NYT Cooking

Ali Slagle · NYT Cooking

Two simple tweaks can elevate the classic combination of fish and herb sauce to new, more dynamic heights. Start by broiling the salmon (or snapper or bass) skin-side up for crisp skin and delicate meat without flipping, splattering or stinking up the house. Then, promote the sauce to a side dish by stirring in a can of lentils. The legume’s earthiness balances the richness of the fish, while the fresh sauce enlivens the lentils. It’s a meal all on its own, but also excellent with a slice of crusty bread broiled until golden.

David Latt · NYT Cooking

This recipe dresses up basic egg salad with parsley, capers, shallots and bacon. The writer, David Latt, cooks his eggs on a low, gentle boil for 30 minutes and finds they come out perfectly done, with the yolk flaky, but feel free to use whatever method you like, as long as the eggs are hard-boiled. (We give instructions for boiling and steaming in our guide to cooking eggs.) You can also add other spices: mustard, ground mustard seed, cumin or rosemary. The parsley can be replaced with cilantro, and the mayonnaise can be flavored.

Sara Bonisteel · NYT Cooking

This is a composite sketch of the perfect cherry pie. The buttery, well-seasoned crust is adapted from the Cherry Pie That’ll Kill Ya at Butter and Scotch, a bar and bakery in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, that holds an occasional Twin Peaks Tuesday, with cocktails and diner foods named after the characters in David Lynch’s quirky 1990s television show. It uses a mock buttermilk crust, meaning that you curdle regular whole milk with apple cider vinegar instead of having to buy buttermilk. Instructions are given for a lattice top, but you could make it with a double crust or the chevron shown here, depending on your mood. The filling is all about maximizing the flavor of pure sour cherries (sometimes labeled pie cherries). This is the pie to make at the height of sour-cherry season, or using a bounty you freeze yourself (see the tip below). Frozen sour cherries are also available online. The pie will keep for up to five days, refrigerated and wrapped in plastic. Sara Bonisteel

Robert Farrar Capon · NYT Cooking

Emily Weinstein · NYT Cooking

Emily Weinstein

Melissa Clark · NYT Cooking

The name of this delightful vanilla layer cake comes from the measure of ingredients in the batter — 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour and four large eggs. But, like its buttery sister, the poundcake (a pound of each butter, sugar, flour eggs), a little fine tuning goes a long way to yield the most tender, delicate-crumbed cake. Using a combination of butter and oil makes the cake layers moist, and reducing the sugar slightly keeps them from becoming cloying. Feel free to substitute any other frosting for the mocha buttercream. Cream cheese frosting, lemon buttercream and chocolate ganache are excellent on this adaptable cake.

Julia Reed · NYT Cooking

Julia Reed

Jocelyn Ramirez · NYT Cooking

Several styles of mole — negro, colorado, verde and so many more — span different regions throughout Mexico, and the formulas vary from family to family. Mole is often viewed as intimidating, a sauce that requires toasting each ingredient individually, pounding them down to a paste and then cooking over low heat for hours to achieve layers of flavor. Although this recipe will never stand up to the mole an abuelita has been making for more than half her life, it will satiate the craving for homemade mole on a weeknight. Shortcuts like using roasted peanut butter and tahini help create this satisfying sauce in just 30 minutes. It’s perfect for serving over just about anything: roasted mushrooms or seared cauliflower, jackfruit or tofu. It can even be tossed with cooked rice noodles.

Alex Ward · NYT Cooking

Carolina Gelen · NYT Cooking

These gluten-free (and dairy-free) crackers rely on just one type of ingredient — seeds — and each variety has a role to play. Flax seeds act as a binder, transforming into a glue-like gel once they’re doused in boiling water. The other seeds, like pumpkin, sunflower or hemp hearts, bring texture and flavor to the mix. The seed mixture is baked into a large bark and broken into crackers once toasted. They’re snappy, delicate and so easy to snack on, great for dipping or using as a salad topper. Just like any other foods that are rich in fiber, it’s best to stay hydrated and drink lots of water while snacking on these. Watch Carolina Gelen make this dish in this video.

Tara Parker-Pope · NYT Cooking

This straightforward recipe for apple pie is from the vegan chef and cookbook author Chloe Coscarelli. It calls for storebought crusts, so you really can throw it together and have it in the oven in about 15 minutes.

Krysten Chambrot · NYT Cooking

Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook of the Philadelphia restaurant Zahav found success with their hummus recipe, but in their second book, “Israeli Soul,” the two came up with this smart version, done in a fraction of the time of the original. It’s just as satisfying, and packed with tahini flavor, a given since it calls for a whole 16-ounce jar. The end result is nutty and smooth, and topped with roasted vegetables, a worthy weeknight meal. Krysten Chambrot

Sam Sifton · NYT Cooking

I love a clandestine soda in the preparation of food, a flash of carbonation where the French might use wine, or brandy. It may be transgressive to say so, but I’m hardly alone, for all those who cringe at the thought. Page through church or community cookbooks and you’ll find examples: Coke-spiked Jell-O situations, root beer-glazed fillets of salmon, beans simmered in Moxie. This recipe for a lemon-and-lime soda cake came to me a while back from a Times reader who thought I’d appreciate it (I did!). She said she’d gotten it from a grandmother down south, who stored it on an index card placed in her copy of the cookbook published by the Symphony League of Jackson, Miss., in 1971. The original called for oleo and Crisco oil. I swapped these out for dairy and neutral oil, and a little less soda, and an additional 15 minutes in the oven. This leaves the cake toast-brown and glistening, glossy-crumbed and high-risen, a marvelous moist yellow within. I’m no shill for Big Soda. You could ju

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

This old-fashioned Southern dessert, commonly seen at potlucks, church picnics and family barbecues, is a true center-of-the-table cake. Part lemon cake, part sheet cake, it uses 7Up in two ways: first, for moisture and, second, for leavening, replacing traditional leaveners, such as baking soda or baking powder. The carbonation in the soda helps the cake rise and keeps it tender. (If you don’t have 7Up, you can also use Sprite.) While this cake is traditionally made in a Bundt pan, this recipe uses a half sheet tray, which is perfect for feeding a crowd.

Rosie Schaap · NYT Cooking

Do you really need instructions for this? Of course not. But I’ve heard more than one bar regular refer to a beer and a shot, with tongue in cheek, as his or her favorite “cocktail.” The classic combo of a beer (on draft or in a bottle) and a shot of whiskey is also often called a boilermaker, but some will insist that it’s only a boilermaker if the whiskey is added directly to the beer. I’d rather keep the components separate, thanks, and, in keeping with venerable dive-bar tradition, I’ll take mine with very cold beer that doesn’t demand much from the palate (usually a lager) and bottom-shelf bourbon.

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

"I heard what people thought about French food," the chef Michel Richard said to Marian Burros in a 1993 interview. "They say it's too rich, it's too heavy, there's too much sauce. When I opened Citrus, immediately I had less butter and less cream. You don't need butter and cream. The Chinese don't use it." For this recipe, chicken is steamed over a broth made from chicken stock and tea. Marian Burros

Betty Fussell · NYT Cooking

Nancy Harmon Jenkins · NYT Cooking

Patricia Wells · NYT Cooking

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

This recipe is adapted from “The Pleasures of Cooking for One” by Judith Jones, Julia Child’s longtime editor at Knopf, who gave it to The Sunday Times Magazine in 2009. It is easily prepared and a savory accompaniment to a steak or roast, crisp and buttery, with just a hint of garlic. Christine Muhlke

Dorie Greenspan · NYT Cooking

The only thing better than a plate of cookies is one big cookie meant to be shared by everyone around the table. It’s the kind of dessert that will encourage your friends and family to linger at the table and to keep the conversation going. It’s a brown-sugar cookie redolent of ginger, honey, cinnamon and clove that carries the scent of the season and tacks between crisp and slightly chewy, between gingersnap and gingerbread. That it has ground coffee in it marks it as a sweet for grown-ups. It’s a roll-out cookie, but not a fussy one – any shape works and ragged is better than perfect. I usually sprinkle the cookie with sanding sugar, but you can drizzle it with melted chocolate or frost it, if you’d like. For extra fun, put out chocolate or caramel sauce (or both) and invite everyone to dip.

Tamar Adler · NYT Cooking

This is the rare recipe for which I think it important to look at the picture — this updated one, not an intimidating old one — before beginning. A single glance confirms that the dish is not technically difficult to make, though it is a bit laborious. The leaves hold all the fillings, and the whole thing retains an odd calm beauty, the way a tree in bloom does.

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

The abalone’s oceanic flavor comes with a uniquely al dente texture — it’s like an oyster crossed with a scallop with a twist of snail. (Only otters can eat it straight from the shell: fresh abalone requires tenderizing to transform its eraserlike consistency.) Long prized in Asian cuisine, it has become an American delicacy as well, served in high-end restaurants like Michel Richard's Citronelle in Washington. Christine Muhlke

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Samin Nosrat · NYT Cooking

Iran’s most beloved and ubiquitous peasant dish, abgoosht (or “meat water”) is made with inexpensive, bony cuts of meat, which take a back seat to the broth and the sheer ceremony involved in serving it all. Once the stew is cooked, it is divided into two parts: The meat, potatoes and beans are pulled from the stock and mashed into a meat paste, goosht kubideh. Simple to prepare, the dish turns into an occasion for a gathering, as the broth and meat paste are served with piles of warm flatbread, pickles and fresh herbs, palate cleansers that offset the richness of the dish.

Robert Willey · NYT Cooking

Robert Willey

Susan Spungen · NYT Cooking

Some cookies feature tightly piped designs that require a master draftsman’s talents. That’s not this cookie, which looks best decorated with a looser hand. Here, sugar cookie dough is flavored with rosemary and lemon zest, baked, coated with lemony glaze, and sprinkled with crushed pistachios, freeze-dried raspberries, rose petals and pomegranate seeds. Finally, they are drizzled with a bit of pink glaze, Jackson Pollock-style. Each one looks like a little abstract painting, no special skills needed.

Sue Li · NYT Cooking

These meatballs are a take on classic Turkish kebabs in which the ground meat mixture is usually skewered and grilled. Here, the mixture is bulked up with bell peppers and onions — which keeps the meatballs plump and moist — and spiced with cumin, then formed into orbs and baked for a quick weeknight or even party-night meal. The ground meat option is flexible: Using all beef is a great option, rather than using half beef and half lamb. (But don’t swap in ground chicken or turkey, because both have added water and the mixture will be too wet to form meatballs.) You can serve the spread of meatballs, garlicky yogurt and herb salad alongside warm pita bread for guests to make their own sandwiches, or with fluffy rice.

Von Diaz · NYT Cooking

Using a classic Puerto Rican adobo seasoning — an island staple blend of garlic powder, oregano and black pepper — this recipe yields simple, savory roasted potatoes. They pair well with grilled meat and seafood, or make for a flavorful addition to any vegetable plate. The seasoning mix can be doubled or tripled (or more), with the rest stored in the pantry as an all-purpose seasoning, as it’s often used in Puerto Rican cooking to add instant flavor to stewed meats, beans and more. Roasted potatoes will keep for at least a week in the fridge, so make a big batch to snack on, add them to salads and soups, or smash and fry them for breakfast home fries.

Farideh Sadeghin · NYT Cooking

Zesty, salty and versatile, homemade adobo seasoning is the perfect all-purpose blend — and can be created using pantry spices. It takes its name from the word “adobo,” which comes from the Spanish word “adobar” (to marinate), and it adds depth in a pinch. A staple in Latin American cooking and beyond, adobo seasoning’s ingredient list and proportions might range from country to country or household to household, so feel free to adjust to your preference. Use it in soup bases or as a rub on flank steak, venison or fish, or add some to plain rice or rice and beans to punch up the flavor.

Susan Herrmann Loomis · NYT Cooking

Maria Newman · NYT Cooking

David Wondrich, the mixologist and author, said this punch, which begins with a sugar and lemon peel "shrub,'' is "lowish on the alcohol, and slightly unusual. People like it when I make it.'' Maria Newman

Eric Kim · NYT Cooking

The classic Italian combination of aglio e olio (garlic and oil) finds a melodic expression in these Parmesan-festooned baked potatoes. Underneath the fluffy mounds of cheese is garlicky mayonnaise, which, when stirred into a hot pillowy spud, brings a comforting reminder of potato salad. In this recipe, it’s the little things that make a big flavor impact: Use fresh parsley or chives, crushed red pepper that smells fruity and looks jewel-bright, black peppercorns that you’ve toasted and cracked yourself (if you have the patience) and a flavorful extra-virgin olive oil that’s bold, bright or peppery. As in the simple but impactful pasta dish aglio e olio, these baked potatoes pack the biggest punch when each piece plays its part.

Naz Deravian · NYT Cooking

Sipping on an agua fresca is like doing a cannonball into a crisp, cold lake on the hottest of summer days. Cooling, thirst-quenching and uplifting, the drink is widely consumed in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. In the United States, the invigorating beverage is found on the menus of many Mexican restaurants, but it’s also sold by street vendors. Meaning fresh water in Spanish, refreshing aguas frescas are a blend of water, sugar and often lime juice with a variety of ripe fruits, dried flowers or nuts and grains. How much sugar you add depends on the sweetness of the fruit. Agave syrup may also be used as a sweetener. The mixture is typically strained to remove pulp, but you can skip straining if you prefer. The fruit suggestions below — melons, pineapple, strawberry, cucumber and mango — work great, but you can try any variety of fruit, like oranges, peaches, bananas or tamarind. Serve agua fresca on ice, or cover and chill in the refrigerator before serving.

Harold McGee · NYT Cooking

Rick A. Martínez · NYT Cooking

Many salsas are fresh, raw and bright. But this pico de gallo turns a corner. A smoky corner. Finely chopped chipotles in adobo end up glazing the soft pieces of avocado, and it tastes deep and charred, even though it takes all of five minutes to make. It shouldn’t taste this good. But it does. Serve on sandwiches or tostadas, or with a bowl of plantain chips.

Rosie Schaap · NYT Cooking

This cocktail — essentially a tequila sour softened by elderflower liqueur and gilded with a garnish of flower petals and toasted sunflower seeds (which add a surprising crunch) — aspires to capture some of the unambiguous cheerfulness most of us associate with sunflowers and serve it in a glass. It’s named for William Blake’s decidedly ambiguous poem, “Ah! Sunflower.”

Matt Lee · NYT Cooking

Matt Lee And Ted Lee

Mark Bittman · NYT Cooking

The renowned chef Alice Waters makes her aioli in the most inefficient and old-fashioned way possible: using a mortar and pestle to mash the garlic, a fork to whip up the emulsion and no lemon juice, vinegar or any other acid at all. It was the best mayonnaise I've ever tasted, but then again, she did use a wonderfully perfumed olive oil. For this recipe, you should do the same. Mark Bittman

Eleanore Park · NYT Cooking

Bacon crisps up in the air fryer in a fraction of the time it would need on the stovetop or in the oven — and air-fryer bacon is ideal for a quick, solo breakfast, or when you need just a small batch. (If you’re cooking bacon for a crowd, we’ve still got you covered with our oven bacon recipe.) Cooking bacon in the air fryer results in extracrisp slices, since the excess bacon fat drains as the bacon cooks. The quantity of bacon here will depend on the size of your air fryer basket (or really, how hungry you are) and won’t affect the time or temperature called out below. To add to this recipe’s convenience, you can even start with frozen bacon without needing to adjust the cook time or temperature.

Eleanore Park · NYT Cooking

Cooking baked potatoes in an air fryer is an excellent option when it’s too hot to turn on the oven, or when you’re cooking for a smaller group. The machine’s circulating heat evenly crisps potato skins to perfection. Though simply delicious with a pat of butter and a sprinkle of chopped chives or scallions, these spuds also make perfect vessels for leftovers; add chopped, roasted broccoli, crispy crumbled bacon or a mound of chili for a heartier meal.

Eleanore Park · NYT Cooking

Broccoli roasts beautifully in the air fryer, and in record time with minimal effort. The air fryer is especially adept at producing the Maillard reaction — the chemical processes that transform sugars and proteins in food when browned and caramelized, deepening their flavor — because the controlled, high heat draws out moisture, creating a lovely char while keeping vegetables tender and flavorful. This recipe gives the broccoli a hit of umami from soy sauce, which is bolstered in the high heat, resulting in nutty, sweet and salty notes. If you’d like more umami, a drizzle of fish sauce or chile crisp will stretch these flavors even further. A sprinkle of sesame seeds adds nuttiness, and some fresh lemon zest provides a jolt of brightness.

Christina Morales · NYT Cooking

This recipe for an air-fryer cheesecake shows the potential of the appliance and the creativity of people, who seem willing to try making anything in the machine. Four months after Rebecca Abbott bought her first air fryer, she was stunned when she made a perfect cheesecake in it — no cracks or dips. She created this recipe, along with Jennifer West, for their blog, Air Frying Foodie. (The two included a cookies and cream version in their cookbook, “Air Fryer Beginner Recipes.”) This cheesecake is done in a fraction of the time it would take to bake one and looks beautiful, especially with cherry pie filling on top. Christina Morales

Eleanore Park · NYT Cooking

By some kind of magic, an air fryer can transform a chicken breast into an easy, flavorful dinner with minimal effort. Part of this sorcery takes a cue from Eric Kim’s dry-brined chicken breast recipe, which calls for cutting the chicken breast in half, allowing you to pluck the smaller piece from the air fryer as soon as it’s done, leaving the thicker part to remain in the air fryer longer and preventing any overcooked bites. Paired with vinegar, soy sauce acts less as a salt and more as a marinating agent in this recipe. The circulating heat and compact space of the air fryer allows the ingredients to reduce into a sweet and slightly sticky sauce as they collect at the bottom, emboldening their flavors.

Christina Morales · NYT Cooking

An air fryer can form a crispy shell on chicken Parmesan while keeping the meat inside juicy. Rebecca Abbott and Jennifer West, the authors of “Air Fryer Beginner Recipes” who run the blog Air Frying Foodie, created this recipe using a crust that combines coarse panko and fine bread crumbs with Parmesan for the most flavorful crunch. It’s delicious served with pasta and tomato sauce for dinner, or sandwiched in a roll for lunch. Christina Morales

Eleanore Park · NYT Cooking

There are many different ways to cook chicken tenders, but for feeding a smaller group, the air fryer is a convenient method for super-crispy and juicy results. A simple combination of panko bread crumbs, paprika, salt and pepper make up the coating, but that can just be the beginning: Try adding nutritional yeast for a boost of umami, shichimi togarashi or crushed red pepper for heat, or a sprinkle of oregano for a more classic flavor profile. Turn this recipe into a full meal by adding half of the recipe for air-fryer broccoli or air-fryer green beans to the basket when flipping the chicken tenders.

Eleanore Park · NYT Cooking

Simple and satisfying, chicken thighs brown beautifully in the air fryer, maintaining moisture thanks to their fat content. A quick, vinegar-spiked sour cream marinade adds oomph and helps tenderize the chicken. Despite being tossed and coated in a quick wet marinade (or overnight, if time permits), the skin still comes out deeply golden-brown and shatteringly crisp without leaving the meat lackluster. Because thighs vary in size, and air fryers range in size and power, make sure to take the internal temperature before removing your chicken from the air fryer, or pierce the chicken to check that the juices run clear rather than pink to ensure doneness.

Eleanore Park · NYT Cooking

Tossed simply with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, red-pepper flakes and grated garlic, green beans in the air fryer blister beautifully in a fraction of the time without heating up the oven. Equally tasty hot or at room temperature, these green beans can be made ahead and set aside if you want to cook a main dish in the air fryer after they’ve crisped. Green beans will crisp up nicely if left undisturbed in the air fryer, but like an oven, an air fryer can contain hot spots, so it’s worth shaking the green beans at least once for even cooking.

Eleanore Park · NYT Cooking

This easy air-fryer grilled cheese recipe yields an evenly toasted exterior, crisped frico edges and a perfectly melted middle — in record time. As Julia Moskin points out in her stovetop recipe, some patience and attention are required to ensure that the outside doesn’t burn before the cheese melts. But the air fryer’s convection heat results in the ideal grilled cheese with minimum effort. Like Ali Slagle’s sheet-pan recipe, this version is flexible: You can use any sliced bread or melting cheese. A schmear of your favorite condiment is also welcome here; try gochujang, kimchi or sauerkraut. If you have a larger air fryer, this recipe can easily be doubled to fit more than one sandwich.

Eleanore Park · NYT Cooking

This easy air-fryer recipe creates tasty, effortless pork chops, with the flexibility to season ahead of time or with no notice at all. The sugar-and-spice blend performs double duty, injecting a jolt of seasoning all over while also caramelizing as the pork cooks, forming a delightfully crackly crust that keeps the meat moist. Depending on the size of your air-fryer basket, you may be able to fit more than two pork chops, but the temperature and cook time will stay the same.

Eleanore Park · NYT Cooking

The air fryer creates crispy, tender potatoes without having to parboil beforehand, cutting much of the cooking time. Thanks to the compact space of the air fryer, the circulated high heat blisters the skins, creating crunchy edges, but also steams the potatoes, resulting in creamy centers. These potatoes taste as if they had been slow roasted over a long period of time, but cook in about 15 minutes. If dried parsley is unavailable, or you prefer fresh herbs, the recipe works just as well by tossing the potatoes with a tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley along with the lemon zest before serving.

Eleanore Park · NYT Cooking

Salmon cooks perfectly in the air fryer because the device’s circulating high heat keeps the fish moist and crisps skin-on fillets. Here, tomatoes and lemon slices provide a bright boost to the dish, but feel free to forgo or vary the recipe with seasonings like brown sugar and mustard or simply try out other salmon recipes.

Eleanore Park · NYT Cooking

A classic cast-iron steak recipe is hard to beat, but cooking steak in the air fryer is a reliable way to nail the perfect internal temperature in a fraction of the time thanks to the machine’s circulating high heat. Both the steak seasoning and herb butter work well for other occasions and can be easily scaled up, stored and saved for future use. The small amount of brown sugar doesn’t add much sweetness, instead, it helps encourage caramelization. Fast and dependable, this may become your new go-to way to cook steak on a weeknight. Why You Should Trust This Recipe In creating this recipe, Eleanore Park tried cooking more than five different cuts of steak in the air fryer to reach the ideal result. The recipe tester then tried another cut and also helped adjust the timing to make sure the steak comes out perfectly medium-rare every time.

Eleanore Park · NYT Cooking

Like air-fryer French fries, air-fryer sweet potatoes achieve similar success, utilizing less oil and requiring less time than deep-fried versions. While sweet potato fries won’t crisp up as much as their potato counterparts, that’s part of the appeal, offering textural contrast of creamy centers and charred tips. Oomph from any of your favorite spices would work well here, along with the paprika. Sumac could add a punch of brightness or a dash of cayenne can impart some heat. If your air fryer basket is larger, try a bigger sweet potato for a higher serving — but don’t overfill it with sweet potatoes, or they’ll steam rather than crisping in spots.

Eleanore Park · NYT Cooking

Much like air-fryer French fries, tofu becomes perfectly crunchy in the air fryer without the need for deep-frying or an abundance of oil. This recipe takes a cue from Eric Kim’s crispy tofu nuggets, using potato starch to create a crackly exterior. The potato starch and salt coating, as well as the circulating high heat, helps evenly draw out the moisture. Similar to many air fryer recipes, the tofu benefits from being tossed or shaken halfway through to ensure even cooking. If using a smaller air fryer, cooking spray helps prevent the cubes from clumping when piled into the basket. For a full meal, serve with rice and a squeeze of lime for an extra shot of brightness.

Vivian Chan-Tam · NYT Cooking

Succulent, flavorful turkey breast that cooks up in less than 45 minutes is possible with an air fryer. And with the air fryer method, no babysitting basting time is required. Starting with a simple dry rub infuses the turkey as it chills overnight, ensuring that every bite is tastier than the last. This super easy recipe is perfect for an oven-free Thanksgiving feast or for creating a week's worth of delicious turkey sandwiches.

Vivian Chan-Tam · NYT Cooking

There’s just something about holding a whole roasted turkey leg and taking a big bite. These prized parts of a turkey have a flavorful, juicy and somewhat primal allure. But you don’t have to carve out the time or put in all the work of long roasting for the satisfaction of grasping a large, crispy drumstick. A batch of deeply seasoned and burnished air-fried turkey legs delivers this experience with minimum cleanup, a fraction of the cooking time and a much lower cost — especially if you include the price of entry to state fairs, amusement parks and renaissance fairs. The cranberry sauce might be optional, but is highly recommended. It’s a versatile condiment that can also be schmeared on a sandwich, nestled on a cheeseboard or dunked into as part of a child-friendly weeknight dinner.

Francis Lam · NYT Cooking

Tomate de árbol (also called tamarillo) is an unusual ingredient that tastes like a savory, tomatolike passion fruit. Available frozen or as pulp at many Latino or South American grocers, it is blended in the mountain city of Cuenca into an easy vinaigrettelike sauce with chiles, onion, cilantro and oil. Use it as a hot sauce, a dip or an accompaniment to meat or fish.

Steven Raichlen · NYT Cooking

Visit Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Ala., and you’ll find a barbecue sauce unlike any on the planet. Created by a railroad worker-turned-pit master in the 1920s, this piquant mixture of mayonnaise, vinegar and black pepper has accompanied barbecued chicken for five generations of pit masters. If you’re not from Alabama, mayonnaise may sound like a strange ingredient for a barbecue sauce, but its creamy piquancy goes great with smoked chicken, pulled pork and roast beef. Some pit masters like to crank up the heat with some prepared horseradish.

Jonathan Reynolds · NYT Cooking

Robert Simonson · NYT Cooking

The big question when preparing an Alaska cocktail is the choice of gin. Though most bars make it with London Dry gin, the earliest known recipe for the drink calls for Old Tom gin, a sweeter form of the spirit that was common in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This is the recipe found in “Drinks,” a 1913 book by the bartender Jacques Straub, and favored by Jim Kearns, an owner of Slowly Shirley, a cocktail bar in Greenwich Village. "The orange bitters adds a nice, dry, citric note to the end, keeping the cocktail from becoming too sweet,” Mr. Kearns said. While Straub’s instructions do not call for a lemon twist, Mr. Kearns added it anyway, because it “complements the orange bitters so nicely. Robert Simonson

Betty Fussell · NYT Cooking

Betty Fussell

Kim Severson · NYT Cooking

Fragrant with mint and cilantro and a hit of oregano, these delicate Mexican meatballs have served Linda Ronstadt’s family for generations. They were lunch for her grandfather, or a soup course when the family gathered at her grandparent’s house. The recipe, published in her memoir-cookbook hybrid “Feels Like Home: A Song for the Sonoran Borderlands” (Heyday, 2022), is different from many traditional albóndigas recipes, which use rice or soft vegetables like potatoes or carrots to bind the meatballs. It may seem like the meatball components won’t come together when kneading at first, but stick with it. The poaching liquid becomes a broth, which benefits from skimming off the little bit of foam that appears before serving. A variation of the Ronstadt family meatballs first appeared in The Times in 1989. Kim Severson

Von Diaz · NYT Cooking

Puerto Rico is famous for its fritters, and alcapurrias are among the most coveted. Imagine a tamale made of green banana and root vegetable masa that is stuffed with savory meat or seafood, and then deep fried. You typically get them from the kioskos, roadside stands along Puerto Rico’s beaches and highways, particularly in Loíza, a town on the northeastern coast that is the island’s African heart. At home, they’re often made over the holidays, as many hands make light work. The flavor is unmistakable: earthy green banana and taro cut by savory sofrito, briny capers and delicate crab meat. The filling, often called a salmorejo, is usually made from local land crabs, but commercially available lump crab is a fitting substitute. This recipe is adapted from one by María Dolores “Lula” de Jesús, the 84-year-old owner of El Burén de Lula in Loíza, who is considered by many to be a madrina, or godmother, of this and other dishes with African origins.

Julia Reed · NYT Cooking

Julia Reed

Jason Epstein · NYT Cooking

R. W. Apple Jr. · NYT Cooking

This recipe requires a little extra effort – you have to whip the egg whites separately and then fold them into the batter - but the reward is a light, ethereal cake topped with glistening, caramelized cranberries. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream, and prepare yourself for accolades.

Kim Severson · NYT Cooking

Alice Waters often recommends that cooks master a good minestrone. It’s communal and seasonal, two pillars on which she has built her cooking career. This summer recipe came from the cookbook that is her top seller: "The Art of Simple Food." It uses the best of the season’s green beans, tomatoes and squash. In the spring, fresh peas, asparagus and spinach would make a good vegetable trio, with some fennel standing in for the carrot in the sofrito. In the fall, cubes of butternut squash, a small can of tomatoes and a bunch of kale would star, with rosemary and a little chopped sage instead of thyme for seasoning. Winter might bring a soup built from turnips, potatoes and cabbage. If the turnips have greens, add them, too. Start with a large pot that has a heavy bottom. Always cook the vegetables through, about 10 minutes. They should look good enough to eat on their own. Add the beans about 10 minutes before serving. A cup or two of cooked pasta can be stirred in at the last minute. Don

Jill Santopietro · NYT Cooking

Jill Santopietro

Tejal Rao · NYT Cooking

Somewhere between buttery mashed potatoes and pure melted cheese lies aligot, the comforting, cheese-enhanced mashed-potato dish from central France. The key to getting a smooth, airy texture is to rice the potatoes while they're still hot, then incorporate cold butter, hot milk and grated cheese over low heat. To build up the stringiness of that melting cheese, Ham El-Waylly, a chef at the Brooklyn restaurant Hail Mary, suggests whipping it with confidence, speed and vigor. This is what will create aligot's characteristic cheese strings: long and sheer, with some elasticity. "They should fight with you," Waylly says. While fresh tomme or Cantal is traditional, Gruyère or Comté work well, too. Tejal Rao

Naz Deravian · NYT Cooking

Genet Agonafer, chef owner of Meals by Genet, offers an array of dishes using a variety of legumes at her award-winning Ethiopian restaurant in Los Angeles. Alitcha kik is a comforting, protein-packed yellow split pea dish that is spiced and tinted with turmeric. Alitcha refers to a meat or vegetable stew prepared without berbere, the fragrant, chile-based spice mix widely used in Ethiopian cuisine. According to Ms. Agonafer, the foundation of most Ethiopian dishes is onion. To properly cook down the finely chopped onion, she quickly boils it and then cooks it in oil with crushed garlic and the rest of the ingredients. Yellow split peas need plenty of water to soften. Alitcha kik shouldn’t be too thick; add water as necessary for a creamy consistency. Alitcha kik is traditionally served with injera, but it also pairs well with rice or bread of choice. Naz Deravian

Harold McGee · NYT Cooking

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

This combination of dry vermouth, lemon, crème de cassis, dry tonic and sparkling rosé is bright and refreshingly bubbly any time of day. The small add of crème de cassis (a black currant-based liqueur) balances the drink's acidity, while a pinch of flaky sea salt smooths and enhances flavors. The drink can be made to serve one, as written, or the mix of vermouth-lemon-crème de cassis can be batched in advance, then poured over ice and topped with dry tonic and sparkling rosé just before serving.

Joanna Pruess · NYT Cooking

Claire Saffitz · NYT Cooking

This dough, a hybrid of brioche and Japanese milk bread, bakes into a light, soft loaf with a silky crumb. There are two key steps to the bread’s texture: The first is a tangzhong, or “water roux,” which originated in Japanese baking but was popularized throughout Asia and beyond by the Taiwanese pastry chef Yvonne Chen. The second is a long, slow mix that develops sufficient strength in the dough to support a lofty rise in the oven. Unless you have superhuman strength and patience, a stand mixer is required. The dough is slightly sweet, making it ideal for cinnamon rolls or pistachio morning buns, and suitable for sandwich bread or hamburger buns.

Christina Morales · NYT Cooking

Alligators can be legally hunted from the last week of August to the end of October in Louisiana, but can also be farm-raised and purchased whole or in parts throughout the year. Here, tiny nuggets of alligator tenderloin become tender and juicy in this cozy recipe adapted from “After the Hunt: Louisiana’s Authoritative Collection of Wild Game and Game Fish Cookery,” a cookbook by the chef John Folse. If you can’t find alligator, other ground meat, such as lean pork, chicken or turkey also work. Serve this chili over spaghetti if you want to mimic a hunting camp meal or eat it with cornbread, as Mr. Folse suggests. Christina Morales

Rosie Schaap · NYT Cooking

The vintage-cocktail expert Ted Haigh considers allspice dram an ideal “secret ingredient”: A small amount can add tremendous depth and flavor to many classic drinks. Here, I use it to perk up the otherwise staid — if indisputably delicious — Brandy Alexander.

Sam Sifton · NYT Cooking

This is a no-recipe recipe, a recipe without an ingredients list or steps. It invites you to improvise in the kitchen. Here's a free-form rice pilaf, made with onions, dried fruit and slivered almonds. First, melt a knob of butter in a pot, then sauté a sliced onion in it until translucent. Add rice, as much as you want to cook, and stir it around, then add water in its usual ratio to the rice, and cook as you always do. At the end, add some chopped prunes, or currants, or raisins, or all three, along with a handful of slivered almonds and salt and pepper. Fluff the rice to mix everything together. Put the top back on the pot, and let the rice and mix-ins mellow out for a few minutes. Serve alongside a store-bought roast chicken, the legs and thighs separated and the breasts cut on the bias and fanned out for show. Sam Sifton features a no-recipe recipe every Wednesday in his What to Cook newsletter. Sign up to receive it. You can find more no-recipe recipes here.

