh spinach</p></li><li><p>2 small garlic cloves</p></li><li><p>3 tbsp full-fat Greek yoghurt</p></li><li><p>Juice of &#189; lemon</p></li><li><p>4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more to finish</p></li><li><p>Flaky salt</p></li></ul><h3><strong>Method</strong></h3><ol><li><p>Heat your oven to 220&#176;C. Wash the leeks and prick a few cuts along the length with the tip of a knife so some heat can escape. Place the whole, unpeeled leeks directly on a rack or oven tray and roast for 35&#8211;40 minutes until the outer layers are deeply charred and the leeks feel completely soft when pressed.</p></li><li><p>While the leeks roast, blanch the spinach in boiling salted water for 30 seconds, then transfer immediately to ice water. Squeeze out as much water as you possibly can.</p></li><li><p>Add the pistachios, spinach, garlic, yoghurt, lemon juice and olive oil together and blitz until smooth. </p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_ejC!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46f7a9f0-97f7-41f0-a210-594b81e9bbd0_1080x1395.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_ejC!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46f7a9f0-97f7-41f0-a210-594b81e9bbd0_1080x1395.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_ejC!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46f7a9f0-97f7-41f0-a210-594b81e9bbd0_1080x1395.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_ejC!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46f7a9f0-97f7-41f0-a210-594b81e9bbd0_1080x1395.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_ejC!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46f7a9f0-97f7-41f0-a210-594b81e9bbd0_1080x1395.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_ejC!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46f7a9f0-97f7-41f0-a210-594b81e9bbd0_1080x1395.jpeg" width="260" height="335.8333333333333" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/46f7a9f0-97f7-41f0-a210-594b81e9bbd0_1080x1395.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1395,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:260,&quot;bytes&quot;:262619,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/195478904?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9675da69-8cdd-435b-9f6f-d6f9b40cc71d_1080x1920.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_ejC!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46f7a9f0-97f7-41f0-a210-594b81e9bbd0_1080x1395.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_ejC!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46f7a9f0-97f7-41f0-a210-594b81e9bbd0_1080x1395.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_ejC!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46f7a9f0-97f7-41f0-a210-594b81e9bbd0_1080x1395.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_ejC!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46f7a9f0-97f7-41f0-a210-594b81e9bbd0_1080x1395.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p></li><li><p>Add a tablespoon of warm water if it needs loosening. You want it thick enough to hold a swoosh on the plate but not stiff. Season well with flaky salt. It should taste bright, nutty and slightly tangy.</p></li><li><p>Pull the charred outer layers off the leeks and discard them. Slice the soft inner leek into 3 even pieces.</p></li><li><p>Spread the green sauce onto a plate. Arrange the leek pieces on top, drizzle with a lemon juice and olive oil</p></li></ol><p>Again, if you give this a go, I&#8217;d love to see it!</p><p>And if you&#8217;re new here and enjoying these recipes, you can leave your e-mail below to get future ones straight to your inbox.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>Cheers, <br>Gabriel</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[thai chicken laab]]></title><description><![CDATA[& creamy coconut rice]]></description><link>https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/thai-chicken-laab</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/thai-chicken-laab</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:01:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!48pa!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F81829530-eaa3-402d-8973-f08d70d79513_1396x971.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!48pa!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F81829530-eaa3-402d-8973-f08d70d79513_1396x971.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!48pa!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F81829530-eaa3-402d-8973-f08d70d79513_1396x971.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!48pa!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F81829530-eaa3-402d-8973-f08d70d79513_1396x971.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!48pa!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F81829530-eaa3-402d-8973-f08d70d79513_1396x971.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!48pa!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F81829530-eaa3-402d-8973-f08d70d79513_1396x971.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!48pa!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F81829530-eaa3-402d-8973-f08d70d79513_1396x971.jpeg" width="1396" height="971" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/81829530-eaa3-402d-8973-f08d70d79513_1396x971.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:971,&quot;width&quot;:1396,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:192147,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/194842301?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4efd4d8e-6798-442a-9672-b4fab0b42557_1920x1080.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!48pa!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F81829530-eaa3-402d-8973-f08d70d79513_1396x971.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!48pa!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F81829530-eaa3-402d-8973-f08d70d79513_1396x971.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!48pa!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F81829530-eaa3-402d-8973-f08d70d79513_1396x971.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!48pa!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F81829530-eaa3-402d-8973-f08d70d79513_1396x971.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Laab is not a complicated dish. You could write the whole recipe on a Post-it note. But when you eat it, it doesn&#8217;t taste simple at all. It tastes like someone spent a long time thinking about balance.</p><p>The trick is the contrast. Hot chicken straight from the pan, tipped into a cold sharp dressing while it&#8217;s still steaming. The herbs wilt just slightly, the lime cuts through the fat, and the toasted rice powder adds a very nice nuttiness that&#8217;s hard to place but too good to leave out.</p><p>Coconut rice underneath, creamy and slightly sweet. Two pans, twenty minutes. Give it a go.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3><strong>Ingredients (serves 2)</strong></h3><p><em>Coconut rice</em></p><ul><li><p>180g jasmine rice</p></li><li><p>180ml coconut milk</p></li><li><p>135ml water</p></li><li><p>&#189; tsp salt</p></li></ul><p><em>Laab</em></p><ul><li><p>400g minced chicken (thigh preferred)</p></li><li><p>2 tbsp fish sauce</p></li><li><p>Juice of 2 limes</p></li><li><p>1 tsp sugar</p></li><li><p>1 tbsp toasted rice powder (see method)</p></li><li><p>2 shallots, very thinly sliced</p></li><li><p>2 spring onions, sliced</p></li><li><p>1 red chilli, finely sliced</p></li><li><p>Large handful fresh mint</p></li><li><p>Large handful fresh coriander</p></li></ul><h3><strong>Method</strong></h3><ol><li><p>Rinse the rice three times, or until the water runs mostly clear. Combine the coconut milk, water and salt in a saucepan. Add the rice, bring to a gentle simmer then put the lid on and reduce to the lowest heat. Cook for 12 minutes. If it starts to catch on the bottom, give it a quick stir and put the lid straight back on. Take off the heat and leave covered for another 5 minutes.</p></li><li><p>While the rice cooks, make the toasted rice powder. Put 2 tbsp of raw jasmine rice in a dry pan over medium heat. Shake for 3&#8211;4 minutes until golden and nutty-smelling. Grind to a rough powder in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder.</p></li><li><p>In a bowl, combine the sliced mint, coriander, shallots, spring onions, chilli, lime juice, sugar and fish sauce. Add most of the toasted rice powder and stir. Taste. It should be salty, sour and a little sweet. Adjust if needed and leave it to sit while you cook the chicken.</p></li><li><p>Heat a splash of oil in a wide pan over high heat. Add the minced chicken, season with salt, and break it up immediately. Cook hard and fast, you want colour, not steaming. About 5&#8211;6 minutes.</p></li><li><p>Place the hot chicken into the bowl with the marinated ingredients and mix everything again.</p></li><li><p>Spoon the coconut rice into bowls, pile the laab on top, and finish with some extra of the toasted rice powder, and enjoy! </p></li></ol><p>If you&#8217;re new here and enjoying these recipes, you can leave your e-mail below to get future ones straight to your inbox.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>And if you have any questions, feel free to send me a message! :)</p><p>Cheers, <br>Gabriel</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[cannellini beans with artichokes, capers, olives, feta & dill]]></title><description><![CDATA[mediterranean goodness]]></description><link>https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/cannellini-beans-with-artichokes</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/cannellini-beans-with-artichokes</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 10 Apr 2026 06:40:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dWbF!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdb3d65e0-ad28-4fe1-a622-e0ab20f36a46_1080x1920.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dWbF!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdb3d65e0-ad28-4fe1-a622-e0ab20f36a46_1080x1920.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dWbF!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdb3d65e0-ad28-4fe1-a622-e0ab20f36a46_1080x1920.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dWbF!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdb3d65e0-ad28-4fe1-a622-e0ab20f36a46_1080x1920.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dWbF!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdb3d65e0-ad28-4fe1-a622-e0ab20f36a46_1080x1920.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dWbF!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdb3d65e0-ad28-4fe1-a622-e0ab20f36a46_1080x1920.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dWbF!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdb3d65e0-ad28-4fe1-a622-e0ab20f36a46_1080x1920.png" width="410" height="728.8888888888889" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/db3d65e0-ad28-4fe1-a622-e0ab20f36a46_1080x1920.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1920,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:410,&quot;bytes&quot;:4568990,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/193730717?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdb3d65e0-ad28-4fe1-a622-e0ab20f36a46_1080x1920.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dWbF!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdb3d65e0-ad28-4fe1-a622-e0ab20f36a46_1080x1920.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dWbF!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdb3d65e0-ad28-4fe1-a622-e0ab20f36a46_1080x1920.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dWbF!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdb3d65e0-ad28-4fe1-a622-e0ab20f36a46_1080x1920.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dWbF!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdb3d65e0-ad28-4fe1-a622-e0ab20f36a46_1080x1920.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Beans from a tin, artichokes from a jar, a handful of things you&#8217;ve probably had sitting around. Simple, Mediterranean, genuinely good for you. </p><p>The garlic goes in with the beans and a good amount of olive oil. Just a few minutes until fragrant. The capers, olives, and dill is added. Feta goes on, dill scattered on cold. Eat it with plenty of lemon juice, olive oil, and crusty bread. Hope you like it! :)</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3>Ingredients (serves 2)</h3><ul><li><p>5 tbsp good olive oil, plus more to finish</p></li><li><p>1 garlic clove, grated</p></li><li><p>1 tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed</p></li><li><p>150 ml chicken stock</p></li><li><p>150 g marinated artichoke hearts (jarred), roughly chopped</p></li><li><p>1.5 tbsp capers, drained</p></li><li><p>A handful of olives, pitted and cut (Kalamata or green)</p></li><li><p>Juice of half a lemon</p></li><li><p>Black pepper</p></li><li><p>60 g feta, crumbled</p></li><li><p>A small handful of fresh dill, roughly picked</p></li></ul><h3>Method</h3><ol><li><p>Put a wide pan over low heat. Add the olive oil, garlic and beans. Cook gently for a few minutes until the garlic is fragrant.</p></li><li><p>Pour in the chicken stock. Simmer for 5 minutes.</p></li><li><p>Add the capers and olives. Stir gently and cook for 2 minutes. Add the artichokes and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.</p></li><li><p>Squeeze in the lemon juice. Taste before adding salt. Between the capers and the feta coming, you probably won&#8217;t need any.</p></li><li><p>Spoon into a shallow bowl or serve straight from the pan. Crumble the feta over the top while still hot. Scatter the dill on cold, finish with a generous pour of olive oil. Eat with crusty bread and enjoy!</p></li></ol><p>If you like my recipes, leave your e-mail below to get future ones straight to your inbox. It is an easy way to support me as well! :)</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>Cheers, <br>Gabriel</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[crispy salmon]]></title><description><![CDATA[with smashed cucumber, avocado and chili-grapefruit dressing]]></description><link>https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/crispy-salmon-475</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/crispy-salmon-475</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 06 Apr 2026 05:45:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zFDB!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F832da282-d09d-4a81-89f8-fa54d20570d9_1080x1613.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This recipe is part of my series: Great After Work Dinners (Episode 12, <strong>Season Finale</strong>).</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zFDB!