Simple sides, part I: The intuitive process

I'm not a big fan of cookbooks for the Kindle, but every once in a while I see a Daily Deal I'll get if the book isn't filled with food porn photography that will eat up all the storage. I've had the tenth anniversary edition of Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (2007)—the one with the cover photo where Madison is looking into the camera like you've been a bad boy and need to be swatted with her wooden cooking implements—for years. I recently picked up the new edition when it was only $1.99 for the Kindle and I've been reading it before I go to sleep. Yes, I actually read cookbooks; many of them have a lot of good information that you miss if you only look through the recipes. For example, the first part of Madison's book has a good discussion of the "intuitive process" involved in cooking:

All cooks should know from the start that cooking is an inexact business. Foods differ from one part of the country to another, from one part of the season to the next; stoves are different; pans conduct heat in different ways; your taste is different from mine. Directions like “season to taste” acknowledge that nothing is the same twice. Is your salt sea salt or mild kosher salt? Do you love salt or find you don’t need much? Are your herbs fresh or dried? Old or new? You’re the only one who can answer these questions, so you have to jump into cooking—smell, touch, and taste, then adjust as needed—regardless of how thoroughly a recipe tries to give the reader exact measurements and cooking times. As in learning a language, you stumble at first, but all of a sudden your ear—or tongue—opens up and you find yourself discerning sounds or tastes you hadn’t noticed before.

               From The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (2014) by Deborah Madison

So the more you cook, the more you develop a feel for what works for you. Just note that the intuitive process doesn't apply so much to baking, which is more of an exact business than cooking.

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Mom and I have been on the veggie diet lately, picking up lots of whatever fresh vegetables are left at the City Market and preparing them simply for many of our meals. Mom loves her some roasted squash, especially with a sweet glaze, so we've had this dish quite a few times recently. And it really doesn't get any simpler than this; just cut a squash in half, scoop out the guts, and stick it in the oven. It's about five minutes of actual prep time, then you can prepare the rest of your dinner while the squash is roasting.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Maple Glaze

Adapted from Vegetables Every Day (2001) by Jack Bishop

Time: ~50 minutes (depending on how long it takes to roast the squash)

This also works with acorn and delicata squash, but Mom and I both prefer it with butternut.

1 medium (~2 pounds) butternut squash (see note)
2 tablespoons (40 grams) maple syrup
1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

    1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400 degrees. Line a 13-by-9-inch baking sheet with aluminum foil, dull side up. Spray the foil lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
    2. Wash the squash well; don't peel it. Trim the top of the squash only if the stem is attached. Carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise (top to bottom). Scoop out the strings and seeds with a spoon. Place the halves cut-side down on the baking sheet. Roast until a metal skewer glides easily through the squash, 30 to 35 minutes or more depending on the size of the squash.
    3. Meanwhile, place the syrup and butter in a small saucepan. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I used a decent pinch of salt and two twists of pepper). Heat the mixture over low heat until the butter is melted. Turn off the heat. (If you use the burner that the oven vents through, the mixture will stay warm while the squash bakes.)
    4. When the squash is cooked through, remove the pan from the oven. Gently turn the squash over so it is cut-side up. Brush or spoon about two-thirds of the maple syrup mixture over the cut sides of the squash. Roast the squash for 5 minutes more. Serve promptly with the remaining maple syrup mixture. Serves 2 to 4.