David Tanis

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Refreshing and slawlike, this salad makes a versatile side dish for any gathering, especially one where a rich dish is the star. It’s dressed with lime juice and jalapeño and left to sit, to infuse and soften the cabbage, then topped with sliced radishes and avocado, an ever-welcome and bright note.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

This chickpea soup is flavorful and hearty, good for a first course, but also satisfying as a meal in itself. It can be puréed to a silky smoothness for an elegant version or left brothy, chunky and rustic. The easy red pepper pesto adds brightness. The soup may be made a day or two in advance and reheated, with excellent results.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Recalling a spanakopita, this chard-filled recipe has a substantial savory green filling. Delicious served warm or at room temperature, it travels well, making it ideal picnic fare. It may be baked in a rectangular pan, but looks most impressive as served from a round baking dish.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

These little Greek-style pies are traditionally wrapped in grape leaves, but chard leaves make a fine alternative. Served warm, the texture is akin to a fresh cheese, perfumed with dill, mint and olive oil. David Tanis

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

This chilled soup is easy to put together and most welcome on a hot day. The soft tofu garnish, dressed with sesame oil and soy sauce, is a lovely contrast to the bright green base. It is worth hunting down shiso leaves or Thai basil at an Asian grocery. Their bright flavors add interest.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Though this refreshing cucumber concoction may be served as a cold soup in a bowl, it’s best served in a chilled glass as a drink. It gains its zippy flavor from fresh grated ginger and a speck of cayenne. A splash of soda water makes a fine addition. Of course, for those so inclined, it could also benefit from a jigger of gin, for a brilliant green alcoholic cocktail.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Taking cues from Vietnamese flavors, this colorful salad can be served on its own or be a fine accompaniment to roast chicken, grilled meat or fish. The dressing, a zippy mixture of garlic, ginger, sesame oil, fish sauce, lime juice and jalapeño, makes sure the vegetables shine. Ordinary cabbage will work fine, but if you can find napa cabbage, so much the better.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Flan, a type of caramel custard and a traditional homemade sweet, is beloved all over Latin America and can be eaten any time of day. And best of all, it’s quite simple to make: The only tricky part is preparing the caramel that coats the bottom of the pan. These days, most recipes call for sweetened condensed cow’s milk, but mine skips the dairy altogether, using two kinds of coconut milk instead.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

On the North Atlantic coast of France, back in the day, this would be a meal made by fishermen, with whatever was left after selling the choice fish. This could mean very small soup fish or off cuts from trimming, maybe a few mussels, whatever they had. With a bottle of wine and a few herbs, they could quickly create a tasty fish stew. It became known as “la chaudrée,” so named for the iron pot it cooked in, called a chaudière. From France it went to Nova Scotia, and by the time it reached the East Coast it was called chowder. Still quite popular in France, most modern recipes call for four types of fish, a small cuttlefish and some kind of bivalve. This version simplifies things slightly, calling for firm rockfish, tender cod, mussels and squid. Crisp buttery croutons are de rigueur for many.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

A classic French strawberry tart features a buttery pastry shell filled with a light custard and topped with strawberries. This version has an almond base baked in a pastry shell, served with berries and a dollop of crème fraîche on top. Sweet, ripe strawberries are essential. Though one pound is sufficient, buying extra allows you to use only the best specimens, saving overripe or bruised berries to make a little jam. It is easiest to make the tart over two days: Prepare the pastry dough and the almond filling one day, then bake and add berries the next. (For that matter, you can also bake the base the day before serving. It keeps well.)

