Pasta with Lamb and Mint-Pistachio Pesto
A pesto made with lots of cool mint, sharp Pecorino, bright lemon, and creamy pistachios balanced the pasta, lamb, and sweet peas.
Chocolate-Orange Tart
The ricotta cheese in this tart—inspired by one in Rose Carrarini’s book, Breakfast, Lunch, Tea—creates a deliciously creamy yet surprisingly light filling that highlights the orange and chocolate that flavor it. The crust, made partly with almond flour, has a sandy crispness that contrasts well with the filling. For do-ahead ease, the tart shell […]
Penne Alla Vodka with Pancetta
Splashes of vodka and cream can turn run-of-the-mill tomato sauce into luxurious restaurant fare—or a heavy, boozy mistake. We set out to fine-tune this modern classic.
Sausage Lasagna
We wanted an extra-cheesy sausage lasagna that was full of all the flavors of Italian sausage and that held up structurally when served (rather than slipping into a flat mess on the plate like so many others). The right choice of ingredients—and our precise layering technique—make for the most flavorful and structurally sound lasagna we’ve […]
Shrimp in Chipotle Sauce (Camarones Enchipotlados)
The key to Diana Kennedy’s shrimp in chipotle sauce is the flavorful sauce made from chipotle peppers and the adobo in which they are packed. They give the dish a pleasant, lingering heat and a deep smoky flavor. Kennedy makes her own, but canned chipotles in adobo work equally well. Kennedy’s original recipe called […]
Cheesy au Gratin Potatoes
Few foods seem as all-American as potatoes. But what you actually get from au gratin potatoes can range from curdled cream and unevenly cooked potatoes to cheese that's barely there and slices that fall into sloppy heaps. This American classic needed perfecting.The choice of potato was critical for our Cheesy au Gratin Potatoes. We settled […]
Salmon Patties
Salmon patties are small croquette-fritter-like cakes that are loaded up with ingredients like eggs, crackers, herbs, and vegetables that are fried in a small amount of oil until golden brown. They are often served on a bed of greens and accompanied with a sauce. I think it’s worth sharing a little history on salmon […]
Chocolate Biscotti with Pistachios, Almonds and Dried Cherries
The late Maida Heatter has about a dozen cookbooks to her name, all of them focused on baking sweets. These biscotti, our adaptation of a recipe from “Maida Heatter’s Best Dessert Book Ever,” are made with a combination of cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate. With a flavor boost from instant espresso powder, they’re dark and […]
Baci di Dama (Italian Hazelnut Cookies)
These Lilliputian Italian hazelnut-chocolate sandwich cookies are utterly charming—but only if they're perfect. Our approach makes it easy to get them just right.These tiny Italian hazelnut-chocolate sandwich cookies are typically made from a very rich, fragile dough that easily softens and crumbles when you roll it. Reducing the amount of butter and nuts in the […]
Chocolate Cherry Layer Cake
If you love chocolate-covered cherries, this festive layer cake is just for you. With tart cherry juice in the batter and freeze-dried cherries in the whipped cream frosting, it's a bright and fruity twist on an otherwise classic chocolate cake. The flavor of the cake itself depends on rich, full-fat cocoa powder, whether natural or […]
Mexican Wedding Cookies
Mexican wedding cookies are as well traveled as Carmen Sandiego. In some circles, these little treats are known as "Russian tea cakes," while in other places, they masquerade as "Danish wedding cookies." Where I grew up, in Kentucky, they're called "snowballs," but down in Florida, they're "butterballs" instead. Food historians say this culinary enigma […]
Rosemary Salt
Today we’re making a beautiful rosemary sage salt with lemon zest and garlic. It’s like a beautiful and delicious green sand and the smell is amazing. Use it on poultry, lamb, beef, braised pork, potatoes, carrots, or any root vegetable. This is good on everything. It smells absolutely incredible and the color is amazing. Leave […]
Italian Cream Cake
Chockablock full of nuts and coconut, this gorgeous Southern layer cake isn’t as well known as it deserves to be. It’s time to spill its secrets.We loved the idea of loading this layer cake with coconut and pecans, but the added bulk spelled destruction for the tender crumb and didn’t enhance the flavor. Toasting the […]
Potatoes Gratin
Today, we're gonna do a classic potato dish, Potatoes Gratin. We're gonna do it simple, but we're gonna use techniques to try and make it like you might see in one of your favorite steakhouses. Gratin, generally consists of thinly sliced potatoes. Today, I'm using russets. I want a little bit of starch in […]
Short Rib Agnolotti del Plin
Agnolotti Del Plin are a variation of agnolotti that is made by a pinch or "plin" from the Piedmont region of Northern Italy. It's a dish that requires some time and love to make and that's why it's reserved for special occasions like Christmas. It's a show stopper that can be served as a little […]
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
For these bars, we wanted to get the flavor of a gingersnap crust (which can bake up unappealingly hard) using graham crackers. The simple solution was to add ground ginger to the crackers to spice them up.