Recipes

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

The important thing for this dish is to have good, sweet, ripe watermelon that is firm enough to retain its shape once cubed, as well as good-quality pancetta, cut thick enough so that you can cube it to match the shape of the melon. Don’t use prepackaged pancetta or have it sliced into paper-thin wisps. Also important is to use good chicken stock. The best, obviously, is to make it yourself. But if that’s not available, good, organic, low-sodium stock will work, too.

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

This splendidly summery concoction is proof that punch, often associated with fall and winter holidays, can be made seasonal with the delicate spring sweetness of strawberries, and summery with the tropical tang of limes. Sure, you could settle for a vodka base, but bourbon adds a marvelous backbone of vanilla richness. Or make it without alcohol and serve at a children’s party. Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Rafael Mateo, the proprietor of Pata Negra, a Spanish wine bar in the East Village, formulated this sangria that is winelike and very refreshing, with a keen balance of tart and fruity flavors. Unlike many recipes, which specify Rioja made from the tempranillo grape, Mr. Mateo prefers using garnacha from Campo de Borja in central Spain, which he said has backbone without being overly tannic. He lightens the blend by adding rosé, and sweetens it with orange liqueur and orange soda rather than with fruit purée, a common addition, which he dislikes because, he said, it gives the sangria a grainy texture. He experimented with orange juice rather than soda, but found it, too, changed the texture. Finally, he allows the punch to knit together overnight and adds cut fruit only at the end, as a garnish. Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

What is tonic? Like its partner gin, tonic can be a blend of many different things, depending on the recipe, which is generally proprietary. But, also like gin (which, no matter what other ingredients, must begin with juniper berries), tonic must start with quinine, which is derived from the bark of the cinchona tree of South America. Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

Bright broccoli, lightly coated with a rich sauce that conveys a bit of heat, mingles with pasta in this dish from Majordomo, David Chang's first Los Angeles restaurant. There, they make their own thick noodles from scratch, using a combination of wheat flour and cassava starch. You don't have to. The restaurant's executive chef Jude Parra-Sickels suggests bucatini as a substitution. In preparing and serving the dish, do not short change the mixing of the ingredients because the broccoli tends to hide under the pasta. You have to coax it out, especially as you serve it. Vegetarians could use untoasted sesame oil, preferably cold pressed, in place of the pork fat. Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov · NYT Cooking

This recipe, from the cocktail writer David Wondrich, is adapted from the “Steward and Barkeeper’s Manual,” a cocktail book from 1869. The punch may have been named after Tim “Flute” Maginley, a New York flutist of the 1860s. It can be scaled up as needed.

Enid Nemy · NYT Cooking

Enid Nemy · NYT Cooking

Enid Nemy · NYT Cooking

Enid Nemy · NYT Cooking

Enid Nemy · NYT Cooking

Enid Nemy · NYT Cooking

Enid Nemy · NYT Cooking

Enid Nemy · NYT Cooking

Emily Fleischaker · NYT Cooking

Cacio e pepe is a traditional Italian pasta made with pecorino, Parmesan, black pepper and a little pasta cooking water. These cobs borrow the flavors of the traditional dish, but the cheese sauce is not thinned with water, so it’s very rich and creamy. Serve the cacio e pepe corn with grilled steak or fish and a green salad with acidic dressing. You’ll be happy.

Emily Fleischaker · NYT Cooking

This recipe delivers a hot wings moment minus the meat: Melt some blue cheese into warm Buffalo sauce and slather it on corn, then sprinkle with even more blue cheese crumbles. There are people in this world who think Buffalo sauce pairs better with ranch dressing than blue cheese, and even some people who detest blue cheese. For them, leave out the blue cheese altogether and drizzle ranch (or our recipe for yogurt ranch sauce) over the Buffalo’d cobs.