Alison Roman

Alison Roman · Sweet Enough: A Baking Book

This luxurious chocolate pudding recipe with yoghurt whipped cream by Alison Roman is a must-make dessert for your next gathering.

Alison Roman · Dining In: highly cookable recipes

Covered with garlicky anchovy butter and served with chicken-fat croutons, this recipe for roast chicken by Alison Roman is just too good.

Alison Roman · Something from Nothing

This easy pasta recipe by Alison Roman features a creamy sauce with cauliflower, and a delicious cheesy breadcrumb topping for added texture.

Alison Roman · Something from Nothing

This Easter, instead of lamb try Alison Roman's recipe for crispy roast chicken with leeks for a dinner everyone will love.

Alison Roman · Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over

Alison Roman's recipe for 'frizzled' - a balance of fried and caramelised - chickpeas and onion is a must-make vegetarian dish.

Alison Roman · Dining In: highly cookable recipes

Inspired by Alison Roman's favourite Californian taco trucks, this sweet and spicy pork taco recipe makes a delicious party dinner.

Alison Roman · Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over

This labne dip by Alison Roman is served with a spicy fried spring onion and coriander mix that makes this recipe totally addictive.

Alison Roman · Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over

This bean salad recipe by Alison Roman features escarole, anchovies and parmesan to make a tasty and satisfying dish.

Alison Roman · Sweet Enough: A Baking Book

This easy raspberry cake recipe by Alison Roman uses ricotta to add a delicate flavour and a moist texture.

Alison Roman · Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over

Embrace squash season with this recipe by Alison Roman featuring roasted pumpkin, a zesty yoghurt sauce and spiced buttered pistachios.

Alison Roman · Dining In: highly cookable recipes

This elevated tomato sauce by Alison Roman uses olive-oil roasted tomatoes and anchovies to make a delicious but simple-to-make pasta dish.

Alison Roman · Dining In: highly cookable recipes

This chocolate chunk cookie recipe by Alison Roman is made with lots of salted butter to form a moreish shortbread consistency. Aka THE cookies.

Alison Roman · Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over

Alison Roman's recipe for slow braised brisket with caramelised honey, garlic and spices is packed full of flavour for a true comfort meal.

Alison Roman · Something from Nothing

This pea salad recipe by Alison Roman is full of bright and punchy flavours. Serve as a side dish on Easter weekend or enjoy on a Spring picnic.

Alison Roman · Something from Nothing

An easy recipe by Alison Roman for a delicious, brothy soup with pork mince. It is the ultimate comforting meal for colder days.

Alison Roman · Sweet Enough: A Baking Book

This plum galette by Alison Roman is the perfect summer bake, featuring a halva crumble for an added nutty flavour.

Alison Roman · Something from Nothing

Poaching fish in a brothy sauce gives it so much flavour, and this easy Alison Roman recipe uses tomato and chilli oil for a sweet and spicy combo.

Alison Roman · Dining In: highly cookable recipes

Use up any leftover white wine with this herby butter clam recipe by Alison Roman for an easy yet sophisticated meal.

Alison Roman · Dining In

When people ask me what my favorite thing to cook is, often I’ll give them the most boring but honest answer possible: roasted chicken. In a personal quest for “the one,” I’ve tried a bird every way possible—simple salt-and-pepper birds, spatchcocked and slow roasted, brined, and trussed—but I always come back to this version: smeared inside and out with a salty, garlicky anchovy butter; roasted at a high temperature for brown skin, then low for juicy breasts; stuffed only with more garlic and maybe some herbs; legs akimbo (I have a strict “no truss, no fuss” policy). I’m going to be honest with you: this recipe is almost too much. The sticky juices from the roasted chicken, the caramelized bits from anchovy butter, and the croutons that cook in the skillet and crisp in the fat, well… I mean, it’s really all just too much. Almost. For what other dish would you be tempted to lick a hot skillet?

