As I’ve mentioned, pho is really easy to make at home, which is lucky because it’s delicious. If you can’t find duck, make this flavorful, comforting soup with chicken legs.

• ingredients
• 2 tbsp vegetable or canola oil (divided) Pantry
• 2 duck legs, skin intact $5
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped Pantry
• 1 2” piece ginger, finely-chopped $0.50
• 1 whole leek, sliced into rings $0.50
• 1/8 cup soy sauce (plus more to taste) Pantry
• 2 tbsp sugar Pantry
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper Pantry
• 12 oz. thin rice noodles, cooked, drained and rinsed $1.50 for 14 oz.
• 2 tbsp hoisin (plus more for serving) $2 for 8 oz.
• optional toppings: few sprigs of cilantro or Thai basil, a handful mung bean sprouts, sliced green jalapeño, lemon wedges, chili paste or Sriracha

Total Cost of Ingredients $9.50

Directions

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Sear the duck legs for 3-4 minutes on each side, until nicely browned.

Reduce heat to medium and to the pot, add the garlic, ginger and the top half of the leek (reserve the bottom half for later). Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, until very fragrant. Add 6 cups of water, the soy sauce, sugar and black pepper. Stir well, cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Remove lid and use tongs to remove the duck legs. Cover pot again and continue to cook for another 25 minutes.

While the broth cooks, rinse the duck legs under cool running water until they are cool enough to handle. Strip off their top layer of fat and use your hands or two forks to remove the meat. Immediately return the bones to the pot of broth and leave in as it finishes cooking.

Chop the duck meat into small (about 1”) chunks. Toss in a bowl with the hoisin.

Heat the remaining oil in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the duck and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until dark brown.

Once the broth finishes cooking, strain it, discard the solids and return the broth to the pot. Bring to a light boil and add the remaining leeks and the cooked noodles. Boil for 1-2 minutes, then ladle into bowls.

Divide the duck between the soups and garnish with desired toppings (see ingredients list).

Serves 2.

Passover, the ancient Jewish festival of freedom, begins tonight. Here are the things you can bet on happening at the Seder I’ll be attending at my parents’ house:

-My mom’s brisket (braised with leeks and apricots) will kick serious ass.

-My dad will dramatically exclaim, “Oh snap!” when he describes the Red Sea parting.

-This Charoset, symbolic of the sweetness of freedom as well as the mortar used by the enslaved Israelites to build Egyptian cities, will likely inspire some skepticism, as it includes pears in addition to the traditional apples, and is made with Zinfandel, rather than sweet Manischewitz wine. But everyone will try it, like it and enjoy the Seder all the more.

This is my idea of comfort food: chewy rice noodles in velvety, punchy peanut sauce, topped with flavorful, juicy Chinese pork meatballs and a shower of crunchy carrots, chilies and cilantro. Just add chopsticks and a cold Pilsner.

• ingredients
• a drizzle of olive or vegetable oil for the pan (or use cooking spray) Pantry
• 3/4 lb ground pork $1
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped Pantry
• 1 1” piece ginger, peeled and chopped price inc. in peanut sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce Pantry
• 1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper Pantry
• 2-3 tsp (depending on how spicy you like it) Asian chili sauce, plus more for serving price inc. in peanut sauce
• 2 scallions, chopped $1 for a bunch
• 1 egg, lightly beaten $1.50 for 12
• 8 oz. thin rice noodles $2 for 14 oz.
• 1 recipe peanut sauce $7
• 1 carrot, grated $0.25
• 1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped price inc. in peanut sauce
• 1 jalapeño, sliced into rings $0.25

Total Cost of Ingredients $13

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil/spray a baking sheet and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine pork, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, black pepper, scallions and egg. Use your (clean) hands to mix well. Form into golf ball-sized meatballs and arrange on the prepared baking sheet, making sure they are evenly spaced. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until cooked through.

While the meatballs bake, cook the noodles in salted boiling water according to package directions. Rinse, drain and return to the pot.

Toss the noodles with the peanut sauce and divide between 2 bowls.

Top each bowl of noodles with a generous serving of meatballs, a handful of shredded carrots, some cilantro and a few rings of jalapeño.