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Adapted from a recipe by Fabrizia Lanza, this is a traditional Sicilian recipe for a refreshing chilled watermelon dessert, probably originally derived from an Arabic sweet. As there are similar Indian and Persian watermelon confections, it seems a natural finish to this meal. In Sicily, it is typically perfumed with jasmine blossoms. A drop or two of fragrant rose water would be a welcome addition. David Tanis

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

This easy pork tenderloin dish takes cues from teriyaki and tastes best if marinated well in advance of cooking. A full night in the fridge is ideal, but plan for an hour at the very least. And be sure to pull the tenderloins out of the oven a bit early, since the meat is very lean and will be unpleasantly dry if overcooked. Finally, spoon those lush pan juices over the meat and serve with the accompanying French-style buttered carrots.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

The Greek cookbook author Aglaia Kremezi has no problem making phyllo dough at home whenever she makes anything pie-like. With a little practice, anyone can do it. For these simple skillet pies, she recommends grilling them in an iron stovetop ridged pan or on a grate over coals. Filled with feta and herbs, these flat thin-crust pies give a new meaning to grilled pizza. David Tanis

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

A cucumber salad dressed with tart yogurt and lots of chopped dill and mint makes a cooling, pleasantly refreshing saucy accompaniment to grilled meat. This is a handy brightly flavored salad to make all summer long, and so simple.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Asparagus is absolutely a symbol of spring, so what better way to celebrate the season than by centering them in a salad. A platter of green spears, bathed in a mustard-tinged vinaigrette, would be perfectly fine, but for something more celebratory, it’s nice to dress things up, with finely slivered raw beets, a shower of dill, parsley and mint leaves, and chopped (or quartered) soft-cooked egg. A few slices of prosciutto complete the colorful assembly. For the best flavor, look for the freshest firm, shiny asparagus available, whether pencil thin, medium or hefty.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Spring and lamb are synonymous, so in honor of the season, make this succulent lamb shoulder braised with white wine and aromatics. While the lamb is, of course, a showstopper, the real star is a mélange of greens (chard, kale or large spinach) and beans, punched up with rosemary, hot pepper and orange zest. Look for fresh favas, or substitute the peeled frozen variety (found at Middle Eastern grocery stores), frozen edamame, baby limas, green peas or a combination. An ideal dinner party main, every part of this dish can be prepared hours (or a day) ahead and reheated just before serving.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

For dessert, a bowl of strawberries and cream is always a winner. But instead, consider this lemony spongecake topped with strawberries and cream, which may well generate applause. It’s worth seeking out smaller strawberries, which tend to be riper and sweeter than the large, white-shouldered type. The spongecake may be baked in advance, up to 2 days ahead. It’s fun to hide the strawberries under a thick layer of whipped cream, but you can serve the cream on the side if preferred.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

This festive cake could be decorated as a lemony Yule log, or, in warmer seasons with colorful fruit and edible flowers. It's a bit of a project but manageable if one is organized. Make the lemon curd up to a week ahead.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

This showstopping chicken isn’t weeknight fare, but it turns chicken thighs into something totally special. It features lemon two ways, with a fair amount of lemon juice in the marinade, and thin slices of lemon in the roasting pan as well. Garlic, leeks and rosemary also ensure robust flavor. Then, simply roasted rings of delicata squash, skin and all, lay on top, but if you can’t find it, substitute cubes of another hard squash, like butternut. And, if you’re short on time, you can always prepare it in advance — at least a few hours ahead of serving — and reheat for 15 to 12 minutes in a 400-degree oven.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

This easy lemony cake is topped with apricot preserves, which gives an especially sunny presentation. It’s great with sliced fresh peaches, nectarines or berries alongside. The cake is moist and keeps well, so it can be made a day or two in advance of serving.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Madhur Jaffrey has published several iterations of this recipe in her cookbooks. This version, from her MasterClass course, is a full-flavored but very easy to prepare curry, perfect for a novice cook. The coconut milk-based sauce may be prepared in advance and the shrimp added just before serving. David Tanis