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F832da282-d09d-4a81-89f8-fa54d20570d9_1080x1613.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zFDB!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F832da282-d09d-4a81-89f8-fa54d20570d9_1080x1613.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zFDB!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F832da282-d09d-4a81-89f8-fa54d20570d9_1080x1613.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zFDB!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F832da282-d09d-4a81-89f8-fa54d20570d9_1080x1613.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zFDB!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F832da282-d09d-4a81-89f8-fa54d20570d9_1080x1613.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zFDB!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F832da282-d09d-4a81-89f8-fa54d20570d9_1080x1613.png" width="466" height="695.9796296296296" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/832da282-d09d-4a81-89f8-fa54d20570d9_1080x1613.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1613,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:466,&quot;bytes&quot;:3395825,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/193298658?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d9895ad-3bff-484a-b6f0-19562a6d8079_1080x1920.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zFDB!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F832da282-d09d-4a81-89f8-fa54d20570d9_1080x1613.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zFDB!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F832da282-d09d-4a81-89f8-fa54d20570d9_1080x1613.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zFDB!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F832da282-d09d-4a81-89f8-fa54d20570d9_1080x1613.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zFDB!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F832da282-d09d-4a81-89f8-fa54d20570d9_1080x1613.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>This is the last one of the season. Twelve episodes of after work dinners, and I wanted to finish with something that feels fresh, bright and a little bit special without being complicated.</p><p>Crispy salmon again, yes. But this time paired with a fresh smashed cucumber salad with avocado, grapefruit wedges and a chili-grapefruit dressing. I added some ricotta on the side for creamy contrast. It&#8217;s light, colourful, and the kind of plate that makes you feel good after eating it.</p><p>I&#8217;ve had a great time putting this series together, and I&#8217;m happy to say there will be a Season 2. More episodes, more easy but tasty after work dinners. Subscribe if you don&#8217;t want to miss those.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3>Ingredients (serves 2)</h3><ul><li><p>2 skin-on salmon fillets (130-150 g each)</p></li><li><p>1 large cucumber</p></li><li><p>1 ripe avocado</p></li><li><p>1.5 pink grapefruit</p></li><li><p>1 fresh red chili, finely sliced (or a pinch of dried chili flakes)</p></li><li><p>1 small shallot, very finely sliced</p></li><li><p>2 tbsp olive oil, plus neutral oil for the pan</p></li><li><p>A spoonful of ricotta</p></li><li><p>Fresh dill (for garnish)</p></li><li><p>Flaky salt, black pepper</p></li></ul><h3>Method</h3><ol><li><p>Salt your salmon well on both sides and let it sit for about 10 minutes to come up to room temperature while you prep the rest. This helps draw out moisture and is key for crispy skin.</p></li><li><p>Smash your cucumber, then cut it into rough pieces. Salt well so the moisture draws out, and let it sit for 10 minutes.</p></li><li><p>Finely slice the shallot and chili. Add them to a bowl with the juice of half a grapefruit, salt, pepper and olive oil. Let that marinate while you cut the avocado and remaining grapefruit into wedges.</p></li><li><p>Drain the water from the cucumber. Add the cucumber, avocado and grapefruit wedges to the dressing and toss gently. Set aside.</p></li><li><p>Pat the salmon very dry. This is important. Heat some neutral oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, place the salmon skin-side down and cook for 3-4 minutes without moving it. You want deep golden, crackly skin.</p></li><li><p>Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes. The centre should still look slightly glossy. Remove from the pan and let it rest for a few minutes.</p></li><li><p>Plate the salad, finish with dill fronds and place the salmon on top. Add a spoonful of ricotta on the side, topped with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper.</p></li></ol><p>If you give this a go, I&#8217;d love to see it. Send me a message or tag me. It makes my day!</p><p>If you&#8217;re new here and want to follow along, you can leave your e-mail below to get future recipes straight to your inbox. Thanks for cooking with me!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>Cheers, <br>Gabriel</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[pork chop, braised endives]]></title><description><![CDATA[and a blood orange pan sauce]]></description><link>https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/pork-chop-braised-endives</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/pork-chop-braised-endives</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 2026 14:04:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f6d16c37-3b36-454c-9fde-3c9eb0732451_1080x1071.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This recipe is part of my series: Great After Work Dinners (Episode 11).</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6j4T!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd917e6a7-5a7b-487d-8cf9-a1bd045c61b6_1080x1666.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6j4T!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd917e6a7-5a7b-487d-8cf9-a1bd045c61b6_1080x1666.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6j4T!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd917e6a7-5a7b-487d-8cf9-a1bd045c61b6_1080x1666.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6j4T!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd917e6a7-5a7b-487d-8cf9-a1bd045c61b6_1080x1666.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6j4T!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd917e6a7-5a7b-487d-8cf9-a1bd045c61b6_1080x1666.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6j4T!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd917e6a7-5a7b-487d-8cf9-a1bd045c61b6_1080x1666.png" width="453" height="698.7944444444445" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d917e6a7-5a7b-487d-8cf9-a1bd045c61b6_1080x1666.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1666,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:453,&quot;bytes&quot;:3484249,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/193165131?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd959a8b7-3bfe-4023-a9ec-5d184cd3be7f_1080x1920.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6j4T!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd917e6a7-5a7b-487d-8cf9-a1bd045c61b6_1080x1666.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6j4T!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd917e6a7-5a7b-487d-8cf9-a1bd045c61b6_1080x1666.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6j4T!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd917e6a7-5a7b-487d-8cf9-a1bd045c61b6_1080x1666.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6j4T!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd917e6a7-5a7b-487d-8cf9-a1bd045c61b6_1080x1666.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Endive is one of those vegetables that completely transforms when you cook it, especially if you braise it. Raw, it&#8217;s crisp and bitter. But once you let it sit cut-side down in butter until deeply golden, then braise it in honey, cider vinegar and stock, it turns soft, caramelised and slightly sweet. Like a different vegetable entirely.</p><p>The pork chops are straightforward. A hard sear for colour, then rested while you build the sauce in the same pan. Blood orange juice, a little stock, mustard, thyme, butter. </p><p>The blood orange segments on top bring a fresh, slightly tart contrast that lifts the whole plate. It&#8217;s a simple dinner, but the kind that makes you feel like you&#8217;ve cooked something properly. Give it a go!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3><strong>Ingredients (serves 2)</strong></h3><ul><li><p>2 bone-in pork chops, about 2 cm thick</p></li><li><p>2 heads Belgian endive, halved lengthways</p></li><li><p>1 blood orange (segments + a squeeze of juice)</p></li><li><p>1 tbsp honey</p></li><li><p>1 tbsp cider vinegar</p></li><li><p>2 sprigs fresh thyme</p></li><li><p>2 tbsp butter + a little oil</p></li><li><p>100 ml chicken stock</p></li><li><p>1 tsp Dijon mustard</p></li><li><p>Salt and black pepper</p></li></ul><h3><strong>Method</strong></h3><ol><li><p>Season the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Let them sit at room temperature while you prep everything else.</p></li><li><p>In a pan over medium heat, add in some olive oil. Place the endive halves cut-side down and don&#8217;t move them for 4 to 5 minutes until deeply golden. Flip, then add the honey, cider vinegar and about 75 ml of the chicken stock. Let them braise gently for another 5 minutes until tender and sticky. Remove and set aside.</p></li><li><p>In a clean pan, render the fat cap for a few minutes over medium heat. Turn the heat to high and sear the pork chops for 3 to 4 minutes per side until well browned. You&#8217;re looking for deep colour on both sides.</p></li><li><p>Remove the chops and let them rest for 5 minutes.</p></li><li><p>In the same pan, deglaze with a squeeze of blood orange juice and the remaining stock. Add the dijon mustard, and mix well. Add the thyme sprigs and let it bubble for a minute. Swirl in the remaining butter until the sauce turns glossy. It should reduce and thicken slightly into a nice smooth sauce.</p></li><li><p>Plate the endive alongside the pork chop. Spoon the pan sauce over and lay the blood orange segments on top.</p></li></ol><p>Again, if you decide to give this a go, I&#8217;d love to see it. If you have any questions, just send me a message or leave a comment. Happy to help!</p><p>And if you&#8217;re new here and enjoying these recipes, you can leave your e-mail below to get future ones straight to your inbox. It&#8217;s a simple way to follow along and support my work!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>Cheers, <br>Gabriel</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[shaved fennel, blood orange, feta & pistachio ]]></title><description><![CDATA[a simple and delicious salad]]></description><link>https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/shaved-fennel-blood-orange-feta-and</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/shaved-fennel-blood-orange-feta-and</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:06:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!X7xX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F45d4706b-216b-4954-bcd7-0a9435b4cec4_1080x1788.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!X7xX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F45d4706b-216b-4954-bcd7-0a9435b4cec4_1080x1788.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!X7xX!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F45d4706b-216b-4954-bcd7-0a9435b4cec4_1080x1788.png 424w, 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data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/45d4706b-216b-4954-bcd7-0a9435b4cec4_1080x1788.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1788,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:444,&quot;bytes&quot;:4021020,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/193108491?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd12ae1c3-e0e8-4048-993d-495e1ad40337_1080x1920.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!X7xX!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F45d4706b-216b-4954-bcd7-0a9435b4cec4_1080x1788.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!X7xX!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F45d4706b-216b-4954-bcd7-0a9435b4cec4_1080x1788.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!X7xX!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F45d4706b-216b-4954-bcd7-0a9435b4cec4_1080x1788.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!X7xX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F45d4706b-216b-4954-bcd7-0a9435b4cec4_1080x1788.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Spring is arriving, and this is the kind of recipe that makes the most of it. No cooking, ten minutes, and it looks beautiful on the plate.</p><p>Shaved fennel is one of those vegetables that completely transforms when it&#8217;s dressed. The juice from the blood orange takes the edge off the raw aniseed bite, and turns it sweet and a little sharp. Feta adds salt and creaminess, the pistachios bring crunch, and the dill fronds finish it off.</p><p>That&#8217;s really all there is to it. Give it a go!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3>Ingredients (serves 1)</h3><ul><li><p>1 fennel bulb, very thinly shaved</p></li><li><p>1 blood orange, segmented (keep the juice for the dressing)</p></li><li><p>40 g feta, crumbled</p></li><li><p>Small handful of pistachios, roughly chopped</p></li><li><p>2 tbsp good olive oil</p></li><li><p>Salt and black pepper</p></li><li><p>A few dill fronds, to finish</p></li></ul><h3>Method</h3><ol><li><p>Shave the fennel as thin as you can. A mandoline works best, but a sharp knife and some patience gets you there.</p></li><li><p>Segment the orange over a bowl, catching all the juice. Squeeze the leftover core into the bowl too.</p></li><li><p>Toss the fennel in the juice with the olive oil, salt and pepper until fully coated. Leave it for a minute or two if you can.</p></li><li><p>Plate the fennel, lay the orange segments on top, crumble over the feta, scatter the pistachios, and finish with the dill fronds.</p></li></ol><p>If you&#8217;re new here and enjoying these recipes, you can leave your e-mail below to get future ones straight to your inbox! :)</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>Cheers,<br>Gabriel</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[beetroot & orange hummus]]></title><description><![CDATA[the pinkest hummus in town, topped with goat cheese, olive oil and pistachios]]></description><link>https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/beetroot-and-orange-hummus</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/beetroot-and-orange-hummus</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 29 Mar 2026 18:01:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/fa62456b-36f9-4423-bbd8-a6dd058998c9_1080x1920.