Cookbooks

When kale started to take over the food world, I noticed it was juiced, made into chips, put into smoothies, and even sneaked into chocolate bars. So why not put it in a pasta dish? The nuts in this recipe give the dish another layer of flavor and a nice crunchy texture. The bitter, citrus, crunch, and chili all combine for a unique pasta.

This riff on Ireland's national dish comes from famed Irish chef and cookbook author Rachel Allen.

Kimchi can be made and eaten any time of the year, but I really crave it in the spring. In this recipe, the kimchi and assorted quick-pickled vegetables are the dominant flavors, making a bright-tasting, tangy bowl. Pickling chard stems is a great way to use them up—they’ll add bits of celery-like crunch, and using rainbow chard means lots of extra color, too. Furthermore, the pickled components and the sautéed chard both keep well, meaning that they can be made in advance or packed up as good leftovers. Let the toppings come to room temperature before serving, so that they don’t cool down the bowl drastically when you stir all the ingredients together.

For this noodle bowl, I took inspiration from Heidi Swanson’s Black Sesame Otsu in Super Natural Every Day, in which a blanket of black sesame seeds is toasted until it smells heady, then pounded with a mortar and pestle and combined with some Asian pantry staples to make a thick, savory, and tangy dressing, here given a bit more punch with wasabi. Like other cold noodle dishes, this is a good dish for packing up, and in my experience has been wonderful on the beach. The shredded egg and wisps of radish incorporate into the noodles, the shallot brings crunch and zing, and the final drizzle of kecap manis—the Indonesian soy sauce— brings the whole bowl together in the most satisfying way.

Use this rich and creamy tehina (also called tahini) sauce to make hummus, or drizzle over meats or vegetables.

We love chef Michael Solomonov's hummus all by itself, but it's also an incredible foundation for any seasonal toppings, from harissa-spiced shaved carrots to spiced black-eyed peas to fresh spring peas and pickled onions.

This is the drink that I am most proud of because it was the first drink I made that broke the general rule of using spirit, sugar, and citrus. I knew I wanted St-Germain to be the first foam I ever made and the great bartender Vincenzo Marianella instructed me on how to create it. And what is great about using an aged balsamic vinegar is that it carries both the citrus and sweet components needed for the cocktail.

Sub in whatever you have on hand in Dana Cowin's mix-and-match chili recipe

I used to shy away from making pot roasts for my family because choosing the right cut of beef among all the various cuts seemed overwhelming. Take it from me, picking up a relatively inexpensive chuck roast (like the one I use here) provides a moist, juicy, and tender roast every time.

Sweet and a bit salty, with a hint of spice: this is completely divine on hot buttered toast at any time of the day.

If you crave the sweet maple candies sold at tourist shops, you need not wait until your next vacation to enjoy them. Maple syrup producers’ associations are eager to share these treats, and how to make them at home, to spread the gospel of pure maple syrup. This recipe is from the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association/Vermont Maple Promotion Board; the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association has produced a helpful video about making maple cream and maple candy. If you haven’t tried these maple candies, be forewarned: They’re like no other treat you’ve ever experienced.

Prosecco and jelly: two of my favourite things. And when combined with raspberries, they make a wickedly celebratory concoction. The reason for putting this in the freezer for the first half an hour is to help set the prosecco bubbles in the jelly. It also works very well with cava.

This fast one-pot dinner is rich enough to comfort, but light enough that it won’t weigh you down.

This is such a sweet little dessert. As you know, I’m not one for sweet treats but this is a little pop of yumminess—perfect for dinner parties, and it won’t leave your guests rolling around on the floor with indigestion.

This dish is one of my favorites for the grill. If a fish comes whole from the store, leave the head and tail on when you cook it, to help retain moisture. The fish is done when the inside of the stomach is dry.

This is probably the most famous lentil dish coming out of India—yellow lentils tempered with spices and the usual holy trinity of garlic, ginger and chile. It has always been a favorite of mine and it would grace our family dinner table at least once a week when I was growing up. There are lots of different recipes for flavoring the oil (tadka), so play around with your spice pantry and see what you come up with. If you don’t have half of these spices, then don’t worry; just add a tablespoon of your favorite spice paste and it will taste just as delicious.

This is like pouring a cooked mojito over stewed chicken, with the rum, lime, and herbs mingling beautifully with the chicken juices. Serve it with rice and a cold, crispy Alsatian white like a Pinot Blanc.

Frozen peas are a gift to the breakaway cook: their creamy, earthy goodness bursts with flavor, and they couldn’t be easier to store and prepare. The pesto-like tarragon emulsion, made even creamier by the addition of Greek yogurt, really brings out the best in them, and the sprinkling of pistachios on top lends a lovely toasted, nutty texture. Try them with a broiled fish fillet and a glass of grassy Sauvignon Blanc.

When you have good, fresh strawberries, you don't really need to do too much to them. Try this simple preparation for dessert tonight.

Sweet and savory meet with delicious results in this elegant tart.