Carolina Gelen’s Cosy Veggie Pot Pie

Carolina Gelen · Pass the Plate

This comforting recipe from Carolina Gelen is somewhere between a soup and a stew, bringing together butter beans, broccoli and Cheddar in one warming bowl.

Carolina Gelen · Pass the Plate

This rich and fragrant orange, olive oil and cardamom cake recipe is an ode to citrus fruit - switch it up with your favourite seasonal citrus fruit.

Carolina Gelen · NYT Cooking

Sweetened with dates and honey, this caramel-scented noodle kugel will be the perfect addition to your Rosh Hashana menu. While many noodle kugels are typically made with sour cream and cottage cheese, this one uses cream cheese and milk in the custard for a creamy and rich result that can easily be made pareve, meaning it uses no meat or dairy products (see Tip). Toss the chewy noodles with the spiced date and honey custard and jammy chopped dates. Bake until the custard is just set and the noodles develop crispy edges. Serve cold, with a hefty drizzle of honey on top.

Carolina Gelen · NYT Cooking

Any Romanian gathering or celebration will inevitably contain an eggplant dish, the most common ones being salată de vinete (eggplant salad — a charred eggplant dip that’s similar to baba ghanouj but uses mayonnaise instead of tahini) and zacuscă (a charred eggplant and pepper dip, similar to ajvar). This family recipe, adapted from “Pass the Plate” by Carolina Gelen (Clarkson Potter, 2024), falls somewhere between the two: The charred eggplant is sweetened with shallots, brightened with tomatoes and spiced with paprika and cumin (sometimes caraway). It’s not as heavy as the mayonnaise-laced dip and not as labor-intensive as zacuscă, making it a faster, lighter alternative to whip up on any occasion. Get ready for one of the most inviting smells you will experience in the kitchen.

Carolina Gelen · NYT Cooking

In Romania, and many other European countries, fermenting cabbage at home during winter months is a common practice. As temperatures start dropping, massive bags of shaved cabbage start popping up across farmers’ markets. Home cooks bring them home to make sauerkraut, roughly massaging the cabbage with salt and starting the fermentation process in their kitchens. They later store their giant sauerkraut-filled barrels outside, on patios and balconies throughout winter. The sauerkraut-consumption comes in many forms, from sauerkraut-stuffed flatbreads, cabbage rolls and sautéed sauerkraut with various meats, to soups like ciorbă de varză acră, a sour cabbage soup. There are as many versions as you might imagine: Some use cream, and some use sausage or smoked meats, but this recipe, adapted from “Pass the Plate” by Carolina Gelen (Clarkson Potter, 2024), delivers a bowl of comfort using paprika-spiced vegetables. When cooking with sauerkraut brine, taste the broth as you go to ensure a ba

Carolina Gelen · NYT Cooking

This traditional Hungarian pepper stew recipe delivers a flavor-packed one-pot meal that’s perfect for any busy weeknight. Every family has their own version, but at its root, lecsó is a paprika-spiced stew with melting onions, peppers and tomatoes. The vegetables are simmered together until saucy, jammy and glossy; the sweetness of the onions and peppers is offset by tomatoes, making this an irresistibly balanced dish that is light but satisfying. Hungarian peppers would be ideal. Typically enjoyed at their yellow stage, they are sweet and savory with a mild heat level. Red bell peppers are more modest, with their predominantly sweet flavor, but make a delicious option for this recipe. The dish, adapted from “Pass the Plate” by Carolina Gelen (Clarkson Potter, 2024), is vegan as written, but you can use this foundational recipe to make it your own. Some people serve it with fried or scrambled eggs, some with sausage or other meats, some use animal fat to cook the vegetables. Each vers