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3Tlr!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85a82b60-6d07-473e-975a-76330a8f6205_1080x1920.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3Tlr!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85a82b60-6d07-473e-975a-76330a8f6205_1080x1920.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3Tlr!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85a82b60-6d07-473e-975a-76330a8f6205_1080x1920.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3Tlr!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85a82b60-6d07-473e-975a-76330a8f6205_1080x1920.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3Tlr!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85a82b60-6d07-473e-975a-76330a8f6205_1080x1920.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3Tlr!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85a82b60-6d07-473e-975a-76330a8f6205_1080x1920.png" width="388" height="689.7777777777778" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/85a82b60-6d07-473e-975a-76330a8f6205_1080x1920.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1920,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:388,&quot;bytes&quot;:4868924,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/192527804?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85a82b60-6d07-473e-975a-76330a8f6205_1080x1920.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3Tlr!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85a82b60-6d07-473e-975a-76330a8f6205_1080x1920.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3Tlr!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85a82b60-6d07-473e-975a-76330a8f6205_1080x1920.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3Tlr!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85a82b60-6d07-473e-975a-76330a8f6205_1080x1920.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3Tlr!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85a82b60-6d07-473e-975a-76330a8f6205_1080x1920.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Store-bought hummus does the job. But you&#8217;ve never actually had hummus until you&#8217;ve made it yourself, and this one is worth making.</p><p>Vivid pink, silky smooth, and delicious. I added some orange zest, for a fragrant twist, and orange goes very well with the beets. Topped with some good quality olive oil, silky goat cheese, crushed pistachios and shiso leaves (optional) for garnish and you have a stunning plate. </p><p>And once you have a batch of this in the fridge, you can use it for many things. Tossed through pasta, spread on a sandwich, paired with grilled vegetables. You name it.<br><br>Super simple and delicious. Hope you like it guys :) </p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3><strong>Ingredients (serves 4)</strong></h3><p><em>Hummus</em></p><ul><li><p>1 tin chickpeas (400 g), liquid reserved</p></li><li><p>2 fresh beetroots</p></li><li><p>2 garlic cloves</p></li><li><p>6 tbsp tahini</p></li><li><p>1 tbsp cumin</p></li><li><p>1 tsp bicarbonate of soda</p></li><li><p>Juice of 1 full lemon</p></li><li><p>Zest of 1 full orange</p></li><li><p>A very big pinch of salt</p></li><li><p>1&#8211;2 ice cubes</p></li></ul><p><em>To serve</em></p><ul><li><p>Good quality extra virgin olive oil</p></li><li><p>Goat cheese, crumbled</p></li><li><p>A handful of crushed pistachios</p></li><li><p>Optional: Shiso leaves (or parsley, for garnish)</p></li></ul><h3><strong>Method</strong></h3><ol><li><p>Get two sheets of tin foil and separately wrap each beetroot. Add a drizzle of olive oil and close them tightly. Put in the oven at 200&#176;C for 1 hour. When done, transfer straight into ice water and peel the skins off once cooled. Cut into bite-sized pieces.</p></li><li><p>Add the chickpeas, garlic, tahini, cumin and bicarbonate of soda to a food processor. Blend until it starts to come together.</p></li><li><p>Add the cooked beetroots and roughly half the chickpea liquid. Add the lemon juice, orange zest and enough salt. Blend again.</p></li><li><p>With the processor still running, slowly pour in the remaining chickpea liquid. Drop in 1 or 2 ice cubes and keep blending until completely smooth and silky. Give it a couple of minutes. </p></li><li><p>Taste. Adjust with more salt or lemon if needed.</p></li><li><p>Spoon onto a plate and smooth it out with the back of a spoon. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Top with crumbled goat cheese, pistachios and shiso leaves.</p></li></ol><p>I hope you like this one! Let me know what you think.</p><p>And if you&#8217;re new here and enjoying these recipes, you can leave your e-mail below to get future ones straight to your inbox.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>Cheers, <br>Gabriel</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[when the forests smell like garlic]]></title><description><![CDATA[three weeks to find it, ten minutes to make the best butter of your life]]></description><link>https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/when-the-forests-smell-like-garlic</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/when-the-forests-smell-like-garlic</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 28 Mar 2026 10:48:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/3aa6890c-e5f9-4d6d-8b7b-7261d70763e9_1080x1616.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Spring is the only season that really feels earned.</p><p>Winter in Amsterdam is long. Grey. Grey in a way that starts to feel personal around February. And then one day something in the ground starts moving, and you realize the world has been doing things without you noticing.</p><p>The light changes, the shadows get longer and softer and it feels like nature is waking up, like a bear coming out of hibernation.</p><p>Which, as it turns out, is exactly the right metaphor for what comes next.</p><p>Because bears love wild garlic too.</p><div class="native-video-embed" data-component-name="VideoPlaceholder" data-attrs="{&quot;mediaUploadId&quot;:&quot;640da857-f44e-4859-865e-715f92d91772&quot;,&quot;duration&quot;:null}"></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3><strong>What is wild garlic?</strong></h3><p>Every year, for about three weeks, the floor of certain forests smells like garlic.</p><p>That&#8217;s wild garlic. <em>Allium ursinum</em>. And if you don&#8217;t catch it in those three weeks, you wait until next spring. I got on my bike to find it.</p><p>Wild garlic is one of the first edible plants to push through the soil in spring. It carpets the floor of old forests in dense, vibrant green waves, arriving before the trees even have leaves. It&#8217;s a relative of chives and regular garlic, but softer and more floral. You get the warmth of garlic without the punch.</p><p>The Latin name <em>ursinum</em> comes from <em>ursus</em>, the Latin word for bear. The legend goes that bears, fresh out of hibernation, would dig up the bulbs to restore themselves after a long winter underground.</p><p>It grows in damp, shaded spots. Old woodland. In western Europe, finding a dense patch of wild garlic is often a sign that the land has been continuously forested for centuries. It&#8217;s a slow colonizer. It doesn&#8217;t rush into new territory.</p><p>*If you&#8217;re reading this from the US: the plant you know as ramps (<em>allium tricoccum</em>) is a close cousin that grows in the Appalachians. Same idea, different species. <em>Allium ursinum</em> is the European one.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hSiK!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4be22f49-6993-48a5-ac38-dd6cc46a01e9_1080x1920.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hSiK!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4be22f49-6993-48a5-ac38-dd6cc46a01e9_1080x1920.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hSiK!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4be22f49-6993-48a5-ac38-dd6cc46a01e9_1080x1920.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hSiK!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4be22f49-6993-48a5-ac38-dd6cc46a01e9_1080x1920.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hSiK!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4be22f49-6993-48a5-ac38-dd6cc46a01e9_1080x1920.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hSiK!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4be22f49-6993-48a5-ac38-dd6cc46a01e9_1080x1920.png" width="265" height="471.1111111111111" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/4be22f49-6993-48a5-ac38-dd6cc46a01e9_1080x1920.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1920,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:265,&quot;bytes&quot;:4399582,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/192390265?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4be22f49-6993-48a5-ac38-dd6cc46a01e9_1080x1920.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hSiK!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4be22f49-6993-48a5-ac38-dd6cc46a01e9_1080x1920.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hSiK!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4be22f49-6993-48a5-ac38-dd6cc46a01e9_1080x1920.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hSiK!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4be22f49-6993-48a5-ac38-dd6cc46a01e9_1080x1920.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hSiK!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4be22f49-6993-48a5-ac38-dd6cc46a01e9_1080x1920.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">wild garlic</figcaption></figure></div><p>You&#8217;ll recognize wild garlic by <strong>three things:</strong></p><ol><li><p>The <strong>leaves</strong>: broad, spear-shaped, a fresh and almost electric green. Each leaf grows on its own stem directly from the ground.</p></li><li><p>The <strong>flowers</strong>: small, white, star-shaped clusters that appear from April onwards. Beautiful, and also a warning sign. Once the flowers come, the leaves start losing their flavor. The season is almost over.</p></li><li><p>And most importantly: the <strong>smell</strong>. Crush a leaf between your fingers. It smells like garlic.</p></li></ol><p></p><h3><strong>Before you pick</strong></h3><p>There are a few plants that grow in the same habitat and can look similar, some of them seriously toxic.</p><p>Check by crushing a leaf and smelling it (the second point above). If it doesn&#8217;t smell like garlic, definitely do not eat it.</p><p>And before you go out and forage, please always do your own research as well! </p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3><strong>Borrow, don&#8217;t raid</strong></h3><p>Wild garlic is a protected species in the Netherlands. Technically, picking it is forbidden, but in some areas (such as Staatsbosbeheer, the Dutch state forestry service) picking a small amount for personal use (a handful) is tolerated. See foraging as borrowing, rather than raiding the land. </p><p>One more thing: don&#8217;t pick too close to a path, if there is any. Not for legal reasons. For dog reasons. You know what I mean :)</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!K6je!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9feb045c-abc9-4b78-b3d0-9ba35e7ac701_1080x1920.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!K6je!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9feb045c-abc9-4b78-b3d0-9ba35e7ac701_1080x1920.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!K6je!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9feb045c-abc9-4b78-b3d0-9ba35e7ac701_1080x1920.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!K6je!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9feb045c-abc9-4b78-b3d0-9ba35e7ac701_1080x1920.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!K6je!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9feb045c-abc9-4b78-b3d0-9ba35e7ac701_1080x1920.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!K6je!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9feb045c-abc9-4b78-b3d0-9ba35e7ac701_1080x1920.png" width="319" height="567.1111111111111" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/9feb045c-abc9-4b78-b3d0-9ba35e7ac701_1080x1920.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1920,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:319,&quot;bytes&quot;:5045690,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/192390265?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9feb045c-abc9-4b78-b3d0-9ba35e7ac701_1080x1920.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!K6je!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9feb045c-abc9-4b78-b3d0-9ba35e7ac701_1080x1920.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!K6je!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9feb045c-abc9-4b78-b3d0-9ba35e7ac701_1080x1920.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!K6je!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9feb045c-abc9-4b78-b3d0-9ba35e7ac701_1080x1920.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!K6je!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9feb045c-abc9-4b78-b3d0-9ba35e7ac701_1080x1920.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><h3><strong>What I made with it</strong></h3><p>I brought the leaves home and made wild garlic butter. Its my favourite kind of butter, and it tastes twice, maybe ten times better when you harvest it yourself instead of when you buy it at the store.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C-7l!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6dc40d79-41b6-41bb-9a67-4250bfb3d3d1_1080x1219.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C-7l!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6dc40d79-41b6-41bb-9a67-4250bfb3d3d1_1080x1219.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C-7l!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6dc40d79-41b6-41bb-9a67-4250bfb3d3d1_1080x1219.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C-7l!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6dc40d79-41b6-41bb-9a67-4250bfb3d3d1_1080x1219.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C-7l!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6dc40d79-41b6-41bb-9a67-4250bfb3d3d1_1080x1219.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C-7l!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6dc40d79-41b6-41bb-9a67-4250bfb3d3d1_1080x1219.png" width="433" height="488.72870370370373" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6dc40d79-41b6-41bb-9a67-4250bfb3d3d1_1080x1219.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1219,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:433,&quot;bytes&quot;:2356659,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/192390265?