The cook
Wes Hadley
Wes Hadley worked brunch and dinner lines for years before trading the flat-top for a home stove. He cooks for two in a San Francisco apartment and writes every recipe the way he would hand a prep list to a new cook.
The food and circulation section started with questions from readers his own age about what they had been told to eat. He reads what has been published before writing a word, and says plainly when something has not been looked at. Write to him through the contact page.
12 recipes
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Pomegranate Orange Spritz
Unsweetened pomegranate juice, fresh orange and sparkling water, built in the glass. Two drinks, two minutes.
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Cast Iron Pork Chops with Apples and Onion
Two thick chops seared hard, then apples and onion cooked in the drippings while the pork rests. One pan, start to finish.
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Small-Pot Turkey Chili
A pound of ground turkey and one can of beans in a 3-quart pot. Dinner for two tonight and lunch for two tomorrow.
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Cold Brew Concentrate in a Quart Jar
Coarse coffee and cold water in a jar overnight. Strained, it is a concentrate that makes a week of iced coffee for two.
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Eight-Inch Skillet Cornbread
Batter poured into a preheated, buttered skillet so the edge fries as it bakes. Sized for an 8-inch pan and two people.
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Buttermilk Pancakes, Half Batch
A pancake recipe that makes six, not sixteen. Rested batter, a lumpy mix and a griddle that is hot but not smoking.
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Garlic Butter Shrimp over Rice
Half a pound of shrimp, a lot of garlic and a splash of white wine, done in the time it takes the rice to rest.
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Homemade Ginger Lime Soda
A fresh ginger syrup that keeps two weeks in the fridge, cut with lime and cold sparkling water by the glass.
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Soft Scrambled Eggs with Chives
Low heat, constant stirring and a cold knob of butter at the end. Four eggs, two plates, about five minutes of attention.
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Cast Iron Ribeye for Two
One thick ribeye, sliced and shared, beats two thin ones. Dry brine, a smoking-hot pan and butter basting at the end.
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Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Potatoes
Four bone-in thighs, a pound of small potatoes and one lemon on one pan. Skin side up, high heat, nothing to stir.
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Diner Hash Browns for Two
Shredded russets, squeezed dry in a towel and left alone in the pan. That is the whole secret of a diner hash brown, and it scales down fine.