Alison Roman · Dining In

When people ask me what my favorite thing to cook is, often I’ll give them the most boring but honest answer possible: roasted chicken. In a personal quest for “the one,” I’ve tried a bird every way possible—simple salt-and-pepper birds, spatchcocked and slow roasted, brined, and trussed—but I always come back to this version: smeared inside and out with a salty, garlicky anchovy butter; roasted at a high temperature for brown skin, then low for juicy breasts; stuffed only with more garlic and maybe some herbs; legs akimbo (I have a strict “no truss, no fuss” policy). I’m going to be honest with you: this recipe is almost too much. The sticky juices from the roasted chicken, the caramelized bits from anchovy butter, and the croutons that cook in the skillet and crisp in the fat, well… I mean, it’s really all just too much. Almost. For what other dish would you be tempted to lick a hot skillet?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

Those of you who love stuffing know that it might be the only reason to host Thanksgiving. This version is an updated classic — no dried fruit, no surprise ingredients, no “twists” — just a very buttery, deeply savory stuffing made with garlic, leeks and a lot of celery. The bread is crusty and torn, never cubed (for those crisp, craggy edges), and the whole thing is baked in a baking dish, never inside the turkey (to keep it light and fluffy with a custardy interior and a golden-brown top). All stuffing needs two trips to the oven: once, covered, to cook it through and twice, uncovered, to crisp up the top. You can do the first bake ahead of time if you like, or do one after the other if the timing works out that way.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

This pasta is all about the shallots, cooked down in a bath of olive oil to a jammy, caramelized paste. Tomato paste is there for tanginess, and anchovies for saltiness, but they serve more as background flavors to the sweetness of the shallot. This recipe makes enough caramelized shallot mixture for a double batch of pasta, or simply keep it refrigerated to spoon over fried eggs, or to serve underneath crispy chicken thighs or over roasted root vegetables like carrots or sweet potatoes.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

If you have the time or desire (or both) to make your own turkey stock from additional parts and bones before Thanksgiving cooking gets started, feel free. The rest of us can doctor store-bought broth with the “extra” parts of the turkey.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

I’m just guessing here, but I feel like “chopped liver” will never be my most popular recipe. I do love to eat it, and for those who feel the same way, "Hello, nice to meet you!" It’s not much to look at, but at least one of you will become a fan after spreading this funky, savory mixture onto a salted matzo with a sprinkle of parsley and lemon juice. (I’m hoping that person is you.) It won’t keep very long (it’s best within 24 hours), but that’s why this version makes the perfect snackable amount.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

The nice thing about this cheesecake is that it doesn’t require a water bath or any sort of special baking pan: More shallow than a traditional version, it gets baked right in a pie plate (or tart pan, if you’ve got that). While there are zest and juice inside the cream cheese filling, it’s the fresh sliced citrus on top that makes this cake Creamsicle-like, so don’t skip it. The ultimate do-ahead dessert, this cheesecake can be baked three or so days in advance, just make sure to wrap it tightly as cream cheese tends to easily pick up on that “fridge” scent.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

Similar in texture to a risotto (without the constant stirring), this creamy, saucy farro is about half the work, with almost no technique required. While the porridgelike texture is a delight all on its own, the meaty, golden brown mushrooms and frizzled leeks are the real reason you are here. Using plenty of olive oil to make sure the mushrooms crisp and brown without sticking will be the secret to success in that department.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

This dish does not shy away from fat in the best way possible. From the lamb to the olive oil to the yogurt used as a sauce at the end, this is a one-skillet meal that feels worthy of a weekend spread. Since these meatballs aren’t made with binders like eggs or bread, they’re truly best made with a fatty meat like lamb. If you decide to use pork or beef instead, make sure it’s a mixture with a higher fat content or the meatballs could turn out dry. Since eggplant can really soak up oil when pan-frying, feel free to add more to the skillet as the slices cook.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

At its core, kugel is a casserole. It comes in both savory and sweet varieties, often made with egg noodles and vaguely sweetened. This version, made with potatoes, is decidedly salty and savory, with onions in the mixture and chives to finish. It can best be described as something between a Spanish tortilla and a giant latke; the potatoes are shredded, not sliced, there are eggs but no flour, and it’s got crispy edges and a creamy interior. Sounds dreamy, doesn’t it? The most annoying parts of this kugel are also the most important: grating the potatoes (I use a box grater, but you can use a food processor with the shredding blade) and wringing out their moisture. For that, I use my hands and a colander or strainer to save a kitchen towel or a cheesecloth, but you can use those, if you like. Traditionally made in a casserole-style baking dish, this kugel starts off in a cast-iron skillet, but a stainless-steel skillet would do the job, and honestly so would a baking dish, just know yo