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18c4f993-b424-4ee7-9515-061329d5cbce_1080x1920.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C-7l!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6dc40d79-41b6-41bb-9a67-4250bfb3d3d1_1080x1219.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C-7l!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6dc40d79-41b6-41bb-9a67-4250bfb3d3d1_1080x1219.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C-7l!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6dc40d79-41b6-41bb-9a67-4250bfb3d3d1_1080x1219.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C-7l!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6dc40d79-41b6-41bb-9a67-4250bfb3d3d1_1080x1219.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">sourdough &amp; wild garlic butter</figcaption></figure></div><h3><strong>Wild garlic butter</strong></h3><h4><strong>Ingredients</strong></h4><ul><li><p>Large handful of wild garlic</p></li><li><p>Handful of parsley</p></li><li><p>2 small garlic cloves</p></li><li><p>Zest of 1 small lemon</p></li><li><p>350g unsalted butter</p></li><li><p>Flaky salt</p><p></p></li></ul><h4><strong>Method</strong></h4><ol><li><p>Trim the stems of the wild garlic.</p></li><li><p>Peel the garlic and grate it.</p></li><li><p>In a food processor, add the wild garlic, parsley, salt, grated garlic, butter, and lemon zest. Blend until smooth.</p></li><li><p>Sprinkle with flaky salt</p></li></ol><p>I keep half in my fridge and freeze the other half. Enjoy! :)</p><p></p><p>Thank you for reading this far. Now go out and make the butter and tell me how it went! </p><p>And if you want to receive more articles and recipes like this directly in your inbox, you can leave your e-mail below. By doing so, you&#8217;re supporting my work!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>Cheers!<br>Gabriel</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[seared tuna & miso-ginger dressing]]></title><description><![CDATA[with a watercress salad]]></description><link>https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/seared-tuna-and-miso-ginger-dressing</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/seared-tuna-and-miso-ginger-dressing</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 15:01:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dNVl!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd670be3e-3c1e-4a99-af9f-3a0ee19cd91a_1080x1689.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dNVl!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd670be3e-3c1e-4a99-af9f-3a0ee19cd91a_1080x1689.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dNVl!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd670be3e-3c1e-4a99-af9f-3a0ee19cd91a_1080x1689.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dNVl!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd670be3e-3c1e-4a99-af9f-3a0ee19cd91a_1080x1689.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dNVl!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd670be3e-3c1e-4a99-af9f-3a0ee19cd91a_1080x1689.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dNVl!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd670be3e-3c1e-4a99-af9f-3a0ee19cd91a_1080x1689.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dNVl!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd670be3e-3c1e-4a99-af9f-3a0ee19cd91a_1080x1689.png" width="635" height="993.0694444444445" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dNVl!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd670be3e-3c1e-4a99-af9f-3a0ee19cd91a_1080x1689.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dNVl!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd670be3e-3c1e-4a99-af9f-3a0ee19cd91a_1080x1689.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dNVl!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd670be3e-3c1e-4a99-af9f-3a0ee19cd91a_1080x1689.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dNVl!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd670be3e-3c1e-4a99-af9f-3a0ee19cd91a_1080x1689.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>When its early spring time and the days are getting warmer, this is the kind of thing I want to eat. Fresh, light, a plate that feels like the season.</p><p>The fish is in the pan for only 1-1,5 min. The dressing takes less time than that. And yet it arrives at the table looking  impressive, which is honestly my favourite kind of recipe.</p><p>The key thing with fresh tuna is just not leaving it too long. You want a lightly golden crust on the outside and the inside still vivid pink and silky. Pull it off earlier than feels right, rest it for a couple of minutes, and slice. It&#8217;ll be perfect.</p><p>The dressing is simple: miso, ginger, rice vinegar, honey, a little soy and sesame oil. Half into the watercress, the rest straight over the fish. That&#8217;s pretty much it!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3>Ingredients (serves 1)</h3><ul><li><p>1 tuna steak, at room temp</p></li><li><p>Large handful of watercress</p></li><li><p>1 tsp white miso</p></li><li><p>1 tbsp soy sauce</p></li><li><p>2 tsp honey</p></li><li><p>1 tsp fresh ginger, grated</p></li><li><p>2 tsp rice vinegar</p></li><li><p>1 tsp of sesame oil</p></li><li><p>Neutral oil, for searing</p></li><li><p>Salt</p></li><li><p>Optional garnish: 1-2 radishes, very thinly sliced and some sesame seeds</p><p></p></li></ul><h3>Method</h3><ol><li><p>Make the dressing first. Whisk together the miso, honey, soy sauce, ginger and sesame oil. Taste. It should be savoury, slightly sweet, and sharp with ginger.</p></li><li><p>Pat the tuna completely dry with kitchen paper. Season with salt.</p></li><li><p>Get a pan hot with a little neutral oil. When it just starts to smoke, lay the tuna in. Don&#8217;t touch it. 45 seconds per side. You&#8217;re looking for a lightly golden crust and a vivid pink centre.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1A2n!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab87b9b0-4eb9-4966-8895-2bfa270aafa4_1080x1920.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1A2n!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab87b9b0-4eb9-4966-8895-2bfa270aafa4_1080x1920.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1A2n!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab87b9b0-4eb9-4966-8895-2bfa270aafa4_1080x1920.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1A2n!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab87b9b0-4eb9-4966-8895-2bfa270aafa4_1080x1920.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1A2n!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab87b9b0-4eb9-4966-8895-2bfa270aafa4_1080x1920.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1A2n!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab87b9b0-4eb9-4966-8895-2bfa270aafa4_1080x1920.png" width="280" height="497.77777777777777" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ab87b9b0-4eb9-4966-8895-2bfa270aafa4_1080x1920.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1920,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:280,&quot;bytes&quot;:4470662,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/192256412?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab87b9b0-4eb9-4966-8895-2bfa270aafa4_1080x1920.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1A2n!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab87b9b0-4eb9-4966-8895-2bfa270aafa4_1080x1920.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1A2n!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab87b9b0-4eb9-4966-8895-2bfa270aafa4_1080x1920.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1A2n!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab87b9b0-4eb9-4966-8895-2bfa270aafa4_1080x1920.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1A2n!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab87b9b0-4eb9-4966-8895-2bfa270aafa4_1080x1920.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">It should come out looking something like this</figcaption></figure></div></li><li><p>Rest for 2 minutes before slicing. Toss the watercress in half the dressing. Pile onto the plate, along with the radish slices if you&#8217;re using them.</p></li><li><p>Slice the tuna against the grain into pieces about 1 cm thick. Lay over the watercress and spoon the remaining dressing over the fish. Top with some sesame seeds.</p></li></ol><p>If you make this I&#8217;d love to see it. Send it over, DM me, or drop it in the chat. I&#8217;ll put a link below. You can ask anything there about my recipes or other things, and I&#8217;ll respond as soon as I can :) </p><div class="community-chat" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://open.substack.com/pub/gabrielpoltorak/chat?utm_source=chat_embed&quot;,&quot;subdomain&quot;:&quot;gabrielpoltorak&quot;,&quot;pub&quot;:{&quot;id&quot;:7136501,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;The Heat&quot;,&quot;author_name&quot;:&quot;Gabriel Poltorak&quot;,&quot;author_photo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bXWO!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F92b38843-998f-4b4c-a2fc-8d26d0fe45e0_792x792.png&quot;}}" data-component-name="CommunityChatRenderPlaceholder"></div><p>And if you&#8217;re new here, leave your e-mail below and I&#8217;ll send future recipes straight to your inbox!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>And we&#8217;re almost at 700 subscribers. <strong>I appreciate every single one of you</strong>. So thank you for following along.</p><p>A lot more recipes coming and I think you&#8217;re going to love them</p><p>Cheers! <br>Gabriel</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[sardines on toast]]></title><description><![CDATA[with blistered tomatoes, ricotta & crispy capers]]></description><link>https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/sardines-on-toast</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/sardines-on-toast</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 16:00:57 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!H4bf!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5328a34-5726-4bab-8f14-3633695d5cbc_1080x1340.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!H4bf!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5328a34-5726-4bab-8f14-3633695d5cbc_1080x1340.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!H4bf!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5328a34-5726-4bab-8f14-3633695d5cbc_1080x1340.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!H4bf!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5328a34-5726-4bab-8f14-3633695d5cbc_1080x1340.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!H4bf!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5328a34-5726-4bab-8f14-3633695d5cbc_1080x1340.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!H4bf!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5328a34-5726-4bab-8f14-3633695d5cbc_1080x1340.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!H4bf!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5328a34-5726-4bab-8f14-3633695d5cbc_1080x1340.png" width="595" height="738.2407407407408" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/b5328a34-5726-4bab-8f14-3633695d5cbc_1080x1340.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1340,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:595,&quot;bytes&quot;:2708537,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/191069074?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5dc07c9c-217a-4d03-bab2-4ece33feb9d4_1080x1920.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!H4bf!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5328a34-5726-4bab-8f14-3633695d5cbc_1080x1340.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!H4bf!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5328a34-5726-4bab-8f14-3633695d5cbc_1080x1340.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!H4bf!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5328a34-5726-4bab-8f14-3633695d5cbc_1080x1340.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!H4bf!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5328a34-5726-4bab-8f14-3633695d5cbc_1080x1340.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Sardines are cheap, full of omega-3s, and eaten regularly by some of the longest-living populations on earth. But none of that is why you should make this. You should make it because blistered tomatoes, creamy ricotta and crispy capers on good sourdough is one of the better things you can put together in under 20 minutes.</p><p>The tomatoes go into the pan whole. They blister slowly in olive oil, soften, and release their juices just enough to turn jammy and slightly sweet. A splash of Worcestershire sauce adds a little depth that you&#8217;d notice if it was missing. The sardines go on last, straight from the tin, salty and rich against everything underneath.</p><p>It will surprise you how good this is. Let me know if you give it a go! :)</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3><strong>Ingredients (serves 2)</strong></h3><ul><li><p>1&#8211;2 tins of good quality sardines in olive oil</p></li><li><p>300 g cherry tomatoes</p></li><li><p>3 tbsp capers, drained and very well dried on kitchen paper (essential for crisping)</p></li><li><p>2 thick slices sourdough</p></li><li><p>3&#8211;4 tbsp ricotta</p></li><li><p>4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for the toast</p></li><li><p>1 garlic cloves (for rubbing the toast)</p></li><li><p>A splash of Worcestershire sauce</p></li><li><p>Small handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly torn</p></li><li><p>Salt and black pepper</p></li></ul><h3><strong>Method</strong></h3><ol><li><p>Start with the capers. Pat them very dry with kitchen paper. Heat a generous layer of olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the capers and fry for about 3 minutes until they bloom open and turn crispy. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Set aside.</p></li><li><p>Preheat your oven to 200&#176;C. Drizzle the sourdough slices with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place in the oven for a few minutes until the tops are golden and crisp. Once out, rub the surface immediately with the cut side of a garlic clove while the bread is still warm.</p></li><li><p>In a wide pan, heat a good splash of olive oil over medium heat. Add the cherry tomatoes whole and leave them to cook for about 10 minutes, until blistered and starting to burst. Gently press them with a spoon to release some of their juices, but don&#8217;t break them down completely.</p></li><li><p>Season with salt and pepper, add a splash of Worcestershire sauce and stir through. Tear in most of the parsley and mix gently.