Oliver Strand · NYT Cooking

Oliver Strand

Richard Flaste · NYT Cooking

Richard Flaste

Claire Saffitz · NYT Cooking

Rum simple syrup and toasted almond cream — both quick and easy to assemble — are all you need to transform stale homemade or store-bought croissants into deliciously sweet and fragrant pastries. The amount of syrup might feel excessive, but it’s needed to replace the moisture lost in the croissants as they become stale, so be generous when soaking them.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

This cake celebrates the sweet, jamlike texture of juicy ripe figs against the backdrop of a fragrant almond cake, with a sweet-and-sour tamarind glaze as contrast. As the cake bakes, the fresh figs release their juices, which begin to caramelize and take on the flavor of black pepper. Tellicherry black peppercorns and long pepper, if available, are wonderful options to explore for their unique aromas. Frozen fresh figs will also work in this cake. Just remember to thaw them to room temperature and drain off any excess liquid before using. And, make sure to use tamarind paste, not concentrate. Thick, syrupy concentrates lack the fruity flavor of tamarind and carry a noticeable artificial aftertaste.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

For special occasions in Morocco, a whole lamb is turned on a spit over coals for hours, until the exterior is browned and crisp, with tender juicy meat within. Paula Wolfert, the great American authority on Moroccan food, gives this slow-roasting method for achieving similar delicious results in a home oven. Ask your butcher for front quarter of lamb (also called a half bone-on chuck). It is comprised of the neck, shoulder, front shank, and some ribs, all in one piece. Alternatively, ask for 2 large bone-in shoulder roasts. The lamb emerges succulent and fragrant, thanks to careful basting with butter and spices. Serve it with warm chick peas, cumin-flavored salt and a dab of spicy harissa. David Tanis

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

This version of a traditional Punjabi chicken and potato stew uses some shortcuts — boneless chicken and chicken stock instead of whole chicken thighs, and cashew butter in place of ground cashews — to produce a quick, one-pot meal with complex flavors. The quality of the stock heavily influences the end result, so reach for the best. Onion, ginger, garlic, chile powder and garam masala layer on sweetness and heat while cashew butter adds a rich nuttiness. Serve with lemon wedges for a final hit of brightness.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

Typically cooked on the stove with bone-in goat pieces, this version of a traditional Punjabi meat and potato stew exchanges simmering for the French technique of braising, and swaps goat for boneless beef — the meat is browned first and then finished in the oven submerged in liquid. Beef broth or water do the trick here. Tomatoes provide acidity. The use of whole spices like peppercorn and clove along with chile powder and garam masala, used twice at different points in the cooking process, contribute to the deliciously layered dish. Braising lends more control, ensuring the meat is tender, and potatoes provide quiet moments of relief in an otherwise fiery combination of flavors. Though it takes some time, the steps are simple and the resulting complexly spiced and rich, lip-smacking stew is worth the effort.

Elaine Louie · NYT Cooking

Elaine Louie

Tejal Rao · NYT Cooking

A little bowl of simply spiced half-mashed potatoes and onion, glistening with fat, is a standard side dish at bustling restaurants that serve dosas. It’s also one of the best vegetable dishes — inexpensive, quick and delicious — to add to your repertoire as a home cook. The key to these potatoes is water, not fat. Overcooking them just slightly ensures that they’re tender, and that they hold enough moisture so when you drop them into the hot pan, they break up and meld into the sautéed onion mix, becoming almost indistinguishable from it. Though aloo masala is great with a hot dosa, it’s a versatile dish that can also work as a side with other meals.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

Aloo tikki, or potato cutlets, are a popular South Asian street food perhaps due to the ease with which they travel and their versatility: They can be eaten as a quick, compact snack and also lend themselves to being slathered in chutney and wrapped up in naan for a full meal. The hearty, heavily spiced and textured tikki is commonly found on tea trolleys as well as at mealtimes in homes. They may be served as an appetizer, a side to many main courses or as the meal itself. Typically fried in a small amount of oil, this version calls for baking the cutlets to minimize mess and to efficiently entertain a large party or household. Make the potato mix a few days ahead, or freeze the cutlets for up to 3 months — perfect for spontaneous hosting.

Jeff Gordinier · NYT Cooking

On her nights off, Amanda Cohen, the chef at Dirt Candy in Manhattan, uses up the white takeout containers full of rice that accumulate in her fridge by making vegetable fried rice (see the recipe here). To ward off blandness, she stocks her freezer in advance with flavor bombs: small, dark green ice blocks of garlic, ginger, cilantro, parsley and other ingredients, frozen in ice cube trays. When the rice and vegetables are hot in the pan and ready for a boost, you simply melt a flavor cube or two in the mix and let the rice take on a tasty coat of green.

Robert Simonson · NYT Cooking

Jeffrey Morgenthaler, the bar manager of Pépé Le Moko and Clyde Common in Portland, Ore., enjoyed amaretto sours as a young man. As a bartender, he embarked on a project to make a better version of this often-mocked drink, which was typically composed of just amaretto and sour mix. He boosted the alcoholic strength by mixing in nearly a full ounce of overproof bourbon, replaced the sour mix with real lemon juice and added an egg white — a common ingredient in many sour recipes from the past. Given all the alterations, he might have given the cocktail a new name, but decided against that. “There wouldn’t have been any point,” he said. “There’s a big difference between if I took this drink and made it good, and if I invented a new drink with amaretto. The latter wouldn’t have the same gravitas.” Robert Simonson

Jonathan Reynolds · NYT Cooking

Linda Wells · NYT Cooking

Nargisse Benkabbou · NYT Cooking

Amlou is a Moroccan spread made with just three ingredients: almonds, honey and argan oil. Affectionately referred to as Moroccan Nutella by Moroccans, it is traditionally enjoyed at breakfast or teatime alongside breads, pancakes, yogurt or cheeses. Here, it’s used to top blondies, adding a smooth textural contrast and a deep, sweet, nutty flavor. While amlou is traditionally made with almonds, peanut butter is commonly used as a substitute. Argan oil is extracted from the kernels of the argan tree native to Morocco; if you can't get your hands on argan oil, walnut or peanut oil is a suitable alternative.

Dena Kleiman · NYT Cooking

Jenan Madden, the manager of a book store in Seattle, shared this recipe with The Times. She acquired it as a child from a favorite baby sitter. “The taste is great,” she said. “And it’s fun telling people what they are called.” (Ammonia cookies are in fact made with ammonium carbonate, a form of baking soda, not cleaning ammonia, which is poisonous.) Dena Kleiman

Sohla El-Waylly · NYT Cooking

This Bangladeshi-style chicken korma, named for my mother, Amu, is gently spiced and enriched with yogurt instead of cream or nuts, resulting in a light and bright sauce. This style of braising adds very little liquid, allowing the chicken to stew in its own juices. For full flavor, cook the korma until the fat breaks out of the sauce and pools on the surface. Keep it traditional and serve with paratha or rice, or pull the meat off the bones and pile between mayo-slathered white bread to make a chicken korma sandwich — and, of course, cut on a diagonal.

Betty Fussell · NYT Cooking

Dan Pelosi · NYT Cooking

“Salsa verde” translates to “green sauce” in both Italian and Spanish. Mexican salsa verde is a spicy green sauce typically made of tomatillo, green chiles and cilantro. This Italian salsa verde is an herby, briny green sauce that is made with parsley, anchovies, capers and extra-virgin olive oil. Its bright flavors make it well suited for a variety of uses: as a topping for grilled vegetables, meat or fish, a condiment for sandwiches or a finishing touch for fried eggs. This recipe comes together fast in a blender or food processor, but if you have extra time and a sharp knife, feel free to mince the garlic, parsley, capers and anchovies by hand, creating a looser, chunkier salsa verde. To change things up, add other herbs like basil or mint, use red or white wine vinegar instead of lemon juice, and toss in crushed red pepper for some heat.

Gabrielle Hamilton · NYT Cooking

Tasting this bold dressing on its own, straight out of the jar, might make your eyes widen. It is very assertive. But don’t tone it down thinking there must be an error. The high ratio of potent raw garlic to bright lemon juice to salty anchovy is very much on purpose — once you spoon the dressing over cold braised celery hearts or fennel heads or steamed cauliflower or leafy mustard greens, the ferocity is tamed. If it didn’t start so high and assertive, it would become docile rather than perfectly obedient.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

These spiced scrambled eggs, known in South Asia as anda bhurji, come together in just 20 minutes and are packed with flavor. Cumin, garlic and ginger add layers of earthiness and depth; green chiles bring a fresh heat reinforced by a more fiery red chile; and tomatoes and shallots cook down into a savory, jammy mixture. Beaten eggs are folded in and gently scrambled until soft and curdy, then finished with garam masala and a sprinkle of cilantro. The result is a comforting, versatile dish that’s just as good spooned onto buttered toast as it is scooped up with warm roti. Though not traditional, serving the anda bhurji with simply boiled white rice is just as enjoyable. This recipe is perfect for breakfast, but hearty enough for any time of day.

Melissa Clark · NYT Cooking

In this classic Indian dish, adapted from the cookbook author Julie Sahni, hard-cooked eggs are swathed in a spicy tomato gravy fragrant with cardamom, cumin and cinnamon. Since garam masala spice blends vary in their chile content, sample yours before adding it to the sauce, then stir it in to taste. You can make the sauce and hard-cook the eggs a day ahead (store them in the refrigerator), but the eggs are best introduced to the pot just before serving; simply reheat them in the simmering sauce. You can serve the eggs over rice, or with flatbread on the side. Melissa Clark

Jason Epstein · NYT Cooking

Leslie Land · NYT Cooking

Jerrelle Guy · NYT Cooking

Say hello to a timeless drink from my new cookbook “We Fancy: Simple Recipes to Make the Everyday Special” (S&S/Simon Element, 2026); the cocktail is named after me and inspired by an Arnold Palmer. My middle name, Andrica, has become an incantation when I need to dissolve my anxiety and slip into a state of peace, and this drink has a base of calming tea made visually dazzling with a bobbing floater of bright red cherry juice or red wine, both of which contain melatonin.

Rena Coyle · NYT Cooking

Martha Rose Shulman · NYT Cooking

The key to success with angel food cake is not overbeating the egg whites, which means you should never go above medium speed, and the peaks should fold over when you lift them with a spatula or beaters. If the meringue is too stiff, the cake will not maintain its height once baked. You should be able to pour the batter into the pan. Make sure that the egg whites are at room temperature before you begin. Use an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, preferably one with a removable bottom (even better if it has feet, for air circulation when you cool it upside down). Once baked, let it cool completely in the reversed pan.

Dan Pelosi · NYT Cooking

Arrabbiata literally translates to “angry” in Italian. Don’t worry, the goal of this angry chicken is to make you just the opposite. Sugo all'arrabbiata is traditionally a simple, spicy tomato sauce that gets its heat and flavor from spicy chile peppers: dried, fresh or both. This recipe uses both crushed red pepper and chopped Calabrian chiles or hot cherry peppers — along with olive oil, shallot, tomatoes and garlic — to make sauce for crispy chicken thighs to lay in as they are roasted to perfection. Additional hot peppers or fresh tomatoes are more than welcome. While there’s plenty of sauce to serve traditionally over pasta, this arrabbiata is happiest over creamy polenta.

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

An adaptation of a recipe from Thomas Jefferson's granddaughter, who corresponded with him when he was in France about these peas.

Julia Reed · NYT Cooking

Joanna Pruess · NYT Cooking

Sarah Copeland · NYT Cooking

It’s always a shame to let precious vegetables go to waste. Once they pass their prime, they can form the foundation for a tasty stir-fry. Wrap mature greens like kale, Swiss chard and spinach in a damp towel and refrigerate them and they will keep for about seven days. Once they start to become limp, they may no longer shine raw in salads but they are perfect for stir-frying. This recipe works with what you've got, building an easy stir-fry with any combination of toasted nuts, crunchy vegetables and sturdy greens.

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

Forget the spritz. This refreshing granita is yet another way to use up that bottle of Aperol. This recipe, from Balena in Chicago, freezes Aperol with gelatin, grapefruit and orange juices. At that restaurant, it tops a grapefruit sundae, but you can have it on its own, on a warm summer day. Jennifer Steinhauer

Sue Li · NYT Cooking

An apple pie is evergreen, but it’s best in the fall, when apples are in season. Here, sweet Honeycrisps are cooked down in butter, tossed with rich heavy cream and nestled in a crust that requires no crimping. Instead, the dough for the top crust is cut into squares (or any shape of your choosing), then shingled on top of the filling. As it bakes, the edges will drape naturally. You do want to pay special attention to the filling: Mix the cooked apples with the remaining ingredients right before assembling, since adding them too early will break down the apples too quickly.

Joan Nathan · NYT Cooking

Similar in taste to my late mother-in-law’s homey Polish apple cake but a bit chewier and less sweet, this babka can be served as a dessert or breakfast treat. It comes from Sarah Amouyal, co-founder and co-owner of Babka Zana, a bakery in Paris with a nod to North African and Ashkenazi Jewish baking traditions. Unlike many other babkas today, it still has the feeling of old Europe in its simplicity. Make it for breakfast as I did, in a traditional loaf, or twist it into four smaller round buns to be shared when sipping coffee, as Ms. Amouyal does. What I especially like about this babka recipe is that it can be assembled one day and baked off the next. The cold, long rest in the refrigerator helps the dough rise more slowly, giving it time to develop flavor, while also making the babka easier to work with. Add a half teaspoon or so of cinnamon to the apples if you must. Joan Nathan

Lisa Donovan · NYT Cooking

Rustic is best when you are trying to make the most of your high-season fruit. Rolling up your sleeves and getting down to what suits the fruit — like a simple crust around lightly sweetened fruit — seems to be the call of the season for bakers who don’t want to mess with a good thing. This croustade is that dish, the one that keeps things easy. A classic French double layer pie, croustade is worth heating up your kitchen on a hot summer’s day and does not disappoint in its beautiful simplicity. The flaky crust holds the sweet-tart fruit and balances it perfectly with its sparkling sugar topping. You might also want to embrace the croustade’s rustic nature and simply serve it with a dollop of crème fraîche, but lightly sweetened whipped cream, crème anglaise or a scoop of speckled vanilla bean ice cream are also perfect additions. This French classic is a hit at any table, bien sûr. Lisa Donovan

Martha Rose Shulman · NYT Cooking

This is a version of a classic French tourte aux blettes, a Swiss chard pie made with abundant chard, raisins, pine nuts, Parmesan or Gruyère, sugar and apples. But here, the usual olive-oil crust has been swapped for a flaky butter-based pâte brisée.

Yossy Arefi · NYT Cooking

This towering loaf is packed with applesauce and chopped apples, plus lots of cinnamon and nutmeg. Enjoy a slice with a cup of tea in the afternoon or turn it into dessert with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream. Use tart, firm baking apples (such as Mutsu, Cortland, Braeburn, Northern Spy and Stayman Winesap) in this cake for best results. The bread is best enjoyed the day it is baked, but will stay soft and delicious for a few days when stored in an airtight container or bag at room temperature.

Samantha Seneviratne · NYT Cooking

These lightly sweetened, chewy little bars are made with rolled oats, apple butter, cinnamon and maple syrup — all the essentials for a cozy breakfast. Try them freshly baked with a hot latte, or top them with a little bit of yogurt, fresh berries and a drizzle of honey for a fun breakfast sundae. You could even finish the day with a square tucked under a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Is it cake? Is it a breakfast? You decide.

Yossy Arefi · NYT Cooking

This cake is a bit of a choose your own adventure. Make it as is, without any topping at all, for a simple apple-packed treat, or pump up the flavor with a coating of cinnamon sugar (or pumpkin spice) that bakes up into a crunchy crust in some spots and gooey glaze in others. If you really want to take it to another level, add a drizzle of cream cheese icing that takes this cake into cinnamon roll territory. Use tart, firm baking apples: Mutsu, Cortland, Braeburn, Northern Spy and Stayman Winesap are all great options. We’ll leave it to you whether to peel or not to peel.

Nigella Lawson · NYT Cooking

There is no doubt that this recipe is an undertaking, what with cooking the apples, making the crepes and some Calvados-flavored sauce. But if you want, you could do away with the sauce and crepes, and serve the buttery, almost caramelized apples over good vanilla ice cream. And even though you need to rustle up the three components, it is an easy choice when you have guests over, as everything can be made in advance. The apples and sauce can be reheated at the last minute and their warmth heats up the thin, pliable crepes.

Rosie Schaap · NYT Cooking

Apples and oranges! They’re often presented as exemplars of opposition, as though they have nothing in common. But both fruits make appearances on many Thanksgiving tables, with orange in some cranberry sauces and cornbread stuffings with apple, and they mingle beautifully in a mellow punch that gets its verve from bourbon and its depth from a brown sugar and cinnamon simple syrup. For extra apple flavor, try swapping an apple spirit, such as Applejack or Calvados, in for the bourbon. The leftover simple syrup is great in cocktails -- a festive Old Fashioned, for example -- and also on oatmeal and rice pudding.

Joan Nathan · NYT Cooking

Alex Levin, the pastry chef of Osteria Morini in Washington, adapted this Rosh Hashana honey cake recipe from his grandmother, an accomplished baker, though he put his own touches on it. Mr. Levin took out the cloves, allspice and raisins, and added an apple cider compote to the batter, which moistens the cake and gives it a caramelized apple flavor that deepens the cake beyond honey and spice. With its combination of apples and honey, it's a lovely and symbolic finale for a New Year's celebration. Joan Nathan

Erin Jeanne McDowell · NYT Cooking

This may not be the dish you think of when you see the words “apple dumplings,” but this delicious dessert couldn’t be simpler to make, or more comforting to eat. It starts with a basic dumpling batter. Just stir together the ingredients, then cook them in liquid on the stovetop until they become fluffy all the way through. Poaching the dumplings in a combination of apple cider, brown sugar and cinnamon means they take on a jammy exterior and absorb some of sweetness in the process. As the dumplings cook, they release some starch into the liquid, which thickens the poaching liquid into a sauce. It’s topped with a lightly whipped vanilla cream, which has a consistency similar to melted ice cream and coats each and every bite.

Samantha Seneviratne · NYT Cooking

Perfectly petite, these apple cinnamon muffins are sweet, spiced and ideal for breakfast or an on-the-go snack. Use whichever apple you like best — Granny Smith for tartness or Fuji if you like your apples on the sweeter side. Brushing with melted butter and cinnamon sugar gives them a soft doughnut-like vibe, but a crunchy, crumby topping would be nice too! To switch it up, combine ¾ cup flour, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt with 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Sprinkle this mixture over the batter before baking.

Erin Jeanne McDowell · NYT Cooking

The cinnamon biscuit topping in this classic cobbler is easy to make, and easily adjustable. Reduce the buttermilk by 2 tablespoons for a crumblier, more streusel-like topping, or add 2 tablespoons to make it softer and cakelike. The cobbler can be made ahead and rewarmed: Tent it with foil and warm it in a 325-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Joan Nathan · NYT Cooking

This vanilla apple compote is the perfect accompaniment to French potato pancakes. Joan Nathan

Glenn Collins · NYT Cooking

This recipe came to us in 1987 from Eric Michael Gillett, then the ringmaster for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Citrus zest and fresh, grated ginger set this recipe apart from the rest.

Amanda Hesser · NYT Cooking

You can use the leftover ground macaroons in this recipe for the tortoni. Amanda Hesser

Yossy Arefi · NYT Cooking

Buttery caramelized apples are sandwiched between toasty oat crumble in this warmly spiced cake. The cake is plush and soft, the apples melt into a gorgeously gooey layer, and the crumble adds crispy texture and toasty buttery flavor. Don’t let the ingredient list dissuade you, as each element comes together quickly and easily, without any special equipment or tools. A slice of this cake is equally at home at the brunch table, with a hot cup of coffee, or as dessert, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Use tart, firm apples to ensure they keep a bit of a bite after they’re baked.

Samantha Seneviratne · NYT Cooking

An apple galette is the quintessential fall dessert. With so few ingredients and only a bit of sugar, the apples can really shine. Look for sweet apples that hold their shape after baking like Golden Delicious, Pink Lady or Honeycrisp. If you’d like a little more acidity you can mix the apples to include more tart varieties like Granny Smith. Brushing the crust with heavy cream helps achieve a bit of shine and nice color. If you don’t have heavy cream, you can use milk or a lightly beaten egg to create a similar effect.

Samantha Seneviratne · NYT Cooking

These perfectly portable hand pies are made with standard pie dough ingredients, but the method is slightly different. In order to create puffed, layered, super-flaky pastry, the dough is rolled out and folded multiple times in order to create thin layers of butter that melt and create steam in the oven. This step is somewhat unnecessary when it comes to baking pies in pie plates because the filling would prevent major puffing anyway. A hand pie is baked free form, so it has all the room in the world to puff up. These are lovely and just sweet enough, but if you’d like to dress them up a bit, combine 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 to 2 tablespoons of whole milk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla and drizzle before serving.

William L. Hamilton · NYT Cooking

William L. Hamilton

Erin Jeanne McDowell · NYT Cooking

Many apple pies call for simply tossing cut apples with sugar, adding a thickening agent and some spices, and plopping it all into a crust. But precooking the apples has multiple advantages: First, it draws out some of their juices, to ensure consistency. (No undercooked apples or runny filling here!) And, second, it prevents the filling from sinking away from the crust as it cools, leaving a pocket of air between filling and crust. Use this all-purpose filling in a traditional pie, tiny hand-held pies, or in a cobbler. It can be made several days ahead, leaving just assembling and baking.

Dorie Greenspan · NYT Cooking

This winter in Paris, my husband went out every morning, walked to Circus bakery and returned home with an apple pie, a really good one. The rustic pie — a cross between an American open-face pie and a French galette — is made with a sturdy, rather wet dough. Chill the dough overnight and it will be a dream to work with. The filling is a generous mound of unpeeled, thinly sliced, lightly sweetened apples, flavored with an abundance of lemon juice and zest and, so surprisingly, not a speck of spice. At Circus, the palm-size pies are pentagonal. The dough is lifted up around the apples, pinched and pressed into shape. To learn to make the pastry at home, I watched Circus’s bakers at work. I loved how each had a particular way of forming the pies. But, most of all, I loved that no matter how they shaped them, in the end, they all looked beautiful. My pie looks beautiful and yours will, too.

Joan Nathan · NYT Cooking

This prune apple cardamom cake by the chef Genevieve Gergis was inspired by sticky toffee pudding, a dish that her husband and business partner, the chef Ori Menashe, loves. It’s on the menu at their restaurant Bavel in Los Angeles, where it’s served hot from the oven with date toffee sauce and whipped cream. You can serve this cake version with your favorite toffee or caramel sauce and ice cream. It makes a lovely dessert after a Rosh Hashana supper or as part of a spread to break the Yom Kippur fast. Joan Nathan

Mimi Sheraton · NYT Cooking

Chilled dough for 10-inch flan ring, as above

Regina Schrambling · NYT Cooking

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

Christine Muhlke

Maura Egan · NYT Cooking

Maura Egan

Maura Egan · NYT Cooking

Nancy Arum · NYT Cooking

Salty, chewy bits of pastrami (yes, pastrami) are a welcome counterpoint to the earthy sweetness of this apple-walnut stuffing.

Celia Barbour · NYT Cooking

R. W. Apple Jr. · NYT Cooking

R. W. Apple Jr.

Julia Moskin · NYT Cooking

A traditional flavor combination (butter pecan) melds with a modern one (salted caramel) in this magnificently burnished golden cake. Brian Noyes opened Red Truck bakery in 2008 on the eastern edge of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, where plentiful local produce was part of the draw. A dose of aged apple brandy (he uses a local product, Catoctin Creek) keeps the sweetness in check, but bourbon or any aged brandy will do the job. For a nonalcoholic version, simply omit the brandy from the sauce, and swap in apple juice or cider in the cake batter. Julia Moskin

Oliver Schwaner-Albright · NYT Cooking

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

Tradition is a beautiful thing, unless it requires you to make something you don’t enjoy making or eating. For me, that’s charoset. Classically, it’s an apple-walnut mixture (occasionally including a touch of cinnamon or dried fruit, or a combination) that ranges from chunky-relish to chunky-paste, and it’s never been my favorite thing on the table. I’ve always wanted it tangier, crunchier and, well, I wanted a salad. This is that salad. It’s meant to be more acidic than sweet, but adjust with vinegar and honey as needed to suit your preference. A note: Nearly everyone who ate this salad said it was their favorite part of the whole meal, which bruised my matzo ball ego, but I thought you should know.

Bryan Miller · NYT Cooking

Yossy Arefi · NYT Cooking

This warmly spiced, moist apple cake is the cozy breakfast, afternoon snack or dessert that dreams are made of. The top is covered with a generous layer of crumble that’s spiced with cinnamon or your favorite pumpkin spice blend and caramelized on the edges, which adds delicious toasty flavor and wonderful crunchy texture. The topping is at its most crisp the day that it is baked, but the cake stays soft and delicious for a few days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Brew a cup of tea or coffee, slice a piece of cake and enjoy these cozy flavors in any season.

Alice Hart · NYT Cooking

Nigella Lawson · NYT Cooking

Moira Hodgson · NYT Cooking

Kay Rentschler · NYT Cooking

Colette Rossant · NYT Cooking

Barbara Kafka · NYT Cooking

Nargisse Benkabbou · NYT Cooking

Inspired by the sweet-and-savory balance found in Moroccan tagines, this vibrant sheet-pan dinner delivers bold, layered flavor with minimal effort. At the heart of the dish is a glossy marinade built around apricot jam, which adds a gentle fruitiness and helps keep the chicken tender and juicy as it roasts. The jam is mixed with garlic, thyme, soy sauce and warm spices like turmeric and ginger, creating a rich sauce that flavors both the chicken and the vegetables. As the chicken cooks, a bed of onions and chickpeas soaks up its juices, becoming soft and caramelized. Green olives, added toward the end, bring a brininess that adds contrast. Serve with your choice of sides, such as couscous, rice or flatbread.

Mark Bittman · NYT Cooking

What’s ara yaki? The best scraps of fish left after it has been filleted for sashimi, quickly broiled and roasted, with nothing but salt. You can get it at Seki, an unassuming izakaya in Washington, or you can make it yourself; the key is in the shopping. The beauty of the dish lies in its simplicity: These golden bits of fish are exceptionally delicious, and fun to eat with chopsticks or fingers.

Rick A. Martínez · NYT Cooking

These chicken and avocado-stuffed arepas, which are known as reina pepiada (or curvy queen), were created in honor of Susana Dujim, a Venezuelan beauty queen who was crowned Miss World in 1955. The 1950s also marked the invention of precooked corn flour, now known as masarepa, by a Venezuelan engineer. But arepas were around for hundreds of years throughout Latin America before that, the corn patties sometimes served whole or split, then filled with countless combinations. Preparing them used to be labor-intensive, but masarepa gives arepas a light and creamy texture without a lot of effort. Unlike cornmeal used for cornbread or muffins, which is ground dried uncooked corn, masarepa is ground from cooked corn and conveniently sold as dried corn flour. Masa harina is ground uncooked corn treated with other ingredients and is used to make tortillas and other dishes. Neither cornmeal nor masa harina can be substituted for masarepa, which is available online and in many supermarkets.

Tara Parker-Pope · NYT Cooking

This traditional Armenian rice pilaf has been passed down through the generations of Christine Vartanian Datian's family. Peas, parsley and allspice have been added to the original for extra flavor and color. Tara Parker-Pope

Barbara Kafka · NYT Cooking

Alexa Weibel · NYT Cooking

Like marinara’s fiery cousin, this classic tomato sauce comes together in about 30 minutes with just canned tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and crushed red pepper. Arrabbiata, which means angry in Italian, nods to the sauce’s spicy nature, but the aggressiveness of your sauce is up to you: Start with 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper for a noticeable tingle in the back of your throat, or double up for additional intensity. (One word of caution: It’s hard to reverse a sauce that is too spicy, so start small, then hit it with additional heat at the end, if desired.) Though dried chiles or crushed red pepper are traditional, feel free to experiment with what you’ve got and what you like: Any combination of fiery elements in the form of dried chile flakes, dried whole chiles, fresh chiles, chopped jarred Calabrian chiles, chile sauce or chile pastes (gochujang, Sriracha) liven up this elemental tomato sauce.

Angela Dimayuga · NYT Cooking

The Filipino rice porridge called lugaw started out as a simple equation of rice, water and salt, until the conquistadors arrived in the 16th century and demanded more sumptuous dishes. Add tripe and innards to lugaw, and it becomes goto; with chicken and saffron, it is arroz caldo. It’s looser and soupier than Chinese congee, cooked until you can’t see individual grains. I put in collard greens to make it a balanced meal and use wings because of the high bone-to-meat ratio and the jiggly skin. (Keeping the bones in will give the broth more flavor.) The soy sauce-cured yolks are probably best at the two-hour mark — they get firmer and saltier the longer they cure, so follow your taste.

Ham El-Waylly · NYT Cooking

After laborers flocked from China to Peru in the mid-1800s, a blend of Chinese and Peruvian cuisine known as Chifa was born. This simple version of arroz chaufa (fried rice) focuses on chicken thighs and red bell pepper, but other varieties might embrace sliced hot dogs, shrimp or strips of meat. The key to this recipe, and other fried rice recipes, is keeping the cooking surface hot. This is easy to achieve when using a powerful wok burner in a professional kitchen, but at home, this means cooking things in smaller batches. If you need to serve more people, multiply the recipe as needed, but make sure to cook the rice in several batches to allow it to crisp rather than steam. (You can hold the prepared rice covered in foil in a warm oven.)

Samin Nosrat · NYT Cooking

Every step and ingredient adds something important to this recipe from the Puerto Rican-born chef and writer Reina Gascón-López. Annatto seeds steeped in oil give the rice its signature marigold hue. The banana leaf imparts a subtle tropical aroma to the rice as it cooks. Olives, ham, beer and peppers with their brine offer salt, fat, acid, umami and a bright pop of color. The sheer number of flavors layered into this dish make it a delight to unpack. The most exhilarating layer is the last one: pegao, the crisp, glassy shards of rice at the bottom of the pot. Gandules (pigeon peas) make this version of rice and beans distinctly Caribbean. Ms. Gascón-López prefers to start with dry gandules, which her family sometimes ships to her from Puerto Rico, then flavors the pot with some sofrito, a bay leaf or two and a smoked pork neck. If you have trouble finding dry pigeon peas, they are often labeled as toor at Indian grocery stores. Samin Nosrat

Christina Morales · NYT Cooking

Sandra A. Gutierrez, the author of “Latinísimo: Home Recipes from the 21 Countries of Latin America” (Knopf, 2023), was born in Philadelphia and raised by her Guatemalan parents in their home country. This recipe, a classic from Guatemala City where she lived, has been made since the 1950s, when mayonnaise started gaining popularity in Latin America as it became available in grocery stores. Ms. Gutierrez says the dish is typically enjoyed alongside buffet dinners with roast chicken or beef tenderloin. A satisfyingly easy side dish that is rich, cheesy and tangy, this casserole can be prepared and assembled in advance, or easily halved for a smaller crowd. Christina Morales

Von Diaz · NYT Cooking

Ubiquitous throughout Latin America and beyond, arroz con pollo can be as simple or as complex as your ingredients allow. The key is to layer flavor, adding dimension as you go. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are preferred, but bone-in will also work well. (Chicken breasts lack the same amount of fat and flavor, so they are not recommended here.) Watch the rice carefully as it cooks, absorbing the liquid, as pots and stoves vary greatly. If it starts to smell a little burned, reduce the heat, toss and put the lid on the pot. But don’t worry, as this aroma can be part of creating the coveted pegao, a layer of toasted rice that develops on the bottom of the pan and sticks to it, similar to Persian tahdig, Spanish socarrat or Senegalese xoon.

Von Diaz · NYT Cooking

In Puerto Rico, rice is typically served at Thanksgiving. Arroz con gandules is standard, and this twist on classic white rice is also a favorite. Salt pork or bacon is sautéed until crisp, replacing the oil and salt that’s usually added to white rice and giving this staple a decidedly porky essence. While Puerto Ricans often use a lightweight aluminum pot or caldero for rice dishes, a large, light, nonstick saucepan with a lid is a good replacement. Salt pork can vary in saltiness and funk, so rinse well and pat dry with a clean towel before dicing, and adjust the salt to taste. Do not wash the rice before cooking as it will make the rice retain moisture and become mushy. This quick, easy side dish pairs well with saucy beans, greens and stewed meats any day of the week.

Julie Sahni · NYT Cooking

At first glance, the fried rice of Macao looks like the ordinary Chinese variety. But Macanese cooks flavor it with the saffron, tomatoes and olive oil of Portugal. The rich amalgam of flavors can be traced to the travels of the spice traders during the late-15th and early-16th centuries.

