Jennifer Steinhauer

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

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.

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

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

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

Though there is nothing wrong with a bakery cake — all those gorgeous piped roses! — there is really nothing better than a homemade cake. Homemade cakes say, "It is perfectly fine to stuff into my smallish home, play pin the tail on the donkey and leave with a loot bag holding edible bracelets and a plastic puzzle that will break in a week." Take back childhood, people! Here is a marvelous recipe adapted from “The Joy of Cooking,” which calls out lustily for a chocolate frosting. Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

While this curry from Meera Sodha’s cookbook “Made in India” is rooted in tradition and complexly flavored, it’s also easy enough for a weeknight. She transforms cauliflower from a humble vegetable to a rich centerpiece with the addition of cashews, coconut, fresh ginger and a flurry of spices you’re likely to have in your pantry. Serve with rice for an exceptionally good vegan supper. Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

This recipe doesn’t take long to get on the table, and you can get some aggression out at the start of the process by pounding down the chicken breasts. Then dredge the chicken in bread crumbs and Parmesan and sauté it in butter. At the end, you’ll spoon brown butter over the top and add a sprinkling of capers for a very simple meal that looks very fancy indeed.

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

Here is a homemade take on the Hostess Cupcake, the sweet, well-preserved treat that was lost, for a while, to the wilds of bankruptcy. They take a little time to make, but are well worth it. (Don’t skimp on the Marshmallow Fluff!) Wrapping the finished items individually in cellophane allow eaters to experience the twinkly crinkle of childhood afternoons spent carefully removing the chocolate frosting from the cupcake’s top. But these are decidedly not the original. Whatever you do, make sure they’re stored in something airtight. They will dry out quickly. Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

This is a classic recipe from Robb Walsh, a Texas food historian and a restaurateur: no beans. In the Texas spirit, it does, however, call for three pounds of meat — boneless chuck, buffalo or venison. There is also some bacon for good measure. This is a hearty meal, great for a cold day when the best thing to do is to stay in and watch that other Texas religion, football. Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

This recipe came to The Times in a 2006 magazine article about the 75th anniversary edition of The Joy of Cooking, the soup-to-nuts cookbook found on practically every home cook's shelf since its first publication in 1931. Like many of the book's beloved recipes, this dish is a crowd-pleasing, homespun classic that is incredibly simple to put together. First, make a quick chili of beef, black beans, corn, green pepper and onion seasoned with chile power and cumin. Spread that in a baking dish, top with a simple cornbread batter and pop it into the oven. In about a half hour: tamale pie. Serve with hot sauce, a dollop of sour cream and a few slices of avocado. If you're trying to eat less red meat, ground turkey or chicken would make a fine substitute for the beef. Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

Every cook needs a go-to poundcake recipe, and this one, adapted from Denise Moseley of Houston, is just that. It's nothing fancy – just butter, flour, sugar, eggs, vanilla, heavy cream and salt – but the result is equally befitting a school bake sale or a fancy dinner party. By definition, it is a true poundcake (it calls for a full pound of butter), yet despite its richness, it is still remarkably light and tender. For better or worse, it's the sort of cake you wouldn't mind snacking on all day. (A few tips: Be sure to butter and flour the pan meticulously, and let the cake cool for a full 10 minutes before unmolding it from the pan. Also, do take time to stir the flour in by hand until just combined. This ensures a tender, delicate crumb. Lastly, if you're the type of person who sprinkles salt on their chocolate chip cookies before baking, consider adding an extra pinch or two of salt to the batter.) Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

This is the frozen key lime pie that ends up all over Jack Nicholson’s face in the film adaptation of the novel “Heartburn,” Nora Ephron’s thinly veiled recounting of her disastrous marriage to Carl Bernstein. A no-bake key lime pie recipe that's very easy to make, this formula uses a large amount of lime juice to guarantee a tart, impressive flavor. We recommend eating it, though, not using it as a weapon. The pie can be prepared ahead and frozen for up to a week before serving. Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

Top-shelf vodka and fresh grapefruit juice topped with prosecco: a refreshing holiday cocktail.

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

This rum-based drink is made with lime juice and freshly brewed hot Sencha tea and Moroccan mint green tea. Jennifer Steinhauer And Helene Cooper

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

Buttery, salty and enduringly simple, the grilled cheese sandwich stands unrivaled in the universe of simple gastro-pleasures. It is the gateway sandwich to the land of hot sustenance, the first stovetop food many children learn to prepare by themselves. This deluxe grilled cheese is inspired by a dish at the Foundry on Melrose in Los Angeles. Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

The beauty of a Frito is in its simplicity: a little cornmeal, lots of salt, not much else. Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

This recipe for homemade Oreos came to The Times from the pastry chef Stella Parks, whose trick of rolling out the dough onto cocoa powder gives the cookie a chocolatey boost. Using shortening for the cookie cream will lend it a tacky texture, perfect for a cookie-aisle authenticity. Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

Dispirited by the possible demise in 2012 of Hostess, the company that makes Twinkies, Ho Hos, and Hostess cupcakes, Jennifer Steinhauer began to wonder if she could make Hostess snack cakes, as well as other much-loved junk food from the past, in her own kitchen. She started with this classic, the Twinkie, by buying a canoe pan, which conveniently came with a cream injector. This recipe is a traditional sponge cake-style recipe, with whipped egg whites and sugar forming the base, then filled by cream injector with seven-minute frosting. Neighbors were delighted when she shared the results, but it was short lived. By the next day, the cake had absorbed the cream -- so make sure to eat them fast.