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

Boiled potatoes are great to keep on hand for out-of-hand snacking and as a quick addition to things like a skillet full of chicken fat or a midday lunch salad, but also excellent as a foil for rich, fatty, tinned fish. In this recipe from “Nothing Fancy” (Clarkson Potter, 2019), the potatoes are crushed because it allows the chunkiness (which lends texture) to coexist with the more broken-up pieces (which lends creaminess). Plus, those exposed craggy edges are here for maximum lemony, scalliony, salty dressing absorption.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

These extremely rich, highly textured potatoes are no less luxurious than the silky mashed variety, but they are a lot less work. There’s no ricing, mashing or whipping — just a simple crush to expose the potatoes’ craggy interior. From here on out, the key word is “cream”: Creamy potatoes meld with the garlicky heavy cream mixture and lots of sour cream. Small (and yes, creamy) potatoes on the waxy side, like a new potato or even a fingerling, work best here, but a more floury potato cut into large chunks would also work in a pinch. Don’t skimp on the black pepper or chives. They truly make this dish.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

Like a pie but with only one crust, like a galette but thicker, this deep-dish number is the best of all worlds. The buttery crust (made by hand for flakiest results) dramatically envelopes apples that are sweetened mostly with honey. A splash of vinegar is added for acidity, and, of course, there’s a little cinnamon (if you like). Truthfully, any apple is good here, but the tart baking varieties tend to hold their shape and give a bit more structure to the finished dish. Bake in a 9-inch springform pan for tall, festive sides, or a deep-dish 9-inch pie plate for a more rustic feel.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

For those who want to let the side dishes do the talking, this is the bird for you. Delightfully simple, it’s dry-brined (meaning highly seasoned) with only salt, pepper, some thyme and a little brown sugar, which helps with that golden-brown skin. It’s roasted on a sheet pan, and cut-up onions, garlic, lemon and herbs are scattered in and around the turkey to cook at the same time. They’re excellent served alongside the turkey, and are instrumental in flavoring the sheet-pan gravy.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

The ultimate high-low condiment your table didn’t know it was missing. These dressed-up canned cranberries become tart, juicy and a little bit savory thanks to some fresh citrus, thinly sliced red onion and a little flaky salt. With or without whole berries suspended in them? That’s dealer’s choice, but the rounds will be much easier to slice without them.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

Inspired by packed cups of Italian ice, this frozen melon dessert is the best way to enjoy melon (besides eating it fresh). Be sure to season it with enough citrus juice to give some dimension to the melon, which tends to read as simply sweet. Frozen melon can be made two weeks ahead, either scraped or unscraped. (If scraped, store in a resealable plastic container and re-fluff before serving.)

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

This is one of the few occasions when overcrowding the skillet is a good thing. These carrots are cooked in fat (schmaltz, olive oil, butter), with a pinch of something spicy (red-pepper flakes, cayenne, even hot paprika), sort of half-steaming on top of each other until just tender (no mushy carrots here, please). At the end, they are seasoned with a bit of finely grated or chopped garlic off the heat, which quiets the garlicky punchiness without extinguishing it entirely. Like a sandwich cut into triangles, the fact that the carrots are sliced into rounds makes them taste above-average delicious.

Alison Roman · Something from Nothing

This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little . . . unexciting. But what you’re likely underestimating is the power of mushrooms (naturally high in umami, a fever dream of mixed textures, visually dazzling in all their shapes and sizes), which are doing most if not all of the heavy lifting here. Technically this recipe can be done with all button or chestnut (cremini) mushrooms, but I can’t say it will look or taste as good as it does with a mix of the more exotic types, such as oyster, maitake or chanterelle. The simplicity of this soup means you do have to be vigilant about seasoning (especially if you’re so bravely using water instead of stock), salting, peppering and adjusting with fish sauce as you go. That said, I really enjoy the monk-like restraint of the mushroom-garlic-water magic that occurs (with a fish sauce assist, of course), creating a broth that is delicate and earthy, evoking a very good, robust mushroom tea.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