Serve immediately.

Serves 2.

As far as I’m concerned, potstickers are the whole point of Chinese food. In fact, I might even go so far to say that dumplings are the whole point of Asian food (as well as Eastern European food, for that matter). These are the real deal; straightforward, uncomplicated and delicious. Try to find thicker potsticker wrappers, if you can (as opposed to thinner gyoza/ won ton skins).

• ingredients
• vegetable or canola oil Pantry
• 1 leek, ends removed, chopped finely $0.50
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped Pantry
• 1 1’ piece ginger, peeled and minced $0.50
• 1/2 lb ground pork $2
• 3 tbsp soy sauce Pantry
• pepper to taste Pantry
• about 15 potsticker wrappers $1.50 for 30

Total Cost of Ingredients $4.50

Directions

Heat 1 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add leek, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until very fragrant. Add pork and soy sauce and cook, just until pork is fully-cooked but not crumbly. Season with pepper to taste and spread out on a plate to cool.

Place a potsticker wrapper on a clean, dry surface. Use your finger or a pastry brush to lightly brush water around the edge of the wrapper. Place about 1 tbsp of filling on one half of the wrapper, leaving a little space at the border. Fold the empty half over the filled half and press the wet edges together to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, fry the dumplings on one side until golden. Pour 1/8 cup water into the pan over the dumplings and immediately cover with a fitted lid. Steam the dumplings, covered for 2 minutes. Uncover and allow the dumplings to aerate until their bottoms are crisp again.

Serve hot, with soy sauce, chili paste or hot mustard for dipping.

Serves 2-3.

When I was a child, we did not eat butter. Rather, my cholesterol-conscious parents bought then-trendy I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter, which my father creatively coined “ICBINB,” as in, “Gab, please pass the ICBINB. How was school?” I hated ICBINB, both because it was disgusting and because, unbeknownst to my well-intentioned parents, I had tasted richer, creamier pastures—and I knew that ICBINB was, frankly, a Country Crock of shit.

You see, our down-the-street neighbor Therese kept real, room-temperature butter in a ceramic dish on her kitchen counter at all times. When her son and I would play after school, she would spread thick layers of sweet, real butter on toasted white bread and serve it to us for a snack, along with glasses of icy Kool-Aid. Therese, it seemed, put butter on everything—and for good reason: it was delicious. And, unlike the white bread and Kool-Aid (which I could have done without), it tasted real.

Today, my parents know better—their days of spreading artificially-flavored whipped vegetable oil on bread are long gone. And this morning, as I slathered these sandwiches with butter (truly the key to making good grilled sandwiches), I thought fondly of Therese and her ceramic butter dish.

• ingredients
• unsalted butter at room temperature 1 for a stick
• 8 thick slices of sourdough bread $1.50 for a loaf
• 4 slices jack or cheddar cheese $3.50 for 8 oz.
• 4 eggs $1.50 for 12
• 1 avocado, sliced $1.50
• few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley or cilantro $1 for a bunch
• 1 jalapeño, sliced into rings $0.25
• 1 Roma tomato, sliced thinly $0.50
• few thin slices of red onion $0.50 for a whole onion
• salt and pepper to taste Pantry

Total Cost of Ingredients $11.25

Directions

Butter all 8 slices of bread. Place a slice of cheese between two slices of bread with the buttered sides facing out. Repeat with remaining bread and cheese.

Heat a grill pan, frying pan (preferably cast iron) or panini maker over medium-high heat. Grill the sandwiches (if using a grill pan or frying pan, press them with another heavy pan, weighted down with a few cans). While the bread grills, cook the eggs in a little butter in a separate frying pan, to your desired done-ness (scrambled, fried, over-easy, etc).

Cook the sandwiches until bread is golden-brown and crispy on both sides and cheese is melted.

To assemble the panini, open up a sandwich and slide an egg in with the cheese. Top the egg with a few slices of avocado, jalapeño, tomato, onion and salt and pepper to taste. Top with the remaining half of bread. Repeat with remaining sandwiches and serve immediately.

Makes 4 paninis.