Simple Cooking

Three levels of flavor-building means this customizable pork dinner can easily go from simple to next level.

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.

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.

These airy doughnuts are served with Singaporean Chili Crab at Starry Kitchen in Los Angeles.

Grilled or sautéed, these Vietnamese ground beef–stuffed leaves make a fantastic summer hors d'oeuvre or can be served with rice noodles and grilled vegetables for dinner.

Serve this icy granita-like dessert with warm Rhubarb Turnovers, or all on its own as a refreshingly tart, light summer dessert.

The Reuben sandwich and the Rosen family date back to when Alan's Grandpa Harry and his brother Mike ran the Enduro Sandwich Shoppes in the late 1920s in Manhattan. That began a long Rosen history of serving some of the best Reubens in New York—but not always with corned beef! Today you can walk into Junior's and still order the Original Reuben, made only with corned beef. But now you also have the option of a Turkey Reuben with melted Swiss and coleslaw, a Pastrami Reuben, and this one, the Combo Reuben, which is overstuffed with corned beef and pastrami. Feel free to make them any way you like. At Junior's each Reuben comes with grilled sauerkraut and melted Swiss and is always on rye bread, hot off the grill, with potato salad on the side.

This has the authentic taste of that old-fashioned ripple of fudge. You can swirl it through just about any ice cream you like. Try it in old-fashioned Tin Roof Ice Cream with chocolate-covered peanuts.

These easy-to-make peanuts will make you feel like a chocolatier assembling a world-class candy bar. If you're anything like me, you can't keep chocolate bars around the house without breaking off a hunk every time you pass by, so by all means double the recipe if you want, just to make sure there's enough for folding into the ice cream later on.

This citrusy dessert cocktail is a great way to use up any leftover Champagne or sparkling wine.

This double-chocolate brownie with crunchy pecans and ice cream is perfect for dinner parties, family gatherings, or any time a hungry crowd wants something sweet and delicious.

Mixing toasted coconut into your coffee grounds before brewing creates a pleasant coconut flavor without any added syrups.

This gorgeous summer salad contains all the elements of a balanced meal—meat, starch, and veggies.

It's not just a marinade—this classic mojo sauce can also be spooned over chicken or fish for a piquant finishing touch, and deployed as a flavorful stir-in for rice.