These delightfully al dente green beans are a quick-cooking nod to the green bean casserole. There is no cream of mushroom soup, but there are fried shallots. Torn leafy greens, briefly sautéed with a bit of butter and a few melted anchovies (which can be omitted for vegetarians), are added to the beans to wilt at the last minute for a very green-on-green side. Depending on what else you’re serving, this could almost count as a salad. Be sure to finish with plenty of acid and flaky salt.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

In this very high-brow version of ranch dressing, adapted from "Nothing Fancy" by Alison Roman (Clarkson Potter, 2019), scalliony chile oil gets sizzled with cilantro stems (or chives) and swirled into thick, lemony labneh. If you can find green garlic, which tends to be hyperseasonal, use that or even ramps in place of the scallions. Serve with raw vegetables for dipping, as a spread with crackers or flatbread, or alongside roasted lamb or vegetables.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

This salad is ideal for Thanksgiving or other huge, rich meals, something to nibble on between bites of sour cream potatoes and buttered stuffing. It’s more of an idea than a recipe, so feel free to riff on the greens and herbs involved. It should have about a 1:1 ratio of salad greens to herbs, and be very lemony, with plenty of salt.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

This cake, which is adapted from “Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over,” is so good and so simple to put together, you might come to call it “house cake,” which is, of course, cake to keep in your house at all times. Just slicing into it makes a bad day better, the baked equivalent of burning sage or palo santo to clear the energy. It travels well, and can truly be brought anywhere for any occasion, but most of the time it won’t make it out of your kitchen.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

These white beans, adapted from Alison Roman's cookbook "Nothing Fancy" (Clarkson Potter, 2019), could potentially be a whole meal, but they are also great alongside another protein since they pull double duty as both starch and salad. While this dish is beautifully seasonally agnostic, it is a summery dream with grilled whole trout or lamb shoulder, and lots of cold red or white wine, preferably in the sunny outdoors.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

Greater than the sum of its parts, matzo ball soup is a wonderful combination of three very simple things: chicken broth (golden brown, deeply savory, lightly seasoned), matzo balls (tender, eggy, schmaltzy dumplings made with ground matzo) and garnish (celery and fresh dill, lots of it). The key to keeping the chicken juicy, tender and something you’re excited to eat is by gently simmering the stock (which will also keep the broth crystal clear rather than muddied). You can pick the meat from the chicken and add it back to the soup if you like, or save for next-day chicken salad. For the matzo balls, matzo meal is preferred for its fine texture, but know that you can also grind your own from matzo boards in a food processor.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

If strawberry doughnuts are your thing, then this cake is absolutely your thing. A classic, old-fashioned buttermilk cake with bits of berries strewn throughout, it manages to taste just like your favorite fried treat (without the frying, of course). Be sure to bake the cake all the way through; strawberries have a high water content and tend to make for a soggy cake if not baked properly. The top should be crackly, deeply and perfectly golden brown, and the edges should pull away from the sides of the pan.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

Think of this as a weeknight chicken confit, cooked low and slow in plenty of olive oil along with sweet carrots and tangy lemon slices. Save that leftover oil and use it to roast vegetables, fry eggs, jump-start a pasta sauce or, of course, cook more chicken.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

I have always been the one at the Seder table to eat the parsley dipped in saltwater with enthusiasm. “You going to finish that?” I might ask my neighbor at the table when I see they have left theirs untouched after just a nibble. This salad is an obvious nod to the Seder plate, including both parsley (karpas) and fresh horseradish (maror, or bitter herbs), except it’s less ceremonial and more just a very delicious salad. I love, love parsley and think a well-seasoned bowl of it is something that most tables can benefit from, especially if those tables include braised pots of red meat. While parsley and fennel can be prepared ahead of time, the salad itself is best dressed right before you eat.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

This is a less saucy, more pasta-salad-like pasta, which is to say it’s best served at room temperature after being carted to an outdoor location and eaten directly from the container. The zucchini mixture should be deeply flavorful and concentrated, rather than loose or watery. If you’re looking for something saucier, add more olive oil (not pasta water) as needed to coat each piece of pasta before serving.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

