Nut Free
Chocolate-Dipped Orange Peel
Editor's Note: Use this recipe to make Julien Merceron's Biarritz Rochers.
By Julien Merceron
Candied Pineapple
By Julien Merceron
Vegetable Stock
Editor's Note: Use this stock to make Neven Maguire's Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup
By Neven Maguire
Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup
Coconut milk is one of my favourite ingredients and it makes a fantastic creamy base for all the other robust flavours in this Asian-style soup. Choose firm sweet potatoes with orange flesh for their vibrant colour.
By Neven Maguire
Rosemary and Cranberry Soda Bread
This is an interesting twist on our beautiful soda bread. Look for dried cranberries in the larger supermarkets or any health food shop should stock them. This is my favourite bread that we serve as part of our bread selection in the evening.
By Neven Maguire
Sophie's Chocolate Biscuit Cake
This recipe was given to me by Jean Dix from Howth, Co. Dublin. She devised it for her daughter Sophie's birthday, who was the critical taster. It's a brilliant one to do with children, as there is no cooking involved. Unlike many other chocolate biscuit cake recipes, it cuts beautifully even straight out of the fridge and keeps well wrapped in clingfilm for at least 2 weeks.
By Neven Maguire
Chilli Oil
Editor's Note: Use this oil to make Neven Maguire's Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup .
By Neven Maguire
Chocolate Cookie Crust
Editor's Note: Use this crust to make Allison Kave's Nutella Pie .
By Allison Kave
Cornmeal Crust
Editor's Note: Use this crust to make Allison Kave's Rhubarb Frangipane Pie .
This crust has a more grainy, toothsome texture than a classic crust, and the natural sweetness of cornmeal makes a great accompaniment to summer pies such as blueberry or cherry. Use this when you want a truly rustic pie.
By Allison Kave
Pastry Cream (Crema pasticcera)
Editor's note: Use this recipe to make Francine Segan's Torta Mimosa .
Creamy custard seasoned with aromatic vanilla, this is an absolute basic, used to make hundreds of classic Italian desserts, including torta della nonna and zuppa inglese.
It's also served plain, accompanied by fresh fruit, slices of pandoro or panettone, or cookies. This is a simple and very forgiving recipe.
By Francine Segan
Italian Sponge Cake (Pan di spagna)
Editor's note: Use this recipe to make Francine Segan's Torta Mimosa .
Pan di spagna, "bread of Spain," is a key ingredient in hundreds of classic Italian desserts like zuccoto and Sicilian cassata. Pan di spagna's light and airy texture absorbs fillings amazingly well, so it stacks wonderfully, allowing you to create tall, moist layer cakes.
By Francine Segan
Shamrock Shake
Make your own homemade spin on the beloved fast food Shamrock Shake with this quick and easy recipe.
By Kendra Vizcaino-Lico
Chocolate-Mint Shamrock Shake
Adding chocolate amps up this iconic minty shake. Since the chips in the ice cream get pulverized in the blender, we've added extra to give the shake a little texture and a more pronounced chocolate flavor.
By Kendra Vizcaino-Lico
Boozy Shamrock Shake
This variation on the Shamrock Shake is a boozy take on the classic St. Patrick's Day milkshake.
By Kendra Vizcaino-Lico
Bailey's Matcha Shamrock Shake
For a sophisticated spin on the classic St. Patrick's Day milkshake, we've added Bailey's Irish Cream and matcha, which is made from finely ground green tea and has an herbaceous and earthy flavor. If you can't find matcha powder, use green tea ice cream in place of the vanilla.
By Kendra Vizcaino-Lico
Charred Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Fig Glaze
NOTHING TASTES BETTER with Brussels sprouts than cured pork, which is why I unapologetically offer you recipes that flavor sprouts with both pancetta and bacon. Here, the salty pancetta plays well with the sweetness from the fig jam, and you can finish the dish with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar to add a tangy note (see variations). I found fig jam near the grocery store's cheese counter (not in the jams and jellies aisle), but you could also try apricot or peach jam instead. You may want to add a touch more jam than I suggest, but strive for a subtle sweetness rather than a cloying, sticky mess.
By Laura B. Russell
Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Miso Butter
BOILING OR STEAMING bok choy often results in a watery, stringy vegetable. But grilling halved heads of bok choy slathered with miso butter leads to pure flavor. Be sure to keep the heat at medium so the paste can caramelize without burning. My first few attempts at grilling bok choy (I used Shanghai bok choy) resulted in charred leaves that were too crisp to enjoy. Now I separate the leaves from the stalks and use them raw in a salad that wilts under the heat of the grilled vegetable. Use white or yellow miso paste in this recipe. If you use a darker miso, know that it will be saltier. Make this side dish when you are already firing up the grill for the main course.
By Laura B. Russell
Roasted Broccolini with Winey Mushrooms
MY FRIEND DANIELLE CENTONI, Portland, Oregon, food writer and editor of Mix magazine, showed up at a potluck one day with a roasted broccolini dish similar to this one. When I asked Danielle if she would share the recipe, she responded in a way that made me chuckle: "It's very loosey-goosey. I used what I had around." I rarely pay attention to quantities when I am throwing something together at home, either, but with Danielle's guidance—and excellent memory—we were able to piece together what she had done. The broccolini tastes great at room temperature, so you can cook it ahead of time, or you can make the mushroom sauce while the vegetables are roasting.
By Laura B. Russell
Clotted Cream
Clotted cream is not a part of my own traditional food culture but it is a forgotten skill in everyday cooking and is so gorgeous and so easy to make that it is really worth doing every now and then.
You can make clotted cream on any stove or in a cool oven—just make sure the heat is low. Even a temperature as low as 110°F will do!
It's best to use unpasteurized cream like they do in Devon and Cornwall, where clotted cream has its own appellation.
You can use gently pasteurized cream, but homogenized cream or cream that has been ultra-pasteurized will not work for this recipe.
By Darina Allen
Mascarpone
Originating in Italy, mascarpone is a mild and creamy fresh cheese with a consistency similar to soft butter or thick crème fraîche and a fat content between 70 and 75 percent. You may know it as the key ingredient in the decadent Italian dessert tiramisu. This recipe hails from Allison Hooper, award-winning cheese maker and co-owner of the notable Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery. The overnight process is virtually effortless, and the resulting cheese may very well be the best mascarpone I've ever tasted.
Editor’s note: Head this way for our favorite ways to use mascarpone →
By Mary Karlin