Von Diaz · NYT Cooking

Rice and beans are religion in Puerto Rico, though they’re typically prepared separately but served together, several spoonfuls of beans on top of white rice. But mamposteao — easily my favorite name for a Puerto Rican dish — combines the two. It’s a preparation intended to make use of leftovers, as it benefits from day-old rice and prepared beans. Traditionally, pork and tomato sauce are added — but, for a more subtle approach to this recipe, bacon fat replaces ham or tocino (fatback) here, giving the dish a smoky richness without any meat. You can prepare this dish from start to finish with fresh rice and fresh beans, but it’s not recommended. Think of this as a satisfying way to make use of leftover ingredients that also pairs well with a variety of Puerto Rican dishes.

Anna Francese Gass · NYT Cooking

Like most traditional Italian dishes, pasta alla carbonara, quintessentially Roman, employs a minimum of simple ingredients to create a hearty and delicious meal. Guanciale provides salt and fat, while Pecorino Romano and egg yolks mixed with pasta water — a prized Italian secret — help create the velvety sauce. To truly gild the lily, consider a raw egg yolk on top of the pasta. Artichokes, a Roman favorite, come to this dish to soak up the flavors of the guanciale while melting into the pasta. The traditional pasta used in trattorias is tonnarelli, but spaghetti or bucatini are perfect substitutes.

Bryan Miller · NYT Cooking

Bryan Miller

Tara Parker-Pope · NYT Cooking

This simple but substantive vegetarian dish came to The Times from Carol Lamont in 2015 when the Well blog invited readers to share their favorite meatless Thanksgiving recipes. Yes, artichokes are not in season in the fall, but frozen work beautifully here. Tara Parker-Pope

Sara Dickerman · NYT Cooking

Sara Dickerman

Robert Farrar Capon · NYT Cooking

Trish Hall · NYT Cooking

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

The classic Pimm’s Cup calls for lemonade or ginger ale, lemon juice and Pimm’s No. 1, a gin-based liqueur, and is garnished with fresh fruit and a generous spray of mint. It’s a simple recipe that encourages many an adaptation. This peppery, springtime take adds a bouquet of arugula, muddled alongside cucumber, mint and citrus. Fresh arugula also makes it into the garnish, increasing the garden-to-glass energy of the final drink. Topping up with ginger ale leans this Pimm’s Cup a bit more toward mild and sweet, though you can riff further by using lemon soda or ginger beer or a combination of ginger ale and lemonade instead.

Priya Krishna · NYT Cooking

Asado, a complex, salty-sour dish of pork shoulder slowly cooked in tomato sauce flavored with garlic, soy sauce and calamansi (a small citrus fruit), is a dish frequently eaten in Pampanga, said to be the culinary capital of the Philippines, and it is often served at large gatherings. This recipe comes from Chad and Chase Valencia, brothers and owners of the Los Angeles restaurant Lasa, who serve their mother’s asado alongside turkey and honey-roasted ham at Thanksgiving. The trick to the asado’s rich depths is evaporated milk; for a little extra salt and heft, you can add grated queso de bola, the nutty Filipino cheese served during the holidays. Don’t skip the overnight refrigeration step, which really allows the flavors to deepen. Priya Krishna

Samin Nosrat · NYT Cooking

Ash reshteh’s flavor is defined by two uniquely Persian ingredients: reshteh and kashk. The soup, served during the festivities leading up to Nowruz, the Persian New Year, wouldn’t be the same without the soup noodles called reshteh, which are saltier and starchier than Italian noodles — though you could substitute linguine in a pinch. Kashk, a form of drained yogurt or whey, is saltier and more sour than Greek yogurt or sour cream. More like feta than yogurt, liquid kashk gives ash its distinct, satisfying flavor. If you can’t find liquid kashk, buy it powdered and hydrate it with warm water to the consistency of sour cream. Look for both items at a Middle Eastern grocery.

William Norwich · NYT Cooking

William Norwich

Samin Nosrat · NYT Cooking

According to legend, when his Ark made landfall, Noah’s family threw whatever was left in the larder into a pot and transformed it into ashure, a celebratory pudding of grains, nuts, seeds and dried fruits. The cereal is eaten throughout the Middle East, but especially in Turkey, where the dish somehow transcends typical religious tensions and holds significance for Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. But according to Sarit Packer, co-chef of London’s Honey & Co. restaurant, “It’s actually quite disgusting.” Ashure is essentially a porridge, so when it cools down, it gets stiff and gloopy, like cold oatmeal. Guided by her memory of the sugary, crisp grain cereals she tasted when she first visited the United States as a child, Ms. Packer tweaked the recipe. She made a honey syrup spiked with all of the classic ashure flavorings, including cinnamon, cardamom and a spice called mahaleb (available at your local Middle Eastern grocery store or online). She drizzled the syrup over a mixture

Trish Hall · NYT Cooking

Trish Hall

Amanda Hesser · NYT Cooking

Much like a quiche without a crust, this dish is equally good as an appetizer, or as the late main course for brunch, lunch or a late dinner. Amanda Hesser

Richard Flaste · NYT Cooking

Richard Flaste

Moira Hodgson · NYT Cooking

Ali Slagle · NYT Cooking

This simple pasta is for in-between seasons – it marries the richness of a wintry pasta with the verdant vibrance of spring. The combination of sausage and butter glosses everything in a silky sauce, while the asparagus, frozen peas, lemon and an entire cup of basil keep it springy. (There are more vegetables in there than sausage or pasta.) Feel free to use coarsely-chopped springtime alliums like leeks, spring onions or ramps instead of the shallot.

Hetty Lui McKinnon · NYT Cooking

While asparagus shines with light spring-like flavors, it also carries bigger and bolder seasonings extremely well. Here, tender asparagus is quickly seared to unlock its juiciness and then tossed with a salty, spicy and funky Chinese black bean sauce. Known as dou si (Cantonese) or dou chi (Mandarin), fermented black soy beans are made by inoculating cooked black soy beans with a mold similar to koji (which is used to make miso paste), followed by salting and drying them. While they look like wrinkled and shriveled watermelon seeds, they are intensely savory, with multidimensional umami that also hints at sweetness and bitterness. While store-bought black bean sauce is an easy convenience, making your own at home using fermented black beans allows more control over salt and spice levels (see Tip). This sauce will quickly become a weeknight workhorse, a quick way to inject a savory kick to vegetable or meat stir-fries, stews like mapo tofu and even salad dressings.

Mark Bittman · NYT Cooking

Here, ribbons of raw asparagus are simply dressed with a nutty vinaigrette of toasted sesame seeds, sesame oil and rice vinegar.

Mark Bittman · NYT Cooking

This combination of miso and butter is natural and delicious, too. Miso butter looks a little like cake frosting and is just as easy to lick off the fingers. With the egg yolk dripping onto the butter and the asparagus spears dipped into the eggy, miso slurry, you're looking at a four-star dish at a neighborhood restaurant — or at home. Watch our video on how to poach an egg Mark Bittman

Julia Moskin · NYT Cooking

Julia Moskin

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Asparagus is a true spring delight. When it first arrives, at the beginning of the season, it’s best enjoyed plain and steamed, eaten with fingers, dipped into butter, olive oil or a very simple sauce. But after that, it’s time to get more elaborate, using it in stir-fries or more complex salads. Here, two-inch lengths of medium-size asparagus are briefly blanched, cooled and dressed in a mustard vinaigrette. Just before serving, the asparagus is tossed with a handful of arugula, a shower of freshly chopped dill and chunks of sharp feta.

The New York Times · NYT Cooking

The New York Times

Eileen Yin-Fei Lo · NYT Cooking

Margaux Laskey · NYT Cooking

Like a dreamy mash-up between a key lime and lemon meringue pie, this surprisingly fast and easy dessert is adapted from Bill Smith, who retired in 2019 after 25 years as the chef at Crook’s Corner, a Chapel Hill, N.C. restaurant that closed in June 2021. He was inspired by the lemon pies he ate at seafood restaurants in Atlantic Beach, N.C., while vacationing there as a child. While a food processor makes quick work of the saltine cracker crust, you don’t really need any special equipment — you can just as easily make it with your hands. Top it with whipped cream just before serving, and if you’re feeling flush, sprinkle it with flaky sea salt as they did at Crook's Corner, and citrus zest as we do: a lazy summer’s day in pie form. Margaux Laskey

Jocelyn Ramirez · NYT Cooking

Atole is a traditional Mexican drink served hot, thickened with fresh corn masa and sweetened with piloncillo, raw cane sugar often sold in a cone shape. Dry masa harina, which is easier to find than fresh, is used here to thicken and flavor the drink, so be sure to use a good-quality variety. This recipe is finished off with strawberries for an even sweeter version with a pink hue. Freeze-dried strawberries blended to a powder or ripe in-season strawberries will give just the right amount of sweet fruity flavor.

Rick A. Martínez · NYT Cooking

Atole is often thought of as a sweet, drinkable corn-based beverage, but in parts of Mexico, it also refers to this hearty, savory porridge made with masa harina and hominy. This version, inspired by the traditional atole de grano, is thick, creamy and deeply comforting — perfect for showcasing the variety of textures and flavors that different forms of corn can bring. Here, sweet corn kernels and chewy hominy add dimension to the velvety base, while a topping of roasted chicken and caramelized poblanos brings savory depth. A final flourish of lime, chicharrones and hot sauce adds brightness and crunch. Quick to come together and endlessly adaptable, this dish is a warm embrace in a bowl.

Jonathan Miles · NYT Cooking

Jonathan Miles

Molly O’Neill · NYT Cooking

Molly O'Neill

Steven Stern · NYT Cooking

Steven Stern

Francis Lam · NYT Cooking

The author Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan’s family serves this simple chile sauce with everything; its heat and tartness complement this Singaporean braised duck nicely. It’s very hot, though, so feel free to add more citrus and sugar to suit your taste. It can keep for weeks, refrigerated. Francis Lam

Melissa Clark · NYT Cooking

A beloved Australian staple, a zucchini slice is an eggy, frittatalike lunchbox staple that’s baked until it’s firm enough to slice and eat out of hand. Most versions include bacon, but in his book, “Snacks for Dinner” (Harper Wave, 2022), Lukas Volger substitutes a combination of olives and pickled peppers for a deeply salty bite without any meat. You can serve this hot, warm or at room temperature. Or make it a day or two ahead, store it covered in the fridge, then let it come to room temperature before serving so the texture is supple and soft. Melissa Clark

Patricia Wells · NYT Cooking

This dish, brought to The Times by Patricia Wells in 1988, came from a cheesemaker near Salers, France. The lamb is cooked long and slow alongside vegetables for several hours. While the dish is called seven-hour lamb, the size of the leg of lamb will dictate the cooking time. Peek in on it frequently, and adjust the liquid as needed.

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Jonathan Reynolds · NYT Cooking

Carolina Gelen · NYT Cooking

This no-fuss, one-pot recipe is inspired by avgolemono soup, a traditional Greek rice soup that is prized for its silky texture and bright flavor, thanks to egg yolks and an invigorating dose of lemon. This soup achieves similar results while replacing the rice with store-bought gnocchi for a heartier take and a texture boost. The approach is simple: Simmer rotisserie chicken with stock, lemon zest and gnocchi, then thicken the soup with egg yolks and lemon juice. To prevent the eggs from curdling in the soup, you’ll want to first temper them by whisking some of the warm stock into the egg yolks before stirring the mixture back into the soup. Finish everything with torn fresh dill, lemon zest and black pepper for the perfect spoonful.

Jim Meehan · NYT Cooking

Nancy Harmon Jenkins · NYT Cooking

Jocelyn Ramirez · NYT Cooking

This sopa de aguacate is a fresh and simple creamy soup that can be eaten chilled or at room temperature for a quick meal. The onion, garlic and cumin create a delicious base that pairs perfectly with the lime juice’s acidity. Top off this sopa with chile de árbol oil and pepitas for a little hit of heat and a hint of nuttiness. To get vegetarian recipes like this one delivered to your inbox, sign up for The Veggie newsletter.

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Jeff Gordinier · NYT Cooking

Most top chefs will tell you the same thing: When they finally escape from the elaborate labors they oversee in the kitchen, they crave late-night street food that’s poetically simple and satisfying: hot dogs, fried rice, a bowl of noodles. For Enrique Olvera, the chef at Cosme in New York and Pujol in Mexico City, that hand-to-mouth haiku can be found in avocado tacos, which he scarfs down around the clock. They serve as both “a comfort,” he said, and “a cultural expression.” In its most basic form, an avocado taco is like a two-bite couplet in praise of Mexican ingredients: a chewy corn tortilla enclosing creamy slices of the-butter-that-grows-on-trees. Spare additions elevate that avocado: a pinch of salt, a spray of lime juice, a sprinkle of chopped onions and cilantro. But the chef takes elevation one step further with a salsa made of pasilla chiles and tomatillos. Jeff Gordinier

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Great for a snack or served as an appetizer with drinks, tostadas can be dainty, made with small tortillas and a dab of savory mashed beans and queso fresco, or they can be hefty, like an over-stuffed sandwich. Though you can buy tostada shells in packages, homemade ones are more delicious, and making them is as simple as rubbing tortillas with oil and crisping them in the oven. The better the tortilla, the better the tostada shell. This recipe calls for canned refried beans, seasoned to taste, but by all means use homemade if you are able. Avocados that are ripe but still firm, dressed with lime juice and salt, are key. If you wish, make the pickled vegetables a day in advance.

Ligaya Mishan · NYT Cooking

This voluptuous dip “couldn’t be simpler,” wrote Ravinder Bhogal, the chef of Jikoni in London, in her cookbook “Comfort and Joy” (Bloomsbury, 2023). Tumble avocado in a food processor with ginger, for a subtle sweetness and restorative sting; soy sauce, standing in for salt but rounder and deeper; toasted sesame oil, earthy and plush, making everything it touches more intensely itself; and edamame, for body (and protein). Then stir in yuzu, a citrus that’s sweeter and gentler than lemon, lending a sherbety tang, and light where avocado is luscious. (If you don’t have any on hand, try squeezing together lemon and clementine.) A dose of sambal brings a throb of heat, if you like, while a dusting of furikake adds crunch. Ms. Bhogal serves the dip on toast at her restaurant, but you can dispense with the formality of framing it as a meal and eat it straight, dunking the likes of carrots, radishes, tortilla chips and Thai prawn crackers. Ligaya Mishan

Kim Severson · NYT Cooking

Paul Arguin, an epidemiologist, relaxes by making pie. This one, with its generous amount of fruit and sweetness from maple syrup, won the blueberry-division prize in the 2017 National Pie Championships. A few tricks raise it above other blueberry pies. One is the crust, which has a touch of cinnamon and maple sugar, and uses cider vinegar and just a little shortening for structure. Dr. Arguin cooks the filling in a sous-vide machine, which keeps the berries whole but tender. For the top crust, he borrows an idea from cake makers who work with fondant. Four planks of dough are pressed into an inexpensive silicone mat molded to look like wood grain, then peeled off and set on top of the pie. Home cooks without fancy equipment, take heart. The berries can be cooked slowly on the stove, and four strips of plain dough for the top crust work just as well. Kim Severson

Christina Morales · NYT Cooking

Many countries throughout Latin America honor their ancestors on Día de los Muertos, which is often celebrated Nov. 1 and 2, with dishes like pan de muerto or this recipe for ayote en miel. Though this dish is enjoyed in many countries, this recipe is from El Salvador by Alicia Maher, the author of “Delicious El Salvador” (Pacific Apicius Corporation, 2013). Ayote is a squash that is native to this region and is similar to cinderella pumpkin or butternut squash in the United States. The squash is braised with panela or piloncillo, water and spices, which cook down until as syrupy as honey. Serve the jammy pieces in a shallow bowl with spoonfuls of the spiced syrup on top. In some countries, the dish is served with crema, but in Ecuador, the dish is served throughout the year, often accompanied by queso fresco or quesillo, a cheese similar to fresh mozzarella. Christina Morales

Kim Severson · NYT Cooking

Limpin’ Susan is often called the wife of Hoppin’ John, the pilau of peas and rice that Gullah cooks have made for generations in the South Carolina Sea Islands and Lowcountry, and that is also common in the Caribbean. Like Hoppin' John, the dish takes many forms depending on whose kitchen you grew up in. Some recipes start with fried bacon and end with washed long-grain rice, onions and okra steaming over simmering water for 45 minutes. Others call for simmering everything in chicken stock, or mixing chicken broth and cornstarch, then mixing the broth into cooked rice. B.J. Dennis, a Charleston chef, likes his Limpin’ Susan more like a dry stir-fry, akin to what one might eat in Trinidad. The rice is cooked ahead of time, so liquid is fully absorbed and the grains remain distinct. This recipe is vegetarian, although Mr. Dennis likes to toss in a handful of chopped shrimp when the onions are softening.

Ifrah F. Ahmed · NYT Cooking

Thanks to Somalia’s exposure to the ocean — it has the longest coastline in mainland Africa — seafood is an abundant resource. Topped with a rich, spiced tuna suugo (tomato sauce), this pasta dish is a staple in many Somali households, and comes together easily thanks to canned tuna and store-bought marinara sauce. Pasta is a culinary relic of Italian colonialism in Somalia that Somalis have long reimagined into their own new thing. This dish also has different spellings throughout Somalia, including “tuuna” after the English word or “toonno” following the Italian word “tonno.” This pasta sauce gets its unique taste from the addition of fresh cilantro and warm spices, including xawaash, a seven-spice mix that incorporates bold flavors like turmeric, cardamom and cumin. Serve with a salad or enjoy the baasto on its own.

Lisa Donovan · NYT Cooking

There are celebration desserts and then there is the regal yet humble baba au rhum. Arguably one of the greatest human touches ever brought to light in a kitchen was when the first cook glugged booze onto a dry cake or bread to repurpose it. The baba au rhum, from these humble origins, has become a revered version of this glorious technique, and for good reason: It’s an undeniably luxurious, delicious crowd pleaser. This recipe includes a simple, easy-to-make brioche, one that is not too sweet and just crumby enough to absorb a proper amount of sweetened rum (and, if you’re doing it right, a few small glugs of straight rum to finish). Topped with a generous amount of sweetened whipped cream, this cake is simple but elegant and a perfect dessert to both stun your table guests and leave them silly with satisfaction.

Klancy Miller · NYT Cooking

This cornbread hits all the notes, but skews particularly salty and savory, thanks to sautéed scallions, extra-sharp Cheddar, and bacon, folded into the batter and crowning the top of the cornbread. You can use fancy, thick-cut bacon or flimsier thin-cut varieties. Each has its benefits: Thinner bacon slices form a light, crunchy layer on the crust, while thick-cut slices have more presence in the cornbread. This cornbread belongs at brunch, where it pairs well with eggs cooked in any style, sautéed vegetables and even breakfast sausages, but it would also be at home next to a bowl of chili. If preparing for a crowd, you can bake this off a day in advance and reheat it in the oven just before serving.

Dan Pelosi · NYT Cooking

Destined to be the star of your next cookout, this potato salad is loaded with thick, crispy bacon, shredded Cheddar cheese, jammy eggs and crunchy scallions, all wrapped in a tangy, herby hug of ranch dressing. If feeding a crowd isn’t in the cards, this recipe is hearty enough to be a meal on its own, and lasts for days in the refrigerator. Feel free to add more vegetables to the mix, like tomatoes, cucumbers or celery; just be sure to add them right before serving to keep the bacon nice and crunchy.

Julia Reed · NYT Cooking

Julia Reed

Clare de Boer · NYT Cooking

Wrap your chicken with bacon, grill it and drizzle it with this nearly green goddess, almost-guacamole dressing and you might even convert burger eaters into salad fiends. Covering the butterflied breasts in bacon helps baste the lean chicken and accelerates char as fat melts onto the coals. Flare-ups are inevitable, but don’t be alarmed: They will ensure rich color on the bacon while protecting the breast from overcooking. When assembling the salad, avoid weighing down the leaves with hot and heavy toppings: Dollop plenty of the dressing on the plate first, and layer most of the chicken and fudgy eggs below the lightly dressed leaves. There should be a little leftover dressing to satisfy the people that will want to dip each bite of chicken into the herby, lime-laced avocado.

Dan Pelosi · NYT Cooking

The classic bacon, egg and cheese sandwich is turned into a crowd-pleasing breakfast strata. Chunks of sandwich rolls are soaked in a chive and egg mix, then topped with thick slabs of bacon and grated Cheddar, then baked in the oven until soft and fluffy inside and melty and crispy on top. Halfway into baking, whole eggs are nestled into the top of the strata then baked until perfectly set, for a runny yolk that, for some, is crucial to any good B.E.C. Fresh chives are sprinkled on the strata before serving, plus a splash of hot sauce, if that's your thing. The strata can be prepared and refrigerated a day in advance, then baked right before serving.

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

High-quality gin, clementine orange juice and a generous splash of seltzer make this cocktail just the thing after a stressful day at the office.

Priya Krishna · NYT Cooking

This modern take on badam burfi, from the latest cookbook, “Desi Bakes” (Hardie Grant, 2024), by the food writer Hetal Vasavada, layers the classic South Asian almond confection over tart, Barbie-pink, ruby chocolate in bark form. The chocolate is not only a photogenic topping; it — along with freeze-dried strawberries — also tempers the sweetness of the burfi and compliments the cardamom. This recipe sidesteps the hardest parts of making burfi — it gets pressed into a pan, meaning no need to do any individual shaping — while still producing a beautiful, portable treat. A little salt brings out the best from this nutty, fruity, floral confection. Priya Krishna

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

Tender and round, Indian eggplants are slit, shallow-fried and simmered in a rich, nutty, spiced gravy in this fiery Hyderabadi dish. There are a few different ways of making it, including stuffing the eggplants with a paste of peanuts, coconut and sesame seeds. This version minimizes tedium by skipping that step and using peanut butter instead of freshly ground peanuts. Whole mustard seeds bring texture and a delicious bitterness. Tamarind paste and cilantro add a citrusy freshness. Though the ingredient list is on the lengthier side, the only ingredient that needs chopping is an onion — and this deeply flavorful dinner cooks in just 40 minutes.

Craig Claiborne · NYT Cooking

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

Thicker and spongier than a crepe and thinner and lighter than a pancake, baghrir is a staple across countries in North Africa, and particularly comforting when enjoyed for breakfast during Eid. Baghrir is made with fine semolina, flour, yeast, salt and sugar, blended with warm water to make a batter and allowed to ferment and gather airiness and tang. When the creamy batter is poured into a hot pan, tiny craters open up one by one across its surface — the process is almost mesmerizing. It makes sense that baghrir is never flipped; the holes serve as receptacles for any sticky, sweet richness the moment calls for. Typically drizzled with a mix of melted butter and honey, this version calls for date syrup (homemade or store-bought) and salted yogurt which add a delicious complexity and balance. The toppings may vary but the spirit remains the same: a bubbled, honeycombed delight meant to hold sweetness.

Mark Bittman · NYT Cooking

This satisfying vegetarian dish is adapted from a recipe belonging to Julie Sahni, the popular Indian chef, cookbook author and teacher. Its preparation is very similar to baba ghanoush in that you roast and mash the eggplant before seasoning it with aromatics, herbs and spices, but its flavor profile is wildly different. Here, turmeric, garam masala and jalapeño add warmth, while the addition of lime juice provides brightness. Serve it as a dip with flatbread (like pita or store-bought roti), or as a main dish with rice and raita. Mark Bittman

Regina Schrambling · NYT Cooking

Erin Jeanne McDowell · NYT Cooking

This recipe yields the classic flavor of baked cider doughnuts. For the most traditional result, a doughnut pan is recommended, but you can also bake these off in a muffin pan.

Dorie Greenspan · NYT Cooking

I don’t remember my mother at the stove. When asked what childhood dish was my favorite, I’d stammer and come up empty. And then, walking down the stairs in my Paris apartment, I got to the third floor and said out loud to no one: baked apples! My mother made baked apples. Her apples were big Cortlands or Rome Beauties, and she cored and stuffed them with raisins, because my father loved raisins. I also bake with Cortlands or Romes when I can get them, Fujis or Galas when I can’t. I’ll often stuff them with raisins, but I think they’re especially nice filled with bits of dried apple and candied ginger. And I like to baste them with apple cider and honey. They’re good hot or cold, but best served warm and topped with something creamy. Cinnamon (my mom always used too much) is optional.

Moira Hodgson · NYT Cooking

Jeff Gordinier · NYT Cooking

Jeff Gordinier

Alexa Weibel · NYT Cooking

A vegetarian centerpiece inspired by baked Brie, this caramelized vegetable pie cuddles creamy, earthy molten cheese with a bevy of autumnal vegetables: roasted butternut squash, seared mushrooms, herbed brussels sprouts and tangy red onions, and enrobes the whole mixture in store-bought puff pastry. It’s significantly less work than this mushroom Wellington, but has a similar ceremonial pomp, with a delightful big reveal. Developed with ease in mind, this savory pie benefits from being prepared in advance: Cook the individual components at your leisure, even a few days in advance, and you’ll need only to assemble the pie and bake it off before dinner. This pie is relatively easy to engineer but it does require some patience. You’ll want to let it rest 30 minutes to 1 hour before cutting, to allow the puff pastry to maintain its structure — and for the cheese to firm up a bit before carving.

Moria Hodgson · NYT Cooking

Moria Hodgson · NYT Cooking

Justine Doiron · NYT Cooking

What’s the difference between a baked salad and a regular old bowl of roasted vegetables? The easiest answer is that the leafy green ratio in a baked salad is high, and I only hope that makes the satisfaction factor high, too. Now the difference between a baked salad and your typical salad is that instead of crunching through the raw stuff in a typical salad, you dress the greens (and in this case, cabbage) in a bit of olive oil and salt before roasting them down into tender, softened bites. Roasting the vegetables is a precursor to coating them with dressing, giving them their first coat of olive oil before a highly acidic vinaigrette rounds it all out. I usually say you can skip herbs if they aren’t in your fridge, but the parsley is really helpful here: It freshens up the salad so you don’t get any flavor fatigue. Watch Justine Doiron make this dish in this video.

Vivian Chan-Tam · NYT Cooking

An irresistible layer of simultaneously melty and crunchy cheese tops this simple, comforting weeknight meal. Meaty mushrooms, juicy chicken and succulent strands of spaghetti make it a recipe fit for hearty appetites, and the efficiency of doing most of the active cooking on the stovetop drastically cuts the baking time. Budget-friendly chicken breasts — which are worth stocking up on when on sale and freezing — stay tender as the pasta bakes thanks to the assistance of some broth. The results are ready in just 30 minutes, but taste like a long-baked casserole.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

Chicken breasts and thighs are perennial favorites when it comes to weeknight dinner recipes, but for another quick-cooking and flavorful chicken dinner, consider these baked drumsticks. Coated with a mix of everyday pantry spices and roasted until browned and tender, they are reliably delicious with very little effort. Like chicken thighs, drumsticks are forgiving to cook: While technically cooked through at 165 degrees, they remain juicy and moist at even 175 degrees and higher. Serve them with your favorite weeknight side dishes, such as rice pilaf and lemony steamed broccoli, or a big plate of crudités and ranch dressing for dipping. Finally, if you like things on the spicier side, add a pinch of ground cayenne to the spice mixture, or sprinkle with a few shakes of your favorite hot sauce when the chicken comes out of the oven.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

These weeknight-friendly chicken meatballs come together in a snap, with minimal chopping and minimal mess. They’re made with a panade — a simple combination of bread crumbs and milk — which makes for light and tender meatballs. Baked meatballs aren’t quite as charred and caramelized as the pan-fried variety, but they do brown nicely underneath, thanks to contact with the hot sheet pan. A hit with adults and kids, chicken meatballs can be served as a snack with your favorite sauce for dipping, or tossed with a simple tomato sauce and served over pasta.

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

A homemade hibiscus barbecue sauce makes this oven-baked chicken extraspecial. This recipe layers flavor: A dry rub built on seasoned salt, onion powder and garlic powder flavors the meat, then the sweet-tart, tangy-spicy barbecue sauce — a counterpoint to the savory chicken — is layered on and baked until slightly sticky and caramelized. It gives you that barbecue feel without having to actually set up the grill.

Tamar Adler · NYT Cooking

This recipe for baked clams tried to bridge the gap between the glory of a clam pulled from a clambake and the unfortunate, common mediocrity of ubiquitous baked stuffed clams. It contains some of the usual suspects — onion and celery — and some unusual ones, like clam juice and vermouth. Importantly, it doesn't require clam shucking, which is a dangerous occupation, best avoided unless you are very brave.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

This is a very simple method for baking cod, with an ingredient list both short and mighty. Minced herbs, garlic and scallions give the mild, flaky fish lots of flavor -— but you can feel free to substitute whatever fresh or dried herbs you happen to have on hand, since cod takes well to a range of herbs and flavors. As the fish bakes, the lemon juice mixes with the olive oil and seasonings, resulting in a bright and savory sauce. Spoon it over the hot fish and serve directly from the baking dish, with roasted potatoes and a green salad on the side.

Jerrelle Guy · NYT Cooking

There are a few recipes throughout my life that stick out in my mind, and my Auntie Nae’s special recipe for her spicy Creole tetrazzini is definitely one. I finally recreated the recipe for my new cookbook “We Fancy: Simple Recipes to Make the Everyday Special” (S&S/Simon Element, 2026). At least I think I did? She’d make her noodles so peppery and creamy, and here, I try to keep in that same spicy spirit with not only a generous bit of black pepper, but also Creole seasoning and a little bit of cayenne, too. If you’re scared, don’t be: The cream cheese helps temper some of that heat. My favorite thing about this recipe is that I’ve spent years on a winding, wondrous journey trying to figure out how to recreate it from memory. If you like, toss ½ pound cubed chicken or sliced mushrooms into the pot with the sizzling butter and spices and cook until browned, or, for color, fold in ½ pound halved grape or cherry tomatoes right before sending everything into the oven.

Sarah Copeland · NYT Cooking

The French long ago mastered eggs en cocotte —slightly coddled eggs baked at high heat with butter and cream, which thicken to a gravy as it cooks. There’s no finer way to enjoy an egg. To pull this off for a crowd, a large casserole dish coated with butter and partly filled with heavy cream acts as a bath in which to gently cook the eggs. To dress them up, add smoked salmon, a handful of kale or spinach leaves, thinly sliced ham, halved cherry tomatoes or sliced, cooked mushrooms to the mix before you crack in the eggs. Really anything goes here, but keep the accoutrements light and let the eggs take center stage. Finish with flaky sea salt (those large crystals melt on your tongue in just the right way) and any fresh herb you love.

Colu Henry · NYT Cooking

Consider this a heartier version of the classic Italian dish “eggs in purgatory,” which works well for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It’s also very forgiving. If you’d rather keep this a vegetarian meal, skip the sausage. No chickpeas? No problem. Any white bean will work well in its place. Same with the greens. Use what you have (anything that wilts works). Sprinkling the dish with grated cheese before serving is not required, but it sure does taste good. Serve with thick slices of toasted sesame bread slathered with plenty of softened butter.

Sara Dickerman · NYT Cooking

A drizzle of honey and a blast of heat transform a standard block of crumbly feta into an unexpectedly luscious, creamy spread for pita and vegetables. This, with a hunk of crusty bread and a glass of chilled white wine, is the perfect warm weather supper. If you can't get your hands on thyme honey, the regular sort will do just fine.

Yasmin Fahr · NYT Cooking

Set in a shallow pool of briny, gingery oil, mild fish fillets cook effortlessly on a sheet pan, layered with bold lemon, olives and capers, similar to a deconstructed tapenade. The mixture is brightened even further with the addition of grated ginger, which provides a zingy contrast to the salty, meaty olives. (But this recipe is flexible: Sliced garlic or anchovies would also work nicely, taking a more savory turn.) Nestling the delicate fish in oil helps it stay moist in the oven, and creates a no-effort pan sauce that is best served with bread, to soak up every delicious drop.

Joan Nathan · NYT Cooking

Assembled over a bed of caramelized onions, brushed with a tangy pomegranate sauce and baked until flaky, this stunning Iraqi fish recipe comes from the artist Oded Halahmy, who was born in Baghdad and has explored pomegranates in his artwork and at his Pomegranate Gallery, which has locations in New York City and Israel. The dish is fit for company but can be enjoyed any time. Amba, a pickled mango condiment, can be used, or substitute Dijon mustard if you can’t find amba. You can also swap in tart tamarind sauce or sweet date jam for the pomegranate molasses. You can even grill a whole fish rather than buying fillets, brushing the pomegranate sauce on the skin before and after cooking. The dish is then finished with pomegranate seeds, scattered, alongside parsley, over the fish. Serve with rice, bulgur or any cooked grain. Joan Nathan

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

While all sorts of products, like oysters, were coming by boat from the East to Michigan and the rest of the Midwest during the pioneer period, the European families who settled there generally liked to stick to their traditions. “In the Upper Peninsula, there were the Finlanders, and they had Cornish hens,” said Priscilla Massie, a co-author of the cookbook “Walnut Pickles and Watermelon Cake: A Century of Michigan Cooking.” Then there were the Germans families, who, Ms. Massie said, tended to adopt Thanksgiving first. Their tangy baked potato salad can be found on many tables around the state to this day, made easy by a crop that’s available statewide. Jennifer Steinhauer

Christine Muhlke · NYT Cooking

There is perhaps no better salad to represent the coming of age of California cuisine than this one, which began at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, where Alice Waters was looking for something to do with what was then a new ingredient on the American plate: goat cheese. It’s best with little gem or other, delicate and young lettuces. Christine Muhlke

Molly O’Neill · NYT Cooking

Molly O'Neill

Sara Rimer · NYT Cooking

Yasmin Fahr · NYT Cooking

Embracing vibrant Moroccan ingredients like preserved lemon and cumin, this citrusy one-pot pork dish thrives by putting a bunch of delicious ingredients in a pot and letting the oven work its magic. First, the pork is covered so that it is infused with the flavors of the punchy preserved lemon, earthy cumin and warming ginger while cooking gently. Next, it’s uncovered, prompting the honey and soy sauce to caramelize in the open heat, lending color and a touch of sweetness. The acidity of the fresh lime and orange juice balance out that sweetness. While the creamy beans make it a meal in itself, you could serve it over a bed of fresh spinach for some extra greens.