</p></li><li><p>Smear a generous layer of ricotta onto each piece of toast. Spoon the tomato mixture on top, letting some of the juices soak into the bread. Scatter the crispy capers over the tomatoes, top with 2 (or 3) sardines and finish with the remaining parsley. </p></li></ol><p>If you give it a go, I&#8217;d love to see it!</p><p>And if you&#8217;re new here and enjoying these recipes, you can leave your e-mail below to get future ones straight to your inbox. It&#8217;s a simple way to follow along and support my work.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>And feel free to share it with a friend! :)</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/sardines-on-toast?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/sardines-on-toast?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p>Cheers, <br>Gabriel</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[herby garlic rice with crispy chicken breast]]></title><description><![CDATA[and a lemon caper pan sauce]]></description><link>https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/herby-garlic-rice-with-crispy-chicken</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/herby-garlic-rice-with-crispy-chicken</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 10 Mar 2026 16:30:38 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WBEk!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46adf6a7-fbf7-440c-ac41-057a2862e287_1080x1380.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This recipe is part of my series: Great After Work Dinners (Episode 10).</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WBEk!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46adf6a7-fbf7-440c-ac41-057a2862e287_1080x1380.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WBEk!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46adf6a7-fbf7-440c-ac41-057a2862e287_1080x1380.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WBEk!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46adf6a7-fbf7-440c-ac41-057a2862e287_1080x1380.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WBEk!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46adf6a7-fbf7-440c-ac41-057a2862e287_1080x1380.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WBEk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46adf6a7-fbf7-440c-ac41-057a2862e287_1080x1380.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WBEk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46adf6a7-fbf7-440c-ac41-057a2862e287_1080x1380.png" width="626" height="799.8888888888889" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/46adf6a7-fbf7-440c-ac41-057a2862e287_1080x1380.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1380,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:626,&quot;bytes&quot;:3090323,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/190451021?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2fcedf23-fcf9-420b-a5ad-5b1c603ebd4f_1080x1920.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WBEk!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46adf6a7-fbf7-440c-ac41-057a2862e287_1080x1380.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WBEk!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46adf6a7-fbf7-440c-ac41-057a2862e287_1080x1380.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WBEk!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46adf6a7-fbf7-440c-ac41-057a2862e287_1080x1380.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WBEk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46adf6a7-fbf7-440c-ac41-057a2862e287_1080x1380.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Chicken breasts have a bit of a bad rep. Too bland, too dry, not worth the effort. I think the problem is not the chicken. It&#8217;s usually the pan not being hot enough, the resting step being skipped, or nothing interesting happening alongside it.</p><p>Here the rice does a lot of the heavy lifting. Garlic toasted in olive oil before the rice even goes in, then finished with dill, parsley, kalamata olives and lemon zest. <br><br>It&#8217;s fragrant and slightly briny and genuinely good on its own. Then the pan sauce with capers, lemon juice, stock and mustard, finished off the heat with butter until it turns into a smooth sauce. Some fresh lemony herbs and shallot on top to finish, and the whole plate feels put together without much effort.</p><p>This one can be done in about 30 minutes. Give it a go!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3>Ingredients (serves 2)</h3><p>Chicken</p><ul><li><p>2 chicken breasts</p></li><li><p>2 tbsp neutral oil (I used avocado oil)</p></li><li><p>Salt </p></li></ul><p>Herby garlic rice</p><ul><li><p>200 g basmati rice</p></li><li><p>2 tbsp olive oil</p></li><li><p>2 garlic cloves, grated</p></li><li><p>40 g Kalamata olives, thinly sliced</p></li><li><p>10 g parsley, chopped</p></li><li><p>10 g dill, chopped</p></li><li><p>Zest of &#189; lemon</p></li><li><p>Salt and black pepper</p></li></ul><p>Lemon caper pan sauce</p><ul><li><p>1 tbsp capers</p></li><li><p>Juice of &#189; lemon</p></li><li><p>100 ml chicken stock</p></li><li><p>1 tsp Dijon mustard</p></li><li><p>35 g unsalted butter</p></li></ul><p>Herb finish</p><ul><li><p>Parsley leaves</p></li><li><p>Dill fronds</p></li><li><p>A few thin shallot slices</p></li><li><p>Drizzle of olive oil</p></li><li><p>A little lemon juice</p></li><li><p>Pinch of salt</p></li></ul><h3>Method</h3><ol><li><p>Wash the rice thoroughly under cold water three times, until the water runs almost clear. This removes the excess starch and gives you light, fluffy rice.</p></li><li><p>Heat a pan over medium-low heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Grate in the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the rice and toast for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring until every grain is coated. Throw/crumble in a stock cube and add 300 ml of boiling water. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid and cook on the lowest heat for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it steam, still covered, for another 5 minutes. The rice should absorb all the liquid.</p></li><li><p>In the meantime, season the chicken well with salt. If you have time, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before cooking. Heat a pan over medium-high heat for a good while before adding any oil. Add the chicken and press it down firmly with something heavy so it stays in full contact with the pan. Cook on one side for around 5 minutes until deeply golden. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove and let it rest for at least 5 minutes. Don&#8217;t skip the rest.</p></li><li><p>In the same pan, add the capers, lemon juice and chicken stock. Let it reduce until roughly halved. Stir in the mustard until combined. Turn off the heat and add the cold butter, stirring with a small whisk or soft/wooden spatula (if cooking in non-stick) until the sauce turns glossy and emulsified.</p></li><li><p>Stir the chopped dill, parsley, kalamata olives, lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil through the warm rice. Taste and season with a bit of salt and pepper (don&#8217;t forget to taste first).</p></li><li><p>In a small bowl, toss the parsley leaves, dill fronds and sliced shallot with a splash of lemon juice, a dash of olive oil and a pinch of salt.</p></li><li><p>Spoon the herby rice onto plates. Slice the chicken and lay it on top. Drizzle the pan sauce over everything, then pile the herb and shallot mix on top.</p></li></ol><p>If you give this a go, I&#8217;d love to see it!</p><p>And if you&#8217;re new here and enjoying these recipes, you can leave your e-mail below to get future ones straight to your inbox.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>Cheers, <br>Gabriel</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[orecchiette with fennel sausage, greens & chili]]></title><description><![CDATA[This recipe is part of my series Great After Work Dinners (Episode 9).]]></description><link>https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/orecchiette-with-fennel-sausage-greens</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/orecchiette-with-fennel-sausage-greens</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2026 15:02:49 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!buGb!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf1bd0cd-bdaa-4d40-bfe8-dae13f348871_1080x1312.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This recipe is part of my series Great <strong>After Work Dinners</strong> (Episode 9).</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!buGb!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf1bd0cd-bdaa-4d40-bfe8-dae13f348871_1080x1312.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!buGb!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf1bd0cd-bdaa-4d40-bfe8-dae13f348871_1080x1312.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!buGb!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf1bd0cd-bdaa-4d40-bfe8-dae13f348871_1080x1312.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!buGb!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf1bd0cd-bdaa-4d40-bfe8-dae13f348871_1080x1312.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!buGb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf1bd0cd-bdaa-4d40-bfe8-dae13f348871_1080x1312.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!buGb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf1bd0cd-bdaa-4d40-bfe8-dae13f348871_1080x1312.png" width="708" height="860.0888888888888" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/af1bd0cd-bdaa-4d40-bfe8-dae13f348871_1080x1312.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1312,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:708,&quot;bytes&quot;:3383686,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/189708757?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd39b5c5c-74a7-412a-9d17-5ef67bd64c48_1080x1920.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!buGb!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf1bd0cd-bdaa-4d40-bfe8-dae13f348871_1080x1312.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!buGb!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf1bd0cd-bdaa-4d40-bfe8-dae13f348871_1080x1312.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!buGb!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf1bd0cd-bdaa-4d40-bfe8-dae13f348871_1080x1312.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!buGb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf1bd0cd-bdaa-4d40-bfe8-dae13f348871_1080x1312.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><em>Orecchiette</em> means &#8220;little ears&#8221; in Italian. They come from Puglia, in the south of Italy, where they&#8217;re still shaped by hand and traditionally served with bitter greens like cime di rapa (broccoli rabe). The slight hollow in the centre isn&#8217;t decorative. It&#8217;s practical. It catches sauce, olive oil, sausage, grated cheese. Every bite holds something as you can see on the picture above.</p><p>That&#8217;s also why I really like using them here. Crispy fennel sausage, softened onion, white wine, shaved broccoli and kale, a little chili, and Parmigiano to bring it together. Not the classic version, but the idea is the same. A nice pasta shape, something green, and high quality pork.</p><p>This is kind of plate that makes a weekday feel like you cooked something properly, without turning dinner into a big project. Hope you like it! </p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3><strong>Ingredients (serves 2)</strong></h3><ul><li><p>250 g orecchiette</p></li><li><p>3 fennel sausages (about 300&#8211;350 g total), casing removed</p></li><li><p>1 medium white onion, finely diced</p></li><li><p>2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced</p></li><li><p>120 ml dry white wine</p></li><li><p>1 small broccoli, shaved or very thinly sliced</p></li><li><p>100 g kale roughly chopped (or pre-cut)</p></li><li><p>50 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated</p></li><li><p>1 tsp chili flakes (or to taste)</p></li><li><p>Extra virgin olive oil</p></li><li><p>Salt &amp; black pepper</p><p></p></li></ul><h3><strong>Method</strong></h3><ol><li><p>Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil (see step 3)</p></li><li><p>Remove the sausage from its casing and divide into bite-sized pieces. Season lightly with salt. Heat a generous drizzle of olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat, add the sausage and let it brown properly. Don&#8217;t move it around too much. You want deep colour and crispy bits. Once browned and caramelised, transfer to a plate.</p></li><li><p>Cook the orecchiette until al dente according to the packet instructions (~9 min)</p></li><li><p>In the same pan, using the sausage fat, add the diced onion with a small pinch of salt and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook briefly until fragrant.</p></li><li><p>Deglaze with the white wine, add the chili flakes and let it reduce until the wine mostly evaporated (~2 min)</p></li><li><p>Add the kale and shaved broccoli. Cook for a few minutes so they soften but still keep some bite. Add a splash of pasta water and toss.</p></li><li><p>Add the drained orecchiette straight into the pan with another generous splash of pasta water. The released starch in the pasta water makes the sauce glossy and brings it together. Toss a few times until lightly coated.</p></li><li><p>Turn off the heat and stir in enough grated Parmigiano (keep a little for garnihs) with a final splash of pasta water to create a light, silky sauce. Taste and adjust with salt and black pepper.</p></li><li><p>Plate and finish with a drizzle of olive oil, extra chili flakes and the rest of the Parmigiano.</p></li></ol><p>If you make it, I&#8217;d love to see how yours turns out. Tag me or send it over. I always enjoy seeing your take on these.</p><p>And if you&#8217;re new here, you can leave your email below and I&#8217;ll send the next recipes straight to you. Plenty more coming!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>Cheers,<br>Gabriel</p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[must have kitchen tools]]></title><description><![CDATA[according to yours truly]]></description><link>https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/must-have-kitchen-tools</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/must-have-kitchen-tools</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 28 Feb 2026 07:01:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1d3fceb6-64cc-4ea8-9272-689e6b8e56d3_2400x1260.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Pgmu!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd0670e62-a5a8-422c-b1c3-ee8b5eff9ec5_2160x2700.