Cookbooks

Haiga mai has become a middle-of-the-road alternative for many health-conscious Japanese households. The appearance and taste is close to that of fully polished rice, but haiga, the nutrient-rich germ, is left intact (though the hull has been removed).

Spread this easy compound butter on waffles, pancakes, and French toast for sure, but it's also great on a ham and cheese sandwich.

This is a variation on the OG version of the dish—so feel free to experiment.

Serve with anything and everything—it will get better, spicier, and more Vietnamese-approved over time.

Chocolate cake absolutely has to be two things: dark and moist. To make sure it is sticky and dense I use buttermilk. Adding coffee to chocolate cakes really brings out the flavor in the cocoa.

Here’s a way to infuse the evocative spice and smoke flavors of true barbecue into a conventional fast-cooking burger. It uses a smoke-scented barbecue rub. I call it The Barbecue Burger; you might call it smoky nirvana.

Burying ribeye steaks in blue cheese overnight mimics the flavorful effects of dry aging with a lot less time and effort than goes into the real thing.

Baking a salad might make you nervous, but a quick moment in the oven will only wilt the greens slightly and yet melt the cheese so that it cloaks the greens nicely.

These simple spring hand-pies are packed to the brim with tangy sweetened rhubarb. Pack them along, cooled, for a picnic or serve them warm with equally tangy buttermilk-lemon granita.

Adding peas to a carbonara is by no means classically Italian, though the combination of black pepper, pancetta, and peas is. Instead of (or in addition to) the peas, you could use asparagus or thinly sliced sugar snap peas.

By baking the eggs and toppings in a jelly roll pan, you can then roll it all up into a tight spiral, slice it into portions, and share. It’s very easy, and looks pretty fancy, too.

Buttery, eggy brioche makes this French toast extra-decadent, but Southern-inspired buttered pecans and bourbon maple syrup take it over the top.

This fiery sweet-tart red sauce is smoky, tangy and has sufficient red pepper flakes to let you know it means business.

Fat pretty much makes the fry. These spuds start off in water, which preps them for the subsequent fryings in beef or duck fat, resulting in irresistibly crunchy, crackly french fries.

Sweet rather than salty, flavorful rather than fiery, this seasoning mix contains mustard in the style of a Memphis rub and chili powder in the style of Texas.

Make this dish before you do any cooked asparagus dishes, at the start of the season when you get pristine spears. At first glance, the dish looks kind of “meh,” but once you taste it, the flavor and texture blow you away. Be sure to cut the asparagus very thin.

Lamb burgers are a great way to switch up burger night at home. Change is good, y’all! Lamb has more of an earthy, gamey flavor than beef, and it’s completely delicious paired with creamy goat cheese and deeply caramelized onions. If your burger night needs a little relief from the same old same old, give these a go.

Homemade mayo, much like hollandaise sauce, takes a little practice to get the knack. It’s like learning to ride a bicycle—once you’ve mas­tered the technique, it’ll be with you for life. Be sure to come prepared, armed with a whisk and some extra patience. It’s really all about whisking continuously as you slowly stream the oil into the egg yolks, little by little, letting the yolks take in every drop of oil. Slow and steady wins the race—this exquisite, delec­table, over-the-top-awesome race.

This spicy, tangy, rich seafood dish may have several elements, but once they all come together it's absolute magic.