Yotam Ottolenghi · NYT Cooking

Creamy and crisp, rich yet bright, this vibrant, deeply savory oven-baked rice is all about contrast. The rice bakes slowly, absorbing the aromatic flavors of thyme, sweet onions and a citrusy pop of lemon, while a silky Tuscan kale purée brings an earthy depth. Just before serving, slices of halloumi are nestled on top, steaming until softened to give salty bursts. A scattering of crispy kale adds a final flourish. It’s an elegant dish, requiring little hands-on work but delivering layers of flavor.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

Korean sweet potatoes are full of surprises: Their gorgeous purple skin reveals not orange but white flesh underneath, which has a floral, honey-like sweetness and a supercreamy texture. (Japanese sweet potatoes can be used interchangeably, and even any supermarket sweet potato variety can be used for this recipe.) Wrap your sweet potatoes tightly in foil and roast until completely soft in the center, about 1 hour. While your oven works, make a quick scallion-and-miso compound butter that complements the sweet potatoes but can also elevate all sorts of roasted veggies like cauliflower, carrots and broccoli. Split open the hot potatoes and dollop with the compound butter and a spoonful of sour cream. Each bite has a wonderful balance of sweet and salty; the addition of sour cream introduces nostalgic sour cream and onion vibes.

Melissa Clark · NYT Cooking

With a puffy, soufflé-like top covering a jiggly layer of pudding, this comforting dessert is balanced by the sharp tang of lemon juice and zest, while dollops of blueberry jam add sweetness and color. If you can time this to serve warm from the oven, you’ll be rewarded with the most ethereal texture, but it’s also excellent at room temperature, or even chilled, in which case it becomes denser and more curdlike.

Dan Pelosi · NYT Cooking

In this easy yet irresistible baked pasta recipe, a simple, meaty tomato sauce is layered with mostaccioli pasta and a creamy cheese mixture and baked until both melty (the cheese) and crisp (the pasta). Mostaccioli is identical to penne, but without the ridges. As a baked pasta dish, mostaccioli is similar to a traditional baked ziti and most commonly found on menus throughout the Midwest. Mostaccioli, like penne and ziti, is a favorite pasta shape for baked pasta dishes since the sauce and cheese easily find their way inside their long tubes, creating perfect bites. Adding cooked vegetables into the pasta mix is a welcome addition, and kale or broccoli work especially well. Skipping the sausage altogether and replacing it with cooked vegetables is also delicious and just as satisfying. And of course, swapping the mostaccioli with penne or ziti is always an option.

Colu Henry · NYT Cooking

Not really a ragout and not quite a gratin, this hearty meatless casserole has it all: deeply browned mushrooms, creamy white beans, salty feta and crisp bread crumbs. The result is rich, comforting and perfect for a cold night in. Fresh bread crumbs are worth making or seeking out for texture’s sake, but panko will also work nicely. Toss the bread crumbs with melted butter, then briefly broil them for a golden, crunchy topping, a nice contrast to the dish’s silkiness. Paired with a bright salad and a hunk of good bread, this dish works well as a vegetarian main course, or as a companion to sausages and other roasted meats.

Samantha Seneviratne · NYT Cooking

Perfect for breakfast, these bars feel like cake but taste like a granola bar in the best way. They are light but substantial. Instead of old-fashioned rolled oats, these bars call for quick-cooking oats and a little bit of all-purpose flour. Rolled oats don’t soften enough in a quick bread but quick-cooking oats bake up soft and fluffy. Delicately flavored with cinnamon and a bit of applesauce, they are simple but satisfying and easily dressed up. Try adding up to 1½ cups of mix-ins like chocolate, shredded coconut or dried fruit, or a combination. Leftover slices are delicious toasted in a skillet with butter and sprinkled with flaky sea salt.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

These gluten-free oatmeal muffins are perfect for taking breakfast on the go, or for healthy snacking at home all day long. Sweetened with mashed banana and maple syrup, and lightly spiced with cinnamon, they have all the allure of a breakfast treat, but are as substantial and hearty as a bowl of oatmeal. This recipe is endlessly customizable — use your favorite dried fruit, nut butter and milk — just be sure to keep the same ratio of wet to dry ingredients so the muffins hold their shape. These may be baked in advance and stored in the refrigerator, and are as delicious chilled as they are at room temperature.

Regina Schrambling · NYT Cooking

Regina Schrambling

David Latt · NYT Cooking

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

These fuss-free (no electric mixer needed!) pumpkin doughnuts are flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg, classic spices we associate with fall. But they’re also loaded with pumpkin pureé, which makes them moist and flavorful and gives them their orangey hue. They’re finished with a simple — and forgiving — vanilla glaze that sets beautifully. If your glaze is too thick to dip, just add a little more milk. If your glaze is too thin and runs off the doughnut, add a little more confectioners’ sugar.

Mimi Sheraton · NYT Cooking

Mimi Sheraton

Tejal Rao · NYT Cooking

Punjabi-style rajma, or red beans, in a thick, spicy tomato gravy is comforting, quick and comes together with what you have in the pantry. This one-pan baked version is inspired by it, but deviates from tradition in several ways. First, it lets the oven do the work of reducing the sauce. When the dish comes out, scatter with cilantro, if you’ve got it, and some quick-pickled onion. The key is to take your time with the base, letting the onion mixture cook out properly, so the final sauce is mellow and deeply flavored. But you can try the same technique with different beans, from chickpeas to cannellini. Eating the dish with a side of yogurt or a glug of cream is common, but it’s also a treat with a little melted cheese, the edges browned in the pan. Use what you’ve got. Serve the rajma over rice, ideally, but if you’re in a pinch, a side of hot flour tortillas or even buttered toast will make it into a delicious meal.

Eleanore Park · NYT Cooking

There’s a decadence to red bean nian gao that might lead you to assume there’s labor behind the richness. Instead, this butter mochi cake couldn’t be simpler. This recipe is as easy as it is riffable, and the snack invites different nuts and seeds as additions or substitutions for toppings. Mochiko (sweet rice flour) results in a lovely, paradoxical cake crumb that’s both chewy and springy. Jessica Wang, who runs Gu Grocery, a Chinese Taiwanese online store, in Los Angeles, has collaborated with her mother, Peggy Wang, teaching cooking classes and baking pastries at pop-ups where they sell lemon-honey nian gao and other variations of her mother’s baked nian gao (red bean butter mochi cake). For added caramelization and even more textural contrast, Ms. Wang recommends briefly broiling the top or lightly searing any leftover pieces in a cast-iron skillet. Eleanore Park

Florence Fabricant · NYT Cooking

Here’s a multipurpose dish that is perfect for spring, but can also highlight other seasons. It comes from Dan Kluger at Loring Place in Greenwich Village. He made it in winter, studded with squash and mushrooms. For spring, he scattered pickled ramps, favas and spring onions on top. But he said that other seasonal vegetables like artichokes, peas, morel mushrooms and asparagus could be used. As summer rolls in, there will be a different cast of characters to consider, like zucchini, cherry tomatoes and peppers. The dish works as a first course for four or a lunch dish for two, and could even replace salad and cheeses at a more elaborate dinner. Florence Fabricant

Martha Rose Shulman · NYT Cooking

This baked rigatoni is a grown-up version of macaroni and cheese. The tomato sauce, judiciously spiced with hot red pepper flakes and embellished with diced bright yellow bell pepper and pungent black olives, is easy and straightforward. It keeps for three or four days in the refrigerator, so you can make it ahead, or you can toss it right away with the al dente rigatoni and cheese. Spread the mixture in an oiled baking dish, cover it well and refrigerate. It will be fine there for a day, ready to transfer to the oven when the hungry troops begin to ask what’s for dinner. Bake the rigatoni until bubbly, make a green salad to serve alongside and everybody will be happy.

Dan Pelosi · NYT Cooking

Canned salmon is an easy and affordable way to get all of the delicious health benefits of salmon. It works particularly well in these meatballs, which benefit from its flaky texture and moisture. Smoked paprika, garlic, fresh dill and lemon zest add plenty of fresh and bright flavor to the meatballs, while mayonnaise ensures they crisp as they bake. For variation, try substituting olive oil for the mayonnaise, parsley for the dill and even mixing in canned tuna along with the salmon. These meatballs are delicious served warm alongside a tangy tartar sauce, an herby green sauce or a simple yogurt sauce. Perfect for meal prep, they’ll be a welcome addition to any salad, pasta or sandwich.

Joanna Pruess · NYT Cooking

Joanna Pruess

Paul Greenberg · NYT Cooking

Ask your fishmonger to debone and butterfly the fish for stuffing, keeping the head and tail attached. If wild striped bass or branzino is not available, any meaty, white-fleshed fish may be substituted. Paul Greenberg

Aaron Hutcherson · NYT Cooking

Toss spinach-artichoke dip with pasta, and it feels right at home on the dinner table. This recipe, which nixes the traditional cream cheese for a blend of salty Parmesan and heavy cream, is prepared on the stovetop and requires only 10 minutes of active cooking before it’s slid into the oven. As with any baked pasta, the key is to cook the shells until pointedly shy of al dente and to toss them with a sauce that seems excessively wet, as the pasta will tenderize and the sauce will thicken in the oven. These ingredients skew classic, but there is infinite room to riff: Swap in chopped kale or mustard greens in place of the spinach, experiment with cheese combinations, stir in mustard or caramelized onions or top with crumbled bacon.

Melissa Clark · NYT Cooking

In her cookbook, “The Taste of Country Cooking,” Edna Lewis includes this homey dish of baked tomatoes in her menu for a summer wheat-harvesting dinner. Sweetened with sugar and thickened with pieces of buttered bread, it’s an unusual side dish that’s just as good when made with soft, overripe tomatoes as it is with perfect ones. Using a mix of different size and color tomatoes makes this both visually and texturally appealing. But feel free to use whatever ripe tomatoes you have. Melissa Clark

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

This 25-minute recipe for spicy, tangy, flaky fish relies on a bed of aromatic ingredients — ginger, garlic, onion, sesame oil — and a saucy blanket of tamarind. The easy sauce comes together quickly because the key ingredient, common in South Asian, Southeast Asian and Mexican cooking, is zingy tamarind concentrate. In addition, sweetness from sugar adds balance while chile powder and Thai green chiles bring the heat. It’s a lively, complex dish with a satisfyingly simple preparation that’s out of the oven and on your weeknight table in no time. Serve with white rice.

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

If you love chicken wings (or even turkey), then you may very well adore turkey wings. A new way to enjoy a classic, they’re also an easy Thanksgiving option, since you don’t have to cook the entire bird. Covered in a simple smoky, garlicky rub and baked low and slow, they become tender and juicy, with pull-apart meat. A final roast uncovered gives them some much welcome color and flavor, ready to be served at the holiday table – or even as a wintry weekend dinner.

Margaux Laskey · NYT Cooking

This incredibly easy one-pan dinner is from the cookbook “The Silver Spoon for Children,” with more than 40 traditional recipes adapted from “The Silver Spoon,” a book that appears in many home kitchens in Italy. Older children with some experience can follow this recipe as is, but if you’ve got little ones who want to help, they can stir the sage, beans and apple juice together in a large bowl while the sausages bake, then you can pour the mixture into the hot pan. If you like your beans on the saucy side, add ¼ cup more apple juice. Serve with buttered crusty rolls and something leafy and green. Margaux Laskey

Colu Henry · NYT Cooking

Baked ziti is meant to feed a crowd, and this one surely does. “Cheater” meatballs made with uncased Italian sausage are strewn throughout the sauce for heft, and baby spinach lends a pop of color. Because ricotta has a tendency to dry out when baked, crème fraîche is added to ensure a more velvety texture, but sour cream thinned out with a little heavy cream works just as well. The whole dish can be assembled and baked ahead the day before. Bring it to room temperature before warming, then broil right before serving for crisp edges.

Regina Schrambling · NYT Cooking

Clare de Boer · NYT Cooking

A layer of cranberry sauce below orange-scented almond frangipane is the perfect balance of tart and sweet. It’s a holiday play on Britain’s beloved Cherry Bakewell tart that gives you a reason to make extra sauce — or a good excuse to use up leftovers. Temperatures are key to the result: The cranberry sauce needs to be slightly warm to spread over the prebaked pie crust, and the frangipane must be fridge-cold to prevent it from splitting in the oven.

William Grimes · NYT Cooking

William Grimes

Julia Moskin · NYT Cooking

This is a typical family dinner for Hannah Neeleman of Ballerina Farm, who is raising eight children, tending sheep and chickens, and making almost everything her family eats from scratch on her dairy farm in Utah. In many ways, she’s a traditional Mormon farm wife; untraditionally, she broadcasts her daily life to 22 million followers on social media. This recipe uses lean beef and yogurt, both of which are in constant supply on the farm. The tangy sauce is great with any kind of fresh or egg noodles; of course, Ms. Neeleman makes her own. Julia Moskin

Farideh Sadeghin · NYT Cooking

This two-ingredient balsamic glaze recipe is your pantry’s secret weapon. The simple reduction of balsamic vinegar and brown sugar or honey will leave you with a thick glaze and concentrated, complex sweet-sour flavor. When boiling the vinegar, be sure to turn on the vent or open a window, as the mixture is as fragrant as it is potent. Adding a sweetener is completely optional; the vinegar will naturally become more intense and a bit sweeter as it cooks down. If your reduction becomes too thick, simply add a dash of water to help loosen. Add this glaze to marinades, dressings or roasted vegetables (such as broccoli), or drizzle it over caprese salad or grilled peaches. Toss strawberries with a spoonful of balsamic glaze to enhance their flavor for strawberry shortcakes or strawberry pretzel pie.

Dan Pelosi · NYT Cooking

Boneless chicken thighs, shallots, peaches and cherry or grape tomatoes are coated in a simple balsamic marinade and roasted until crispy, sweet and juicy. After roasting, extra marinade is added to the pan to simmer with the juices, creating a thick, tangy sauce that begs to be drizzled over everything or sopped up with a crusty hunk of bread. In addition to a sprinkling of fresh basil for serving, a ball of broken burrata or crumbles of feta would also be delicious. This recipe works well with any peaches, even those that may not be perfectly ripe or sweet, and can be made with other stone fruits like nectarines or plums, as well.

Steven Raichlen · NYT Cooking

Conventional wisdom holds that pork ribs taste best when cooked outdoors on a grill or smoker. Conventional wisdom hasn’t experienced the sweet-sour balsamic-glazed St. Louis-cut spare ribs at Animal in Los Angeles. The restaurant’s chefs, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, prepare them in a way that most barbecue purists would never order, much less eat: baked in the oven. Here, their recipe has been adapted for the home cook. Steven Raichlen

Steven Raichlen · NYT Cooking

Steven Raichlen

William Grimes · NYT Cooking

David Latt · NYT Cooking

Nigella Lawson · NYT Cooking

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Here's a treat for the vegans in your life. Adapted from the cookbook “Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar,” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, these cookies, which are chunky with chocolate chips, walnuts and rolled oats, are best when they are completely cooled, so their exteriors can crisp up. They do not taste strongly of banana — it's just a hint. Alex Witchel

Emily Weinstein · NYT Cooking

This recipe, from Dorie Greenspan's wonderful cookbook "Baking: From My Home to Yours," is simple but decadent, and very forgiving for the beginner baker. It’s a glorious mess of fruit and cream — the pressure is off to make it look perfect. Emily Weinstein

Erin Jeanne McDowell · NYT Cooking

This no-churn ice cream doesn’t require any cooking or special equipment. All you have to do is mash up some bananas and whip some heavy cream. The whipped cream mimics the air that’s incorporated into traditional ice cream when it’s churning in an ice cream machine. For the strongest flavor, use really, really ripe bananas; mushy, bruised ones with black peels will work well. Large crumbles of vanilla wafers stirred into the ice cream and sprinkled on top add crunch.

Jerrelle Guy · NYT Cooking

This banana bread-inspired granola uses real mashed banana, coconut oil, cinnamon, nutmeg and toasted nuts. Keeping it simple allows the subtle banana flavor to shine through, but you can tweak the recipe by adding dried coconut flakes, sesame or pumpkin seeds, more spices, or even chocolate chips or dried fruit. Breaking the granola into large clusters halfway through baking ensures the granola cooks evenly. Allow the granola to sit for at least one hour on the counter to harden completely. Double the recipe if you’d like to stock up your freezer. It will keep at least three months there, at the ready for snacking, or can be served for breakfast, in bowls with milk and freshly sliced banana.

Samantha Seneviratne · NYT Cooking

The quintessential breakfast on-the-go, these banana muffins are tender, light and just sweet enough. A pinch of cinnamon is all they need but ½ cup of chopped walnuts, chocolate or even candied ginger wouldn’t hurt. Starting the oven at 425 degrees gives the muffins a boost right at the start. The water in the batter (from the bananas and sour cream) turns to steam quickly and the muffins puff up and create a nice dome. Lowering the heat to 350 degrees then allows them to cook through more gradually. Just don’t forget to turn the oven down right before you pop the muffins in.

Sohla El-Waylly · NYT Cooking

These bars get their fudgy texture from ripe bananas and are lightly sweetened with honey. They are packed with nut butter, walnuts and oats, making them a satisfying breakfast treat. By combining the mashed bananas with eggs and letting them sit together for 15 minutes, the bananas become extra sweet. That’s because eggs contain a starch-digesting enzyme called amylase, which converts some of the banana starches to sugar. Best of all? The batter comes together quickly, in just one bowl.

Mark Bittman · NYT Cooking

Throughout Mexico, paletas are made with fresh fruit and not much sugar, pretty much the opposite of commercial sorbets and sherbets sold here. Like sorbet or sherbet, these frozen snacks are easily made at home; all you need is a set of plastic molds, sold in many supermarkets, toy stores and online. For a lower-tech solution, you can use small paper cups and insert wooden sticks in them once the mixture freezes hard enough to support them. The dairy is optional. Adding it produces a paleta de leche, which has a more distinctive texture than the dairy-free paleta de agua, which is icier.

Sue Li · NYT Cooking

This easy beautiful pie lets bananas shine. Here, they’re blended with heavy cream and a little sour cream to pull back their natural sweetness, then the filling is nestled into a crunchy phyllo crust for a mix of textures. To keep the dough crunchy, be generous while brushing the phyllo dough with the butter, and bake the pie on a preheated baking sheet. The filling, like a banana, will oxidize and turn brown as it sits. So serve this pie the day it’s made.

Craig Seligman · NYT Cooking

Craig Seligman

Claire Saffitz · NYT Cooking

Banana is a natural addition to sticky toffee pudding, marrying seamlessly with toffee and dates to create a version that leans in the direction of banana bread. The bananas that end up on top of the finished pudding are sugared and broiled until caramelized and almost charred, which adds a little bittersweet balance to the dates and brown sugar. Serve it with some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if you like, but definitely serve it warm for the tenderest texture and most intense flavor. (Watch Claire Saffitz make this dish in this video.)

Christopher Idone · NYT Cooking

Sohla El-Waylly · NYT Cooking

Floral honey, aromatic cardamom and a whipped cream bursting with banana goodness bolster the flavors of this classic dessert. The addition of freeze-dried bananas to the cream layer intensifies the taste of the fruit in each bite. This pie is a bit of a project, so break up the process to make it easier: Make the caramel up to one month in advance; bake the crust up to three days ahead; and fill the crust 24 hours before serving. The topping is best when added just before slicing, as the caramel will begin to weep and melt rapidly.

Sara Bonisteel · NYT Cooking

The New York Times food editor Jane Nickerson first published this recipe in 1957 as part of an article on New Orleans-style Creole cooking. Adapted from Brennan’s restaurant, this recipe is meant to be a showstopper. But it’s deceptively easy. Be sure to have a lid at the ready to extinguish the flame in case things get out of hand. If you cannot find banana liqueur, just add a teaspoon more rum.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

This autumnal spin on traditional British bangers and mash is cooked almost entirely on one sheet pan, which makes it a hands-off, weeknight-friendly dinner. The butternut squash roasts alongside the sausages before getting mashed with maple syrup, a pinch of cayenne and a drizzle of brown butter flavored with fried sage and garlic. The butternut mash makes a delicious, savory-and-sweet base for the roasted sausages — with a little bit of extra brown butter drizzled on top. Any sausages will work here, though cooking time may vary.

Francis Lam · NYT Cooking

Homestyle Bangladeshi chicken korma is likely more aromatic, flavorful, and deeply chicken-flavored than the heavy, creamy versions served in Indian restaurants. This recipe, adapted from Shama Mubdi, is also incredibly easy to make: You just stir everything together in a pot and turn on the heat. A last-minute addition of butter-fried onions adds sweet complexity. Serve with basmati rice and salad or South Asian pickles. Francis Lam

Genevieve Ko · NYT Cooking

Known in English as honeycomb cake for its interior pattern of holes stretched long like yawns, bánh bò nướng is tinted jade from pandan paste, which flavors the coconut milk batter. Glossy green pandan leaves, from which the paste is extracted, impart a scent that hovers like jasmine and vanilla with a grounding of soft herbs and toasted rice. The mix of tapioca starch and rice flour yields a texture that’s stretchy, sticky and soft. Hannah Pham’s take on this Vietnamese classic includes a crisp outer crust. She uses a Bundt pan so there’s more of the browned shell in each bite and, to make the exterior even more caramelized, cut down on the amount of butter brushed over the heated pan. For a foolproof cake, she calls for double-acting baking powder, avoids over whisking the eggs and passes the batter through a sieve. Genevieve Ko

Bryan Washington · NYT Cooking

Bánh cuốn, or Vietnamese steamed rice rolls, pack platefuls of flavor into every bite. The dish originated in northern Vietnam, utilizing a batter that forms a delicate rice sheet, which gets rolled around a mixture of pork and wood ear mushrooms. Bánh cuốn’s accompaniments generally include bean sprouts, fried shallots, herbs and chả lụa (Vietnamese pork sausage), along with a dipping sauce of nước chấm. Though the dish has a number of ingredients, its preparation consists of simple steps; give yourself ample time to prepare and the cooking process will be seamless. This meal is best eaten immediately, but it can hold in the refrigerator for a day or two.

Bryan Washington · NYT Cooking

Bánh mì are, frankly, perfect sandwiches. From the baguettes (“bánh mì” literally translates to bread) to the fillings, they leave room for endless variation while remaining entirely distinct as a complete, complex Vietnamese dish. For this recipe, pork is the star: Following a brief marinade, the meat is broiled, then stuffed in a warm baguette alongside pickles, mayo, butter and a sprinkling of herbs. Ideally, it’s worth picking up the baguettes and butter from your local Vietnamese bakery or bánh mì shop (just ask; they’ll likely sell some to you). Both the pork and the pickles can be made ahead of time. Any extra cooked pork shoulder would serve as delicious leftovers when reheated alongside rice and eggs, or tossed between noodles, or folded into yet another bánh mì. Any extra pickles will hold in the fridge for several weeks — and are endlessly adaptable for later meals.

Christian Reynoso · NYT Cooking

Beloved by many for good reason, the flavors and textures of a bánh mì are the inspiration for this recipe. Crisp quick-marinated vegetables, tender herbs and lettuces, spicy jalapeño, creamy avocado and sweet ham are dressed in a version of tangy nước chấm and then topped with buttery crackers instead of the bread that gives the Vietnamese sandwich its name. While the ingredient list might seem long, there’s no cooking involved and this salad comes together in about 20 minutes. Any type of ham will work, but if you buy a roast, you’ll be able to carve the ham as thin as you'd like. For a different take, cooked bacon, rotisserie chicken or tofu make excellent options, too.

Margaux Laskey · NYT Cooking

With generous layers of dulce de leche, bananas and whipped cream, this dazzling pie is not for the faint of heart. The banoffee or banoffi pie, a mash-up of banana and toffee, was created in 1971 by the chef Ian Dowding and Nigel MacKenzie, the owner of the Hungry Monk, a now-closed restaurant in Sussex, England. The original recipe called for a traditional pie crust, homemade dulce de leche and coffee-flavored whipped cream, but we’ve simplified it for the home cook by using a graham cracker crust, store-bought dulce de leche and plain whipped cream. If you like, you could add a teaspoon of instant coffee granules to the whipped cream. Margaux Laskey

Vivian Chan-Tam · NYT Cooking

Easy to make and belly-filling, these Chinese buns, baozi, are believed to have originated as early as 400 B.C. Unlike their bready cousins from other parts of the world, they’re steamed, not baked, which makes them pillowy soft and snow white. The classic size of the loaves is small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, but cooks have adapted the recipe to create different shapes to complement their favorite ways to indulge. One of the most common is to form the bao into pockets and generously fill them with slow-roasted duck, drizzled with hoisin sauce and garnished with cilantro sprigs. Whether the tops of the dough rounds are pinched shut or kept open like the clam-shaped bao here, nothing beats a fresh bao straight from the steamer.

Rick A. Martínez · NYT Cooking

Originating with the Taíno people of eastern Dominican Republic, barbacoa is a method of cooking meat whose name comes from the Arawak word barbaca. In Mexico, barbacoa is a style of slow cooking large cuts of beef, lamb, goat and pork. Depending on regionality, the meat is cooked over an open fire or in an underground pit called a pibil, wrapped in agave or banana leaves, often covered with earth, then slow roasted overnight. In this version, beef is oven roasted at a low temperature in a sauce made from dried chiles, herbs and spices, until the meat is so tender it easily shreds.

Sara Rimer · NYT Cooking

John Willoughby · NYT Cooking

You'll need a medium-hot charcoal fire for this recipe. So either start cooking when the main dish comes off the fire or, if making this dish separately, light a charcoal fire in your grill, putting all the coals on one side, and wait until it has died down to medium. Serve this smoky chutney alongside pork or beef.

Tara Parker-Pope · NYT Cooking

This beet and barley salad from Kathryn Anible, a personal chef in New York, is not particularly leafy or green, but the greens are there, stirred in for flavor and texture. “I feel like everybody uses arugula like a lettuce and they rarely ever cook with it,” said Ms. Anible. It also adds color, so it’s not all pink. I love the beet and green colors together.’’ Tara Parker-Pope

Joan Nathan · NYT Cooking

Dan Graf, a genetics major who dropped out of Rutgers, founded Baron Baking in Oakland, Calif., after working in a delicatessen. The son of a Bergen County, N.J., contractor, he grew up accompanying his father to jobs on weekends. Stopping for bagels was part of the ritual. After moving to California, he worked for two years at Saul’s Restaurant and Delicatessen in Berkeley, where he became fascinated with baking. He began baking bagels in his apartment and eventually won an account with his former employer. There are all kinds of bagels; Mr. Graf’s has a chewy bite and an almost pretzel-like crust. This is his recipe. Joan Nathan

Amelia Nierenberg · NYT Cooking

Most Slavic countries have their own form of beet soup, a winter staple across Central and Eastern Europe. Barszcz, the Polish variation, is usually served as a clear burgundy broth with bright, wintry flavors. It is sweeter and beefier than Ukrainian or Russian borscht, and much less textural: Most vegetables are strained after imparting their flavor, though the soup may include grated beets or morsels of meat. This recipe is adapted from “From a Polish Country House Kitchen,” an anthropological cookbook by Anne Applebaum and Danielle Crittenden (Chronicle Books, 2012). Strain the vegetables entirely and sip the restorative broth directly from a mug, or serve the soup with sour cream and enjoy with pierogi. Amelia Nierenberg

Ifrah F. Ahmed · NYT Cooking

While Somali cuisine utilizes many fragrant spices, such as coriander, cardamom and cumin, it is not traditionally heat-heavy. But spiciness shows up in the form of basbaas, a hot sauce that is a popular condiment. Heat is optional in Somali cuisine and dishes like sambuus or bariis and hilib ari (rice and goat meat) come with a complementary side of basbaas for those who seek to take their meal to the next level. While there are several kinds of basbaas, basbaas cagaar is a fiery, green hot sauce that pairs beautifully with any meats or roasted vegetables, and especially with hilib sambuus.

Dena Kleiman · NYT Cooking

Molly O’Neill · NYT Cooking

This recipe is adapted from “The Whole World Loves Chicken Soup” by our old colleague Mimi Sheraton. It was published in 1995. Practical and pragmatic in the technical aspects of soup making, Ms. Sheraton is an unabashed hedonist when it comes to serving and consuming it. "Chicken soup must be very, very hot," she counsels. "You want to have to inhale it, to take tiny sips at first and build, as the soup cools, to larger and larger bites. Near the end, you are racing to finish. Tepid soup is dead." Molly O'Neill

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

Prized for their endearing simplicity, plantains provide structure and sweetness to any meal, any time of day. They’re often peeled before cooking, but in this recipe, they’re cooked with their skins and are naturally released from their jackets as they boil. Unlike fried ripe-blackened plantains, which are very soft and sugary, these green ones end up dense and only slightly sweet. Neutral enough to take on the flavors of surrounding sauces, these boiled plantains are ideal for transporting those sauces from plate to palate and help the main dishes shine. They’re particularly good with stews (vegetable, meat or chicken), especially Designer Stew With Eggs, Cagaar (Spinach Stew) or Red Red (Pepper Stewed Beans). They also add heft to any brothy soup and are good with soft-boiled, poached or scrambled eggs.

Regina Schrambling · NYT Cooking

Barbara Kafka · NYT Cooking

Dena Kleiman · NYT Cooking

Molly O’Neill · NYT Cooking

Molly O'Neill

Marialisa Calta · NYT Cooking

Marialisa Calta

Patricia Wells · NYT Cooking

Eric Kim · NYT Cooking

This unique and stellar stovetop white rice method comes from Sonoko Sakai’s book “Wafu Cooking” (Knopf, 2024). A longer soak time, a shorter cook time and two separate but successive rest times — once before the rice is fluffed and once after — result in the most perfect, shiny, fluffy white rice with tender individual grains. Note that most of this time is inactive. Let this be your new go-to method for when you want to build a meal around a pot of really good rice. Eric Kim

Nina Simonds · NYT Cooking

Samin Nosrat · NYT Cooking

Though pesto means “pounded” in Italian, the rush of modern life has taken the recipe out of the mortar and into the blender (or food processor) for most of us. This version, adapted from a Ligurian woman, Lidia Caveri, gently encourages (but does not require) a return to the mortar. The constant rap of the pestle will jostle the nuts, basil and garlic into an emulsified base. Add the oil and cheese to get an impossibly thick, creamy sauce that clings to pasta unlike any machine-made counterpart could. Though you might think otherwise, the pesto will come together before the pasta water has a chance to boil. And as a bonus, there'll be no blender to wash up afterward. Samin Nosrat

R. W. Apple Jr. · NYT Cooking

Hetty Lui McKinnon · NYT Cooking

Inspired by the savory heat of pad krapow, the popular Thai dish of stir-fried ground chicken or pork with chiles, garlic and basil, this tofu version is just as robustly seasoned and satiating. The traditional dish uses holy basil, but Thai or everyday sweet basil will work here. The cooking of this dish happens quickly, so have all your ingredients prepped before cooking. Tear the tofu into chunky pieces, as it will naturally break down further while being stir-fried. Keep the flavor of the basil bright and the color green by adding it right at the end, so the leaves are barely kissed with heat. Thai chiles are spicy, so add according to your taste: Two is a good choice for those who like spicy food, or three if you like it fiery.

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

A double dose of basil — infused in dry vermouth and used as garnish — ensures this drink is fresh and herbal throughout. A splash of olive brine and a garnish with the olives themselves add salinity and balance. Use the leftover basil-infused dry vermouth in a 50/50 martini, Vermouth Royale, a Fair Play or pour as is over a large ice cube and finish with a citrus twist.

Joanna Pruess · NYT Cooking

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

How to cook rice to its perfect texture is an art: too much water and it’s gloppy; too little, and it’s dry and brittle. If it’s cooked for too long, it smushes together; not enough time and it’s grainy and hard. Different types of rice require different cooking methods, too. This recipe, specifically for long-grain basmati rice, boils it down to a science. The rice-to-water ratio used here is 1 cup rice to 1 ½ cups water, but thoroughly drained rice, heat levels, cook time and resting time can all impact results. Even the size of the pot matters; you’ll want to select a small one in which the water level rises an inch above the rice level. Follow the steps exactly and cooking long-grain basmati rice is no longer an experiment but a formula.