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

This recipe, from former first lady Lady Bird Johnson, was featured in the 2011 exhibition “What's Cooking, Uncle Sam?” at the National Archives in Washington. Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

This is an easy spice cake from "The Joy of Cooking" made moist and delicious by using a stealthy ingredient: a can of condensed tomato soup. Make it and see if your guests can guess the secret. Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

Remember the chicken-and-stars soup of your youth? This is like that, but heartier, more healthful and a touch more sophisticated. It's loaded with vegetables – carrots, leeks, celery – and seasoned with generous amounts of garlic, tarragon, thyme, parsley and bay leaf. Tiny little star pasta (stellini) make it unbearably charming, and a good squeeze of lemon juice brightens it all up. Serve it over slices of toasted Italian bread for the ultimate in comfort food. Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

A cocktail featuring prosecco with pomegranate juice.

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

When you want a pumpkin dessert, but not the heft of a pie, this light and creamy make-ahead custard will do the trick. It's surprisingly simple to prepare; just combine the ingredients in a saucepan, heat, then strain through a sieve and chill for at least 3 hours. Divine.

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

Mix vodka, orange juice concentrate and cranberry-tangerine juice in a pitcher and freeze for at least five hours.

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

In the Chesapeake, seafood often finds its way onto the Thanksgiving menu. But in Baltimore, which has a strong eastern European and German immigrant history, the holiday table demands something else. “The absence of sauerkraut when turkey is present, Thanksgiving included, is unthinkable, comparable to potatoes without gravy or crisp French fries without ketchup,” wrote John Shields, the chef and owner of Gertrude’s restaurant in Baltimore, in his cookbook “Chesapeake Bay Cooking.” (Sauerkraut is a mainstay well beyond Thanksgiving; Gertrude’s hosts an annual Krautfest in January.) Traditionally, homemakers fermented the cabbage in earthenware crocks in their cellars, but these days the fresh stuff is available to buy. On Thanksgiving, it’s often simply served as a side, or incorporated into dishes like this, in which the sauerkraut is braised in beer with bacon and apples. Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

Maybe don't order pad Thai this weekend and make it yourself? Here's a recipe to offer both an excellent facsimile of what's available from your favorite Thai place and the satisfaction that comes with having made the meal at home. This dish may introduce some new ingredients to your pantry (fish sauce and tamarind paste), and if you’re a parent, it might become a family favorite. Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

Not every version of butter chicken uses butter. Coconut milk gives this slow-cooker chicken its creamy richness. This is a fast recipe for the cook: Just prep it earlier in the day, even during your morning routine, getting your onion and spices going on the stove while simultaneously making lunches for grumpy children, folding dish towels, feeding the dogs and wondering once again why no one else has done any of the above. If you're preparing pork or beef in the slow cooker, you'll want to brown the meat first, but that's not necessary with boneless cuts of chicken. The meat will be cooked within 4 ½ or 5 hours, but if you need to let it sit a little longer — up to 7 hours total, on low heat — it will still be delicious, though the chicken may be very soft and shred a tad.

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

The cookbook author Cathy Barrow always finds creative ways to make use of ingredients. She created this recipe as a savory pie filling for her book “Pie Squared: Irresistibly Easy Sweet & Savory Slab Pies,” but it also makes a good vegetarian supper when served over rice, and a nice side dish too. (Make it vegan by omitting the yogurt to serve.) Pomegranate molasses can be found in Middle Eastern markets and health-food stores and adds bright, tangy sweetness to this hearty dish. Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

A tequila, sherry and Drambuie concoction with orange bitters and a garnish of orange peel and thyme. Jennifer Steinhauer And Helene Cooper

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

Chili tastes are highly personal, often inflexible and loaded with preconceptions — the political party of culinary offerings. “I don’t disagree with anyone’s chili,” Robb Walsh, a Texas food historian, the author of “The Tex-Mex Cookbook” and a restaurateur, told The Times. “If you are making a one-pot meal and you want to put beans in it, that’s fine. If chili is part of your cuisine, like Tex-Mex, there are other things you will want to do." This recipe is an amalgam of styles, with coffee and chocolate for complexity, hot sauce for kick and beans just because.

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

This chili is renowned for its hotter versions; heavy on the cayenne and chili powder. The masa harina thickens the stew and adds a subtle corn undernote. Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

This recipe, adapted from Ted's Bulletin, an upscale comfort food diner in Washington, makes a simple yet satisfying soup. A generous swirl of half and half adds richness, and the unexpected addition of honey lends a subtle, earthy sweetness. Just add grilled cheese. Jennifer Steinhauer

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking

Boneless chicken breasts suffer a bad reputation, owing in large part to their propensity to dry out. The solution here is a lovely bath in an ample amount of olive oil, white wine and lemon, which seasons and tenderizes the chicken. Later, the marinade becomes an easy pan sauce once it cooks with the breasts. Use fresh herbs in the summer; in the winter, dried herbs will do the trick.

Jennifer Steinhauer · NYT Cooking