Recipes

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Alex Witchel

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Kale: The ubiquitous dark and leafy green that people either love or love to hate. If you fall into the latter camp, this recipe for a savory-sweet variation adapted from North Pond, a restaurant in Chicago, might change your mind. It requires a bit more work than a typical garlic and olive oil sauté, but it's well worth it. Start with blanching the kale in a pot of boiling water (skip this if you don't mind your kale a bit more toothsome). Sauté some onion, carrot and celery in a little oil, then add ⅓ cup sherry vinegar and reduce. Toss in the kale with a little honey, chicken broth and salt and pepper, then cook until the leaves are tender. At this point, you can either go ahead and eat it, or do as they do at the restaurant: strain the liquid and reduce to make a flavorful sauce to pour over the greens. Alex Witchel

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Alex Witchel

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Alex Witchel brought this recipe to The Times in 2008. Bigos is the sauerkraut stew that many consider the national dish of Poland. The author Louis Begley calls it Polish choucroute. With a pot of coarse grain mustard on the side and boiled potatoes topped with dill, the overall effect is a grown-up’s version of a child’s dinner party. Alex Witchel

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Alex Witchel

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Craving a good old-fashioned cake, a tall, frosted showgirl, preening on a high crystal stand? This yellow cake with chocolate frosting and a macaroon crunch is just the ticket. This recipe is adapted from one made at Junior’s in Brooklyn. The cake is moist, and the frosting sweet. Quite sweet, actually. Just right. Alex Witchel

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

This dish is a midwinter night’s dream come true. It looks like a thick pancake of hash browns, crusty on the outside, almost pudding-like inside, using potatoes both diced and mashed. Though it is liberally studded with perfect bits of prime rib, it is unabashedly potato-based, unlike other steakhouse variations, which go heavier on the meat. Alex Witchel

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Alex Witchel

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

The recipe for these superb biscotti came to The Times in 2009 from Union Square Cafe, the Manhattan restaurant. Wrap a few of these up as a parting gift for dinner guests, or eat a few and stash the rest in the freezer for a treat any time. Alex Witchel

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Alex Witchel

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Supplì al telefono are rice balls stuffed with ground meat and mozzarella, then breaded and fried. They are a classic Roman snack. Serve them as an appetizer, and pair them with an aperitif like Prosecco or Campari. Alex Witchel

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Alex Witchel

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

This elegant riff on a childhood favorite came to The Times in 2009 by way of Jamie Oliver, the British chef and cookbook author. It was featured in his cookbook “Jamie’s Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals," and it's a favorite of his daughters, Poppy and Daisy. It's wholesome (no powdered cheese!), and it can be ready in about 15 minutes. Alex Witchel

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Alex Witchel

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Here is an adaptation of the lobster Cantonese served at the eminent Shun Lee West restaurant in New York, which Alex Witchel captured for us in 2009. “Nostalgia deluxe,” she called the dish, totally accurately. It seems complicated to prepare. It is not. Set up all your ingredients beforehand, and the process moves quickly and is not at all difficult. Alex Witchel

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Here's a treat for the vegans in your life. Adapted from the cookbook “Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar,” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, these cookies, which are chunky with chocolate chips, walnuts and rolled oats, are best when they are completely cooled, so their exteriors can crisp up. They do not taste strongly of banana — it's just a hint. Alex Witchel

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Alex Witchel

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Alex Witchel

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Alex Witchel

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Alex Witchel

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Alex Witchel

Alex Witchel · NYT Cooking

Alex Witchel