Tanya Sichynsky · NYT Cooking

Generously burnished and with a velvety, custardy interior, this rustic, crustless cheesecake from the Basque region of northern Spain is the platonic ideal of a low-effort, high-reward dessert. The caramelized exterior evokes a toasty marshmallow, but the cake itself is not too sweet. Marti Buckley adapted this recipe from La Viña, a small bar in San Sebastián, for her cookbook, “Basque Country” (Artisan, 2018). This statement cake is achieved using only five primary ingredients. It’s baked at a higher temperature than a classic New York cheesecake and in the hot oven, the cheesecake dramatically inflates into a soufflé-like puff before sinking into itself, creating a cradle for fresh fruit, should you wish to serve it with some. But Basque cheesecake is perfect on its own, at its arguable prime the day after it’s made, enjoyed at room temperature. Tanya Sichynsky

Jesse Szewczyk · NYT Cooking

This recipe transforms Basque cheesecake into portable, handheld treats. Unlike typical cheesecake bars that bake at a low temperature, these are baked at 500 degrees to achieve a burnished top while maintaining a creamy interior. This layer makes for a striking presentation and imparts the flavor of burnt caramel, which offsets the sweetness of the filling. A sturdy graham cracker crust imitates classic cheesecake bars and adds a pop of texture to this creamy dessert. While Basque cheesecake is often served at room temperature, you can refrigerate the bars if you prefer a firmer texture.

Susan Herrmann Loomis · NYT Cooking

Susan Herrmann Loomis · NYT Cooking

Jason Epstein · NYT Cooking

Patricia Wells · NYT Cooking

Merrill Stubbs · NYT Cooking

Merrill Stubbs

Jeff Gordinier · NYT Cooking

Adapted from John Martinez, Super Linda, Manhattan

Dorie Greenspan · NYT Cooking

Dorie Greenspan

Leslie Land · NYT Cooking

Steven Raichlen · NYT Cooking

Packer brisket is what you order at a barbecue restaurant. The brisket flat (the leaner, flatter of the two muscles that comprise a whole brisket) is what you’re more likely to find at the supermarket. Lacking the generous marbling of a packer, the flat tends to toughen and dry out during a long slow cook on your grill or smoker. But two simple techniques deliver a moist, tender brisket flat every time. The first is to cook the flat in a foil pan to shield the lean meat from the heat. The second is to drape the brisket flat with a layer of bacon, which renders its fat during cooking, basting the meat and keeping it moist. Then there’s the bonus: You get to eat barbecued bacon along with your brisket.

Steven Raichlen · NYT Cooking

Just before being served, these ribs are grilled, imparting a crisp, charred crust and an inviting whiff of wood smoke. Steven Raichlen

Steven Raichlen · NYT Cooking

Pickled eggs are popular bar food everywhere, but at Backyard Barbecue in Tompkinsville, Ky., they come with a fiery twist. The eggs are pickled in an incendiary amalgam of cayenne, melted butter and vinegar. This is the classic dip for Monroe County pork-shoulder steaks, repurposed to pickle eggs. The preparation is simple, but budget seven days to complete the pickling process. Steven Raichlen

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

This dish, inspired by the BBQ pepper shrimp at the Lobster Pot — the busy seafood restaurant in Provincetown, Mass., that the McNulty family began operating in 1979) — is a rich, satisfying shrimp dinner that comes together quickly. The chef and owner Tim McNulty came up with the idea for the dish after trying New Orleans-style BBQ shrimp. He blends those spicy flavors with the richness of beurre blanc, a classic French butter sauce. “It’s a big seller for us,” Mr. McNulty says of the dish, which has been on the menu for more than 10 years. The sauce is an ideal topping for pasta or crusty bread and is a perfect match for any seafood: “It's a great base recipe and you can add scallops or lobster to it instead of the shrimp.” The sauce also makes a luscious topping for steak, similar to an au poivre. Korsha Wilson

Robert Farrar Capon · NYT Cooking

Florence Fabricant · NYT Cooking

Florence Fabricant

Eric Kim · NYT Cooking

In this lovely, warming curry, canned beans give you protein and a soft, starchy bite. Japanese curry is essentially a stew, so add to it what you like: Here, eggplant and spinach melt into the sauce, giving you roughage, then canned beans are stirred through for appearances and chew. Served over rice or noodles, this dish is a veritable weeknight meal with restaurant appeal, and freezes beautifully (see Tips).

Elaine Louie · NYT Cooking

Elaine Louie

John Willoughby · NYT Cooking

This recipe is a project that can be time- and labor-intensive. You need to dig a hole in your yard and build a fire in that hole to cook the beans. An important note: Failing to dig the hole, and using your oven instead, will result in beans that lack bona fides but are 98 percent as good as the ones that guy cooked in a hole in his yard. This recipe will take about 3 hours plus soaking time for the oven method.

Tejal Rao · NYT Cooking

A simple dish of creamy, thin-skinned beans and broth on toast is easy to make, and a comfort to eat alone or feed a crowd. If you make the beans ahead of time, they can keep in the fridge for 3 days, but may need a splash of water added when you heat them up. The broth is a great way to make use of parmigiano rinds, if you happen to be saving those, but if you don’t have any lying around, you can still make it rich with umami: Whisk a heaped tablespoon of white miso with a little of the bean broth to make it smooth and lump-free, then add it back to the pot. It will add a similar, savory depth. The dish seems plain, but it won’t be if you season the broth well, and garnish each bowl generously with olive oil, grated cheese and herbs, just before you eat it.

Tejal Rao · NYT Cooking

This recipe started as a wisp of an idea in The Veggie, our weekly newsletter about vegetarian home cooking, inspired by that iconic dish chicken Marbella, made famous in “The Silver Palate Cookbook.” Instead of chicken, a pot of thin-skinned, creamy beans and their rich cooking liquid form the base, which are then added to a pan of fried garlic and reduced red wine with plenty of olive oil, prunes and olives. They’re then topped with a simple roasted potato salad, dressed with vinegar-soaked shallots, capers and parsley. It’s not an exact replica of chicken Marbella, but it’s a beautiful and satisfying way to enjoy its familiar flavors — the tangy, briny sharpness of vinegar, capers and olives, set against the sweetness of prunes. You can serve the dish as is, but it’s even more luxurious with some thickly sliced and toasted bread, brushed with olive oil and garlic.

Pati Jinich · NYT Cooking

Conchas are the most well-known Mexican pan dulce. They are eaten for breakfast with hot chocolate, coffee or milk; as an anytime pick-me-up; as part of dinner or even as dessert. They can also be the base of a satisfying sandwich, creating a welcome clash between savory and sweet. Mexicans seem to be divided on the sandwich topic: Some can’t do without them; some can’t stand them. It is a dish you will not find in a cafeteria or restaurant, but in Mexican homes and lunch boxes. The most well-known versions involve refried beans; this one is filled with chipotle refried beans, bacon and avocado. A sunny-side-up egg can be a good addition.

Celia Barbour · NYT Cooking

This is a sweet and buttery tomato-onion soup that evolved, many years ago, toward a kind of borscht, but stopped short. Borscht tastes too earthy for my palate. Tomatoes and orange keep the flavor a bit brighter and more acidic. The name comes from the colors: orange carrots, carnelian tomatoes, magenta beets. I serve it at home, at least twice each winter, with snow-white dollops of sour cream floating on top. It looks wonderful, tastes good, and is very healthful. And without my needing to say a word about mincing or dicing, it teaches my children about the satisfaction of a job well done.

Robert Simonson · NYT Cooking

This recipe from Marshall Minaya of Valerie, a bar in Midtown Manhattan, is classic, adhering to the original’s mixture of gin, lemon juice and honey. The addition of Barr Hill Gin, a spirit from Vermont that is finished with raw honey, adds an extra honeyed note to the cocktail. Robert Simonson

Sarah Copeland · NYT Cooking

This takeout classic is beloved for a reason: It’s mild, satisfying and dependable. The chewy noodles and tender beef make for a weeknight dinner that won’t send you back to the fridge, snooping for a snack before bedtime. What makes this version better than the one from your neighborhood spot? A few things: It’s fresher, hotter and arguably faster. In this version, smaller florets ensure that the beef and broccoli cook quickly, and are easily scooped up with chopsticks. The florets' size also lowers your chances of overcooking them before they're crisp and tender. To finish, add sesame oil, if you have it, but don’t sweat it if you don’t.

Anna Francese Gass · NYT Cooking

Braciole is a hearty southern Italian dish involving thinly pounded top round steaks that are stuffed, rolled and simmered; traditional fillings vary by location. In Sicily, the filling might include raisins and pine nuts, while in Calabria, cheese and crispy pork are commonly used. Once the meat is filled and rolled, a threaded toothpick holds everything in place while the meat gets a quick sear to seal the seams. It’s then simmered until tender in a simple tomato sauce flavored with a glug of wine. In Italy, braciole would traditionally be served after the pasta as a secondo (second course), but the braciole’s cooking sauce will perfectly dress a pound of pasta, if you’d like to serve that alongside.

Gabrielle Hamilton · NYT Cooking

Beef tenderloin is called for here as it will unfailingly yield the tenderest carpaccio. It is a long, slender, tapered muscle that runs under the ribs and close to the back bone, and as such is, in a way, shielded from being worked very hard, unlike cuts lower on the animal. As for all of us, the closer to the ground the muscle lives, the tougher becomes the work. Some chefs have a real affinity for the harder-working muscles. Top round, for example, is also often called for in carpaccio recipes and is cut from a muscle that has to work harder, and therefore, is thought to have more character, and more flavor. I would gently warn that harder-working muscles come with a little more “chew.” Try it here, as written, with sure success, then explore other cuts if you're interested.

Pete Wells · NYT Cooking

Pete Wells

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

Also known as potato chops, these treats trace their roots to the kitchens of Christian communities across India, Pakistan and Iraq, where they became a celebratory staple at weddings, holidays and family feasts. Golden and crisp on the outside, soft and savory within, potato chops are the ultimate comforting classic. Beloved as both a snack and a centerpiece dish, these shallow-fried patties are made by encasing a spiced ground meat filling — often beef or lamb — in a smooth, seasoned layer of mashed potatoes, then pan-frying until golden brown. (The spices often vary depending on the cook’s background or preferences.) The result is a satisfying contrast of textures: creamy potatoes that give way to a fragrant, spiced ground meat center. Making them is a labor of love: There’s some peeling, mashing and filling involved, and you’ll use more than one pan, but the reward is undeniable.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

These beef dumplings are packed with zucchini and tofu, which keep the filling tender and juicy. The ground meat is lightly marinated before mixing with plenty of buchu, a lovely allium with long flat leaves and a mild garlic flavor. (You can find these fragrant Korean chives in any Korean market). There’s a hidden surprise here, too: Buttery pine nuts get tucked into each dumpling before enclosing them.

Angela Dimayuga · NYT Cooking

Filipinos take snacking seriously, so much so that we devote an entire meal to it: merienda, which may take place midmorning or midafternoon, if not both. Empanadas are a great treat for this in-between time, but also keep well at room temperature — the grace of food built for a warm climate — so you can graze all day. (My family used to buy these by the tray for parties, but it’s nice to make your own and store them in the freezer for later.) In these, a ground-beef filling is tucked inside sturdy but flaky dough, with raisins added early in the cooking to plump with the beef juices. There are variations on empanadas all over Latin America; ours rely on the potency of onion and garlic, and exploit it to the hilt.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

Fried rice is perfect for easy and fast weeknight cooking, as it is highly customizable and can be made with all sorts of veggies and protein. This beef version employs a traditional Chinese technique of velveting meat that quickly tenderizes tougher cuts. Simply mix the beef with cornstarch and oil (seasoned here with soy sauce) and let stand for 30 minutes (or even just 15 minutes, if that’s all you’ve got) before stir-frying until browned. Feel free to add more vegetables to this fried rice, like shredded cabbage or snow peas. Be sure to have all of your prep ready before cooking, as the process goes quickly.

Jane Sigal · NYT Cooking

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

This is an adaptation of a dish served at Bar Kabawa by the chef Paul Carmichael in Manhattan’s East Village, where the vibe is casual and the food delicious. These patties are delicate, with a buttery crust that shatters upon bite to reveal an abundant meat or vegetable stuffing. Mr. Carmichael, who is from Barbados, uses in-house ground goat meat for his geera goat patties and makes the dough from scratch with a honed technique. This recipe calls for puff pastry sheets and ground lamb or beef. The potato, absent from Bar Kabawa’s version, is crushed, and the cooking liquid saved and incorporated to maintain the filling’s supple sauciness. Enjoy hot or warm, alongside pepper sauce, pikliz and cilantro-mint chutney, as a snack anytime of the day or as a bite to whet your palate before a larger meal.

Naz Deravian · NYT Cooking

A soothing, restorative bowl of beef phở, the national dish of Vietnam, is defined by the quality of the broth, according to Thuy Diem Pham, chef and owner of The Little Viet Kitchen in London. Regionality and geography distinguishes various styles of phở. According to Ms. Pham, in the cooler climate of northern Vietnam, phở is saltier, and to keep the broth hot, it is mainly topped with just sliced onion. In the south, “the broth is sweeter and because of the hotter climate, tons of herbs are thrown in to cool down the broth.” This recipe, adapted from Ms. Pham’s cookbook, “The Little Viet Kitchen” (Absolute Press, 2019), is in the southern style which is where her family is from. Ideally, the broth should be light and clear like chicken broth, not murky and dark. To achieve the telltale golden broth, beef bones, oxtail and ribs are first soaked, then parboiled, and finally gently simmered along with brisket, spices and aromatics for many hours. This is a slow, luxurious project, best

Steven Raichlen · NYT Cooking

The earthy, fruity, spicy, though not especially fiery “little red” mole -- one of Oaxaca’s seven classic sauces -- is cooked separately and seared onto the ribs at the end to form a savory crust. Steven Raichlen

Cathy Erway · NYT Cooking

Joel Watthanawongwat, the chef of Soothr, a Thai restaurant in New York City, makes large batches of braised beef shanks each day to use in several dishes, including this tamarind and coconut-rich massaman curry. The process, which can be split over two days, involves slowly braising then chilling the shanks for the most tender, flavorful results. Boneless beef shanks are rich in tendons and collagen, making this cut especially soft and tender when slowly and gently cooked. This recipe yields a large quantity, perfect for a gathering or for multiple meals. Cathy Erway

Sam Sifton · NYT Cooking

Forget what you think you remember about this putatively Russian dish, which saw its zenith in American kitchens during the 1950s and its nadir in school cafeterias two decades later. Beef stroganoff makes for an outstanding dinner: a vat of tender sautéed meat in a silken gravy studded with caramelized mushrooms, alongside a huge tangle of buttered noodles. Be careful when adding the cream at the end: Sour cream easily curdles in the heat, while crème fraîche or heavy cream offer smoother results.

Nargisse Benkabbou · NYT Cooking

This hearty tagine is a staple family meal in many Moroccan homes, cooked in the traditional m’qualli style with garlic, ground ginger and ground turmeric. The comforting, earthy flavors of the meat, spices and green beans create a satisfying dinner perfect for sharing or meal prepping. The cozy, fragrant stew is packed with pops of flavor from tangy preserved lemon and briny olives. The green beans are added towards the end when the meat is almost cooked. For a variation, consider substituting or adding peas or chopped carrots, or a combination (see Tip).

Besha Rodell · NYT Cooking

“How To Eat” by Nigella Lawson is a cookbook, but one of its great joys is its narrative form: Very few of the recipes are written in standard recipe format. This recipe, from the Dinner chapter, is an exception. “This, to me, is the perfect dinner,” Ms. Lawson writes, “simple, impeccable, beautiful.” She suggests serving it with a pea and avocado salad, and adding arugula leaves not only for decorative reasons but also because “its pepperiness perfectly offsets the salty pungency of the anchovy-red-wine sauce.” Besha Rodell

Jane Sigal · NYT Cooking

Jane Sigal

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

This quick stir-fry combines ground beef with crumbled tofu for a meal that feels lighter but still tastes rich, thanks to deeply savory oyster sauce spiked with garlic and ginger. High-heat cooking helps develop flavor by caramelizing tofu in the beef drippings and grassy asparagus adds crisp fresh bites. Turn leftovers into a fast meal by tossing with cooked noodles (like soba or udon) and chopped cucumbers for crunch.

Romel Bruno · NYT Cooking

Some say this classic pub snack originated in Kentucky, but you can typically find it in bars all around, usually served with warm pretzel bites or vegetables. There are two different styles of beer cheese: a spreadable, thick version and a creamier fondue-style type like this one. Though optional, adding a bit of miso brings out the beer flavor and adds a bit of saltiness that eliminates the need to add any salt to the dish. Either way, make sure to choose a beer that tastes good to you.

Joan Nathan · NYT Cooking

Have fun with this early fall salad, meant for Rosh Hashana but festive throughout the season. Bitter and tart greens, like arugula, crunchy romaine and celery, pair well with shallots or red onion, dates, dried figs, a handful of multicolored olives and crisp, refreshing cucumbers. About a cup of cooked barley adds chew, but you could use lentils or chickpeas instead for more protein. If you can find them, heirloom varieties of barley add wonderful nutty complexity. Beets — used in ancient times more for the leaves than the roots — currants and green grapes lend color and sweetness, as well as a pomegranate, the symbol of fruitfulness by virtue of its many seeds. All these foods are symbolic of fertility, abundance, and prosperity in the New Year.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

With its mustard vinaigrette and a shower of tarragon and dill, this is a most refreshing salad. Dress the beets and cucumber separately to keep the ruby juices from staining the cucumber slices. You can cook the beets a day in advance. Poke them with the point of a paring knife to check if they’re tender, then let them cool a bit before rubbing off the outer skins. To make a more substantial salad, add a hard cooked egg and some soft goat cheese.

Nigella Lawson · NYT Cooking

It's hard to imagine an easier salad than one of chopped cooked beets, vinegar-steeped onion and crumbled Danish blue cheese. It must surely become one of your summer stalwarts.

Nigella Lawson · NYT Cooking

This beet and ginger soup is a snap to make. Many people believe that beets cleanse the liver and that ginger wards off colds, but even if you give no credence to such beliefs, it doesn't matter: this soup is just plain good to eat. I like to make things easy for myself and do no more than blend drained canned beets with additive- and sodium-free broth and grated fresh ginger. The soup can be wonderful at room temperature, or, if you like your soup piping hot, you can heat everything in a pan. But I never do. I just blend and drink. This must be the quickest route to a restoring bowl or mug of something on record.

Enid Nemy · NYT Cooking

William Norwich · NYT Cooking

Tara Parker-Pope · NYT Cooking

Tara Parker-Pope

Amanda Hesser · NYT Cooking

Amanda Hesser

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

Sweet beets meet zingy horseradish and crunchy pumpkin seeds in this dish that will enchant beet lovers and skeptics alike. Roasting the beets concentrates their flavor and makes them easier to peel, while pairing red beets with their yellow counterparts makes for a striking visual contrast. Feel free to use all red beets, or all golden beets, if that’s what’s available to you, and to substitute plain yogurt for the sour cream. If you can’t find fresh, refrigerated prepared horseradish, horseradish cream also works beautifully. Make the most of the beet greens: Sauté them in olive oil and finish with a splash of balsamic vinegar for an excellent accompaniment to this dish.

Jane Sigal · NYT Cooking

Betty Fussell · NYT Cooking

Nigella Lawson · NYT Cooking

This is a fresh, tangy salad, loaded with sweet-sour flavor and given a good crunch by toasted hazelnuts. The bitter endive and peppery watercress complement each other beautifully, and it’s all tarted up with a citrusy dressing. It’s easy, and delicious.

Kay Rentschler · NYT Cooking

Samantha Seneviratne · NYT Cooking

These waffles tick all the boxes. They’re light, crisp, delicately sweetened and will make your kitchen smell like heaven as they cook. Belgian waffles are thicker than standard waffles and are often leavened with yeast. This version uses baking powder and whipped egg whites to make it easy to cook up big, crisp fragrant waffles without a lot of foresight. There are two important factors that ensure the lightest, crispiest waffles. First, make sure that your waffle iron is very hot and that the waffles are cooked through completely and well-browned. Secondly, when ladling batter into the waffle iron, make sure to completely fill the wells. Crisp edges can only develop if the batter makes contact with all of the grooves.

William L. Hamilton · NYT Cooking

William L. Hamilton

Kia Damon · NYT Cooking

When summer peaks and ripe peaches fill farmers’ market stands and grocery stores, one of the most simple and seasonal beverages you can make is a bellini. A fragrant cocktail of (preferably white) peach purée and Prosecco, it’s said to have originated in Venice, Italy, by way of Giuseppe Cipriani of Harry’s Bar. The crisp, bubbly nature of the Prosecco is a perfect foil for the sugary sweetness of ripe peaches. Even though fresh ripe fruit is ideal, this drink also takes well to frozen peaches, just be sure to defrost them completely before making the purée. Frozen peaches can sometimes be tart or sour, so taste the purée and add sweetener if needed.

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Priya Krishna · NYT Cooking

Mustard oil is a key ingredient in many South Asian dishes, but is especially important in Bengali cuisine. Its earthy, astringent flavor can bring complexity to a simple cooked vegetable, pickle or tadka. This weeknight dish is inspired by bhetki paturi, a mustard oil-coated fish that gets cooked in a banana leaf. In this recipe, foil is a stand-in for banana leaf (though feel free to use the leaf if you have one!), steaming the fish gently and infusing it with flavor. Coconut and mustard oil are a stellar combination here, as the sweetness of the coconut tempers the bitterness of the mustard oil and seeds. The juices that pool around the cooked fish are especially delicious; be sure to spoon those over the cooked rice.

Tara Parker-Pope · NYT Cooking

At Bengali banquets, this chutney, along with deep-fried, puffed white-flour breads (loochis) and thin, crisp flatbreads (pappadoms), is served as the penultimate course, just before the dessert. It can, however, be served with a main dish like roast turkey or pork. This version of the traditional sauce was brought to The Times by Madhur Jaffrey, the renowned Indian cookbook author. Tara Parker-Pope

Regina Schrambling · NYT Cooking

Kim Severson · NYT Cooking

Emily Meggett, who published her first cookbook, “Gullah Geechee Home Cooking: Recipes From the Matriarch of Edisto Island,” at 89, learned how to make these crisp wafer cookies from her grandmother who learned from generations before. Benne seeds, sesame seeds that enslaved Africans brought with them to the southeastern shores of America, have long been a staple in Gullah Geechee cooking. They are an important component in rice dishes and savory crackers and are the stars of these buttery wafers. Regular sesame seeds will work fine, especially if you toast them in butter, but Mrs. Meggett suggests you try to buy benne seeds, an heirloom seed that is available online. They have a nutty, almost burned honey flavor and bring out the umami in the cookies. Kim Severson

Julia Moskin · NYT Cooking

The Berbers use an unusual leavening method that gives a warm, earthy aroma to the loaves: a mix of semolina flour, water and garlic cloves that quickly ferments into a pungent starter. The recipe requires three kinds of flour and takes two days, but is richly rewarding in flavor. Julia Moskin

Ifrah F. Ahmed · NYT Cooking

In this simple and flavorful sheet-pan meal, barramundi (or another firm, white fish) is rubbed with a marinade made with berbere, a traditional Ethiopian and Eritrean spice mix with fenugreek and chile at its core. (As spice blends can vary, do make sure to adjust the amount of berbere in this recipe to your desired spice levels.) Herby Parmesan potatoes and garlicky broccoli florets are all roasted alongside, effortlessly rounding out this delicious weeknight dinner.

Ifrah F. Ahmed · NYT Cooking

These meatballs, enhanced with both Parmesan and berbere seasoning, the fenugreek-and-chile-laced spice mix at the heart of Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisines, are neither Italian nor Ethiopian, but indisputably delicious. The addition of fresh cilantro offers a unique taste that pairs well with the heat of the berbere and the umami of the Parmesan. These meatballs freeze very well, to be baked off whenever the craving hits, or they can be enjoyed right away, paired with rice and salad or vegetables.

Matt Lee · NYT Cooking

Regina Schrambling · NYT Cooking

Regina Schrambling

Dawn Perry · NYT Cooking

Buttermilk makes this stir-together cake super tender, but you can use any milk you have in its place. Same goes for the fruit: Use your favorite frozen berries, or a combination, but frozen cherries, mango or peaches work as well. Just cut any big fruit pieces into bite-size pieces before folding into the batter. And if you do happen to have fresh summer fruit around, that’ll work, too.

Julia Moskin · NYT Cooking

These hand-held pies are sold at breakfast time at Back in the Day Bakery in Savannah, Ga., but they are also a perfect summery dessert. Cheryl Day, an owner, said that she uses less sugar than many Southern bakers do, and likes to round out the flavor of sweet summer fruit with salt and lemon. The difference between a hand pie and a turnover is in the shape. (Hand pies are half moons, and turnovers are triangles.) You can make this recipe either way. Julia Moskin

Nicole Taylor · NYT Cooking

The name sounds like a sweet-tooth parade, but this recipe makes sense when you pair it with a spicy scallion cornmeal waffle. Wells’ Restaurant, a popular 1930s Harlem supper club, cemented the chicken and waffle combination in American culinary history; Amy Ruth’s in Harlem, Beans & Cornbread in suburban Detroit and Hotville in Los Angeles continue that tradition. Almost any summer-fruit jam can be substituted in the marinade, and if you don't have peanut oil, use another oil with a high smoke point.

Elaine Louie · NYT Cooking

Elaine Louie

Regina Schrambling · NYT Cooking

Our best lasagna is perfect for Thanksgiving or holiday.

Kiera Wright-Ruiz · NYT Cooking

There is macaroni and cheese, and then there is special occasion macaroni and cheese like this one. Discover more ideas for the big day at NYT Cooking.

Genevieve Ko · NYT Cooking

Nubby with oats, these tender brown sugar muffins have a hint of cardamom that brings out the richness of chocolate chips. Tiny quick-cooking oats offer a delicate chew in batter that comes together fast enough for weekday mornings. Right out of the oven, they’re crisp around the edges and fluffy. Over time, they become stickier and feel even more wholesome.

Alex Ward · NYT Cooking

Everyone has a different idea about what a cobbler should be. Biscuit-topped? Double-crusted? Cakelike? We’re not here to cast a vote, merely to present a simple Southern cake-style cobbler that makes the most of ripe summer peaches (or the frozen ones languishing in the back of your freezer). All you really need is a bowl, a saucepan, a baking pan and a spoon. This recipe is all about showcasing the fruit, so when you transfer the batter to the pan, it will not completely cover the bottom, nor will it cover the top of the peaches. As it bakes, the batter will rise up along the sides of the pan and through the peaches, developing a crisp exterior and tender interior. If you'd like a taller cobbler with a higher cake-to-fruit ratio, do as many readers do, and double the batter.

Susan Spungen · NYT Cooking

This easy sugar cookie dough is perfect for rolling and cutting and bakes into cookies ideal for frosting. It holds its shape well during baking, tastes great, and the flavor can be changed according to whim: Swap out the vanilla and try adding orange zest, lemon zest, finely chopped rosemary or almond extract. You can also give these cookies a radical makeover by decorating them with icing. A few drops of gel food coloring turn them into Color-Field Cookies; red stripes transform them into Peppermint Stripe Cookies; or a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds and pistachios create Abstract Art Cookies. Rubber spacers on your rolling pin are especially helpful here: They’ll help you roll the dough to an even thickness, resulting in beautiful, uniform cookies.

Sohla El-Waylly · NYT Cooking

The sandwich you make with all the prized leftovers the day after Thanksgiving might be even better than the main event. Assembling this leftover Thanksgiving sandwich is easy, but the details matter. The white and dark turkey meat each get special love and attention: The breast is warmed in butter, while the dark meat is shredded, then warmed in gravy. This club ditches the usual third slice of bread for a slab of crisp, fried stuffing instead. When heating the stuffing, make sure your pan is good and hot so the stuffing fries up fast without falling apart in the skillet. A generous swipe of cranberry mayo brings the whole thing together.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

These spicy, hearty sandwiches are a simplified, quick take on pav bhaji, a popular Mumbai street food that is a celebration of humble vegetables — pav means bread in Hindi and bhaji means vegetables. Potatoes and cauliflower make the backbone of this hefty, generously spiced vegetarian main. Peas balance with sweetness. And although 4 tablespoons may seem like a lot of butter, in the end it’s vital to the characteristic texture of the dish: rich, glorious sloppiness. Served on a mini bun, the basic ingredients rise to the occasion and make for a fun and satisfying, albeit messy, slider.

Priya Krishna · NYT Cooking

Bhel puri — a type of chaat made with puffed rice, chutneys and various toppings — is the ultimate entertaining dish, whether you are hosting or bringing a dish to a potluck. Most of it can be prepared in advance, leaving mostly the assembly which allows you to really put on a show for your guests. You can make a good chaat with store-bought chutneys and bhel mix. But it’s the homemade chutneys and fried tortilla strips that make this exceptional, providing the sweet-salty-fresh-crunchy combination that is the hallmark of chaat. The ingredient list is long, but after you make the chutneys, you are 80 percent of the way there. When you have the components prepared, set them out in bowls, invite all your guests to gather around, and make your chaat live, tasting and tossing for everyone to see.

Vivian Chan-Tam · NYT Cooking

A Korean dish of marinated meat, colorful vegetables and runny eggs arranged over a bed of fluffy rice, bibimbap is an edible work of art. The banchan, or side dishes, that are piled on top can vary, but this version includes tender beef bulgogi, meaty shiitake mushrooms, crisp bean sprouts, tender spinach, crunchy carrots and cool cucumbers. A spicy-sweet gochujang sauce is drizzled over the top, then everything is mixed together (bibim means “to mix” and bap means “rice” in Korean), breaking open the egg yolk to lend a rich creaminess to the dish. Be sure to scrape up the crunchy grains from the bottom of the pan, and serve with a side of kimchi, if you’d like, for even more texture.

Hetty Lui McKinnon · NYT Cooking

In this meal-prep friendly twist on bibimbap, the kaleidoscopic Korean mixed rice dish, simple vegetable sides seasoned with sesame oil or soy sauce (called namul) are served with nutty soba noodles, and lavishly tossed in a spicy-sweet gochujang dressing. Blanching is a great way to lock in the vibrant hues, distinct textures and fresh flavors of vegetables. While it’s a very simple process, it does require some precision to ensure optimal results: Season the blanching water generously, cook the vegetables briefly, and, after cooking, expel as much water as possible. The different vegetables and noodles are prepared separately, so they can be easily packed away individually, ready for assembling a quick weekday lunch or a future dinner. Use whatever vegetables you have on hand. (Carrots, daikon, broccoli, kale and corn would also work well.) For extra heartiness, top with a fried egg.

Angela Dimayuga · NYT Cooking

Bibingka is a cake made of rice flour, so it’s naturally gluten-free, chewy but tender throughout, with a soufflé-like fluffiness. It’s traditionally cooked in a clay pot over and under hot coals, a difficult setup to replicate; instead, I pour the batter into a cast-iron pan lined with banana leaves, which char as the cake bakes, infusing it with their scent. (You can cut the ribs off the leaves to make them more malleable.) Nearly halfway through baking, the cake is topped with salted duck egg, an ingredient available at Asian specialty groceries. If you can’t find it, the cake will be more forthrightly sweet, lacking that sly note of brine. As a final touch, if you have a kitchen torch available, char the edges of the banana leaves, so a little smokiness suffuses the delicate cake.

Dana Bowen · NYT Cooking

Rebekah Peppler · NYT Cooking

The popular lore goes that the Bicicletta, a classic Italian aperitivo, was named after the wobbling mode of transportation used by elderly men after a spirited afternoon or evening. However the drink came to be named, the three-part combination of red bitter liqueur, dry white wine and soda water is bright, refreshing and as easy to make as riding a bike.

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Clare de Boer · NYT Cooking

The classic French dessert throws off its formality in favor of family-style fun. You can use the broiler or a torch to caramelize the sugar on top — just make sure the dish is fully chilled before this final step so you don’t scramble the voluptuous, vanilla-flecked custard.

Carolina Gelen · NYT Cooking

Why fold, shape and twist dozens of little pastry squares when you can make a big Danish for an equally impressive dessert, without the fuss? With only six ingredients, this recipe promises a delicate, showstopping centerpiece: an oversized jam and cheese Danish to slice, serve and enjoy with your guests. A sheet of store-bought puff pastry is scored, poked, baked and flattened, creating a blank canvas for the Danish. The partially baked puff pastry gets filled with a custardy, lemony cream cheese mixture and small dollops of homemade or store-bought jam and then baked until golden. Serve warm, or cool the pastry to room temperature and enjoy each bite.

Gabrielle Hamilton · NYT Cooking

There is no other aroma coming from the kitchen — not truffle, not freshly peeled orange, not a chocolate cake baking — that will stop you in your tracks and make you inhale as deeply as this ranchero sauce simmering away. Here’s a large batch to use in many ways: Poach eggs in it for brunch, simmer shrimp in it for taco filling, or spoon it over shredded chicken with avocado slices inside a flour tortilla for lunch for the kiddos. Put it in tightly sealed Mason jars and bring it to friends as a host gift.