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Pgmu!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd0670e62-a5a8-422c-b1c3-ee8b5eff9ec5_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Pgmu!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd0670e62-a5a8-422c-b1c3-ee8b5eff9ec5_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Pgmu!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd0670e62-a5a8-422c-b1c3-ee8b5eff9ec5_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Pgmu!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd0670e62-a5a8-422c-b1c3-ee8b5eff9ec5_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Pgmu!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd0670e62-a5a8-422c-b1c3-ee8b5eff9ec5_2160x2700.png" width="561" height="701.25" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d0670e62-a5a8-422c-b1c3-ee8b5eff9ec5_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1820,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:561,&quot;bytes&quot;:7610985,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/189415196?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd0670e62-a5a8-422c-b1c3-ee8b5eff9ec5_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Pgmu!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd0670e62-a5a8-422c-b1c3-ee8b5eff9ec5_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Pgmu!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd0670e62-a5a8-422c-b1c3-ee8b5eff9ec5_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Pgmu!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd0670e62-a5a8-422c-b1c3-ee8b5eff9ec5_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Pgmu!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd0670e62-a5a8-422c-b1c3-ee8b5eff9ec5_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>There&#8217;s something calming and satisfying about a well-set-up kitchen. Not more stuff - just the right things. Tools that make cooking smoother, cleaner, and generally a more fun experience!</p><p>These are the ones I use all the time. I&#8217;m not affiliated with any of the brands mentioned below. For the sake of the length of this article I chose 10, but I must say I can think of many more tools I like and use.</p><p>Which tools am I missing? Let me know below! :)</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3>1. Bench scraper</h3><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4Wti!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F891ad12e-6839-45b7-91ce-9a61872c6073_2160x2700.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4Wti!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F891ad12e-6839-45b7-91ce-9a61872c6073_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4Wti!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F891ad12e-6839-45b7-91ce-9a61872c6073_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4Wti!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F891ad12e-6839-45b7-91ce-9a61872c6073_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4Wti!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F891ad12e-6839-45b7-91ce-9a61872c6073_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4Wti!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F891ad12e-6839-45b7-91ce-9a61872c6073_2160x2700.png" width="399" height="498.75" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/891ad12e-6839-45b7-91ce-9a61872c6073_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1820,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:399,&quot;bytes&quot;:7253478,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/189415196?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F891ad12e-6839-45b7-91ce-9a61872c6073_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4Wti!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F891ad12e-6839-45b7-91ce-9a61872c6073_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4Wti!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F891ad12e-6839-45b7-91ce-9a61872c6073_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4Wti!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F891ad12e-6839-45b7-91ce-9a61872c6073_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4Wti!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F891ad12e-6839-45b7-91ce-9a61872c6073_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>This is the tool I didn&#8217;t know I needed - until I had one. I use this almost every time I cook.</p><p>You finish chopping an onion or some herbs and instead of trying to balance everything on your knife, you just scoop it up cleanly and slide it into the pan. It keeps things tidy and makes prep feel smoother.</p><p>When I bake, it divides dough neatly. When I cook, it clears mess and crumbles off the counter in seconds. It is simple, cheap, and surprisingly satisfying to use.<br><br><strong>Brand rec:</strong> basically any one will do.<br><strong>Price range:</strong> You can get a good one for around &#8364;10 to &#8364;20!</p><div><hr></div><h3>2. Microplane</h3><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ucw-!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe4143b58-9c03-4bf2-8d93-660fd94da4b0_2160x2700.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ucw-!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe4143b58-9c03-4bf2-8d93-660fd94da4b0_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ucw-!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe4143b58-9c03-4bf2-8d93-660fd94da4b0_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ucw-!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe4143b58-9c03-4bf2-8d93-660fd94da4b0_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ucw-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe4143b58-9c03-4bf2-8d93-660fd94da4b0_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ucw-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe4143b58-9c03-4bf2-8d93-660fd94da4b0_2160x2700.png" width="399" height="498.75" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e4143b58-9c03-4bf2-8d93-660fd94da4b0_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1820,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:399,&quot;bytes&quot;:7139371,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/189415196?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe4143b58-9c03-4bf2-8d93-660fd94da4b0_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ucw-!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe4143b58-9c03-4bf2-8d93-660fd94da4b0_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ucw-!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe4143b58-9c03-4bf2-8d93-660fd94da4b0_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ucw-!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe4143b58-9c03-4bf2-8d93-660fd94da4b0_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ucw-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe4143b58-9c03-4bf2-8d93-660fd94da4b0_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>This is one of those tools that quietly levels up your food.</p><p>When you zest a lemon, it turns into a fine, fragrant strings instead of thick strips. Garlic becomes almost a paste and melts into sauces. Parmesan falls like a light snow over pasta instead of sitting in heavy clumps. You notice the difference straight away.<br><br><strong>Brand rec</strong>: Microplane (its in the name)<strong>.<br>Price range: </strong>A proper one is usually around <strong>&#8364;20 </strong>to <strong>&#8364;30 </strong>and 100% worth it.</p><div><hr></div><h3>3. Chef&#8217;s Press</h3><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!N39h!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3cb1ee8d-534e-46cb-9e98-f00de7dd2b39_2160x2700.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!N39h!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3cb1ee8d-534e-46cb-9e98-f00de7dd2b39_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!N39h!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3cb1ee8d-534e-46cb-9e98-f00de7dd2b39_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!N39h!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3cb1ee8d-534e-46cb-9e98-f00de7dd2b39_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!N39h!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3cb1ee8d-534e-46cb-9e98-f00de7dd2b39_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!N39h!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3cb1ee8d-534e-46cb-9e98-f00de7dd2b39_2160x2700.png" width="399" height="498.75" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/3cb1ee8d-534e-46cb-9e98-f00de7dd2b39_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1820,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:399,&quot;bytes&quot;:7358425,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/189415196?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3cb1ee8d-534e-46cb-9e98-f00de7dd2b39_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!N39h!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3cb1ee8d-534e-46cb-9e98-f00de7dd2b39_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!N39h!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3cb1ee8d-534e-46cb-9e98-f00de7dd2b39_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!N39h!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3cb1ee8d-534e-46cb-9e98-f00de7dd2b39_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!N39h!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3cb1ee8d-534e-46cb-9e98-f00de7dd2b39_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>This one is a bit more niche, but I really like it.</p><p>The design is just very good. You can stack multiple presses on top of each other if you need more weight, and because of the open structure, steam can escape while it&#8217;s cooking. That means better contact with the pan and a crispier result instead of something that just steams underneath.</p><p>When you are searing chicken skin, fish, or even a sandwich or vegetables, its great. The press keeps everything flat against the surface, so you get more even browning and a proper crust.</p><p>You could use another pan to press things down, but this feels more consistent and you get a better crisp, because of the steam escaping. This one might not be essential for everyone, but if you&#8217;re like me and you appreciate a great sear, this ones for you! </p><p><strong>Brand rec:</strong> Chef&#8217;s Press<br><strong>Price range:</strong> They are usually around <strong>&#8364;30 to &#8364;40</strong>. </p><div><hr></div><h3>5. Mandoline</h3><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gb8W!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9bdb93c3-4ead-45f2-b4f1-4fbe307a241a_2160x2700.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gb8W!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9bdb93c3-4ead-45f2-b4f1-4fbe307a241a_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gb8W!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9bdb93c3-4ead-45f2-b4f1-4fbe307a241a_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gb8W!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9bdb93c3-4ead-45f2-b4f1-4fbe307a241a_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gb8W!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9bdb93c3-4ead-45f2-b4f1-4fbe307a241a_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gb8W!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9bdb93c3-4ead-45f2-b4f1-4fbe307a241a_2160x2700.png" width="398" height="497.5" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/9bdb93c3-4ead-45f2-b4f1-4fbe307a241a_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:false,&quot;imageSize&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:1820,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:398,&quot;bytes&quot;:6933464,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/189415196?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9bdb93c3-4ead-45f2-b4f1-4fbe307a241a_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:&quot;center&quot;,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gb8W!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9bdb93c3-4ead-45f2-b4f1-4fbe307a241a_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gb8W!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9bdb93c3-4ead-45f2-b4f1-4fbe307a241a_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gb8W!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9bdb93c3-4ead-45f2-b4f1-4fbe307a241a_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gb8W!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9bdb93c3-4ead-45f2-b4f1-4fbe307a241a_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>If you like clean, even slices, this is a game changer.</p><p>Fennel for a salad, potatoes for a gratin, cabbage for slaw. Everything comes out thin and uniform, which also means it cooks more evenly.</p><p>It saves you TONS of time and gives you that slightly more refined look without much effort.</p><p><strong>Brand rec: </strong>Benriner<br><strong>Price range: </strong>A solid one (like this Japanese Benriner) will cost somewhere between &#8364;25 and &#8364;60. Just make sure you use the guard to protect your fingers (I found that out the hard way&#8230;).</p><div><hr></div><h3>5. Spoonula</h3><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HE6_!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9912c1da-3f63-4104-b8f8-c232f45bdb33_2160x2700.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HE6_!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9912c1da-3f63-4104-b8f8-c232f45bdb33_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HE6_!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9912c1da-3f63-4104-b8f8-c232f45bdb33_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HE6_!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9912c1da-3f63-4104-b8f8-c232f45bdb33_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HE6_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9912c1da-3f63-4104-b8f8-c232f45bdb33_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HE6_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9912c1da-3f63-4104-b8f8-c232f45bdb33_2160x2700.png" width="398" height="497.5" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/9912c1da-3f63-4104-b8f8-c232f45bdb33_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1820,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:398,&quot;bytes&quot;:5635689,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/189415196?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9912c1da-3f63-4104-b8f8-c232f45bdb33_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HE6_!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9912c1da-3f63-4104-b8f8-c232f45bdb33_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HE6_!