Taramasalata Plate

A light and easy dinner recipe from Susie Theodorou's new No-Cook Cookbook

Hi, Snacking Fans! I hope the dark days of winter are treating you well. As I noted last week, it’s been a rough start to the year here in California, so quick-and-easy ways to feed myself and my family are even more important to my meal planning this month.

I’m still on the veggies-and-healthy-fish kick that led to the Wintery Crudités with Bagna Càuda recipe that I sent out a couple weeks ago. So, when I was flipping through Susie Theodorou's new book, the No-Cook Cookbook, I was immediately pulled to this simple, delicious combination.

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For more quick-and-easy (and delicious!) meals, pre-order a copy of my upcoming book SNACKING DINNERS! As a bonus, I’ll happily send you a free signed bookplate and enter you up for fun prize drawings. (Pre-orders are a huge boost for sales rankings and encourage indie bookstores to stock the book.)

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The conceit of the No-Cook Cookbook appealed to me for all of the obvious reasons (who isn’t looking for easier ways to get dinner on the table?), and I fell for it as soon as I opened it. Theodorou—who grew up in London in a Greek Cypriot family and now splits time between London and Los Angeles—is a food stylist first and foremost. So, as you’d expect, every image in this book is beautiful and delicious looking. Every time I open it, to any page, I immediately think Oh, I want that! And, as the book’s title promises, all of the recipes also look really makeable.

Many of the book’s recipes rely on how convenient prepared supermarket foods have become: ingredients like rotisserie chicken and picked crab meat are staples here (you’re getting your food market to do the cooking for these recipes, so you don’t have to), and some dishes use pouches of pre-cooked grains that are finished in the microwave (which doesn’t count as “cooking” for the purposes of this book). Other recipes are built around more traditional no-cook ingredients like charcuterie, canned beans, and cheeses. The book’s brilliance lies in the way all of these ingredients come together in delicious combinations.

The No-Cook Cookbook offers everything from salads to sandwiches to grain bowls, and even desserts, but the recipes I find most immediately appealing are, not surprisingly, the ones that are formatted like big snacks. The big platters of fish crudo, the elaborate toasts, and the many “tinned fish plates” look like meals I can assemble in just a few minutes and also have fun eating—ie, they look like perfect snacking dinners.

Theodorou also offers lots of fun stand-alone snacking ideas, like cheeses paired with preserves, fresh fruit, or honey; or this spread of delicious bites:

The recipe I’ve featured here is simple and delicious and speaks to Theodorou’s Greek background. The main component is a big dollop of creamy taramasalata, a traditional Greek and Turkish mezze made with cured fish roe, vegetable/olive oil, and sometimes dry bread, garlic, potatoes, and/or almonds, depending on the recipe. There are dozens of taramasalata recipes online you could try, but the “recipe” below assumed you’ll buy it pre-made, as it is broadly available in supermarkets. (My first introduction to the stuff came from interviewing former NYC mayor Ed Koch for a short piece in Saveur magazine years ago; he ate tons of taramasalata, and his preferred version was the one from Citarella.)

Taramasalata Plate

From Susie’s headnote: “This is my Greek Cypriot go-to when I just don’t know what to have for dinner, but I want something with flavor. A dollop or two of store-bought taramasalata with pita bread, salad, and pistachios is my perfect fix.”

Serves 1

Place 2 heaping tablespoons store-bought taramasalata on a serving plate, add radishes, little gem lettuce, and sticks of cucumber and celery. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, then sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Serve with pita chips or sesame breadsticks, plus some pistachios and a chilled glass of dry Oloroso sherry.

Photos: Alex Lau. Book imagery courtesy of Susie Theodorou and Hardie Grant Books.