Francis Lam · NYT Cooking

Bigos is usually translated as “hunter’s stew” and is sometimes referred to as the national dish of Poland. This version, adapted from Monika Woods, is rich with meat but heightened with caraway balanced by the tartness of sauerkraut, tomato and sweet fresh cabbage. Woods's mother makes it with the ends and scraps of meat saved and frozen over months’ worth of meals, so feel free to experiment with different cuts. Smoky kielbasa is the only necessary constant. Francis Lam

Elaine Louie · NYT Cooking

This succulent green bean dish, in a gently spiced sauce of coconut milk, is from Bihar, a state in India. “It is an everyday, simple dish that is several hundred years old,” said Julie Sahni, a cooking teacher, and author of eight cookbooks. The dish requires fresh green string beans, not French haricot verts or Asian long beans, which are thinner, and more dense. “The string beans will plump up, and absorb some of the sauce,” said Ms. Sahni. The recipe can be adapted for 12 ounces of raw cauliflower, carrots, eggplant, or brussels sprouts. For the eggplant, Ms. Sahni uses the long, slender Japanese ones, and cuts them on the diagonal, in one-inch slices. She trims and peels the carrots, and cuts them like the eggplant, in one-inch diagonal slices. For the cauliflower, she uses the florets, and cuts them in pieces that are one and a half inches in diameter. For Brussels sprouts, she trims and discards the stems, and cuts the vegetable in half. Very fresh cauliflower cooks in four minu

Elaine Louie · NYT Cooking

Elaine Louie

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Rick A. Martínez · NYT Cooking

Originally, birria was developed as a way to tame tough and gamey goat meat by marinating it in a rich and spicy adobo sauce then slow cooking it until it was falling off the bones. The meat was shredded and served in bowls with the braising liquid (called consomé) ladled over top. The consomé-infused meat was put into tortillas with cilantro, onion and salsa and eaten with more consomé on the side or used as a dipping sauce. Because this recipe takes advantage of leftover turkey that is already cooked, the carcass is used to make a quick consomé flavored with canned fire roasted tomatoes, dried chiles and spices. Add the shredded turkey at the end to warm it up and let it soak up all the flavor. For the salsa, use leftover cranberry sauce; homemade or canned both work great. If using canned and you have a choice between whole-berry and jellied, choose the whole-berry sauce — the salsa will have even more texture.

Tejal Rao · NYT Cooking

Birria took off in the United States as a soupy style made with beef and as birria tacos, popularized by birria vendors in Tijuana. The chef Josef Centeno, who grew up eating beef and goat birria in Texas, makes a delicious, thickly sauced version based on his grandma Alice’s recipe, mixing up the proteins by using oxtail, lamb on the bone and even tofu (you can, too). Preparing the adobo takes time, as does browning the meat, but it’s worth it for the deep flavors in the final dish. The best way to serve birria is immediately and simply, in a bowl, with some warm corn tortillas, which can be used to wrap the meat for tacos. But make sure to put any leftovers to work: Extra meat, pulled from the bones, can be shredded for crisp quesabirria tacos, fried in the birria fat for cheesy, lacy edges. And the leftover broth, or consomé, is ideal for a comforting bowl of birria ramen, with an egg and some fresh herbs on top. Tejal Rao

Tejal Rao · NYT Cooking

The leftover birria broth, or consomé, from a pot of birria is delicious and versatile, and can be repurposed in the kitchen in a number of ways. Use it like stock, to cook beans, and infuse them with all the flavors of the birria, or stretch it into another meal by dropping in some matzo balls to poach. If you’ve only got a little left, you can make a quick, comforting noodle dish, garnished with fresh herbs and a little onion. This recipe works well with instant ramen noodles, pulled from a package, though fresh noodles are great, too.

Pati Jinich · NYT Cooking

Birria is one of Mexico’s most beloved dishes, and eating it is a tradition, a way of life. A signature dish from Jalisco, it now extends through the entire country and north of the border. In this version from Oaxaca, goat or lamb is first marinated in vinegar to moderate its gamey flavors, then it’s cooked gently for so long that it falls apart. Guajillo chiles and aromatic avocado leaves coax delicate flavors from the meat and result in an intense, fragrant broth. The shredded meat is tucked into tacos here, but can also make its way into quesadillas and tortas. In every form, the meat tastes best garnished with chopped onion and cilantro, and chased with the broth mixed with a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Dorie Greenspan · NYT Cooking

Baked alaska is beautiful, elegant and dramatic. It’s easy to make; it’s convenient (it must be made ahead); it’s got ice cream (enough said); it’s got meringue — which is the same as saying it’s got magic. It looks gorgeous whole and just as gorgeous sliced; it’s creamy and icy cold inside, marshmallowy all around and warm on the edges. In other words, it’s perfect. This one was made in the colors of the French flag to celebrate the 117th birthday of the French nun, Sister André. Reverse the colors for the Fourth of July — it’s what the creator of this recipe, Zoë François, did originally — or use whatever flavors of ice cream you love; the loaf pan will hold 2 quarts. Dorie Greenspan

Genevieve Ko · NYT Cooking

Think of these as a starter birthday cake to make for friends — they travel well and feel like a party wherever you’re handing them out. Despite the sheet of sprinkles coating the top, these blondies aren’t cloyingly sweet. The batter has just enough brown sugar for a gentle butterscotch richness and a good hit of salt. Toasted at the edges and chewy in the center, these bars also have tiny crackles of caramelized sprinkles throughout.

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

If you are a reluctant baker and make only one cake a year, let it be a birthday cake for someone you love. There is so little effort and so much glory to the project. A two-layer cake is simple to produce, but if even that seems daunting, no complaints will arise from a golden Bundt cake. In our times, the simple fact of a homemade cake is enough to impress. Drizzling a liquid glaze over the cake is much easier than frosting, just as pretty, and does not require alarming specialty gadgets such as an "offset spatula." Jennifer Steinhauer

Lisa Donovan · NYT Cooking

Even as New Mexico’s official state cookie and an important Christmas tradition in Hispanic and Latin American cultures, biscochitos might not seem to have anything outlandish or fancy about them, at a glance — that is, until you take a bite. Full of dynamic flavor and a delicate texture that is so pleasant to eat, over and over again (they’re hard to resist), these anise-studded, orange-and-vanilla-scented bites are perfect to package as a gift, to leave out for guests to snack on or to serve alongside cajeta ice cream or a rich butterscotch pudding as part of an important holiday meal. You might also try them alongside your favorite celebration drink, like rompope, ponche or a simple hot chocolate.

Linda Wells · NYT Cooking

Linda Wells

Alex Ward · NYT Cooking

What is more traditionally Southern than fluffy biscuits bathed in butter? These are sinful with dinner, terrific toasted and slathered with butter and marmalade the next morning.

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

This is not the traditional way to make biscuits, but it may become your new technique. Instead of preparing individual drop biscuits, a sturdy dough is spread out into a baking dish over a bed of melted butter. Scoring the biscuit dough allows the butter to seep into the sides as the biscuits bake, creating tall biscuits with crisp edges and flaky insides. They’re perfect to soak up a classic Southern gravy, warmly seasoned with sage and nutmeg. This dish tastes like the holidays in the best way possible, while still being light enough for brunch. But if you made it for dinner, we wouldn’t blame you.

Dorie Greenspan · NYT Cooking

Guillaume Portier, a pastry instructor at La Cuisine Paris cooking school, encouraged me as I was trying to recreate Biscuits Rose de Reims, pink sugar-topped cookies that were once dipped into champagne, the most famous export from the French city of Reims. I kept making delicious cookies, but none of my batches matched the storebought, which used ammonium carbonate (best known as smelling salts) to give them crackle and shelf-life. Guillaume told me to stop striving for a replica, reminding me that if what we baked at home lasted forever, we’d be deprived of the pleasure of making pastries again and again. These cookies will hold for a week or so if you keep them in a sealed tin. After that, you can look forward to the pleasure of making another batch. A word on piping: If you don’t have a piping bag, use a zipper-lock plastic bag. Fill with batter, seal and cut a 1-inch diameter opening in a corner.

Sean Sherman · NYT Cooking

The American bison that once roamed the Great Plains were considered sacred animals by the Lakota and other people of the region, and served as a critical food source that was celebrated in ceremonies and honored in prayers. According to numbers published by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, there were 30 million to 60 million bison in North America in the 1500s. By the end of the 1800s, settlers had decimated the population. In the late 1990s, the number of bison in North America had grown again, to nearly 300,000 animals in public herds and on ranches. It’s exciting we now have access to this vitally important meat. When it’s slowly braised, the lean, mild bison becomes fork tender; hominy brings substance and a subtly sweet, nutty corn flavor. Serve this dish alone or pair it with roasted turnips and winter squash. Soaking the hominy overnight before adding it to the pot helps it cook faster, so the dried corn kernels are ready in the same amount of time as the bison. Lef

Nargisse Benkabbou · NYT Cooking

Bissara is a comforting Moroccan dish made primarily with dried, split fava beans or dried split peas. Often enjoyed as a warming winter meal, it features a creamy, smooth texture and is typically seasoned with garlic, cumin, paprika and olive oil. It can be served as a dip, with bread, or thinned into a hearty soup. A staple in Moroccan cuisine and a popular street food, bissara is celebrated for its simplicity, satisfyingly smooth texture and rich, savory flavors.

Angela Dimayuga · NYT Cooking

Bistek is steak, but one transformed by its encounter with soy sauce and citrus. My addition is browned butter, an ingredient not so common in Southeast Asian cooking. This was one of my lola’s signature dishes: She’d cut the onions half-an-inch thick, sear them briefly, then add a little water to make the pan flare up, so they’d get extra crisp. She would always plate it in a casserole dish, with enough pan sauce to sop up with rice. The beef fat should coat your lips, and then the citrus cuts through it. It’s worth investing in good olive oil; every ingredient matters, because there are so few, and you can taste them all.

Kim Severson · NYT Cooking

The cheese ball is a stalwart of the Midwest cocktail party, where it can be fashioned from processed Cheddar cheese and port wine, or pineapple and cream cheese. This recipe relies on the leftover ends of good cheese or even just one kind of good-quality, sharp cheese like Gruyère. The idea of adding butter comes from Vivian Howard, the North Carolina chef who features a cheese ball with blue cheese, chopped dates and bacon in her cookbook "Deep Run Roots." She calls hers a party magnet, and indeed, for all of the shade thrown at cheese balls, they are often the first thing to be eaten. They can be served with chutney, jam or simply alongside the best-quality crackers you can find.

Robert Willey · NYT Cooking

Robert Willey

Robert Simonson · NYT Cooking

Cynar is a low-proof, bittersweet amaro derived from artichokes, among many other ingredients. Italians typically drink it over ice with a slice of orange. But it has found a home in many cocktails thanks to adventurous American mixologists who not only treat it as a supporting player, but also sometimes as the foundation of a drink. Such is the case with the Bitter Giuseppe, a creation of the Chicago bartender Stephen Cole. The cocktail calls for a full two ounces of Cynar. Though audacious in concept, the drink is easy to understand if you think of it as a Cynar manhattan. The lemon juice, lemon twist and extra bitters do much to lighten up the mixture, which is brighter and more buoyant than you might expect. A great aperitivo cocktail. Robert Simonson

Dorie Greenspan · NYT Cooking

Here’s a cake that comes together with the push of a button — butter, sugar, eggs and cocoa as well as dark chocolate, almonds and amaretti cookies are blended in a food processor. Although it looks like a brownie, the cake tilts toward a nut torte. It’s low and sleek, simple, sophisticated and packed with flavor. The original recipe appeared in my debut cookbook, “Sweet Times,” in 1991, and when I made it for Julia Child that year, I got her thumbs up. Over time, I haven’t fiddled much with the recipe’s basics, but these days I finish the cake with a glaze and a sprinkling of crushed amaretti for style and crunch. I prefer amaretti di Saronno by Lazzaroni for the cake, but other amaretti work well too. And don’t be distressed if the cake develops a mound during baking (it happens now and then). Press it down with a spatula — it doesn’t diminish this cake’s deliciousness.

Martha Rose Shulman · NYT Cooking

Pears and walnuts complement dark black and pale brown rice in this sweet and savory mixture. Make sure you don’t overcook the pears; they need only a quick sear in the pan. The cooked grains will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator and can be frozen. The stuffing benefits from being made a day ahead. The optional red lentils or cranberries add some color to the mix.

Jocelyn Ramirez · NYT Cooking

Mushrooms and black beans are the perfect pairing for a hearty weeknight chili with a kick of heat from a fresh jalapeño. Seared minced mushrooms add a depth of flavor that balances an easy homemade chili spice mix of mild chile, warm cinnamon and smoky chipotle. If you’d like, you can substitute 1 ½ cups of the broth for 1 ½ cups of Mexican lager.

Melissa Clark · NYT Cooking

You’ve probably made some kind of Mexican casserole layered with tortillas, beans, and plenty of melted cheese before (and if you haven’t, now is the time). But this one is bolder, brighter and more deeply flavored, thanks to pasilla chiles in the sauce, lime zest in the luscious crema topping, and chorizo in the beans. If you’d prefer a vegetarian version, leave out the chorizo. But do seek out the pasilla chiles (also called negra chiles), which add their inimitable smoky, fruity spice. This casserole reheats perfectly and will keep for at least five days in the fridge. Melissa Clark

Angela Dimayuga · NYT Cooking

The experience of biting into a juicy black cherry embodies summer. For cherry recipes, dessert may come to mind first, but how about something savory? Bursting bites of cherry star in this five-ingredient salad, with scallions, pistachios, oil and vinegar. The recipe puts scallions to work in two ways: Their raw greens bring bright, grassy notes, while the charred bottoms bring sweetness and bitterness when pulverized into paste. Raw, coarse chopped pistachio lends an interesting chew that develops into a complex fat for the salad. This salad is elegant and simple — and deserves to be among your new summer classics. Use your best extra-virgin olive oil, and try adding fresh, organic rose petals to the dish for a delicate strawberry-rose flavor, and a Baroque, sensual layering of flavors.

William Grimes · NYT Cooking

William Grimes

Samantha Seneviratne · NYT Cooking

This beauty has all the beloved flavors of the classic Black Forest cake — cherries, chocolate and cream — re-assembled into a casual sheet cake perfect for summer picnics and birthday parties. To make the process even simpler, you can make and refrigerate the cherry jam up to 3 days in advance. Feel free to use fresh or frozen fruit (and there’s no need to thaw first, if using frozen). You can make this cake in the summertime, when fresh cherries are at their peak, or in the dead of winter, when you need something fresh and fruity to brighten your day.

Yotam Ottolenghi · NYT Cooking

This deceptively simple salmon dish is as striking in flavor as in appearance, and will serve just as well for a dinner party centerpiece as a quick midweek dinner. The salmon is covered in a punchy black lime marinade, then baked in the oven and topped with fresh bursts of sour cream and grated tomato. Black limes (also known as Omani or Persian limes) are limes that have been boiled in salt water before being dried and blackened in the sun. They have an intensely sweet, citrusy flavor, with a hint of bitterness. Serve this salmon alongside a bowl of rice.

Molly O’Neill · NYT Cooking

Molly O'Neill

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Fresh salmon fillets, preferably wild king salmon, are coated liberally with coarse-ground black pepper to great effect, then quickly roasted. Served with old-fashioned “parsley potatoes” and anointed with nutty brown butter, it’s a pleasingly simple dish.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

This dish, adapted from Lucy Carvalho, the cookbook author Nik Sharma’s grandmother, owes its fragrance and fiery bite to a generous amount of crushed black peppercorns in a velvety gravy. Like many other Indian home cooks, Ms. Carvalho, who lived in the coastal city of Mumbai, took the Indo-Chinese dish black pepper chicken and substituted shrimp instead. Some versions of this dish call for curry leaves to be fried with the spices, or they might call for another protein in place of the shrimp, like tilapia, cod or catfish. Here, the peppercorns are infused in hot oil, then left to steep as the dish cooks. Fish sauce bolsters the savoriness, but can be left out. For an even stronger bump of heat, increase the amount of black pepper and toss in a sliced serrano. Serve it all over rice for a fast, satisfying dinner.

Nancy Harmon Jenkins · NYT Cooking

Tara Parker-Pope · NYT Cooking

This delicious salad resulted from an effort to create a hearty vegetarian dish while at the same time offering a delicious gluten-free option. “The celebration is a very different affair in my house, but delicious, nonetheless,” writes food-blogger Allison Day, who submitted this recipe. “Healthy food is a priority in my kitchen, but so is delicious food.”

Nicole Taylor · NYT Cooking

Florida A&M, or FAMU, the historically Black college and university founded in 1887 in Tallahassee, canceled its homecoming celebrations for 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. This whiskey cooler from Shameeka Ayers, an alumna, is Florida sunshine beamed into a glass. The orange and green are inspired by FAMU's colors; Ms. Ayers calls the drink the Three Strike, inspired by the school's “Strike, Strike and Strike Again” chant. The black tea adds depth and is refreshing year-round. The Uncle Nearest whiskey honors Nathan "Nearest" Green, the enslaved African who taught Jack Daniels how to distill.

Steven Stern · NYT Cooking

William Grimes · NYT Cooking

There is no reason to settle for a stale shrink-wrapped cookie from the produce market. This classic New York cookie is easy to make.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

This is less a recipe for a sundae bar, and more a recipe for for the two sauces that accompany, crunchy bittersweet chocolate (essentially a homemade chocolate shell) and salty tahini caramel. Both can be made and stored for at least a month (for whenever the craving strikes). It’s hard to beat the creamy subtlety of vanilla ice cream to pair with them, but any ice cream of your choosing will work.

Kia Damon · NYT Cooking

Southerners know that beans are a great salad building block. They come in so many shapes, textures, colors and flavor profiles. They’re fantastic cold or hot, and stand up to the sauciest marinades and the tangiest brines. Three-bean salad is among the most popular and widely known examples: It’s such a staple that you can find canned and jarred versions at most Southern grocery stores. Though three is the magic number, this version drops the trio to a duo of black-eyed peas and green beans, tossed in a simple, yet satisfying dressing. The black-eyed peas are earthy and hearty and the green beans add a freshness that keeps the dish light. If you can’t find frozen black-eyed peas, swap in the canned kind. Just be sure to rinse them well, especially if they’re preseasoned.

Brett Anderson · NYT Cooking

The chefs Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski serve this gumbo regularly at Cochon, their Cajun-Southern restaurant in New Orleans. Its ingredients depart significantly from traditional New Orleans restaurant gumbos, which almost never feature pork, legumes or greens, although those norms have changed in recent years, in part due to Cochon’s influence. As a rule, when seasoning gumbo, Mr. Link uses just 75 percent of the suggested spice portions at first, then adds the rest as desired according to taste. Since this recipe can produce varying results, depending on whether you’re using smoked pork butt from a local barbecue joint or a store-bought variety, home-cooked black-eyed peas or canned, braised collards or mustard greens, Mr. Link’s seasoning approach is particularly useful. Brett Anderson

Brigid Washington · NYT Cooking

Black-eyed peas are a Southern good-luck tradition for New Year’s Day, one with deep roots in African-American culture. Simmer the peas with charred onion, chile de árbol and cloves, and they’ll soak up deep flavor. This recipe comes from the chef Mashama Bailey, of the restaurant Grey in Savannah, Ga., who makes it for her New Year's feast. Her family always cooked the beans with ham hocks, but Ms. Bailey prefers to make hers vegan, so all can enjoy it. These peas are also fairly customizable: Purée a portion of the mixture for a thicker sauce, doctor with your favorite hot sauce or dollop with sour cream to add richness. Brigid Washington

Sara Rimer · NYT Cooking

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Auspicious for New Year, a pot of black-eyed peas is perfect for a casual gathering. Generally speaking, the dried varieties are ready in under an hour, but the parcooked frozen variety can speed up that process. Here, either are employed to an equally satisfying result, as is fresh pork belly, which both infuses the broth as it simmers and offers a bit of crisp contrast. It’s a good idea to have a bottle of hot sauce on hand for those who need a perkier rendition.

Molly O’Neill · NYT Cooking

Molly O'Neill

Jerrelle Guy · NYT Cooking

This cobbler substitutes fresh, juicy kernels and corn milk for traditional heavy cream, taking advantage of the sweetness of seasonal corn and adding texture to a buttery crust. Grating two large ears of corn should produce enough liquid for the topping, but, if not, you can grate a third ear, or add cream or milk. The rich, crumbly crust also gets some of its moisture from the filling, which is extra syrupy from the mashed blackberries. Serve the cobbler warm with a splash of heavy cream, a dollop of coconut yogurt, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Finishing it all off with a drizzle of dark rum, while not necessary, is especially sweet.

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

Whipping up this dessert may be the wisest decision you’ll make in the summer: It comes together quickly and uses only five ingredients. Mashed juicy berries folded into lightly whipped cream results in a simple dish that manages to feel both decadent and light. Macerating ripe in-season blackberries in sugar extracts their natural sweetness and goodness. Serve this dish with shortbread cookies for a buttery crumble to contrast the creamy blend.

Dawn Perry · NYT Cooking

Tangy from yogurt and rippled with blackberries, this frozen pie will make a pretty addition to barbecues and backyard cookouts. The salty cracker crust against the sweet tart filling is a match made in summer heaven. Raspberries work in place of the blackberries, too. Want to know what to do with leftover sweetened condensed milk? Stir into iced coffee or Thai iced tea, or drizzle over sliced fresh fruit.

Marialisa Calta · NYT Cooking

Marialisa Calta

Linda Wells · NYT Cooking

Linda Wells

Jonathan Reynolds · NYT Cooking

One of the most exquisite exploitations of the blackberry is accomplished by teaming it with a little booze and presenting it in a sugar-rimmed martini glass, making what might be called a blacktini. The original recipe, from ''The Berry Bible,'' suggests vodka, but I find the complexity of the drink enhanced by the gin's juniper-berry accent. I think vodka is dull, actually, but if you like it (most of America seems to), go with God. Jonathan Reynolds

Matt Lee · NYT Cooking

This recipe came to The Times in 2003 from Rebecca Charles of Pearl Oyster Bar, an outpost for Maine coastal cooking on Cornelia Street in Greenwich Village. It is easy to whip up on a summer day when company is coming and there’s lots to get done. "Use the blackberries more as an accent," she said at the time. "'The berries'll bleed out all this fabulous inky color." Matt Lee And Ted Lee

Laurie Ellen Pellicano · NYT Cooking

Peak summer fruit is best prepared simply, especially in warm desserts like cobblers. In this recipe, the tartness of blackberries (or raspberries) balances the sweetness of yellow peaches (or nectarines), and the filling only needs the tiniest amount of sugar to get the juices flowing. Topped with a thin layer of fluffy cornmeal batter, the berries boil up to form juicy pockets, and a finish of raw sugar adds a satisfying crack. Serve this cobbler warm, or enjoy it any time of day, even for breakfast.

Jerrelle Guy · NYT Cooking

Whenever you have a little extra time to simmer berries into a simple compote, do — then try stuffing it into hearty French toasts and dusting them with confectioners’ sugar. They’ll almost remind you of a jelly doughnut, even more so if you use brioche hamburger buns as your bread of choice. (But regular white sandwich bread, challah or any other enriched bread works, too.) You can adjust the sugar in the berries, depending on how sweet they are, and, if you prefer a smoother compote, press the cooked fruit through a mesh sieve once cooled to remove any seeds.

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

Blackening is a technique popularized by the Louisiana chef Paul Prudhomme, who originally used it on redfish, but it works equally well with catfish. The intense heat of a cast-iron skillet sears the Cajun seasonings, giving the fish a smoky, slightly crisp crust, while butter adds rich flavor and locks moisture into the fish. Whether paired with grits for brunch or served with a collard green gratin for dinner, this will be a staple.

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

Blackening cauliflower brings out its best, giving it deep color and flavor. What results is a dish that is delicious enough that you’ll want to eat it on its own, but also great as part of something bigger, paired with salmon, tossed in a salad, or set atop a grain bowl. While blackening cauliflower may seem complicated, it’s not. The florets are tossed with rich spices (smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, red-pepper flakes, thyme and sumac, if you like), then roasted at a high heat until the edges crisp up and darken. Double or triple this recipe and make it part of your meal prep; it keeps well for a few days in the refrigerator.

Kia Damon · NYT Cooking

Blackening is a technique that should live in the repertoire of every home cook. With a heavy- bottomed skillet and a Cajun-style spice blend, you can take proteins like shrimp, fish, scallops and the chicken breasts in this recipe and flip them into something flavorful, delicious and juicy. Most grocery store chicken breasts are large, so slicing the chicken in half horizontally ensures they cook quickly and more evenly. Blackened chicken can stand alone as a main or it can sit atop a large, leafy salad with Caesar dressing or a creamy, Cajun pasta. When cooking this recipe, be aware of the inevitable smokiness that comes with searing at such high heat. Consider opening a window and turning the overhead fan on before getting started — nothing upends the cooking process quite like smoke alarms. Store any leftover chicken in the fridge for up to three days and upgrade your breakfast or lunch (think western-style omelets, breakfast burritos and chicken salad).

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

Blackening is a cooking technique that uses high heat and lots of seasoning to develop distinctive flavor by nearly charring the food in a cast-iron skillet. It’s particularly good for firm, lean white fish, such as catfish, snapper, trout or redfish. The fish is traditionally dipped in melted butter, then cooked in a dry skillet, but that can create billows of smoke. This smokeless method cooks seasoned fillets in oil to create a lovely texture. The cheese grits cook in just under 5 minutes, but are extra flavorful from cooking in chicken stock and still creamy as a result of added milk and butter.

Naz Deravian · NYT Cooking

Coating fish fillets in a flavorful spice mixture and cooking them in a searing-hot pan until blackened is a technique popularized by legendary Louisiana chef Paul Prudhomme. In this version, center-cut salmon fillets gain a crisp, deeply seasoned crust while remaining tender and flaky on the inside. For the telltale blackened crust, you’ll need to start with a hot pan (cast-iron works best). Be sure to crack a window and turn on the exhaust fan, if possible, as there will be some smoke. Serve blackened salmon with any combination of side salad, rice and grilled or roasted vegetables; or use as a filling for tacos or fish sandwiches.

Tamar Adler · NYT Cooking

A good blancmange will have a slight wobble but not be so firm that it feels (as Amanda Hesser once wrote) like “eating a rubber ball.” I like the amount of gelatin here; if you don’t, decrease it by ¼ teaspoon and say a prayer, which will probably be answered. Your chosen mold doesn’t matter: I have used tart pans and spring-form pans and old blancmange molds, which are easy to find (or at least fun to seek).

Florence Fabricant · NYT Cooking

Spring for me means discarding dark sauces and turning toward ingredients that are light and green. Here I’m inspired by the French blanquette, a stew, usually veal, in a creamy white sauce. I replaced the veal with plump sea scallops and brightened the whole thing with verdant, seasonal asparagus. Traditionally a blanquette is thickened with egg yolks and has pearl onions and often button mushrooms in the mix. The onion is in my version, but minced. I also omitted the mushrooms and used new potatoes that, unlike the mushrooms, help thicken a sauce made without the egg yolks. The result is a dish that’s fancy enough for guests yet easy enough for a weeknight.

William L. Hamilton · NYT Cooking

William L. Hamilton

Tejal Rao · NYT Cooking

This recipe for chocolate mousse made in a blender comes via the pastry chef Natasha Pickowicz, who got it from a cook named Monica Stolbach, who in turn got it from her mother-in-law, who got it from a Junior League cookbook published in the 1980s. Straightforward, adaptable and extremely satisfying, it’s one of those recipes that you want to pass along to as many people as you can. Instead of separating the egg yolks and whites, this technique simply involves pouring hot sugar syrup into a blender with chocolate and whole eggs, then folding that mixture into softly whipped cream. The resulting texture is so creamy and rich, it doesn’t need anything at all, though you can top it with extra whipped cream, if you like. Tejal Rao

Fred Ferretti · NYT Cooking

Dawn Perry · NYT Cooking

The trick to creating deeply browned, pan-seared broccoli involves two things: high heat and no touching. Allowing your florets and stems to sear in an even layer, undisturbed, gives them time to blister without cooking all the way through, so they retain some crunch. While many pasta sauces are finished with starchy pasta water, this one isn’t, since the hot water would strip the broccoli of that color and crunch you worked so hard to achieve. Instead, toss the cooked pasta in the skillet with the broccoli, walnuts and cheese. A drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon will provide any additional moisture you need.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

The bittersweet taste of blistered green beans shines through the strong flavors of soy and lime in this side dish, where fried shallots, garlic and pistachios add crunch. Cutting the beans in half makes them easier to maneuver in the wok and helps them cook evenly. For a bit of heat, toss in a minced bird’s-eye chile or sprinkle some red-pepper flakes over the dish when adding your garnishes. You can serve these blistered beauties alongside your Thanksgiving turkey — but they’re equally at home on the dinner table, regardless of the season.

Julia Moskin · NYT Cooking

Julia Moskin

Dena Kleiman · NYT Cooking

Dena Kleiman

Rosie Schaap · NYT Cooking

The Blood and Sand counters the notion that Scotch whisky can't play well in a mixed drink: Without that deep, vital smokiness, this drink would be a much less exciting proposition. In the 1930 "Savoy Cocktail Book," Harry Craddock’s recipe calls for equal parts Scotch whisky, cherry brandy, Italian vermouth and orange juice. I prefer different proportions that allow the whisky and juice to predominate — and I especially like it when fresh blood orange juice is available, both for color and flavor.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Blood oranges arrive in late winter. Their ruby-red juice tastes profoundly of orange, but with hints of berry and an elusive tropical flavor. Gelato made with blood orange juice turns a pretty pink, flecked with zest. It freezes easily in a home ice cream machine. If made a day in advance, remove from freezer and allow to soften. Serve with almond biscotti or other almond cookies.

Susan Spungen · NYT Cooking

The classic linzer cookie provided inspiration for this sandwich cookie. You’ll want to roll out the dough on a silicone baking mat or sheet of parchment paper, removing the excess, rather than trying to move each cookie, which might distort its shape. The added bonus is that you can also slide them onto a baking sheet should the dough warm up too much, and chill it until it’s workable again. You can fill these window cookies with any kind of marmalade, jam or preserves — even lemon curd. If using any of the first three, warm the filling in the microwave, adding a dribble of water if very thick. Strain through a sieve to remove the solids, if you want.

Amanda Hesser · NYT Cooking

Amanda Hesser

Jonathan Reynolds · NYT Cooking

William L. Hamilton · NYT Cooking

William L. Hamilton

Oliver Schwaner-Albright · NYT Cooking

Oliver Schwaner-Albright

Rosie Schaap · NYT Cooking

Oleo-saccharum (the oil released from citrus peel when mixed with sugar) gives punch a deep, rich foundation. I devised this one for the whiskey-based What-You-Will Punch, but it would also work beautifully with rum punch.

Oliver Schwaner-Albright · NYT Cooking

Oliver Schwaner-Albright

Oliver Schwaner-Albright · NYT Cooking

Oliver Schwaner-Albright

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

The Bloody Mary has evolved into an all-purpose cocktail that can be tailored to any taste. Swap out the spirits, vary the juice component or the spices, or go big on the garnishes, and you have a cocktail that can range from elegant to garish. This classic version, from Adam Estes, the bar manager at the Wren in Baltimore, has a superb balance of flavors yet still leaves room for personal preference. Garnish as you wish — a celery stalk or a pickled onion is a great idea. Eric Asimov, Cathy Lo

Gabrielle Hamilton · NYT Cooking

We’ve made hundreds of thousands of bloody Marys over the decades at Prune, with 11 variations, and this classic base mix has been the stalwart, gleaming engine of them all. The lemon juice is what makes it so bright and zingy, and the Sacramento brand tomato juice is clean, with perfect body, never muddy or thick. Prepared horseradish keeps its bite and moisture just about forever, whereas fresh grated horseradish loses its potency almost immediately, leaving dead bits of pencil shavings in the glass instead — so resist the urge to “improve” the recipe. Worcestershire sauce adds greater depth to the umami already inherent in tomato, and the Tabasco brand hot-pepper sauce brings vibrancy with its high acidity but very manageable heat. This bloody Mary is as refreshing as a virgin affair as it is when spiked and garnished.

Amanda Hesser · NYT Cooking

Amanda Hesser

Mark Bittman · NYT Cooking

A huge rib-eye, cooked slowly then quickly – whether on a grill or in the oven – will yield perfectly cooked meat. The cost of the cut may seem like a lot to pay for a piece of meat, but if it’s local and well raised, with better flavor, texture and karma than cheaper commodity beef, it’s worth it for a table of four. You might think sauce is overkill with a rib-eye like this, but playing steakhouse chef means dreaming up the accompanying sauces that you would most like to see on the table. My favorite is what I call ‘‘blue butter,’’ a blend of blue cheese and butter. If blue cheese isn't your thing, try creamed spinach sauce, chile chimichurri, tomato nam prik or bourbon balsamic syrup.