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9912c1da-3f63-4104-b8f8-c232f45bdb33_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HE6_!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9912c1da-3f63-4104-b8f8-c232f45bdb33_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HE6_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9912c1da-3f63-4104-b8f8-c232f45bdb33_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>This is one of those tools that sounds unnecessary until you use it.</p><p>It&#8217;s basically the best parts of a spoon and a spatula combined, made from heat-resistant silicone so you can leave it in a hot pan without worrying. The curved side lets you scoop sauces properly, and the flexible edge scrapes down the sides of a pan or bowl cleanly. When you&#8217;re making risotto, tomato sauce, or scrambled eggs, it follows the curve of the pan so nothing sticks or burns in the corners.</p><p>It&#8217;s also great for folding batter gently or scraping the very last bit out of a jar. You don&#8217;t need five different spatulas. One good spoonula does most of the work.</p><p><strong>Brand rec:</strong> I don&#8217;t know the brand, but look for the sturdy red ones like the one above.<br><strong>Price range:</strong> Usually around <strong>&#8364;10 </strong>to <strong>&#8364;20</strong> for a solid one, and you&#8217;ll end up using it constantly.</p><div><hr></div><h3>6. Kitchen scissors</h3><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zh4y!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfbf873e-79b9-467c-a452-09c9df70702d_2160x2700.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zh4y!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfbf873e-79b9-467c-a452-09c9df70702d_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zh4y!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfbf873e-79b9-467c-a452-09c9df70702d_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zh4y!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfbf873e-79b9-467c-a452-09c9df70702d_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zh4y!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfbf873e-79b9-467c-a452-09c9df70702d_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zh4y!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfbf873e-79b9-467c-a452-09c9df70702d_2160x2700.png" width="398" height="497.5" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/cfbf873e-79b9-467c-a452-09c9df70702d_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1820,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:398,&quot;bytes&quot;:6601557,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/189415196?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfbf873e-79b9-467c-a452-09c9df70702d_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zh4y!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfbf873e-79b9-467c-a452-09c9df70702d_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zh4y!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfbf873e-79b9-467c-a452-09c9df70702d_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zh4y!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfbf873e-79b9-467c-a452-09c9df70702d_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zh4y!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfbf873e-79b9-467c-a452-09c9df70702d_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>I reach for these more than I expected.</p><p>Cutting open stuff, packages, cutting spring onions over noodles, trimming chicken thighs, breaking down a small fish. Sometimes it is simply faster and easier than using a knife.</p><p>Once you have a proper pair that stays in the kitchen, you will use them constantly.</p><p><strong>Brand rec: </strong>I use Misuzu Silky, but there are many good brands<br><strong>Price range: </strong>Good ones are around <strong>&#8364;15 </strong>to <strong>&#8364;50</strong> and will last years.</p><div><hr></div><h3>7. Peeler</h3><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6rAk!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F013af872-b204-4777-b860-e10f45d14f16_2160x2700.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6rAk!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F013af872-b204-4777-b860-e10f45d14f16_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6rAk!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F013af872-b204-4777-b860-e10f45d14f16_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6rAk!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F013af872-b204-4777-b860-e10f45d14f16_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6rAk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F013af872-b204-4777-b860-e10f45d14f16_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6rAk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F013af872-b204-4777-b860-e10f45d14f16_2160x2700.png" width="399" height="498.75" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/013af872-b204-4777-b860-e10f45d14f16_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1820,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:399,&quot;bytes&quot;:6044497,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/189415196?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F013af872-b204-4777-b860-e10f45d14f16_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6rAk!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F013af872-b204-4777-b860-e10f45d14f16_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6rAk!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F013af872-b204-4777-b860-e10f45d14f16_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6rAk!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F013af872-b204-4777-b860-e10f45d14f16_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6rAk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F013af872-b204-4777-b860-e10f45d14f16_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>A good Y-peeler makes life easier.</p><p>It removes thin, even layers with minimal waste and gives you more control than a knife. It is great for carrots, asparagus, potatoes, and also for shaving vegetables into ribbons for salads.</p><p>It sounds basic, but a sharp, comfortable peeler makes a difference.</p><p><strong>Brand rec</strong>: This one is from one of my favourite knife shops in the Netherlands (Amsterdam) - Karasu Knives - they don&#8217;t sell this peeler anymore (its just a regular peeler) but I wanted to give them a shout out. You should definitely check out their website or store when in Amsterdam. Beautiful stuff!<br><strong>Price range: </strong>You can find great ones for <strong>&#8364;3</strong> to <strong>&#8364;15</strong>.</p><div><hr></div><h3>8. Citrus squeezer</h3><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a7oV!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8e9feee0-8455-46bb-87c4-9d83491d9bdf_2160x2700.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a7oV!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8e9feee0-8455-46bb-87c4-9d83491d9bdf_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a7oV!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8e9feee0-8455-46bb-87c4-9d83491d9bdf_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a7oV!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8e9feee0-8455-46bb-87c4-9d83491d9bdf_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a7oV!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8e9feee0-8455-46bb-87c4-9d83491d9bdf_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a7oV!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8e9feee0-8455-46bb-87c4-9d83491d9bdf_2160x2700.png" width="397" height="496.25" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/8e9feee0-8455-46bb-87c4-9d83491d9bdf_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1820,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:397,&quot;bytes&quot;:6163577,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/189415196?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8e9feee0-8455-46bb-87c4-9d83491d9bdf_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a7oV!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8e9feee0-8455-46bb-87c4-9d83491d9bdf_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a7oV!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8e9feee0-8455-46bb-87c4-9d83491d9bdf_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a7oV!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8e9feee0-8455-46bb-87c4-9d83491d9bdf_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a7oV!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8e9feee0-8455-46bb-87c4-9d83491d9bdf_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Citrus are one of my favourite fruits, so this is one of those tools I use a lot.</p><p>You taste a dish and it needs a bit of brightness. You halve a lemon, press once, and get clean juice without seeds and without sticky hands. It is quick, neat, and actually extracts more juice than squeezing by hand.</p><p><strong>Brand rec:</strong> random, check Amazon<br><strong>Price range:</strong> Expect to pay around <strong>&#8364;10 </strong>to <strong>&#8364;25</strong> for a solid metal one.</p><div><hr></div><h3>9. Precise scale</h3><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Fb3!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7b7b7ba5-fb9a-43db-94ae-f212752ff943_2160x2700.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Fb3!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7b7b7ba5-fb9a-43db-94ae-f212752ff943_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Fb3!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7b7b7ba5-fb9a-43db-94ae-f212752ff943_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Fb3!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7b7b7ba5-fb9a-43db-94ae-f212752ff943_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Fb3!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7b7b7ba5-fb9a-43db-94ae-f212752ff943_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Fb3!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7b7b7ba5-fb9a-43db-94ae-f212752ff943_2160x2700.png" width="397" height="496.25" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/7b7b7ba5-fb9a-43db-94ae-f212752ff943_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1820,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:397,&quot;bytes&quot;:5896490,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/189415196?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7b7b7ba5-fb9a-43db-94ae-f212752ff943_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Fb3!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7b7b7ba5-fb9a-43db-94ae-f212752ff943_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Fb3!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7b7b7ba5-fb9a-43db-94ae-f212752ff943_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Fb3!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7b7b7ba5-fb9a-43db-94ae-f212752ff943_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Fb3!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7b7b7ba5-fb9a-43db-94ae-f212752ff943_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><br>Cooking can be intuitive, but baking really benefits from accuracy. I also use it a lot for just measuring for recipes.</p><p>When you measure flour by weight instead of guessing, your results become consistent. Over time, you also start to understand proportions better, even in savoury cooking.</p><p><strong>Brand rec:</strong> if you want to be really precise, a Tanita is great (it measures in 2 decimals), but any scale will do! <br><strong>Price range:</strong> A reliable digital scale is usually <strong>&#8364;20 </strong>to <strong>&#8364;60</strong> (on the higher end) and will serve you for years.</p><div><hr></div><h3>10. High quality cutting board</h3><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G6G-!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc755182c-286a-412f-b950-cc7f98182616_2160x2700.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G6G-!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc755182c-286a-412f-b950-cc7f98182616_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G6G-!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc755182c-286a-412f-b950-cc7f98182616_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G6G-!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc755182c-286a-412f-b950-cc7f98182616_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G6G-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc755182c-286a-412f-b950-cc7f98182616_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G6G-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc755182c-286a-412f-b950-cc7f98182616_2160x2700.png" width="397" height="496.25" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c755182c-286a-412f-b950-cc7f98182616_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1820,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:397,&quot;bytes&quot;:5341956,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/189415196?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc755182c-286a-412f-b950-cc7f98182616_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G6G-!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc755182c-286a-412f-b950-cc7f98182616_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G6G-!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc755182c-286a-412f-b950-cc7f98182616_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G6G-!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc755182c-286a-412f-b950-cc7f98182616_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G6G-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc755182c-286a-412f-b950-cc7f98182616_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>This is the foundation of your prep.</p><p>A stable board that does not slide, with a surface that is kind to your knives, is a must have in my opinion. Especially if you use Japanese knives. A softer one like this, however, takes some getting use to. Doing a rocking motion with your knife is slightly more challenging, but it is better for your knifes edge and it keeps them sharp for  a much longer time. </p><p>I have a<strong> </strong>Kama Asa, but honestly, focus on something solid and well-made that fits your space. End-grain wood (not bamboo please) and high-quality synthetic boards, like the one mentioned above, both work well.</p><p><strong>Brand rec</strong>: Kama Asa, Hasagawa, Asahi Parker<br><strong>Price range</strong>: You are usually looking at &#8364;40 to &#8364;120 depending on size and material. It is worth investing here because it protects your knives and makes cooking more enjoyable.</p><div><hr></div><p><br>That is it.</p><p>Not a huge collection. These are simply the pieces I have bought myself and kept using over time!