🍋How to Zest a Lemon and Caramelize a Cabbage 🐍

Caramelized Cabbage with Sichuan Vinaigrette

Welcome to The Flavor Files, where I share my love for cooking and food science. All my recipes can be found at Nik Sharma Cooks.

My latest cookbook, Veg-Table, is available here.

You may find affiliate links sprinkled throughout this newsletter.

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RESOURCES AND LINKS TO SUPPORT ANGELENOS and LA COUNTY

Mutual Aid LA, Baby2Baby, Core, Pasadena Humane Society, World Central Kitchen

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Dear Friends,

Happy Lunar New Year to everyone celebrating! 🐍 May the year ahead be filled with delicious food, good fortune, and plenty of dumplings (because, let’s be honest, they’re the best part).

I’m heading to Boston this week; it will be a whirlwind, but you know I’m making time to eat. At the top of my list are the new Sarma restaurant and its sibling bakery, Sofra (because one cannot live on savory alone, pastries are a necessity). I’m also planning a trip to Chinatown and a stop at Panang Malaysian Cuisine for some comforting, spice-laden goodness. If you have any must-visit spots, drop your recommendations in the comments! I’m always up for a great meal.

On the LA front, I kicked off the week with a food writer’s happy hour, catching up with friends and colleagues I don’t see nearly enough. Then, a few of us peeled off for dinner at Surawon Tofu House in Koreatown, where we feasted. The spicy Soontofu kimchi soup had the silkiest black bean tofu (the kind that melts in your mouth), and the seafood pancake was a masterclass in crispiness, indeed, a thing of beauty. And because no Korean meal is complete without it, we drank copious amounts of barley tea to wash it all down.

Wishing you all a wonderful, flavor-packed, and hopefully calm week ahead!

xx,

Nik

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How to Zest A Lemon?

There are four ways to zest a lemon, and while they all achieve the same goal, they do so differently.

First, there's the Y-shaped vegetable peeler (this one from Oxo is my favorite). Depending on how much pressure you apply, you might pick up a bit of the bitter white pith, but it's still a highly efficient tool. You can use the zest as is or julienne or mince it to your desired size.

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Second, the Microplane zester finely grates the zest into delicate, fluffy particles. This tool is particularly interesting because it increases the surface area of the zest, rupturing more of the tiny sacs that contain essential oils. As a result, you get a more intense citrus aroma from the same amount of zest compared to other tools—something to keep in mind when incorporating it into recipes.

The third and fourth tools are both found in OXO’s citrus peeler. It features two different zesting options: the top has four small holes that produce fine "threads" of zest, perfect for garnishing, while the single larger hole creates wide strips of zest.

Each tool offers a unique way to extract citrus zest, so the best choice depends on your needs—whether you want maximum aroma, efficiency, or an elegant finishing touch.

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What to Cook This Week

This week, I highly recommend General Tso’s Chicken, which remains one of the most popular recipes on my blog. The classic Stir-Fried Garlic Spinach is on regular rotation when I need to whip up a quick and satisfying vegetable side. 

For my paid subscribers this week, we’re making a simple and delightful cabbage dish with Sichuan peppercorns. 

Caramelized Cabbage with Sichuan Vinaigrette

The Science Behind This Recipe 

This method is inspired by my outdoor pizza oven, where intense heat creates beautiful vegetable caramelization. Here, the cabbage roasts on a baking sheet in a scorching-hot oven, allowing it to caramelize while the moisture it releases keeps it from drying out. The vinaigrette—a balance of sweet, sour, and savory flavors—delivers the signature tingling sensation of Sichuan peppercorns in two forms: toasted and crushed peppercorns and their infused oil. Serve this as a side with rice, a vegetable curry, or a meat dish.