Colu Henry · NYT Cooking

When another summer tomato sandwich just won’t do, try this BLT pasta instead. This clever twist on the classic sandwich substitutes spicy arugula for lettuce and in-season cherry tomatoes for heirlooms, which cook in bacon fat and produce a silky, smoky sauce. If baby arugula is out of reach, baby spinach, watercress or Swiss chard would work well in its place. Serve with a raw, shaved zucchini salad tossed with lemon juice, olive oil and mint.

William Norwich · NYT Cooking

William Grimes · NYT Cooking

William Grimes

Mark Bittman · NYT Cooking

Blue butter – obviously fat on fat – is blue cheese for people who think they don’t like blue cheese: The butter tames the sharpness, and the cheese makes the butter lively and intense. Serve this sauce alongside a grilled rib-eye for a contemporary take on a classic steakhouse cut.

Craig Claiborne · NYT Cooking

Erin Jeanne McDowell · NYT Cooking

This easy skillet bread gets lightly crusty on the outside, but stays soft and fluffy inside. The dough is shaped into a log, then blue cheese is pressed into the dough before it’s rolled into a spiral. The finished loaf smells amazing, and looks like it took way more effort than it did. Serve alongside soups or stews, or all on its own as a tasty snack.

Ali Slagle · NYT Cooking

For an elegant appetizer that’s so easy even a toddler could make it, stuff sharp and tangy blue cheese inside caramelly dates, then press a candied nut on top. Sweet, salty, savory and creamy, these three ingredients deliver everything you crave in a pre-dinner snack. The recipe is adaptable to any size get-together: Scale it up or down, serve right away or assemble it ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 hours. Let the stuffed dates come to room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

Matt Lee · NYT Cooking

Matt Lee And Ted Lee

Pete Wells · NYT Cooking

Back in 2011, in his New York Times Magazine column, Cooking With Dexter, Pete Wells asked his son about his favorite foods. “It was a tie,” Wells recounted Dexter saying, “between sushi and the fried chicken at Brooklyn Bowl.” The chicken was a specialty of Eric and Bruce Bromberg’s SoHo restaurant Blue Ribbon, and this Cajun seasoning central to it. Adapted from “Bromberg Bros. Blue Ribbon Cookbook,” by Bruce Bromberg, Eric Bromberg and Melissa Clark, this recipe is ready in no time, using ingredients straight from a well-stocked spice rack, but it changes whatever it’s sprinkled on. Pete Wells

Colu Henry · NYT Cooking

Why fuss with reservations when you can have your own bistro night at home? Hanger steaks are readily available, quick cooking and full of flavor. In this recipe, the steaks are seared, then slathered in blue cheese butter and served alongside an endive and radish salad dressed in a citrus vinaigrette, a perfect complement to the rich steak. This very special dinner comes together in about 30 minutes. If you'd like, toss baby potatoes with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and pop them into the oven to roast while you prepare the steak and salad.

William Norwich · NYT Cooking

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

Part tart, part crumble, this blueberry shortbread is an excellent way to use up as many blueberries as you can get your hands on. The exposed surface allows the fruit to cook down, thickening and getting jammy with just a little bit of flour to help it along. It’s ideal for baking, slicing and bringing to any and all outdoor gatherings, or serving at home with a ridiculous amount of vanilla ice cream.

Erin Jeanne McDowell · NYT Cooking

These naturally purple pops are made with a combination of simmered blueberries puréed into an easy no-churn ice cream base. You can substitute yogurt or crème fraîche for the sour cream; either will give the popsicles a subtle tang. You can use fresh or frozen berries. (Frozen berries can be thawed and used as directed in the method below. Or use them straight from the freezer, but add 2 to 4 minutes to the cook time.) The number of pops this recipe makes depends on the size and shape of the molds used. The base can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours if you need to freeze in batches; just give the mixture a stir before using.

Emily Weinstein · NYT Cooking

It’s easy to find an occasion to serve this cake — breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or snacktime will do. The dominant flavor here is the berries. Don’t be tempted to increase the amount of walnuts in the topping — scarcity makes them even more delightful. Emily Weinstein

Adrianna Adarme · NYT Cooking

In my dreams, I own a bakery that looks like a Nancy Meyers movie set: marble countertops, an espresso machine singing and good music and community all around. And each month, I serve a different cake. This one would be for June: A celebration of summer’s blueberries. The vanilla cake is rich, moist yet wildly light, and studded with fresh blueberries. The remainder of the berries are simmered into a compote and mixed into the buttercream, resulting in a stunning layer cake that’s perfect for a cozy summer treat. Watch Adrianna Adarme make this dish in this video.

Trish Hall · NYT Cooking

Trish Hall

Jason Epstein · NYT Cooking

Cathy Barrow · NYT Cooking

The scent of blueberry pie bubbling away in the oven is comforting and familiar, especially in high summer, when pie baking can become a daily event. But just imagine that summery smell, and taste, in deepest winter. This pie filling, which uses cornstarch as a thickener, has a shelf life of about nine months, so the best of summer can be yours in the winter, too.

Clare de Boer · NYT Cooking

This recipe for a simple summer spoon cake draws the juices out of blueberries then pours them on top of a gluten-free cornmeal batter. As the cake bakes, some blueberries sink and form a stewy bottom, others bubble into chewy jam. The result looks like an upside down cobbler, or a muffin without its middle. It isn’t too sweet, and what it lacks in slice-ability and portability, it makes up for with tenderness and juiciness. Make sure to bake it on a tray to catch any batter or berries that rise over the rim — these are the cook’s midbake treat.

Erin Jeanne McDowell · NYT Cooking

Everything you love about a sweet, juicy blueberry muffin exists in this sliceable, streusel-topped loaf. Baking it at a higher temperature for the first 20 to 25 minutes helps achieve a crisp topping, while finishing it at a lower temperature helps ensure a moist center. This recipe calls for fresh blueberries, but frozen work, too. If you use frozen, don’t thaw them first, and keep in mind that they may release additional liquid during baking, which will add more color to the loaf. One final tip: Tossing the fresh or frozen berries in a little flour before stirring them into the batter helps keep them suspended so that each and every slice is evenly studded with blueberries.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

One of the most wonderful ways to celebrate fresh (and, in this case, even frozen) fruit, clafoutis originated in the Limousin region of France. Here, a small part of the batter is baked in the baking dish, then the berries, ginger and the rest of the batter is layered on top to prevent the blueberries from sinking and burning. For maximum lemon flavor, zest the lemon over the batter in Step 3. You can substitute any type of fresh fruit — berries, grapes, or cherries; just remember to adjust the amount of sugar you add accordingly.

Vaughn Vreeland · NYT Cooking

These citrusy, almond-y cookies are brimming with blueberries and yield a couple dozen cookies with minimal prep, which means you can share them and still stash enough for yourself. The tender, cakelike texture of the cookies evokes pound cake or a muffin top. A tangy glaze balances the sweetness of both the blueberries and the cookie itself. Try finding frozen wild blueberries if possible as frozen berries are often sweeter than fresh. Also, their smaller size makes them easier to incorporate into the dough and leads to more even baking, plus you get more blueberries per cookie. Enjoy these cookies with a morning cup of coffee, alongside your afternoon tea or ahead of your evening nightcap.

Bryan Washington · NYT Cooking

Bò né (which translates from Vietnamese to “dodging beef”) is often served for breakfast, but is delicious any time of day: The meal consists of sizzled beef (bò) and fried eggs, with a smattering of pâté and butter dashed across a crisp baguette. Bò né is generally served alongside a salad plate, and offered on roadsides throughout Vietnam, and in Vietnamese restaurants all over the globe. You can partake in each component individually, or fill your baguette to make a sandwich, or figure out a third way that works best for you; there are as many routes to eat bò né as there are diners, and each of them is flawless. Purchasing the pâté and butter from your local Vietnamese market or diner would be ideal (just ask if they sell it by the pound), but whatever you can find will be solid. And if you’re short on time, simply seasoning the beef with salt and black pepper also works.

Jeff Gordinier · NYT Cooking

This recipe came to us from Bobby Flay in advance of the opening of his restaurant Gato. The chicken gets a jolt of flavor not only from the cheese but also from a honey and sherry vinegar gastrique, basically a sauce made from caramelized sugar or another sweet ingredient like the honey, deglazed with vinegar and then reduced. Jeff Gordinier

Sam Sifton · NYT Cooking

Few adults would want this meal for breakfast, but it is an excellent recipe for parents to make the morning after a sleepover that had the children and their friends up late watching horror films and unfathomable YouTube comedy. I adapted it slightly from Bobby Flay’s “Brunch at Bobby’s” cookbook, released in 2015. Watching the effect of the sugar and chocolate on a sleepy child is its own sort of joy – and you can hustle the guests home before the inevitable crash. Serve with raspberries for reasons of taste and elegance (though strawberries or bananas would do in a pinch), and salted caramel sauce. Yes, you could insist on eating muesli and almond milk instead. But in Mr. Flay’s words, “If you’re going to cave, you might as well go all out.” Sam Sifton

Jeff Gordinier · NYT Cooking

Bobby Flay's restaurants have traditionally centered on the cuisine of the Southwest or of Spain. The menu of his new restaurant, Gato, will encompass regions around the Mediterranean — Spain, yes, but Italy, Provence, Greece, North Africa. “Lots of citrus," he said, like the Meyer lemon in this recipe for crushed potatoes. (The New York Times) Jeff Gordinier

Matt Lee · NYT Cooking

This simple yet exquisite preparation for steak was developed by Bobby Flay, the restaurateur and Food Network star, in 2003. It's the sort of steak dinner you can easily prepare on a weeknight, but also guest-worthy. Start with the best steaks you can afford without mortgaging the house, then season with a combination of ground black pepper, ancho chile powder, and salt. Sear in a blazingly hot pan slicked with a little canola oil, then slide them into the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove and brush them with a flavorful glaze of Dijon mustard, horseradish, honey and fresh mint, then return to the oven to finish. Bliss. Matt Lee And Ted Lee

Sam Sifton · NYT Cooking

Make a batch of this sauce before guests come to dinner, keep it warm in the oven while they eat, then spoon it over vanilla ice cream for dessert: That’s a win. Or make it in the morning and pair it with pancakes. Mr. Flay, the voluble chef and television star, pairs it with double-chocolate pancakes. That is a very serious business. Sam Sifton

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

The origins of this popular South African casserole with spiced meat in an egg custard may taste elusive, but bobotie is distinctly a Cape Malay dish. Found primarily in the city of Cape Town and the surrounding area, Cape Malay cuisine expertly weaves together African ingredients with Indonesian, Malaysian and South Asian seasonings. Cape Malay communities and their culture originated among Muslims from those regions who were enslaved by Dutch settlers in South Africa and their cuisine fuses those influences. In bobotie, ground meat is simmered in an aromatic mist of onion, ginger and garlic, peppered with flecks of bay leaf and chile, perfumed by masala spice, then set in a gentle custard. You can substitute as you wish here: Ground chicken, turkey or tofu crumbles will work. Dried fruit adds lovely sweet pops. Serve with a bright spicy pickle or chutney and roasted vegetables.

Pierre Franey · NYT Cooking

Tamar Adler · NYT Cooking

At the apogee of cooking in vino is this dish, which involves a whole beef roast. As befits a thing that humans have been eating since before computers, before cars, before guns — perhaps before science itself — boeuf à la mode tastes less invented than it does discovered. The best strategy is to cook it a day before you plan to serve it; it tastes better reheated than immediately, and the seasoning is most even and best distributed when it has time to spend in its rich broth.

Steven Stern · NYT Cooking

While Americans content themselves with Rudolph and Frosty, rural Austrians revere a more outré member of the holiday pantheon: Krampus, the malevolent goat-horned demon. A pre-Christian holdover, he wields birch branches and rusty chains, enacting a sort of good cop, bad cop routine with Old St. Nick. The Bohemian Spritz (a creation of Vandaag's Katie Stipe) is a light, fizzy wine drink with compellingly arboreal undercurrents, provided by pine and elderflower cordials. It is ideal for welcoming the long nights, for putting the Krampus back in Christmas. Steven Stern

Susan Herrmann Loomis · NYT Cooking

What looks like a carpenter's thumb, feels like a rubber hose and is sweeter and more tender than spiny lobster? Why, gooseneck barnacles. They were long a delicacy to the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest who used to scrape them off rocks at great risk and reserve them for tribal elders. When this recipe appeared in The New York Times in 1987, a seafood company in Nanaimo, British Columbia, had started exporting the barnacles to Spain and Portugal to keep up with demand.

Gabrielle Hamilton · NYT Cooking

This method for preparing artichokes is so simple and so effective because it does one important thing: It accepts the bitter, thorny truth of the artichoke and doesn’t try to fight against it. Instead of wrestling with the thing in order to prepare it for cooking, by trying to trim those tightly closed petals that stab your fingertips and leave them coated in a wretchedly bitter film, just leave the artichoke alone. Slice off the domed top, then drop the artichoke, stems and all, right into the boiling salted water and cook until tender. Once done and cool enough to handle, the artichoke is effortless to peel, revealing sweet flesh at the base of each leaf, and her large tender heart is yours for the taking.

William Norwich · NYT Cooking

Rick A. Martínez · NYT Cooking

In Mexico, the bolillo is the daily bread you pick up on the way home, still warm from the panadería. It’s commonly used as the base of a torta, split and sandwiched with meat (like milanesa, carnitas or jamón), beans, avocado, pickled jalapeños and salsa. At breakfast, it’s toasted for open-faced molletes, topped with refried beans, melted cheese and salsa. In northern Mexico and along the border, bolillos often replace hot dog buns, especially for Sonoran-style hot dogs, wrapped in bacon and piled with beans, crema, mustard and salsa. Its flavor is neutral, its crumb tight but soft and sturdy enough to hold heavy, wet fillings yet tender enough to compress when bitten. Deeply golden with a slightly crisp crust, these bolillos have a soft interior designed to revientar, or spring cleanly when cut. Butter or oil is brushed directly into the score in the top, allowing the loaf to expand down the center, producing the classic panadería-style submarine-like shape.

Kiera Wright-Ruiz · NYT Cooking

Yuca, also known as cassava, is a root vegetable used around the world to make many beloved regional dishes as well as flour, tapioca and even laundry starch. It is similar to the potato, but it is harder, has a thicker brown skin and has a tough fiber running through its center. It often has a subtly floral, lightly sweet taste. Here, yuca is boiled, mixed with loads of mozzarella, then fried until golden brown to make bolitas de yuca y queso, a popular dish in Latin America that is also known as yuquitas rellenas or bollitos de yuca. The crunchy panko coating complements the creamy, melty center. For this particular recipe, fresh yuca works best. Frozen yuca retains too much water and could make the bolitas too mushy to hold their shape.

The New York Times · NYT Cooking

After the death in 2013 of Marcella Hazan, the cookbook author who changed the way Americans cook Italian food, The Times asked readers which of her recipes had become staples in their kitchens. Many people answered with one word: “Bolognese.” Ms. Hazan had a few recipes for the classic sauce, and they are all outstanding. This one appeared in her book “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking,” and one reader called it “the gold standard.” Try it and see for yourself. The New York Times

Mayukh Sen · NYT Cooking

The writer Nik Sharma reimagines the spiced Indian omelettes his mother used to make him in his Mumbai childhood with this frittata, drawn from his first cookbook, “Season.” It incorporates garam masala, red-pepper flakes, onions and fresh herbs into the egg mixture, which is sprinkled with paneer and stuck in the oven for about 25 minutes. The pop of garam masala and the red-pepper flakes give each bite a nice jolt. This one is even better the next day. Mayukh Sen

Dan Pelosi · NYT Cooking

Bomboloni are filled Italian doughnuts, often enjoyed with morning coffee or as a snack in the afternoon. They are referred to as “bombe,” or “bombs,” in some parts of Italy, possibly because the filling often explodes from the inside when you take a bite.

Eric Kim · NYT Cooking

The main character in this quick fridge-raid bibimbap is bomdong, a tender Korean spring cabbage that might be hard to find outside of the peninsular country (though a Korean grocery store may carry it). In its place, you can use the inner leaves of a napa cabbage. You also can use a sturdy lettuce, such as Little Gem or even romaine. Any of these options will taste great here, as it’s really the spicy, salty-sweet-savory dressing that ties everything together: a glorious tangle that’s at once a salad and a comforting rice dish. This comes together in 15 minutes if you have cooked rice on hand. If you don’t, get the pot started before you make the cabbage.

Ham El-Waylly · NYT Cooking

This potentially controversial recipe takes a few steps away from traditional Buffalo wings: It starts with boneless chicken breasts, pan-fries them, and then serves the Buffalo sauce on the side for dipping instead of coating the chicken. But it’s got a goal: This ensures all the hard work of securing a crispy piece of chicken doesn’t go to waste. These boneless wings are crunchier, and, without the pesky bones, they’re arguably more snackable. The elusive texture of wet-crunchy is in full effect here when chunks of crisp chicken breast and celery get dunked into the zingy Buffalo sauce.

Wolfgang Puck · NYT Cooking

Daisann McLane · NYT Cooking

Vaughn Vreeland · NYT Cooking

This cake is loosely inspired by German apfelkuchen, a simple apple cake that capitalizes on humble ingredients and great seasonal produce. In this version, brown butter, bourbon, almond and a hint of citrus perfume the custardlike cake, which gets an extra bourbon soak after baking for good measure. Slicing the apples thinly allows for them to nestle in a cozy pile in the center of the cake, almost as if the cake itself were laminated with apples, cooking through while maintaining a nice crisp bite. The top, a mixture of coarse turbinado sugar and chopped slivered almonds, provides a necessary crunch that sparkles. Boozy, crunchy and chock-full of apples, this cake can be served warm with ice cream or at room temperature, and is sure to be the “it” dessert at any fall function.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

Cherries in winter may sound counterintuitive, but like frozen peas and corn, frozen cherries are, well, pretty good. Baked on a bed of easy press-in crust, the boozy cherries sink into the almost-frangipane mixture which soaks up much of the juiciness cherries are known for. The trick to a nice, crunchy bottom tart shell is baking longer than you think, so make sure you give it the full time recommended.

Christopher Idone · NYT Cooking

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

Traditionally in Afghan-style borani banjan, an appetizer or vegetable side, eggplant slices are soaked in salted water for 20 to 30 minutes, drained and dried, then simmered in a spiced tomato sauce before being served in layers of garlicky yogurt. This version significantly simplifies the preparation in the interest of time without compromising its appeal: varied flavors and textures from crispy, caramelized eggplant; creamy, garlicky yogurt; sweet and sour tomatoes; and juicy, bright pomegranate seeds. No soaking or simmering here, just quick pan-frying and layering for the same effect in about 30 minutes. Go back for seconds of a dish that tastes even better when it’s cold.

Julia Moskin · NYT Cooking

Every Ukrainian family has its own style of borsch. Olga Koutseridi, who grew up in Mariupol, is a historian and collector of Ukrainian recipes; she’s documented more than 70 recipes, including her mother’s “tomato-centric and cabbage-centric” borsch, as well as this version often eaten in Mariupol. Borsch with fish is traditional in southern Ukraine, where Black Sea ports like Mariupol and Odessa have relied on fishing since ancient times. Modern cooks often use canned versions of local species like anchovies, gobies and sprats. With bell peppers and carrots along with the usual beets and cabbage, this soup is hearty and chunky, but also very light. Julia Moskin

Pete Wells · NYT Cooking

Squat, glazed ceramic bean pots lurk in cabinets all over New England. They're traditional for Boston baked beans, but enameled cast iron is faster. Beans in cast iron can be brought to a boil over a burner before the dish goes into the oven; this saves about an hour. Pete Wells

Jeff Gordinier · NYT Cooking

Bread that slides out of a can? It might strike many Americans as a dubious culinary eccentricity, but throughout New England it is a staple, often purchased at the supermarket and served at home with a generous pour of baked beans. “I had this growing up,” said Meghan Thompson, the pastry chef at Townsman, in Boston, where the cylindrical brown tower comes to the table as something of a regional wink. Her version, commissioned by the chef Matt Jennings, dials down the cloying sweetness and amps up the flavor with a totally different manifestation of beans: doenjang, the funky Korean paste made from fermented soybeans.

William L. Hamilton · NYT Cooking

Frank Bruni · NYT Cooking

This peanut butter sandwich cookie is a smaller version of the gargantuan homemade Nutter Butters served at Bouchon Bakery, Thomas Keller's restaurant in the Time Warner Center. It is pure peanut sophistication; two crunchy, crisp peanut butter cookies filled with pillowy peanut-butter frosting. These cookies spread a fair amount while baking, so be sure to give them plenty of room on the baking sheet and let them cool and firm up before filling. (After reading through some of the reader comments, we retested the original recipe and decided to make the cookies smaller and double the filling. We've edited the below recipe to reflect those changes.)

R. W. Apple Jr. · NYT Cooking

R. W. Apple Jr.

Mark Bittman · NYT Cooking

This Mediterranean fish stew is more difficult to spell than to prepare, and it is traditionally neither an idée fixe nor the centerpiece of a grande bouffe, but a spur-of-the-moment combination of the day's catch. Trying to duplicate the real bouillabaisse is an exercise in frustration, as the traditional combination of fish is not found in American waters. But creating an admirable local version is no more difficult than making clam chowder. Though some will argue that bouillabaisse must contain fish stock, any time you add a few pounds of fish to a simmering stew there is enough fish essence to make stock superfluous. If additional liquid is needed, water will do just fine.

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

A favorite of the chef Elsy Dinvil, these tender fried beef meatballs were a common sight on her childhood dinner table in Jérémie, Haiti. Comforting yet complex thanks to epis, a Haitian seasoning blend made with herbs and spices, they’re a great addition to rice or even some crusty bread. You can enjoy them as is or with the piquant onion and tomato sauce below. If you like heat, be sure to break open the Scotch bonnet chile after it’s tender from stewing, and it’ll give the sauce a hot, fruity flavor. Korsha Wilson

Jim Meehan · NYT Cooking

Mark Bittman · NYT Cooking

Consider this a recipe for a classic steak sauce, updated; that’s bourbon syrup, made with real ingredients in a flash. Sure, you could buy a sauce at the grocery store, but making it yourself is quicker and tastier. Serve it alongside a grilled rib-eye.

Carolina Gelen · NYT Cooking

Reminiscent of a soothing beef and barley soup, this bourbon-scented short rib and farro stew brings much-needed comfort during the cold season. As with many beef stews, you’ll start by searing the short ribs. Beef short ribs are not the cheapest cut, but they are prized for their marbled fat, which builds complexity, and they simmer up deliciously fork-tender. Making the most of the flavor-packed fat rendered from the short ribs, the onions get lightly caramelized in it, then showered in splashes of smoky, sweet bourbon. Next, everything goes in the pot: The short ribs are gently simmered in beef stock alongside paprika and cumin-spiced onions, carrots and farro. A splash of balsamic finishes the stew, balancing out the rich, meaty flavors.

Julia Reed · NYT Cooking

This is a classic and simple recipe given a Southern kick with a little bourbon. The alcohol will evaporate when you bake the pie, and you’re left with a richly flavored, gooey dessert, intensely sweet with a baseline of vanilla. You do need both light and dark corn syrup for this — using only one or the other will change the pie’s flavor. (Don't let making your own pie crust intimidate you: our pie guide has everything you need to know.)

Joanna Pruess · NYT Cooking

Steven Stern · NYT Cooking

You’ll need bourbon and hazelnut spread for this adult twist on a milkshake, which came to The Times from the Brooklyn Bowl restaurant in that borough. The vanilla in the bourbon is brought out by the ice cream, and the hazelnut spread evokes a praline flavor reminiscent of New Orleans. What’s the worst that could happen? Steven Stern

Vallery Lomas · NYT Cooking

Bourbon adds a wonderful complexity to budget-friendly boneless beef chuck in this warmly comforting dish. Caramelized tomato paste, maple syrup, thyme and bay leaves provide balance while still highlighting the savory notes. Soy sauce does double duty, adding both salt and flavor. By marinating the meat in acidic lemon juice and cooking it low and slow, this inexpensive cut becomes very tender, proving you don’t need a fancy cut of beef to make an elegant, full-flavored main dish. Leftover braising liquid would make a wonderful base for a French onion soup.

Regina Schrambling · NYT Cooking

This is a 1990 recipe from Regina Schrambling that was appended to an article about the role alcohol can play in a home cook's kitchen. It's terrific.

Elaine Sciolino · NYT Cooking

This deeply flavored fish stew is a traditional specialty of Sète, a working-class Mediterranean port in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. While it has largely vanished from restaurants, it still turns up as a showpiece on Sunday and holiday tables. Save some time by having your fish counter do the skinning and boning for you, if possible. As a starter course, it can easily serve six. Elaine Sciolino

Jonathan Miles · NYT Cooking

Daniel Patterson · NYT Cooking

David Latt · NYT Cooking

Florence Fabricant · NYT Cooking

The food of Provence usually evokes summer, with lovely vegetables, salads, seafood and a whiff of lavender. But there’s a wintry side to it as well. When a fierce mistral wind blows, it’s time to crank out beef stews and roasted meats. This braised beef dish, a pot roast, keeps a Provençal flavor profile, with eggplant, garlic, fennel, rosemary, orange, black olives and tomatoes. It’s prepared to allow the eggplant to maintain its character and not disintegrate. I like to braise a nice piece of tri-tip sirloin, but this recipe will suit any cut of beef you prefer for braising. Serve the dish with plain broad egg noodles dressed with a splash of good olive oil.

Alexa Weibel · NYT Cooking

By creating a sauce from just broccoli, onions, olive oil and starchy pasta water, this recipe feels Italian in spirit but embraces an unexpected technique. Pulverize onion, broccoli and garlic in a food processor, then cook it in hot oil, much like sofrito, extracting as much flavor as possible. Add stock, orecchiette and broccoli florets, then watch the mixture go from soup, to stew, to saucy pasta. For best results, stick to the ingredients, measurements and temperatures listed in the recipe: Use a different pasta shape, and it will likely overcook; increase the amount of orecchiette, and there won’t be enough liquid; increase the heat and the liquid will evaporate before the pasta cooks through. But with attention, this recipe will yield a glossy pasta that makes cheap, accessible ingredients taste positively lush.

Elaine Louie · NYT Cooking

The chef Floyd Cardoz shared this recipe with The Times in 2011. “I personally love cabbage,” he said. At Tabla, his restaurant on Madison Square Park, he offered lightly caramelized cabbage wedges that had been spiced with cloves, black mustard seeds, shallots, garlic and ginger. Mr. Cardoz brought out the sweetness of the cabbage, and in the plating of it, its beauty. Elaine Louie

Mimi Sheraton · NYT Cooking

Jill Santopietro · NYT Cooking

Mark Bittman · NYT Cooking

Ifrah F. Ahmed · NYT Cooking

Few dishes will keep you as cozy as this bowl of spicy chicken and Swiss chard cradled by cheesy grits. There’s nothing quite like a bowl of hot grits. Incredibly versatile, they can be eaten for any meal and in any number of ways: sweet or savory and cheesy, like the Parmesan grits at the heart of this meal. The well-seasoned chicken thighs are tenderized with lemon juice and the Swiss chard turns silky when simmered in the tomato broth. Switch out the chard for any other dark, leafy greens, such as kale, spinach or collard greens, and adjust the cooking time as needed.

John Willoughby · NYT Cooking

If you’re looking to boost flavor, spices are a natural. There are perhaps no cuisines that use spices more deftly than those of India. Borrowing a technique commonly used there, I sweat a trio of aromatic spices before adding the liquid to a braised chicken-thigh dish. The final flavor of the dish, earthy but somehow still delicate, is wholly satisfying.

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

The men who ruled the world in the late 1950s, or at least six of the men who ruled publishing, rejected Peg Bracken’s manuscript, “The I Hate to Cook Book.” It would never sell, they told her, because “women regard cooking as sacred.” It took a female editor to look at the hundreds of easy-to-follow recipes and say, “Hallelujah!” Since its publication in 1960, Bracken’s iconic book, which celebrated the virtues of canned cream-of-mushroom soup and chicken bouillon cubes, has sold more than three million copies. This simple chicken dish, adapted from Ms. Bracken, is as no-fuss as one would expect. Just sear the chicken in a bit of butter and transfer it to a baking dish. Scatter artichoke hearts (from a can, of course!) across the top. Make a quick sauté of mushrooms, flour, broth and a little sherry and pour it over the chicken. Slide it into the oven and bake for about an hour. Ms. Bracken recommended serving it with baked potatoes, but we like it best with a pile of rice to soak up

Kay Rentschler · NYT Cooking

Florence Fabricant · NYT Cooking

Slow-braising to infuse meats with deep flavor and produce warming, stew-like plates of food is a cooking method of choice when the weather brings a chill. This chicken dish is the product of what I call the usual three-step affair (brown chicken, add other ingredients and some liquid, cover and slowly simmer). But I gave it a bit of heat, unpacking sake, ginger, garlic and the spicy Korean condiment gochujang, plus well-mannered slivers of poblano chilis into the pan. You can now find gochujang in supermarkets or online; you won’t use the entire jar for this dish so exploit it for other occasions. It keeps indefinitely in the refrigerator. The chicken will welcome a pillow of steamed rice alongside.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Whole bone-in chicken legs make an impressive presentation for this flavorful braise. Baby artichokes, a springtime treat, can be found in the produce department of many supermarkets. Easy baked polenta makes an ideal accompaniment, but the chicken can also be served with rice or mashed potatoes.

Sarah Jampel · NYT Cooking

Adding hard cider to smoky ham stock (a trick from the recipe developer Grace Parisi) builds a foundation of tangy, tart flavors in this recipe. It takes about 2 hours for the hocks to become tender, but once your kitchen fills with the smell of ham bubbling away in a pot of vinegary cider, you’ll never want that slow simmer to end. If you like really sour collards, add a splash of apple cider vinegar once the greens have finished braising.

John Willoughby · NYT Cooking

Country-style ribs have enough rich porkiness to stand up to the strong flavors of Latin America, so, here, they are coated with an aromatic spice rub that gets some smoky heat from chipotle peppers, then braised in a combination of citrus juices and beer. To avoid burning the spices, the ribs are coated with spice rub only on the side that doesn't get browned. Though the pomegranate seeds are not essential, they do add a nice hit of tartness and texture.

Amanda Hesser · NYT Cooking

Amanda Hesser

Jason Epstein · NYT Cooking

Elaine Louie · NYT Cooking

Elaine Louie

Jill Santopietro · NYT Cooking

Gabrielle Hamilton · NYT Cooking

Fresh black-eyed peas, still in their pods, are a pretty pale green, with a gorgeous purple-black O-ring on each tiny pea. They’re tender and creamy and snappy — with an earthy flavor that goes well with the mint, pepper and turnips in this shallow braise — and they cook in just minutes unlike their wintered-over chalky, drab dried counterparts. I love them when they come in fresh at the market, and also love the so-called chore of shucking them. The chance to sit for a minute and watch the world go by while shelling a big pile of fresh peas will always leave you feeling glad you did.

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Kale: The ubiquitous dark and leafy green that people either love or love to hate. If you fall into the latter camp, this recipe for a savory-sweet variation adapted from North Pond, a restaurant in Chicago, might change your mind. It requires a bit more work than a typical garlic and olive oil sauté, but it's well worth it. Start with blanching the kale in a pot of boiling water (skip this if you don't mind your kale a bit more toothsome). Sauté some onion, carrot and celery in a little oil, then add ⅓ cup sherry vinegar and reduce. Toss in the kale with a little honey, chicken broth and salt and pepper, then cook until the leaves are tender. At this point, you can either go ahead and eat it, or do as they do at the restaurant: strain the liquid and reduce to make a flavorful sauce to pour over the greens. Alex Witchel

Eric Kim · NYT Cooking

A ginger- and gochugaru-infused butter underpins the multilayered seasonings in this savory braised chicken dish. Kimchi’s acid tenderizes the meat and provides intensity to the final gravy, an electric-red pool of umami. White rice tastes great with this, as do mashed potatoes or crusty bread, to sop up all the buttery juices. An age-old secret to juicy chicken is blanching, then shocking the meat with cold water, a technique that appears in dishes like Chinese white-cut chicken and Hainanese chicken rice. This initial step also results in a clean chicken flavor and a rich, pure-tasting sauce.

Mimi Sheraton · NYT Cooking

Nancy Harmon Jenkins · NYT Cooking

Nancy Harmon Jenkins

Moira Hodgson · NYT Cooking

Florence Fabricant · NYT Cooking

Hearty and aromatic, this braised lamb dish, adapted from my mother, Annette Gertner, takes inspiration from the Middle East by way of Eastern Europe. It simmers mostly unattended and even benefits from being made earlier in the day — or even a day or two in advance — and reheated. The four shanks yield four copious portions. (The recipe will serve six if every guest does not insist on having a bone.) Orzo alongside will sop up the sauce. Florence Fabricant

Sohla El-Waylly · NYT Cooking

This bright and brothy braise makes a big impact with only a handful of pantry staples thanks to a trick borrowed from Bangladeshi cooking, where chicken is gently simmered in blended onion and garlic. The allium purée caramelizes lightly, adds body to the sauce and offers a delicate aroma which grounds the perky lemon and cracked pepper seasoning. Round out the meal with a crusty baguette and simple leafy salad.