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Delicate and subtly sweet, this bright green custard is a luscious, creamy spoon-to-mouth affair. Matcha gives it a slight yet pleasant bitterness. A touch of flaky salt and toasted coconut to finish is essential, as are a long stint in the fridge, which helps it gel. Four hours is good, but overnight is better. To serve, bring it to cool room temperature.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Italian polpette are large meatballs, and they partly inspired these tender, oven-baked and highly seasoned recipe. For the best flavor make the meat part, without the bread, and let it rest overnight in the refrigerator. To accompany the polpette, rather than a sauce, these are paired with lentils and greens, which also make a fine simple meal on their own or tossed with pasta. If you’d like one more vegetable alongside, consider roasted parsnips or carrots.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

This simple, generous sorbet comes together in a food processor and releases a blast of mint that’s evident in every spoonful. But best of all, it invites any kind of ripe summer melon, even watermelon. The texture is rougher than a true sorbet, somewhere between granita and shave ice. It’s plenty good as is, but to gild the lily, add a bit of raspberry syrup and a few festive berries.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

These meaty crab cakes, bound with puréed scallops and enhanced with miso and ginger, can be made a day in advance, along with the dipping sauce. But arguably the most fun part is pickling the daikon. Once peeled and cut paper-thin, sprinkled with salt, sugar and rice wine vinegar, and tossed with some slivers of ginger, it’s ready to eat in an hour or so. Stored in a jar in the fridge, it’ll keep for a week.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Like tiramisù, this simple-to-assemble dessert uses store-bought Italian ladyfingers available at many supermarkets. Made with fresh peaches and brandy, it’s a creamy, boozy, fruity delight that’s a perfect end to a summer meal. It’s also easily made without ever turning on the oven, just waiting in the fridge until ready to serve. If desired, sprinkle with toasted chopped almonds or pistachios just before serving.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Made with ground chicken (or lamb), these Turkish-inspired kebabs are highly spiced with red pepper, paprika, cumin, sumac and onion. They may also be grilled or broiled. Serve with lavash flatbread or pita and some refreshing vegetable salads.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

This is the quintessential salad for autumn and winter, stunningly colorful. For the best-tasting result, look for pears that are ripe but still firm. But if soft pears are all you have on hand — or can find, substitute crisp apples. The crunch here is key.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Modeled after Engadiner nusstorte, a traditional Swiss walnut confection from the Engadine region of Switzerland, this version is made with pecans. The nuts are folded into a creamy caramel, then encased in buttery flaky pastry.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Here, firm Fuyu persimmons are used in a most satisfying seasonal salad that’s fairly easy to put together. First, you mix up a simple vinaigrette that gets a touch of sweetness from balsamic vinegar (a drop or two of honey wouldn’t be out of place). Then, it’s all tossed with chicories, like radicchio, curly endive or escarole, and homemade glazed walnuts and the result really feels like and looks like fall. Similar salads sometimes add blue cheese, but feta suits this one beautifully. And, if you can’t get persimmons, use pears.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Fresh summer green beans are the best, and, if you can get them in your own vegetable garden, all the better. They’re most tender when picked on the small side, so aim for that in the garden and at the farm stand. Here, they combine with sweet corn kernels and a basil pesto for a luscious summer pasta that also happens to be nut-free, just parsley, basil, garlic, Parmesan, pecorino and olive oil.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Well-seasoned pickled vegetables are extremely popular in Greece and Turkey. This version also takes hints from Pennsylvania Dutch traditions. It’s best to make the beets at least a couple of days before serving (they’ll keep a week or more in the fridge). They’ll pickle in the same liquid as the eggs, giving them a colorful pink exterior.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Turn this easy to make (and easy to love) cake right-side up, and it’s a rustic beauty, generously made with any kind of plum. It keeps well and actually improves the longer it sits. So don’t give big servings. Have a reasonable sliver at the table after dinner and save a nice fat slice for breakfast.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

When I visited Veracruz, Mexico, a number of years ago, there was a wonderful seaside restaurant where the specialty was a whole fried fish topped liberally with lightly fried garlic chips, called huachinango (red snapper) al mojo de ajo. (“Al mojo de ajo” can also refer to more complex garlic sauces.) Here, a version of that preparation is employed for fish fillets. First, garlic slices are gently fried in oil until golden, and then the fish is fried in the same oil. The fish is then drizzled with salsa macha, which isn’t traditional but nicely complementary, and tucked into warm tortillas, making for wonderful tacos.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