This weeknight affair pairs savory pork with a sweet-and-sour mixture of sliced plums and red onions. When a recipe has so few ingredients, it’s important that they be of the highest quality possible. The pork chops here will deliver most of the fat, so make sure they’re well marbled (bone-in loin or rib chops both work). As for the plums, this is one of the rare occasions in which underripe is preferred to perfectly ripe, so they maintain texture after they get briefly tossed in the skillet, and also deliver plenty of acidity for the pan sauce.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

This soup, based mostly on pantry staples, can be made with a variety of proteins, noodles and greens depending on what you have on hand. Snow pea leaves are exceptional here, which can be found in many Asian grocers year-round, but spinach, Swiss chard or other dark leafy green would work well. Don’t skip the raw onion, the soup’s finished complexity depends on it.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

Typically used for long braises, short ribs are insanely flavorful and have excellent marbling, which means you can and should cook them as you would a more expensive cut: seared on all sides until medium-rare. To serve, thinly slice the meat and top it generously with a mixture of fresh and charred scallions and tomatillos. Set it out with warmed tortillas and hot sauce for a D.I.Y. taco experience, though it’s also great over a bed of peppery greens or crunchy romaine.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

Roasting salmon low and slow in one large piece means just cooked, perfectly medium-rare salmon every time. In a pinch, this recipe would work with pre-portioned salmon fillets, but make sure they are at least an inch thick, and decrease the cooking time by about 5 to 8 minutes. The lemon dressing here is tangy, floral and, yes, a little bitter (as the whole lemon is involved, pith and all). If that’s not your preferred flavor profile, feel free to only use the zest and juice.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

Unlike most cobblers, which ask you to chop or slice the fruit, this one is meant to preserve the integrity of the apricots, which bake until totally tender, jammy and saucy, while still maintaining their shape and texture. The idea is to spoon out one of the barely sweetened, oaty shortcakes from the pan and then top it with the roasted, honey-sweetened fruit. Ice cream is optional but recommended.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

A classic, old-fashioned chocolate pudding, this dessert is made a bit more interesting by layering with whipped sour cream (for a little tang) and crushed cookies of your choosing (for texture). While you can absolutely make and serve chocolate pudding in individual cups, there is something delightfully communal about sharing it from one giant vessel, which can be nearly anything you want: Mixing bowls, trifle bowls or baking dishes all work, just aim for something tall and deep so you can build as many layers as possible.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

There are about a million ways to roast a chicken, and people will always tell you that theirs is the best way. Here is the truth: If you smear a good, high-quality chicken with enough fat, season it with plenty of salt and roast it until the skin is brown, it will always be excellent. But it’s slow-roasting that gives you golden skin, tender meat and plenty of salty, savory chicken juices to serve as a sauce. From the simple assortment of ingredients to the ridiculously hands-off preparation, this recipe from Alison Roman's cookbook "Nothing Fancy" (Clarkson Potter, 2019) is casual in a way that feels almost lazy (but isn’t), with make-sounds-after-you-take-a-bite levels of deliciousness. To truly put it over the edge, add a few anchovies to the tomatoes.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

This is the type of scalable recipe that is ideal for feeding large groups of people in a short period of time. More snack than a meal, the idea is to build a table of these lightly spiced, grilled skewers (if you don't like lamb, then pork, beef or chicken all work) and fill out the rest of your table with store-bought ingredients like pickles, olives, yogurt and flatbread for sopping it all up.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

This ultimate sweet-and-salty squash recipe can be done with most hearty orange vegetables, like sweet potatoes or even carrots (no need to peel any of these). The vegetables are tossed simply with olive oil and something sticky, like maple syrup or honey, and roasted until tender and caramelized. To add some texture back into the mix, the vegetables are finished with toasted nuts and plenty of fresh lemon zest for some perkiness.