Tamar Adler · NYT Cooking

For this braised lettuce — especially ambrosial if, as suggested here, a discreet anchovy or 10 are permitted — everything is fast and minimal. Put thin wedges of lettuce to quickly and lightly wilt in warm butter and broth and spoon it over hot bread. That’s all.

Amanda Hesser · NYT Cooking

This dish came to The Times in a 2003 article about Jamie Oliver: "What I found quite interesting with this dish, being English," Mr. Oliver said, "is that when you eat this, it's quite delicately flavored. It's perfumed with the wine and the rosemary. You get this kind of meaty kind of saltiness from the olives, and what's really interesting is if an English housewife got hold of the recipe, she'd probably stone the olives and have quite a lot of them. But in Italy, literally for eight people they put that much and they leave the pits in." In his hand, he cradled about two dozen olives. Mr. Oliver continued: "When you cook olives whole like this, it's almost like an anchovy. The salt comes out of the olives, and the olive becomes more like a vegetable. And the salt from the olive flavors the chicken really wonderfully." This is an adaptation of his recipe. Amanda Hesser

Kia Damon · NYT Cooking

Even the most bitter greens can be tamed into a pot of silky, tender deliciousness with the right amount of time and attention. Take mustard greens, the oft-forgotten cousin of collard greens, for example. Cooking them with ingredients that bring acidity, sweetness and umami, like rich stock, vinegar and maple syrup, is a sure-fire way to tame their bitter glucosinolate compounds and transform the greens from pungent to popular. Don’t limit mustard greens to just dinner; enjoy them for lunch or at breakfast too. Try them with a tofu scramble or in this chile cheese toast. This dish can easily be made vegan by swapping the Worcestershire for liquid aminos.

J. Kenji López-Alt · NYT Cooking

This base of slowly stewed peppers and onions can serve as the foundation for a wide variety of dishes: Add seared flank steak or pork butt, capers, olives, raisins and canned tomatoes, and simmer it into deliciously shreddable Cuban ropa vieja, to enjoy with black beans, rice and braised greens. Slice Italian sausage, sear it along with chicken legs, then add ½ cup each of brown sugar and apple cider vinegar, plus a couple of cups of these peppers and onions, and cook until the sauce reduces to a sweet-tart glaze as the meat slowly braises. (Try that on top of boiled yellow potatoes.) Bloom freshly ground ancho, pasilla or other dried chile in oil, then add this sauté, a few cups of cooked black beans and chickpeas, plenty of Mexican oregano and some canned tomatoes to simmer into a rich vegan chili, garnished with roasted sweet potato. But for the simplest use, just slather these peppers on top of a hot dog in a buttered, toasted bun.

Richard Flaste · NYT Cooking

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

Inspired by blanquette de veau, a classic French veal stew, this comforting braise unites pork, leeks, mushrooms and carrots in a creamy, rosemary-infused broth. In this simple braise, nicely seared pork and softened veggies are combined with the broth and aromatics and simmered until the pork is tender and juicy. The dish is finished with a beurre manié — a mixture of equal parts butter and flour — that gets whisked into the stew at the end of cooking to create a smooth, thickened sauce. The final addition of just enough heavy cream creates a silky texture, with fresh chopped parsley to brighten the rich stew.

Melissa Clark · NYT Cooking

Pork shoulder is such a forgiving cut of meat. No matter how you cook it — low and slow, hot and fast, on the grill or in a Dutch oven — it comes out tender, rich and brawny, and able to take on the other flavors in the pot. Here, boneless chunks are gently braised with tomato, cinnamon and olives for a deeply flavored stew that feeds a crowd and can be cooked entirely in advance. It makes a good amount of savory, gently spiced sauce, so be sure to serve it with something to catch every drop, like polenta, noodles or rice.

Sarah DiGregorio · NYT Cooking

This tart-sweet braise is inspired by porc aux pruneaux, a classic French dish, which usually involves soaking prunes in tawny port before adding them to a sauce for pork. Here, the prunes are soaked in a mix of vinegar and brown sugar, a more economical way to amplify their mellow sweet-sour flavor. (But by all means use tawny port instead of the vinegar-sugar combo if you like!) This one-pot version is fragrant with orange and contains an assertive amount of sherry vinegar to balance the richness of the pork and dried fruit. Serve the pork and sauce over polenta or with seeded bread.

Colette Rossant · NYT Cooking

William Grimes · NYT Cooking

William Grimes

Moira Hodgson · NYT Cooking

Bryan Miller · NYT Cooking

Bryan Miller

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Alex Witchel

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Alex Witchel

Julia Moskin · NYT Cooking

This is an adaptation of the tangy, rich Filipino meat stew kare-kare, which itself is adapted from the Indian-influenced massaman curries of Southeast Asia. The Indian American chef Floyd Cardoz brought it full circle when he recreated it for American home cooks in his 2016 book “Floyd Cardoz: Flavorwalla” (Artisan). It’s an excellent illustration of how a great stew can fuse flavors that might seem incompatible, like peanuts, cabbage and anchovies. Julia Moskin

Bryan Miller · NYT Cooking

Julia Moskin · NYT Cooking

Here is a sensible prescription from Julia Child for cooking a whole ham, which was featured in a New York Times article by Julia Moskin that explored the quandary of how to make a flavorful Easter ham. Braise the meat in wine and water to finish the cooking, then roast it in a hot oven to crisp the surface. The end result is glazed with mustard and brown sugar and crusted with golden bread crumbs. One note: this is a recipe for a cured ham, not a fresh one. Julia Moskin

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Alex Witchel

Matt Lee · NYT Cooking

Robert Simonson · NYT Cooking

More than most cocktails, a properly made brandy crusta requires a little effort. Achieving an even sugar rim on a glass and paring a long lemon twist (known as a horse's neck) may take a few tries before you get it right. This recipe, to be used at the new New Orleans bar Jewel of the South, is not very far removed from the one first printed by the bartender Jerry Thomas in his seminal 1862 cocktail manual. Thomas credited the drink’s inventor, the New Orleans bartender Joseph Santini, who had his own bar named Jewel of the South. The resulting cocktail may look too beautiful to drink. But that’s what iPhones are for. Take a picture and get to drinking. Robert Simonson

Maura Egan · NYT Cooking

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

In this recipe for pan-seared bratwurst with spiced caramelized onions, the real star of the show is the topping of chakalaka. A popular South African condiment often served with grilled meats or fish, chakalaka can be an easy way to have vegetables with every meal. Start with a hot skillet large enough to get a nice sear on the sausages and the onions, and with a quick assembly and ease, a clever meal awaits.

Robert Farrar Capon · NYT Cooking

Elaine Louie · NYT Cooking

Elaine Louie

Francis Lam · NYT Cooking

Unlike slow-cooked southern American treatments of this vegetable, this version retains the collards’ vibrant color and satisfying crunch. Francis Lam

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

These pickled jalapeño peppers are stuffed with chunky peanut butter, dipped in flour, egg and bread crumbs, then fried. Carlos Jacott, El Parador’s owner and maître d’hôtel, is said to have created the dish when, as a college student, he only had jalapeños and peanut butter in his refrigerator. Alex Witchel

Pierre Franey · NYT Cooking

Pierre Franey

Genevieve Ko · NYT Cooking

For a hearty start to any day — or a fun take on breakfast for dinner — put together this casserole. Red enchilada sauce (you can use 2 cups store-bought) and cheese smother a breakfast burrito base of flour tortillas encasing crisp potatoes and chorizo. Sliding eggs into the dish at the end of baking gives you the bonus of sunny-side-up eggs without the hassle of washing another pan. You can assemble the enchiladas the day before serving to make the morning less hectic.

Robert Farrar Capon · NYT Cooking

Richard Flaste · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Robert Simonson · NYT Cooking

Robert Simonson

Pati Jinich · NYT Cooking

Bricklayer-style beef, or puntas al albañil, made with tender pieces of beef, salty bacon and sometimes chorizo in a chunky fire-roasted salsa, is a beloved taco filling in Mexico. Once a common snack available near construction sites in central Mexico, it became popular beyond street food stands, expanding into homes and restaurants over the years. Here it’s used as the foundation for nachos, topped with mounds of melted cheese, tangy queso fresco, creamy avocado and crunchy scallions for a hearty, delicious meal.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

Grilled cheeses come in many flavors and shapes depending on the cheese, bread and condiments used. This version opts for relatively mellow, creamy Brie topped with tangy mango chutney and earthy spinach. Mayonnaise is slathered on the side of the bread slices that cook on a preheated pan for a guaranteed crunchy crust, and the two halves of the sandwich initially cook separately to ensure the Brie melts nicely. Feel free to adjust the amount of mayo, cheese and chutney depending on the size of your bread slices (and your taste). To make a simple, comforting appetizer or shareable snack instead of a sandwich, remove the grilled cheese halves from the pan after Step 3, cut into rectangles or triangles and serve.

Craig Claiborne · NYT Cooking

Tejal Rao · NYT Cooking

The Brazilian sweets known as brigadeiros are a classic treat at birthday parties and family get-togethers, where the fudgy, chocolate-milk caramels are often rolled in sprinkles. The chef Natalia Pereira of Woodspoon in Los Angeles also makes more grownup, bittersweet brigadeiros by rolling them in cocoa powder or shredded coconut. Try her recipe, which she learned from her mother in Minas Gerais, Brazil, using either canned condensed milk or a homemade version. Either way, the candies will be tender and delicious. Tejal Rao

Nigella Lawson · NYT Cooking

This colorful dish is great on a dreary day, or any other time for that matter. It doesn’t take long and can be a side for any chicken or fish dish – or, as Nigella Lawson originally suggested, as a perfect accompaniment to her recipe for dal, a red lentil stew spiced with turmeric, chili and ginger, and colored with sweet potatoes and tomatoes.

Julia Reed · NYT Cooking

R. W. Apple Jr. · NYT Cooking

Steven Raichlen · NYT Cooking

This recipe, from the barbecue expert Steven Raichlen, was originally published alongside a pair of recipes for smoking the Thanksgiving turkey: one that has you smoking it outdoors on a charcoal grill, the other indoors using a stovetop smoker and a conventional oven. But there's no reason you couldn't brine the turkey according to the method below and then roast it to bronzed perfection.

Lisa Donovan · NYT Cooking

Any baking household should have an approachable brioche recipe on hand for all occasions, one that proofs overnight and lends itself to freezing prior to its final rise. A good brioche is soft yet structurally sound enough to be eaten fresh and warm, right out of the oven, or to stay tender even after being toasted a few days later. It will have a developed enough flavor to eat on its own, for savory applications, or to be used as a base for many other stunning sweet breakfast, snack or dessert items, from cinnamon rolls to baba au rhum. With its dough’s ability to be frozen and whipped out with only a final proofing (a rest and a rise to double) needed (see Tip), brioche can be your freezer’s MVP, ready to impress guests or simply to treat yourself.

Joan Nathan · NYT Cooking

For Jewish holidays, especially Passover, when there is a big crowd for dinner, I always make brisket. This recipe was carried down in my mother’s family, but updated a bit by me in my new cookbook “My Life in Recipes” (Alfred A. Knopf, 2024). The secrets to a good brisket are simple: Slowly braise it in ample liquid, and add lots of onions for flavor. The brisket can be eaten straight from the oven, as soon as it’s cooked, but is best prepared in advance to let the flavors blend together. Refrigerating overnight makes it easy to skim and discard the fat that accumulates on the surface of the gravy. You can strain the sauce if you like, but do keep the onions and carrots. Serve this with matzo farfel, egg noodles, potato latkes or kasha varnishkes.

Ham El-Waylly · NYT Cooking

Traditional pommes aligot, from Aubrac, France, add enough cheese to mashed potatoes until they stretch like fondue. If you aggressively stir mozzarella cheese into a luxuriously creamy broccoli purée, you can get the same effect. This decadent side is a great accompaniment to a fancy steak dinner or your next holiday spread, and makes an indulgent filling to a baked potato. For best results, be sure to use only the deep-green tops of the broccoli florets. Using too much of the watery, light-green stem yields a purée that’s loose and lacks lusciousness. The rest of the broccoli can be used in an entire other dish: seared into steaks, shaved into a salad, chopped and tossed into stir fries, or employed in almost any recipe that calls for a head of broccoli.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

A staple of any fast-casual restaurant, broccoli-cheddar soup has somewhat of a cult following on the internet. Thicker than cream of broccoli, this roux-thickened soup can be puréed completely smooth or left chunky and rustic. Either way, be sure to use the sharpest Cheddar available (white or orange work here). It’ll provide richness in addition to a necessary acidity.

Trish Hall · NYT Cooking

Trish Hall

Colu Henry · NYT Cooking

Roasting gives broccoli an incredible texture and crunch, and it softens and sweetens the bite of the scallions. This is paired with a highly addictive vinaigrette that is a play on the classic Thai dipping sauce prik nam pla. If you’re lucky enough to find yourself with leftovers, spoon it over roast fish, chicken or even plain white rice.

Christian Reynoso · NYT Cooking

Cheddar and broccoli are a classic for a reason: the rich, tangy cheese makes this often underappreciated vegetable sing. Here, tender white beans turn the duo into a protein-forward, stewy bowl that’s cozy but lively. To finish, Cheddar croutons add a deeper cheesy crunch, ideal for dunking into the creamy broth.

Sarah Jampel · NYT Cooking

In this casserole, a homemade cheese sauce that’s good enough to toss with pasta replaces the canned creamed soup. When you mix in broccoli florets and cooked rice, then top the whole thing with crushed crackers and more Cheddar, you get a gooey holiday side with a crisp top. Use white or orange Cheddar or a mix of the 2, aiming for a range of 4 to 5 cups, based on how rich and cheesy you’d like it. And while this does contain a lot of broccoli, you’ll probably want to serve a salad on the side.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

Broccoli florets are simmered in coconut milk and almond butter then topped with slivered almonds, resulting in a nutty, luxurious main or side in just 30 minutes. Malabar pepper, grown and commonly used in the south of India, has a delicate lingering heat. (You could use another black pepper, but if the former is an option, try it.) Garam masala dials up the spice and an onion provides subtle sweetness. Serve with rice or roti.

Yasmin Fahr · NYT Cooking

Here, an old-fashioned cooking technique transforms little more than Parmesan, potatoes and broccoli into a rustic soup, comforting in its simplicity and heartiness. Bite-size pieces of potatoes and broccoli are simmered in an aromatic broth until soft and mashable; a portion gets mashed into the broth — no blender required — while the remaining bites retain texture. Salty Parmesan is stirred in at the end, seasoning and thickening the soup, so be sure to season lightly throughout the cooking process. Have fun with the ingredients to vary the flavors: You can add any combination of garlic, scallions and ground cumin, or finish with lemon zest or juice plus a sprinkle of red-pepper flakes. Serve leftovers with a drizzle of oil and a touch more grated cheese.

Julia Reed · NYT Cooking

Julia Reed

Dan Pelosi · NYT Cooking

Blitzing pungent broccoli rabe into a creamy, nutty pesto (along with walnuts, garlic, Parmesan, olive oil and lemon juice) helps mellow any bitterness in this verdant weeknight pasta. Start by quickly boiling the broccoli rabe and garlic, which takes the edge off. Fans of broccoli rabe will enjoy extra bites of the greens throughout this pasta dish, and those looking to round the flavors out further would do well to add cooked Italian sausage, cannellini beans or a dollop of ricotta cheese. The broccoli rabe pesto can also be used as a topping for crostini or pizza, and can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Hetty Lui McKinnon · NYT Cooking

This simple one-pot broccoli rice is a cozy weeknight option that will delight both adults and children alike. When cooking a simple bowl of rice, adding oil and salt to the cooking water is an easy way to bring indulgence, and, in Cantonese home kitchens, this is often a way to repurpose oil previously used for deep-frying. Oil imparts a silky mouthfeel to the rice while preventing the rice from sticking, resulting in slick, pearly, separated grains. Finely chopped, crisp-tender broccoli adds a fresh, subtle sweetness and hearty texture to the rice. Complete the dish with a hearty fried egg, drizzled with an easy soy sauce and oil seasoning to add savoriness that is not overly salty. If you’re lucky enough to have any leftover broccoli rice, it can easily be repurposed into fried rice.

Margaux Laskey · NYT Cooking

Broccoli salads are a dime a dozen, but this one, which is adapted from Ashley Christensen's cookbook, "Poole's: Recipes From a Modern Diner," is a game-changing celebration of flavors, colors and textures: broccoli, toasted pecans and red grapes are cloaked in a warm bacon-scallion vinaigrette, then sprinkled with small chunks of sharp white Cheddar. Ms. Christensen's recipe, which uses the florets as well as the stalks, asks you to blanch the broccoli (cooking it for a few minutes in generously salted boiling water, then shocking it with salted iced water). It takes a little extra time, but the crisp-tender, bright green broccoli, seasoned inside and out, is your just reward. Try not to eat the entire bowl yourself. Margaux Laskey

Hetty Lui McKinnon · NYT Cooking

Inspired by the flavors of crave-worthy yamitsuki, a Japanese cabbage dish named for its addictive qualities, this broccoli soba salad is an assured crowd pleaser. A brief marination in salt tenderizes the broccoli, making it more receptive to a humble yet powerful trio of seasonings: salt, garlic and sesame oil. The unlikely addition of vegetable stock paste or bouillon powder bolsters the emphatic umami of this dish; if you have MSG in your pantry, you could add a few pinches of that instead. Using both the flower and stalk of the broccoli adds both texture and crunch to the foundation of nutty soba noodles. This is the perfect prep-ahead dish, as it benefits from chilling to allow the flavors to meld and the soba to become firmer and less fragile.

Colu Henry · NYT Cooking

A beautifully assembled toast can make a lovely light dinner. In this version, blanched broccoli is cooked in olive oil that's been infused with garlic and anchovies (always optional) until it’s very tender, then it’s piled onto toasted bread. Grated extra-sharp provolone, which is a nice complement to the mildly sweet broccoli, is sprinkled on top, then the toasts are broiled until the cheese is melted and golden brown. You can use cauliflower, broccoli rabe or thickly sliced sweet peppers in place of the broccoli, but be sure to cook your vegetables until they are velvety soft — it provides a nice contrast to the crunchy bread. While these toasts work well on their own, they make an equally good accompaniment to roast chicken or grilled fish.

Sohla El-Waylly · NYT Cooking

Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, like cabbage and brussels sprouts, can handle some char. Blackening makes them sweet and caramelized rather than bitter and burnt. The key is to cook the vegetables hot and fast, so the pieces develop color without becoming mushy and they’re crackly at the edges while still crisp-tender at the cores. Make sure your broccoli florets are thoroughly dried before cooking by taking them for a ride in a salad spinner. (Water will slow down the browning, resulting in florets that steam instead of char.) A topping of toasted nuts, sticky dates, bright lemon and bites of peppercorn adds complexity to this humble vegetable.

Tejal Rao · NYT Cooking

Bryant Terry, an Oakland, Calif., chef with two young daughters, developed this recipe to make eating broccoli a treat. It worked: Blanched and puréed with lemon, garlic and a little of what he calls “umami powder,” the broccoli transforms into a deeply flavorful vegan spread that’s also highly adaptable. Thin it with pasta water and toss it with hot noodles, as seen here, or scrape it into a bowl as a dip for crudités. Spread it onto a thick piece of toast and cover it with sliced radishes, dill and crunchy salt. Use some to drown a softly poached egg, drizzle with olive oil, and eat with a spoon, or to dress warm white beans, then shower them with black pepper and grated cheese. Whatever you do, don’t skip rinsing the broccoli with cold water after you blanch it; the step keeps the spread a vibrant green. Tejal Rao

Pete Wells · NYT Cooking

This recipe is featured in a four-part series about creating healthier eating habits. This hearty broccoli soup, adapted from Marcella Hazan’s recipe in “Marcella Cucina” (HarperCollins Publishers, 1997), comes from Friuli, a region in northeastern Italy where barley is a favorite grain. It is Ms. Hazan’s version of a recipe traditionally made with cauliflower, and it is good that way, too, or made with romanesco. The high fiber quotient of the vegetables, beans and grains make it filling enough to serve as a light meal on its own. Instead of pearl barley, you can use hulled barley, which is even higher in fiber but takes longer to cook. Pete Wells

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Alex Witchel

John Willoughby · NYT Cooking

It's important to use smaller chicken thighs; if all you can get are the larger ones, it's best to cut them in half. If you don't have Maras pepper, it's worth buying, since its distinctive flavor will add depth and a sly heat to all kinds of dishes.

Sarah Copeland · NYT Cooking

There’s no reason to reserve fish tacos for vacation or a night out. Put your broiler to work, and make them an easy weekly affair. Paprika and coriander give meaty white fish like mahi-mahi or halibut tons of impact, but the real star here is the lime-laced herb salad, which makes every bite pop. Make sure to start with the best corn tortillas you can find. And don't worry about loading the tacos up with cabbage and pico de gallo: There’s no need here. These are at their best (and easiest) when they're pared down.

Eric Kim · NYT Cooking

Inspired by a roasted salmon dinner at the now-closed Upper West Side restaurant Buca, where a blazing brick oven delivered most of the flavor, this weeknight meal helps you achieve two things at once: perfectly cooked wild salmon and an effortless vegetable side dish. The fish maintains its juiciness and plump appeal thanks to a quick dry-brine, mayonnaise and the broiler. When you’re broiling, you need vegetables that will cook quickly. Here, onions, peppers and mushrooms are tossed with capers to go with the salmon. You can use any combination of the vegetables for 1 ½ pounds total. Whatever you do, don’t skip the capers: They season this lovely meal with their briny salinity. This tastes great with crusty bread or white rice.

Sohla El-Waylly · NYT Cooking

These oysters taste like pizza, all thanks to a simple tomato butter loaded with garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper. In this recipe, adapted from my cookbook "Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook" (Knopf, 2023), you still go through the motions of shucking, but start by broiling the oysters, which makes them give up their tight grip and open right up. Then all you need is a butter knife to release them from their shells, so think of this as oyster shucking with training wheels on. Each opened oyster is crowned with the tomato butter before another quick trip under the broiler to get bubbly and browned. Serve with crusty bread to sop up all the briny, garlicky sauce.

Christopher Idone · NYT Cooking

Jim Meehan · NYT Cooking

Pete Wells · NYT Cooking

This fried chicken is a specialty of Eric and Bruce Bromberg’s SoHo restaurant Blue Ribbon and many of its offspring, including Brooklyn Bowl, the bowling alley in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It is famous, and it is crunchy. And, as long as you are not afraid of having a three-inch-deep lake of hot oil in your kitchen, it is preposterously simple to make at home. No three-day buttermilk bath, or lard seasoned with bacon – just a quick crust of egg whites and matzo crumbs that the Bromberg brothers ought to patent. You sprinkle it with a sort-of-Cajun spice mix and send it to the table with pots of honey, if you are a restaurant, or, at home, with a bear-shaped squeeze bottle. The spice mix, all of which you will likely have in your pantry, comes together in two minutes.

Rosie Schaap · NYT Cooking

The name and color of this cocktail may bring to mind sunlight playing on the East River (or, if you prefer, the arguably more romantic Gowanus Canal). Whatever it evokes, it’s delicious — a bold but balanced blend of botanical flavors from floral gin, gentian liqueur and Aperol. Rosie Schaap

Jeff Gordinier · NYT Cooking

Wait a second. Brooks Headley, the pastry chef from Del Posto, is encouraging you to make an ice-cream sandwich with store-bought white bread and a tub of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia? Indeed. And he’ll even make the cheeky argument that this quick treat has Italian roots. “A typical Sicilian breakfast is gelato on a brioche roll,” he said. “Ice cream for breakfast! Who isn’t going to love that?” Truth be told, for a dessert at Del Posto Mr. Headley would most likely use a preserved-cherry and stracciatella gelato, but its flavor and texture are not so far off from what you get with Ben & Jerry’s. So butter the bread, crisp it up in a pan, let it cool, then coat it with ice cream and smush it all together. “I finish it with olive oil because, in the words of the great chef Paul Bertolli, olive oil is the best sauce,” Mr. Headley said. He called the result “admittedly trashy, but wildly satisfying.” How could it not be? Jeff Gordinier

Paula Wolfert · NYT Cooking

Colu Henry · NYT Cooking

This vibrant, hearty weeknight chicken soup is reminiscent of pozole, and achieved in record time. It starts with a base of onion and poblano pepper spiced with cumin, coriander and oregano. Broth is added, chicken thighs are simmered, then shredded, and cooked hominy is added for heft (though cooked rice would work equally well). The toppings stray from tradition: Crumbled tortilla chips provide crunch, as do snappy radishes; richness comes in the form of avocado or sour cream. Lay out bowls filled with various garnishes and let guests assemble as they like.

Kay Chun · NYT Cooking

This comforting vegetarian pasta is loaded with fresh spinach, peas and carrots in a light garlicky broth. Creamy protein-dense black-eyed peas provide meaty texture and enthusiastic stirring at the end of cooking helps the starches in the pasta lightly thicken the sauce. A finish of butter and grated Parmesan enriches the broth, while fresh grassy dill adds brightness to the dish. Serve with crusty bread to mop everything up.

Eric Kim · NYT Cooking

This quick and nourishing soup captures the concentrated umami, acidic-sweet brightness and floral aroma of fresh tomatoes. If you can buy the ones on the vine, you’ll end up with an even more intense scent. Fragrant jasmine rice lends body and thickens the broth just enough. The perfect lunch or light dinner, this comforting meal reheats beautifully, too, to a texture not dissimilar to congee or juk, and tastes like peak summer in soup form. A note on cooking with tomato vines: They lend a surprising tomatoey flavor to brothy curries and soups like this, accentuating the aroma of the fruit in a beautiful way, but they do contain plant defenses called glycoalkaloids, so don’t eat them.

Clare de Boer · NYT Cooking

This simple whole-wheat loaf requires no kneading, shaping or baking experience to get it right. You can begin the recipe when you wake up, and enjoy a warm loaf for breakfast a few hours later. Make sure that your yeast foams in the molasses-water before you stir it into the flour. If it does nothing, the yeast is probably dead — discard it and save this recipe for another day. If you like seedy bread, include some (sunflower, poppy, sesame or a combination) in the dough, and sprinkle some on top of the loaf before letting it rise. No adjustments are needed if you decide to include them. While most bread recipes advise you to wait until the loaf cools completely before slicing, this one is best still warm, with butter — Irish, preferably! Clare de Boer

Ham El-Waylly · NYT Cooking

Charred cabbage brings a complex combination of flavors, from savory to bitter to sweet, to this simple but satisfying weeknight pasta. As it cooks, the cabbage also turns silky, clinging to the bucatini like the most delicious of frills. The pecans play off the natural nutty notes of the charred cabbage and brown butter. Like cacio e pepe or other pastas that fuse melted cheese with pasta water, this dish tightens up quickly, so make sure to have plenty of pasta water on hand to loosen it as needed.

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

There is nothing more magical than a gooey-centered, crispy-edged chocolate chip cookie. What makes this particular recipe especially enchanting is the inclusion of brown butter. It mixes right into the dry ingredients, infusing the batter with its nutty flavor without the need for a mixer or any other special equipment. An optional dash of cinnamon has a warmth that feels like a hug, and the brown sugar gives you that chew with a slight molasses taste. Whether for a holiday or an afternoon snack, these cookies may become your go-to.

Yewande Komolafe · NYT Cooking

At the popular Radio Bakery in Brooklyn, a version of this unassuming brown butter cake, based on the classic French financier, sits among the fruit-forward stunners. The chef Kelly Mencin uses farmer-ground coarse cornmeal in place of the traditional ground almond, then scooped into individual portions, sprinkled with turbinado sugar and baked. The result is a perfect combination of salty-sweet that’s tender, chewy and nutty all at once. Made in a skillet here, it retains the depth of browned butter, crispiness of cornmeal and the caramelized crunch of sugar. Cherries are added for their tartness and fleshy juiciness; fresh or frozen sour Bing or dark sweet cherries will work, depending on the season. This lively bake is a commitment that won't disappoint: Enjoy slices warm or room temperature, alongside cool, soft whipped cream or topped with a scoop of your favorite ice cream. Yewande Komolafe

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

This moist cake, studded with peaches and infused with a nutty brown butter, is topped with a buttery brown sugar crumb topping that, once baked, gives the cake a delicious golden crispiness. A maple syrup glaze at the end is optional, but it plays well with the nuttiness of the brown butter and the sweetness of the peaches. Made without a mixer, this is a perfect breakfast or brunch, served with coffee, or as a dessert, served next to a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Barbara Kafka · NYT Cooking

Ali Slagle · NYT Cooking

There is absolutely nothing wrong with unadorned scrambled eggs, but here are two luxurious yet simple twists to consider: One, brown the butter in the pan, as dark as a dark chocolate, before adding the eggs. This will bring out the nutty sweetness of the butter. Then, to keep the eggs from veering too buttery, dot the finished scramble with vinegar. It provides the tang of hot sauce in a subtler way, so as not to distract from our main character, those silky eggs.

Nigella Lawson · NYT Cooking

There is nothing like a brown rice and seaweed salad for setting the scene for a more virtuous-feeling new year. Brown rice just seems righteous and pure, and I somehow believe that eating it makes me a better person. And just the word "seaweed" is promising: It may sound like the culinary equivalent of a hair shirt, but imagine this hair shirt lined with cashmere, so delicious and flavorsome is this salad. There is not the faintest whiff of penance about it.

Martha Rose Shulman · NYT Cooking

I always include at least three elements in my grain bowls: the grains, the topping and something to garnish the topping, usually a protein, often a poached egg. I wanted some contrasting crunch as well as some cheese, so I made Parmesan crisps, also known as frico, one of the easiest, best-kept secrets in the Italian repertoire.

Janet Bukovinsky · NYT Cooking

Moria Hodgson · NYT Cooking

Brigid Washington · NYT Cooking

In the Caribbean, brown stew is a staple and this recipe showcases why it's a classic West Indian comfort food. The name comes from the dark hue, usually attained through the burned sugar essence, or browning, at its base. Here, the chef Ricky Moore of Saltbox Seafood Joint, in Durham, N.C., achieves the deep rich color from the inclusion of Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. The slow-simmered pork shoulder acquires complexity from sweet allspice, woodsy thyme and the fruity fire of Scotch bonnet. Lively bursts of pungency from the addition of ketchup and apple cider vinegar, plus pockets of sweetness from carrots and bell peppers complete this rich, well-rounded stew. Serve with rice and plantains or with Jamaican festival to sop up every last bit. Brigid Washington

David Latt · NYT Cooking

Susan Spungen · NYT Cooking

This big, irresistible cookie takes almost no time to make, and is great for those occasions when you want a delicious treat, fast. If you think you don’t like anise seeds, you might enjoy their fragrant notes in this recipe, but you can always use sesame seeds instead. Or leave them out altogether — these cookies are still good with just sugar (use turbinado if you don’t have sanding or sparkling sugar). You can keep the rolled-out dough in the freezer, and throw it in the oven for a dinner party. With a little sorbet or ice cream, you have a dessert ready for company.

Melissa Clark · NYT Cooking

This grilled and smoked salmon recipe by the food writer Betty Fussell calls for curing the fish for several hours with salt, brown sugar and spices before smoking it over indirect heat on your grill. While the fatty fish absorbs the smoke beautifully, the fish can also be successfully cooked in a grill pan, or under the broiler. The salt and sugar cure, laced with sweet spices, both flavors the fish and firms up its flesh, giving it a meaty, silky texture. Serve it with a crisp salad for a light supper, or with rice for something more substantial. Melissa Clark

Vaughn Vreeland · NYT Cooking

The simple act of browning butter takes this holiday mainstay from simple to superb in a matter of minutes. Russet potatoes are the perfect blank canvas for the toasty, nutty notes of the brown butter, which is lifted to a starring role as it permeates the potatoes and pools on top. Mashed potato purists may say that using a ricer or food mill is the only way to achieve a creamy texture, but a hand mixer or potato masher works just as well, as long as you don’t overmix and your potatoes stay hot. Make sure to create divots for the pools of brown butter that sit atop the dish, which make each spoonful feel extra luxe.

Sohla El-Waylly · NYT Cooking

These crisp butter cookies incorporate blitzed toffee in place of some of the sugar and butter for a rich caramel flavor. To really amplify that almond-toffee essence, the cookies are topped with sliced almonds, and a nutty brown-butter icing is sandwiched in between. Be sure to roll the cookies very thin (about the thickness of two stacked pennies) so they stay crisp and light. The sturdy sandwiches have a long shelf life, making them ideal for shipping.

Margaux Laskey · NYT Cooking

These one-bowl cookies, sometimes known as crispies, are buttery like the Danish cookies in blue tins, tender in the middle like snickerdoodles and snappy like Scottish shortbread. But there’s nothing else quite like them, and they go with everything. No one knows the exact provenance of the recipe, but Nabisco sold a similar cookie called brown-edge wafers until they discontinued production in 1996. This all-butter version is adapted from Millie Shea of Traverse City, Mich., who learned it from her mother in the 1930s. For best results, be sure to cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, and don’t overbake. Margaux Laskey

Leslie Land · NYT Cooking

Leslie Land