Recipes

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

Red drinks are central to Juneteenth, as the color red represents the blood shed by enslaved people. Strawberry soda is commonly served, but this punch builds on that tradition, adding honey for its sweet distinct flavor, lime juice and mint for freshness, and ginger for a fiery warmth. And it’s a great way to use up slightly overripe strawberries. (It’s better to use overripe berries, since underripe ones can have bitter notes.) Serve over ice with a twist of lime for an extra burst of flavor.

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

A savory rice dish with fuzzy origins, a strong Louisiana history and a number of influences (African, Spanish and French, to name a few), shrimp jambalaya is the ultimate comfort. Here, both rice and shrimp are cooked in the oven separately, not the stovetop, for a more hands-off approach. It’s a meal on its own but also wonderful as part of a spread.

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

Kwame Onwuachi serves a version of this dish at his acclaimed restaurant Tatiana in New York City. He halves and deep-fries his version, but in this adaptation, it’s quartered so every bit is extra crunchy. It’s lightly coated in a vibrant honey sauce bursting with Scotch bonnet chile, ginger and pungent garlic. The flavors are big but not overbearing, letting okra’s beauty shine. Finish with a dusting of mustard powder, if you like, and a squeeze of lemon, to bring this New York small-plate to your dinner table. Millie Peartree

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

Two heads of garlic sautéed in extra-virgin olive oil set the stage for these sandwiches, where tender chicken thighs are heavily seasoned, then pan-seared in garlic oil until dark golden brown. A red-cabbage slaw nestled above and below the chicken adds crunch, and its vinegar (not mayo) base means you don’t have to worry if it sits outside for too long. But your guests will have eaten these up long before then.

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.

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

The ultimate party meatballs, this super-simple dish comes together in the slow cooker, which also keeps it warm for both transporting and for enjoying at your leisure. Traditionally, these are made with frozen meatballs, but this version calls for making your own, using just about any ground meat you like. Crushed red pepper gives these an additional kick, but if you don’t love a spicy meatball, feel free to pull back on the amount. The flavors mellow and combine in the slow cooker, leaving you with a sweet, smoky meatball that’s moist and rich with flavor. Whether for a potluck, holiday or baby shower, this recipe will definitely leave your guests wanting more.

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

When two vegetables grow together, they more than likely pair well together, and that’s the case here, with green beans and tomatoes. Tomatoes get a small head start in the pan alongside garlic and onion, and a little tempering sweetness from brown sugar. Then, the green beans are added, to cook down even further. Feel free to use over-ripe tomatoes here. They cook down wonderfully in this easy side dish and are a simple way to add more vegetables to your table.

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

It doesn’t get any easier than steamed broccoli; here it’s tossed with a hint of creamy sweetness from butter and a squeeze of lemon to add some fresh brightness. Quick and easy to prepare any night of the week, dress it up or down however you like: Serve it as a side to a protein, like chicken breasts or fish, or add it to a grain bowl, along with other vegetables.

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

Tender broccoli florets are a great compliment to smoky bacon, especially when rounded out with some caramelized garlic cloves. This easy side dish comes together with minimal prep. The high heat crisps the edges of the broccoli nicely, and brings the fat out of the bacon, infusing the florets with flavor. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar is optional but recommended. It turns this low-maintenance weeknight dish into something truly special.

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

Glazed with a kind of pecan-studded sauce, this sweet potato pound cake is the perfect marriage of two Southern staples. The cake is tender, buttery, warmly spiced and loaded with fall flavor from canned sweet potatoes, but you could also put your Thanksgiving leftovers to use here and use mashed candied yams or sweet potatoes. They’ll lend every bite richness and gentle sweetness.

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.

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

An old-fashioned family favorite, this buttery, moist rum cake is made even richer with a soak of butter, sugar and rum. Orange zest in that glaze then gives it an additional burst of flavor, making it extra special – the kind of cake that breaks out of the holiday mold and gets served at every gathering to come.

