Greek Baked Vegetables (Briam)
The Greek baked vegetable dish known as briam is an example of lathera (also spelled ladera)—vegetable-centric dishes that feature a generous amount of olive oil (lath in Greek). In briam, potatoes give the dish weight and substance, but it’s the summer produce—such as zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs—that are the main attraction. Because potatoes take […]
Greek-Style Baked White Beans in Tomato Sauce (Gigantes Plaki)
Gigantes plaki, or Gigante beans baked in tomato sauce, is a Greek classic. The delicious version we tasted at Manousakis Winery on the island of Crete had us eager to re-create the dish ourselves. But we quickly learned that dried Gigante beans, a type of large, white runner bean—they are not lima beans, contrary to […]
Chicago Thin-Crust Pizza
You know Chicago deep‑dish pizza. Now meet its slimmer, crunchier sibling. The trick for making an ideal Chicago Thin-Crust Pizza—a thin, crisp alternative to its doughy cousin—at home was to make the dough in a food processor. Because of the high speed of the blade, the processor brought the dough together quickly, which prevented […]
Vegan Baja-Style Cauliflower Tacos
We thought that battered cauliflower bites, drizzled with a cool and creamy vegan sauce, were the perfect stand-in for the fish. We wanted to avoid the mess of deep-frying, so we cut the cauliflower into large florets and roasted them. To boost their flavor, we dunked the pieces in canned coconut milk seasoned with garlic […]
Lunch Lady Square Pizza
For many folks school lunches don’t bring up happy memories of eating good food. But, if your school experience was anything like ours then there were a few stand-out lunch items that really were very good, despite the bad reputation that school food has. One of our favorite school lunches was that rectangular pizza. It […]
Amalfi-Style Lemon Cake
Giovanna Aceto, whose family owns a generations-old lemon farm on the Amalfi Coast of Italy, showed us how to make torta al limone, a simple lemon cake popular throughout the region. Naturally, Aceto used farm-grown lemons, a variety called sfusato amalfitano that mature to the size of softballs; the fruits are wonderfully fragrant and have […]
Stuart Anderson’s Black Angus Cheesy Garlic Bread
Before there was Lone Star, Outback, or Ruth's Chris, a real rancher named Stuart Anderson was serving up huge cuts of delicious prime beef in his Seattle-based restaurant chain. The first Black Angus restaurant opened on April Fool's Day in 1964 and quickly became known for its huge, juicy cuts of prime rib.Early on, Stuart […]
Old-Fashioned Flaky Pie Crust
This easy pie dough has a recipe that pastry chefs tend to favor, but it doesn’t require any fancy ingredients, equipment, or training. Just smash some cold butter in a bowl of flour, stir in a bit of water, roll it out, and fold it over a few times. It’s essentially a streamlined blitz, making […]
Peaches and Cream Pie
The name made it sound delicious, but the historic recipes we tried didn’t pan out. Custard to the rescue. Time and again the juicy peaches wreaked watery havoc on our custardy pie filling. Roasting them on the upper-middle rack for about 45 minutes evaporated their excess liquid, and a dusting of granulated sugar encouraged a […]
Chocolate Layer Cake Rounds
“Blooming” the cocoa powder in boiling water and adding instant espresso powder to the batter produce deep chocolate flavor. Sour cream adds moisture and tang. This recipe is very versatile—change up frostings and fillings to produce all sorts of different cakes.
Pour-in-the-Pan Pizza with Tomatoes and Mozzarella
Don’t forget to mist the baking sheet with cooking spray. The olive oil alone isn’t enough to prevent sticking; a coating of cooking spray is important to ensure the pizza releases easily. Don’t use fresh mozzarella; it contains too much moisture and will make the surface of the pizza soggy. Likewise, be sure to drain […]
Entomatadas
Entomatadas are a Mexican dish like and Enchilada but made with a delicious tomato sauce.
Reese Witherspoon’s Cornbread Chili Pie (Tamale Pie)
This recipe comes from Reese Witherspoon’s cookbook Whiskey in a Teacup and it is delicious, homey comfort food through and through. It’s the ideal easy weeknight meal – quick to make and it comes together in one pan, but best of all, it’s positively scrumptious.
Mom’s Salmon Patties
Chicken, Salsa Verde and Tortilla Casserole (Pastel Azteca)
Though Pastel azteca translates from the Spanish as “Aztec cake,” the dish often is referred to in English as Mexican lasagna, enchilada casserole or tortilla pie—and understandably so. It is comprised of corn tortillas layered with sauce, meat, cheeses, crema (a cultured cream similar to crème fraîche) and vegetables; a stint in the oven […]
Pinch Me, Frenchie (Savory French Onion Inspired Monkey Bread)
"Because you can get a recipe for French onion soup anywhere, I made a point to not include one in this book. Still, I cannot deny its appeal. The thing is that with every bowl of French onion I’ve ever slurped, what I enjoy most is the little crouton at the top soaked with sweet, […]