</p><p>If you are building your kitchen slowly, start with the basics and upgrade over time. You do not need everything at once. Just the things that make you want to cook a little more.<br><br>Which ones did I miss, and let me know if I should make a part 2! :)</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uTjU!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F42cc30c3-71b8-457f-83c9-644bafe5f6bd_2160x2700.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uTjU!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F42cc30c3-71b8-457f-83c9-644bafe5f6bd_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uTjU!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F42cc30c3-71b8-457f-83c9-644bafe5f6bd_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uTjU!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F42cc30c3-71b8-457f-83c9-644bafe5f6bd_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uTjU!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F42cc30c3-71b8-457f-83c9-644bafe5f6bd_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uTjU!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F42cc30c3-71b8-457f-83c9-644bafe5f6bd_2160x2700.png" width="1456" height="1820" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/42cc30c3-71b8-457f-83c9-644bafe5f6bd_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1820,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:8693555,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/189415196?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F42cc30c3-71b8-457f-83c9-644bafe5f6bd_2160x2700.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uTjU!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F42cc30c3-71b8-457f-83c9-644bafe5f6bd_2160x2700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uTjU!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F42cc30c3-71b8-457f-83c9-644bafe5f6bd_2160x2700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uTjU!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F42cc30c3-71b8-457f-83c9-644bafe5f6bd_2160x2700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uTjU!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F42cc30c3-71b8-457f-83c9-644bafe5f6bd_2160x2700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p><br>Cheers,<br>Gabriel</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[creamy green asian salad]]></title><description><![CDATA[with soy glazed ribeye]]></description><link>https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/creamy-green-asian-salad</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/creamy-green-asian-salad</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2026 14:10:31 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/9994581f-6a00-4a07-9402-bac3fd799f77_1080x1920.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This recipe is part of my series: <strong>Great After Work Dinners</strong> (Episode 8).</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!li9l!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8551cace-319e-402d-a209-6a6720f8ce4e_1080x1396.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!li9l!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8551cace-319e-402d-a209-6a6720f8ce4e_1080x1396.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!li9l!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8551cace-319e-402d-a209-6a6720f8ce4e_1080x1396.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!li9l!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8551cace-319e-402d-a209-6a6720f8ce4e_1080x1396.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!li9l!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8551cace-319e-402d-a209-6a6720f8ce4e_1080x1396.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!li9l!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8551cace-319e-402d-a209-6a6720f8ce4e_1080x1396.png" width="574" height="741.9481481481481" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/8551cace-319e-402d-a209-6a6720f8ce4e_1080x1396.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1396,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:574,&quot;bytes&quot;:3132014,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/189358763?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F01326b27-54a0-4129-b1e4-4a4c4494339d_1080x1920.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!li9l!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8551cace-319e-402d-a209-6a6720f8ce4e_1080x1396.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!li9l!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8551cace-319e-402d-a209-6a6720f8ce4e_1080x1396.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!li9l!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8551cace-319e-402d-a209-6a6720f8ce4e_1080x1396.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!li9l!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8551cace-319e-402d-a209-6a6720f8ce4e_1080x1396.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Some evenings you want something fresh, but not boring. Something that feels light, yet still properly satisfying. This salad does exactly that. Cold, crisp baby gem coated in a creamy green dressing, topped with warm soy-glazed ribeye straight from the pan. It&#8217;s sharp, savoury, and full of contrast. Not a side salad, but a great after work dinner!</p><p>If you&#8217;re cooking for vegetarians or vegans, replace the ribeye with shiitake mushrooms. Tear them into chunky pieces and sear them hard until deeply golden before adding the soy. They absorb the sauce beautifully and keep that savoury depth. Hope you like it! :)</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3>Ingredients (serves 1)</h3><ul><li><p>2 heads baby gem</p></li><li><p>200-300g ribeye</p></li><li><p>1 tbsp neutral oil</p></li><li><p>2 tbsp soy sauce</p></li></ul><p>Sauce</p><ul><li><p>1 ripe avocado</p></li><li><p>Juice of &#189; lime</p></li><li><p>2 tsp rice vinegar</p></li><li><p>10 g fresh coriander</p></li><li><p>5 mint leaves</p></li><li><p>1 cm fresh ginger, finely grated</p></li><li><p>1 tsp sesame oil</p></li><li><p>1 tsp honey or sugar</p></li><li><p>2 tsp fish sauce</p></li><li><p>30&#8211;40 ml cold water</p></li><li><p>1 ice cube</p></li><li><p>Salt to taste</p></li></ul><p>Garnish</p><ul><li><p>3&#8211;4 radishes, very thinly sliced</p></li><li><p>1 green jalape&#241;o, thinly sliced</p></li><li><p>2 tbsp crispy fried onions or shallots</p></li><li><p>1 tbsp sesame seeds</p><p></p></li></ul><h3>Method</h3><ol><li><p>Start with the dressing. In a blender combine the avocado, lime juice, rice vinegar, coriander, mint, ginger, sesame oil, honey, fish sauce, cold water and the ice cube. Blend until completely smooth. It should be creamy but spoonable, not thick like guacamole. Taste and adjust with more lime or fish sauce if needed.</p></li><li><p>Separate the baby gem leaves, wash and pat them dry. Toss gently with enough dressing to coat all leaves. Arrange on a platter. You want everything dressed but not drowned.</p></li><li><p>Optional: If you have time, place the ribeye in the freezer for 20&#8211;30 minutes until slightly firm. This makes it easier to slice thinly. Cut against the grain into thin slices. Pat dry and season lightly with salt.</p></li><li><p>Heat a pan until very hot. Add a splash of neutral oil. Lay the beef in a single layer and leave it untouched for about 30 seconds so it sears properly. Flip and pour the soy sauce around the edge of the pan so it bubbles and lightly glazes the meat. Cook for another 20&#8211;30 seconds. Do not overcook. The beef should stay tender and glossy.</p></li><li><p>Plate the dressed lettuce. Sprinkle over some toasted sesame seeds. Scatter the warm beef over the dressed lettuce. Add the sliced radishes and jalape&#241;o. Sprinkle finish with a bit of fried onion or shallot for crisp and add some extra coriander leaves if you like.  </p></li></ol><p>If you make this, let me know how it turns out. I always enjoy seeing your versions!</p><p>And if you&#8217;re new here, you can leave your e-mail below to get future recipes sent directly to you. Many more recipes coming!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>Cheers,<br>Gabriel</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[thai chicken cashew]]></title><description><![CDATA[with fluffy rice]]></description><link>https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/thai-chicken-cashew</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/p/thai-chicken-cashew</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gabriel Poltorak]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2026 16:00:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LB06!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cb89180-351b-48a3-bfe2-79ce927f0d5e_1080x1327.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This recipe is part of my series: <strong>Great After Work Dinners</strong> (Episode 7).</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LB06!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cb89180-351b-48a3-bfe2-79ce927f0d5e_1080x1327.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LB06!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cb89180-351b-48a3-bfe2-79ce927f0d5e_1080x1327.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LB06!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cb89180-351b-48a3-bfe2-79ce927f0d5e_1080x1327.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LB06!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cb89180-351b-48a3-bfe2-79ce927f0d5e_1080x1327.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LB06!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cb89180-351b-48a3-bfe2-79ce927f0d5e_1080x1327.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LB06!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cb89180-351b-48a3-bfe2-79ce927f0d5e_1080x1327.png" width="1080" height="1327" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1cb89180-351b-48a3-bfe2-79ce927f0d5e_1080x1327.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1327,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2677453,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/i/189079075?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd25be7fc-abd9-43dd-91a8-20e4e430762b_1080x1920.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LB06!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cb89180-351b-48a3-bfe2-79ce927f0d5e_1080x1327.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LB06!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cb89180-351b-48a3-bfe2-79ce927f0d5e_1080x1327.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LB06!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cb89180-351b-48a3-bfe2-79ce927f0d5e_1080x1327.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LB06!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cb89180-351b-48a3-bfe2-79ce927f0d5e_1080x1327.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>When I was in Bangkok, slightly tipsy and very hungry, I remember eating the best chicken cashew I&#8217;d ever had. Plastic chair, cold beer, loud traffic in the background. Crisp chicken, deeply toasted cashews, a glossy savoury sauce. I&#8217;ve been recreating that plate at home ever since, and today I&#8217;m sharing my version of that dish with you. Great after work, high in protein, and quick to cook if you prep the vegetables first. I think you&#8217;ll like this one!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3>Ingredients (serves 3)</h3><ul><li><p>500 g boneless skinless chicken thighs</p></li><li><p>1 tsp white pepper</p></li><li><p>2 tbsp soy sauce</p></li><li><p>2 tbsp cornstarch</p></li><li><p>60 ml vegetable oil</p></li><li><p>90 g unsalted cashew nuts</p></li><li><p>1 large white onion, cut into chunky pieces, layers separated</p></li><li><p>2 medium peppers, diced same size as the onion</p></li><li><p>3 cloves garlic, finely chopped</p></li><li><p>1-2 cm ginger, finely chopped</p></li><li><p>1 red chilli, sliced</p></li><li><p>A handful of fresh basil</p></li><li><p>2 spring onions, cut into 2&#8211;3 cm pieces</p></li><li><p>1 tbsp brown sugar</p></li><li><p>3 tbsp oyster sauce</p></li><li><p>1 tbsp (dark) soy sauce</p></li><li><p>300g of your rice of choice </p></li></ul><h3>Method</h3><ol><li><p>In a large bowl, combine the chicken with the white pepper and 2 teaspoons of soy sauce. Add the cornstarch and mix gently until every piece is lightly coated. The coating should be thin, just enough to help it crisp. Set aside.</p></li><li><p><strong>A simple trick for perfectly fluffy rice without a rice cooker</strong>: rinse the rice under running water three times, or until the water runs almost clear (important). Season the uncooked rice with salt and pepper, then add 1.5 times its volume in water. For example, 300 g rice needs 450 ml water. Bring to a boil with the lid on, reduce the heat to low and let it cook gently for 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid. Remove from the heat and let it steam, still covered, for another 5 minutes. The result should be light, fluffy rice.</p></li><li><p>While the rice cooks: heat the vegetable oil in a large pan (or ideally a wok if you have one) over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the cashews and fry until deep golden. Watch them closely as they colour quickly. Remove and set aside, leaving the oil in the pan.</p></li><li><p>Working in batches, add the chicken to the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry for about 4&#8211;5 minutes per batch until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside. Discard most of the oil, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pan.</p></li><li><p>Increase the heat slightly. Add the onion and peppers and stir fry for 2&#8211;3 minutes until slightly softened but still holding their shape. Add the garlic, ginger and  cook briefly until fragrant. Stir in the cut spring onions and cook for another minute.</p></li><li><p>Return the chicken and cashews to the pan. Add the brown sugar, oyster sauce and remaining soy sauce. Toss everything together over high heat until the sugar dissolves and the sauce turns glossy, lightly coating the chicken and vegetables. Then add your chili and basil.</p></li><li><p>Take a bowl, add your fluffy rice and spoon the chicken cashew on top. Enjoy!</p><p></p></li></ol><p>As always, if you give it a go, I&#8217;d love to see it. And if you&#8217;re new here and enjoying these recipes, you can leave your e-mail below to get future ones sent straight to your inbox! :)</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://gabrielpoltorak.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>Cheers, <br>Gabriel</p>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>