The classic Italian combination of canned tuna and white beans is sometimes part of an antipasto table’s offerings. Or it can be a quick, satisfying lunch from the pantry. This version calls for home-cooked beans and seared tuna. It’s further enhanced with roasted red peppers and cherry tomatoes and tossed in a flavorful vinaigrette for a perfect summer meal.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

These delicious shortbread-like cookies feature tahini, sesame seeds and a touch of coconut. Not only are they easy to transport, but they’re also easy to make and are a pleasant not-too-sweet dessert for nibbling.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

These apple fritters, fried in a cast-iron pan or Dutch oven, come together easily and without a mixer. Simply whisk together the batter by hand, then fry to your heart’s content. They’re ready in minutes, but they taste best if they cool down a bit. So don’t eat them warm. A drizzle of hot honey, store-bought or homemade (see Tip), gives them a sweet-spicy finish.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

These chicken breasts baked in pastry may sound impossibly fussy, but they’re quite simple to prepare. The only tedious part is making sure the chicken breasts are the same size and thickness. Small boneless chicken breasts work well, and will need only a little trimming, but if all you can find are large ones, you’ll need to cut them into four 6-ounce pieces, an easy butchering project. (Save leftover scraps for a stir-fry or freeze them to add to a future chicken stock.)

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

This nutty, Greek-inspired take on truffles combines ground walnuts, coconut, cinnamon and cloves for a not-too-sweet result. To finish, roll them in coconut flakes, dust them with cocoa, or both.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

With its bright miso dressing, soft egg and avocado, this is a comfort-food salad. Larger spinach leaves from a fresh bunch are preferred here, since packaged baby spinach is too tender to dress. A sprinkle of furikake, the Japanese sesame-seaweed seasoning, really makes this salad pop. It’s easily found at Asian groceries, but it’s also fun to make your own. You’ll want to throw it on everything.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

This adaptation of a Madhur Jaffrey recipe is lovely in its simplicity. Yellow or gold cherry tomatoes are especially summery here, but any color of tomato will work — as will large ones, sliced or wedged if you wish. But try, if you can, to find the curry leaves at an Indian grocery. They add a subtle fragrance. David Tanis

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Cherry tomatoes make a colorful zesty salad that’s good on its own or very welcome as a picnic side dish. They are halved and tossed with a garlicky vinaigrette, roughly chopped olives, cilantro and parsley and a shower of crumbled feta, an ideal accompaniment to grilled meats.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

This is perfect Provençal summer fare, with all the sweet flavors of the season. The tapenade, a pungent combination of olives, garlic, capers and anchovy, can be prepared by hand or in a food processor and can serve as a base to a bright salad of tomatoes and peppers. And it’s an ideal condiment for keep on hand, to pair with bright salads or serve over warm garlic toast.

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

This is comfort food, Indian-style, adapted from a recipe by Madhur Jaffrey. It’s also vegan, and perfect for a fall evening. Use a mixture of cultivated mushrooms; they come in all shapes and sizes. Look for royal trumpets, a large, meaty type of oyster mushroom; shiitakes, and small portobellos. Use some wild mushrooms too, if you can, like golden chanterelles, lobster or hen of the woods. You can make this as spicy as you wish, but be sure to include some cayenne and green chile, to complement and play off the creamy coconut milk sauce. Serve with basmati rice, rice noodles or mashed potatoes. David Tanis

David Tanis · NYT Cooking

Zucchini’s inherent versatility is well known. It shows up in pastas, vegetable stews and can even be pickled. In this salad, thinly sliced zucchini is very briefly blanched, then paired with other summery ingredients and served at room temperature. Roast the red pepper yourself or use a quality brand from a jar. David Tanis