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

This Southern shrimp salad is so easy to throw together. It uses fresh or frozen shrimp, quickly and gently cooked in a pot of just-boiled water that’s well seasoned and spiked with lemon. Once cooled, the shrimp is then tossed in a savory, tangy, creamy dressing with a crunch from crisp vegetables for a perfect balance of texture. It’s an ideal light lunch, and also keeps in the fridge for a few days, ready to serve as a snack with crackers when you need something in a hurry.

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

Cajun seasoning is a robust, versatile spice blend that originated in Louisiana. It’s known for its bold, full-bodied flavor, which comes with a touch of heat. Since this seasoning blend uses ingredients that may already be in your spice cabinet, you can whip up a batch in no time for anything from sheet-pan salmon and Charleston red rice to gumbo and shrimp jambalaya.

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

These chicken tenders pack a punch, thanks to a generous helping of a savory homemade spice blend, revved up with Cajun seasoning. A spoonful of mustard in the marinade helps the spices adhere, serves as a tenderizer, and lends a slight tanginess. Adding a bit of that marinade to the flour mixture helps create a crust that fries up shaggy and crackly. For a crispy exterior and juicy interior with less oil, this recipe calls for pan-frying rather than deep frying. Pair these tenders with your favorite dipping sauces, and they’re sure to be a hit.

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

If you like spinach dip and the earthy tender texture of collard greens, then this is the dish for you. The Parmesan cream sauce adds a nice smooth silkiness, while the warm smokiness from the paprika brings this hearty dish to another level of flavor. It’s then topped with a layer of bread crumbs and more cheese and baked until beautifully golden brown. This dish deserves to become a staple on your holiday table, and can also work as a new twist for a game day snack spread alongside cornbread crackers.

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

This salmon dish is fancy enough to serve for guests and simple enough for a quick protein-packed weeknight dinner. First, you’ll gently simmer lentils to tenderness with a beautiful, aromatic base of sautéed onion, leek, celery and carrot, along with chicken (or vegetable) stock. Then delicate fillets of salmon are placed on top and steamed to your desired doneness. Leftovers are delicious at room temperature with an herby salad.

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

Also called cowpeas or southern peas, field peas are actually a variety of beans, often cooked with pork and simply seasoned. As the peas cook in the braising liquid, they become tender, earthy and totally satisfying. The snaps are green beans that are snapped in half (which is where the name “snap beans” comes from), and then simmered along with the peas. Traditionally, snaps were the young green pods of the field peas themselves. Simmering the snaps with the field peas infuses the broth with flavor, just like collard greens and potlikker. This heartwarming dish can be eaten on its own or paired with white rice and cornbread.

Millie Peartree · NYT Cooking

This deeply comforting meal gives old-fashioned, nostalgic chicken fried steak a bit of a twist. It starts with tender, thin cuts of steak that are well seasoned and dredged in flour. Once the steak is browned, the flour forms the base for a delicious pan gravy, tossed with green bell peppers and onions for a sweet and slightly crisp bite. Serve hot with fluffy rice or mashed potatoes to catch all that gravy.

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.

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

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

For the chef Michel Richard, using less butter and cream requires making deft use of sauces. For these chops, a rich chicken stock is lightened by the addition of baby peas and spinach. Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

The chef Michel Richard spends most of his waking hours running from his French-California restaurant, Citrus, in Los Angeles, to his three less-ambitious French-California restaurants in Santa Barbara, Calif., Washington and Baltimore -- all called Citronelle. He knows he should take a little time for a diet and exercise regimen, but says he's too busy conjuring up ways to make French food more accessible, more casual and more in keeping with what Americans say they want to eat. What Americans say they want to eat (light) and what they actually consume (rich) make life difficult for most chefs. After 15 years working as a pastry chef in the U.S., Mr. Richard determined that what Americans want to eat is light, but with a strong taste. Marian Burros

Marian Burros · NYT Cooking

To reduce the amount of butter and cream in his dishes, the chef Michel Richard works with three elements: reductions or concentrations, sauces or juices; crusts to keep food moist; and firecrackers, the crunch from oven-dried vegetables and fruits. Marian Burros