Alison Roman · Nothing Fancy:

Historically speaking, I have a bad attitude about meatballs. (I don’t love minced meat, and also I once was dumped the morning after a meatball-forward meal, and, yes, I blame the meatballs.) But I will say that I am coming around. After all, meatballs are undeniably excellent for serving large amounts of people, and here we have crispy, garlicky pork in a delicious, garlicky, tomato-y sauce. What’s not to love? I will give you a heads-up here: while one is not better than the other, these are less red-sauce Italian and more Isle of Capri Italian (do they even have meatballs there? I’m not sure). They simmer in a light, brothy tomato sauce flecked with toasted spices and lots and lots of garlic, then are finished with fresh herbs, salty cheese, and an ocean of olive oil, if you’re doing it right. Bound by yoghurt with no breadcrumbs or egg in sight, the meatballs are light, springy, and accidentally gluten-free, which is great – especially if you’re gluten-free, I imagine. But for m

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

Not quite a fridge clean-out situation, this extremely flexible stew can use up much of what you’ve got on hand. It’s vegetarian by nature, but feel free to start the pot with sausage, slab bacon or leftover ham if you’re feeling more omnivorous. If you can’t find harissa, use tomato paste and a pinch of red-pepper flakes for spiciness.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

This versatile (coincidentally vegan) soup can be customized with most quick-cooking vegetables — thinly sliced asparagus could easily be thinly sliced turnips or radishes — and whatever tofu you have access to. If tofu isn’t your thing, this soup would also be a great place to add any leftover chicken to warm through or shrimp to cook in the broth. The lemon at the end will breathe a lot of much-needed life into this broth built mostly from pantry staples, but a splash of rice wine vinegar would also do the trick.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

Constructed from layers of soft, spongy sliced bread and tons of juicy, just-cooked fruit, this British dessert gets an update with a layer of barely sweetened whipped cream. It is the best thing since, well, sliced bread. Think of it as somewhere between a layer cake (where you don’t have to bake any cake) and a tiramisù (where the coffee and chocolate is replaced by burst berries and juicy peaches). While the assembly should be a relaxed, messy affair, just be sure to adequately soak the bread so it reads as custardy, not dry.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

This bright, sweet and salty recipe for braised short ribs will work with bone-in or boneless meat, as long as the short ribs are thick (at least 1 ½ inch), and not the thinly sliced Korean style. Seasoning your meat with salt and pepper at least 24 hours in advance will greatly improve the flavor of the finished product. And, if you can spare an extra 24, making them a day ahead of serving will make them even better, with all that braising liquid flavoring the meat as it sits. Finishing with herbs and lemon are hardly a revelation in the braised meat department, but they are especially welcome here. The fresh lemon juice at the end transforms the braising liquid into a bright, brothy, spoonable sauce good enough to drink.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

You do not have to be a chocolate person to love this perfect, unfussy, snacky dessert, which is like the edge of a chewy brownie but in cookie form. Adapted from "Nothing Fancy" by Alison Roman (Clarkson Potter, 2019), these cookies require no special equipment, fancy techniques or chilling time, which means that even if you bake only once a year, you can still make these. Lightly sweet and definitely salty, it's ideal for the end of a meal.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

Crisp, golden-brown toast is the perfect bed for impossibly ripe tomatoes, made even better when topped with saucy, garlicky shrimp. These fully assembled tomato toasts may require a knife and fork to properly tackle, but they are also wonderful eaten with your hands. Keeping the tails on the shrimp makes for a festive presentation, but feel free to remove them so you don’t have to deal with them as you eat.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

Poaching boneless, skinless fish fillets in a brothy sauce is a foolproof (and undeniably delicious) method for cooking fish. Here, go for meaty, mild-flavored, firm-fleshed varieties like cod, haddock, pollack, halibut or flounder. This flavorful sauce, made from burst cherry (or other small) tomatoes, sizzled shallots and toasted garlic, definitely has a summery vibe; feel free to substitute a can of peeled tomatoes if the real deal isn’t in season.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

This tangy, turmeric-stained, sheet-pan chicken makes the most of the schmaltzy bits left behind on the pan, which is deglazed with fresh garlic, briny olives and a bit of water. Think pan sauce, but done on a sheet pan.

Alison Roman · NYT Cooking

Artichokes become weeknight friendly when they come from a can or a jar. Be sure to buy the unmarinated ones here. The gentle braise in rendered chicken fat and tangy white wine, mixed with onions and herbs, provides all the flavor the artichokes need.