Cookbooks

I love crunchy fennel and peppery arugula dressed with a slightly sweet dressing made from Meyer lemons—a fresh-tasting pick-me-up. Meyer lemons are only available in the wintertime, so if you can’t find them, use regular lemon juice and replace a third of it with fresh orange juice.

The key to cooking this yeast-risen, yogurt-enriched Indian flat bread at home is a hot cast iron skillet.

Think of dal as similar in use to gravy—in other words, not a side dish or its own course. It is eaten on rice or with flatbreads, or with dry curries, and vegetables; it is meant as part of a meal.

The Jersey Shore Cookbook author Deborah Smith adapted this recipe for crispy pork-studded pancakes from The Chicken or the Egg, a restaurant in Beach Haven, New Jersey.

Whether you call them magic bars or seven-layer (or sometimes five-layer) cookies, you probably know these treats. Chunky bits—like chocolate chips, nuts, and coconut—get layered over sticky condensed milk and a crisp cookie crust.

A tangy side dish of sautéed cabbage and bacon from the Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook.

Known as "SC Grenadine" at Smuggler's Cove in San Francisco, this fresh, two-ingredient grenadine syrup is perfect for tiki drinks or mocktails like a Shirley Temple.

This is a simple recipe that tends to impress. These elegant roulades are surprisingly easy to make and will get you a standing ovation at the dinner table. Take a bow, as you're giving everyone a nice dose of brain protection thanks to the vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, fiber, and phytonutrients found in the watercress and collards. If you can’'t locate fresh figs, swap in two thinly sliced ripe pears, and feel free to swap out the collards for kale.

There are three distinct, fundamental steps here: 1) weigh, 2) mix, and 3) chill. Once you've chilled your dough overnight, you can proceed with rolling, panning, pre-baking (if needed), and finishing your pie.

Wow! This flavor-packed limeade is a real thirst quencher during the dog days of summer, when watermelon is at its best. Should a festive occasion arise, it also makes a wonderful margarita mixer when paired with premium white tequila.

You don’t have to book a reservation at your favorite seafood house to dig into flaky crab cakes—just make these simple ones in your broiler at home! Crab is an overlooked superfood, low in calories and high in complete protein, vitamin B12, and zinc, all key building blocks of your body and brain. Flaxseeds and hemp seeds bring in fiber and protein, so you stay full longer. If you spy reddish microgreens or fresh nasturtiums at your local farmers’ market, they will make lovely garnishes for this gourmet meal and add a spicy note.

Sweet summer corn makes a surprising star turn in this ultra-creamy dessert flecked with rich butterscotch sauce and crunchy caramel popcorn.

This recipe can be kerneled and served on top of a burger or eaten straight off the cob, dressed in cilantro and crumbled cotija cheese.

If you were a sporty type at school, you may remember those little orange slices that were given out at half time during matches. A momentary respite from jumping and leaping in the air on a cold windy netball court in the depths of winter seems to be a vivid memory from my early teenage years. Naturally, giving you a recipe for orange slices may have proven uninspiring so, with a bit of cooking magic, I would like to introduce you to my watermelon Jell-O shots… A happy walk down memory lane with a very modern twist. For an alcoholic version, replace 1/2 cup of the water with some vodka.

Load up on green tea antioxidants, hydrate with electrolyte-filled coconut water, and cool off with cucumber, lime, and gut-soothing aloe vera.

I know, I know. This sounds crazy, right? Well, you just have to trust me on this one. The cantaloupe breaks down to form the backbone of a sweet, creamy sauce scented with pancetta and marjoram. A sleeper but a keeper, for sure.

Though we call this a bread, it’s really more of a spice cake that uses grated fresh zucchini as a surprise ingredient. Serve it warm for breakfast, with cream cheese or butter and honey.

The freshest corn is so delicious that you don’t need to bother cooking it. Simply toss the kernels with vinaigrette, tiny heirloom tomatoes, and steamed lobster. What’s not to love? It’s no question.