Kasha Varnishkes

I'm a big fan of Mark Bittman's "The Minimalist" column/webisodes. Yesterday I was reading the NY Times online when I noticed he'd posted a video showing him making kasha varnishkes:

Kasha Varnishkes

I've yet to try kasha, but I've frequently (and frustratingly) been reminded that my name is synonymous with this buckwheat groat cereal and its derivatives (i.e. Kashi) in a number of Eastern European languages, apparently all except Polish. My freshman year roommate chuckled when my Ukrainian friend started pronouncing my name the Polish way, informing me that in Russian, kasha means "porridge."

Well, Kashi cereal may taste like stale cardboard, but Mark Bittman puts kasha up on a pedestal and makes it look pretty darn delicious in this recipe. His version is not at all veg-friendly (he loads on the chicken fat) but could be easily veganized by substituting Earth Balance. This is one recipe I'm planning on trying soon - serdecznie dziękuję, Mark Bittman!

Kasha Varnishkes

2 cups chopped onions, or more
1/2 cup rendered chicken fat or olive oil
3/4 cup kasha (buckwheat groats)
Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 pound farfalle (bow-tie) or other noodles.

1. Put onions in a large skillet with a lid over medium heat. Cover skillet and cook for about 10 minutes, until onion is dry and almost sticking to pan. Add fat or oil, raise heat to medium high and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is nicely browned, at least 10 minutes or so longer.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. In a separate, medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil, stir in the kasha and about a teaspoon of salt. Cover and simmer until kasha is soft and fluffy, about 15 minutes. Let stand, off heat and covered.

3. Salt the large pot of boiling water and cook noodles until tender but still firm. Drain and combine with the onions and kasha, adding more fat or oil if you like. Season with salt and lots of pepper and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings.

Also: All About Kasha!