The finest Japanese pork ramen takes considerable culinary skill and many hours to create. Here is a simplified, yet still delicious, version that boasts plenty of succulent braised pork. If you can’t find high-quality fresh ramen noodles, use fresh thin Chinese egg noodles or fresh linguine. Serve the soup with your favorite ramen embellishments. I like to top my bowl with a soft-boiled egg and some baby spinach. See also Chowhound’s slow cooker chicken soup recipe. Courtesy of Weldon Owen; photo by Eva Kolenko

There are a lot of ingredients in this soup, but each one plays a part in its big flavor. To make it, first soften vegetables including onion, carrot, and bell pepper in a pot, then add dry spices to bring out their flavors. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, and tortillas, then let the mixture simmer until everything melds and the tortillas disintegrate to make a thick and hearty soup. Finally, throw in shredded chicken and garnish with fried tortilla strips, or if you want to skip frying the strips, just use regular crushed-up tortilla chips. Game plan: For a thicker soup, use 5 corn tortillas rather than 4. You can easily double this recipe to make a big pot of soup for a crowd. Looking to use up leftover roast chicken? Try out our rotisserie chicken noodle soup using specifically leftover. This dish was featured as part of our Cozy Chicken recipe gallery.

We chatted with award-winning chef Thomas Boemer to get some great grilling tips, and a few excellent recipes too, like these Grilled Lamb Chops with Broccolini and Olive-Pistacho Sauce. Picholine olives, an elongated, green French variety with a firm texture and mild, fruity flavor, lend just the right amount of brininess to this chunky yet elegant sauce. Golden raisins and a dash of honey bring sweetness, while a whisper of lemon zest brightens the dish, and fresh thyme and parsley elevate the sweet, nutty, and salty notes. Perfectly grilled, juicy lamb chops and charred, crisp-tender broccolini are delicious in their own right, but their simple seasoning lets the sauce really shine. If you love lamb chops as much as we do, you should also get our Vietnamese Lamb Chops recipe, or our Lamb Chops with an Olive-and-Herb-Crust recipe.

This pie crust recipe is known as a 3-2-1 dough because it’s made up of 3 parts flour, 2 parts fat, and 1 part water (by weight). There is a bit of sugar for a slightly sweet crust, but you could also take out the sugar and use the dough with a savory filling (in a tart, for example). Try it with our Brown Butterscotch Pie or Tart Cranberry Pie. What to buy: It’s worth the time to make this dough from scratch—it’ll lend a butteriness to your pie. (Here are some pointers on how to do it right.) But if you’re short on time, just get the best store-bought crust you can find. For some recipes, you’ll need pie weights to line the crust so that it doesn’t puff up while cooking. If you don’t have pie weights, just use some dried beans. Game plan: The dough can be made and baked up to 1 day ahead. For quicker prep, you can make the dough in a food processor. Add all of the dry ingredients and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until it’s in pea-size pieces. Drizzle in 3 tablespoons of ice water and pulse again. Add more ice water if the dough seems too dry, shape it into a disk, wrap it up, and refrigerate.

These pancakes, from Tartine All Day: Modern Recipes for the Home Cook, are made with a mixture of whole grain flours so they’re much higher in protein, but they’re still fluffy, moist, and very adaptable. Mix in your favorite berries (or chocolate chips), and serve with all the usual pancake toppings and accompaniments. The tapioca flour/starch is a key ingredient, as it ensures the pancakes remain light in spite of their nutritional heft. Make-ahead: You can assemble a quadruple batch of the whole grain flour mixture (the first 7 ingredients listed) and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 months. When you are ready to cook the pancakes, measure out 1 heaping cup of the dry mix and place in a large bowl. Proceed with the recipe, adding the egg, butter, and milk in the amounts given. Looking for more breakfast ideas? Get our (vegan) Chocolate Banana Crunch Muffins recipe, or our Tropical Spelt Granola recipe. Reprinted with permission from Tartine All Day: Modern Recipes for the Home Cook by Elisabeth Prueitt, copyright © 2017. Published by Lorena Jones Books/Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Photography credit: Paige Green © 201

Mango lends a luscious and elegant dimension to fresh lemonade, and a dash of Angostura bitters underscores the sweet tartness of the drink. This perfect spring or summer refresher from Ayesha Curry is delicious as-is, but you could certainly spike it with vodka or a complementary liqueur for a sunny, vibrant cocktail. The recipe calls for honey mangoes, also commonly labeled as Ataúlfo or Champagne mangoes, a smaller, bright golden-yellow variety from Mexico. For more fruity ways to quench your thirst, get our Kiwi Soda recipe, or our Watermelon-Soju Cocktail recipe.

Fresh lump crab is a glorious ingredient, sweet, briny, delicate, and meaty all at once. This crab salad from Ayesha Curry (of Food Network’s Ayesha’s Home Kitchen and the new meal delivery service, Homemade) brings lush, juicy mango and silky avocado to the party for a light yet luxurious bite. A lemony dressing accented with cilantro, jalapeño, and honey adds a little spark. For more great ways to use fresh crab, get our Easy Crab Cakes recipe, or our Crab Benedict on Lemon-Chive Biscuits recipe.

Do you know the Muffin Man? If you do, you may want to tip him off to these delicious vegan treats. Chocolate and banana are a match made in culinary heaven, while the addition of granola brings in an earthy and necessary crunch. Breakfast never tasted so good (or healthy)! Planning a vegan dinner party? Get expert tips and tricks here. For other delicious muffin recipes, try our Blackberry Orange Muffins and Spiced Zucchini Muffins.

It’s hard not to love nasi (rice) lemak (coconut), so popular that its greatest advocates insist on calling it Malaysia’s national dish. Growing up, I would savor nasi lemak wrapped in green banana leaves, bundled and lined with plastic, at least three times a week throughout my school years. Inside the bundle was warm coconut rice infused with the vanilla-like aroma of pandan leaves and citrusy ginger, accompanied by a hard boiled egg, crispy fried anchovies and peanuts, a few slices of cucumber, and a dollop of sambal (a spicy chili-based sauce). The flavors are still etched in my mind: every sublime spoonful was warm, creamy, crunchy, spicy-sweet, and with just the right amount of sambal. In this recipe, all the side condiments can be served at room temperature and made well in advance. For instance, you can fry the peanuts and anchovies and store them in an airtight container or canning jar. I always prepare more of these side condiments than I need, as it makes it easier to enjoy this dish whenever I want. They bring complexity and crunch to the dish. The sambal, the key player, can also be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator or freezer; then just heat the portion you need in a microwave. When all of the main preparations are done ahead of time, you are only left with cooking the coconut rice. This is important because the dish works best when the rice is served piping hot, along with warm hard boiled eggs and fresh slices of cucumber. The assortment of these dishes coming together on a plate for a palate of flavor makes an evocative nasi lemak, that is sure to become a favorite. For more dishes featuring luscious coconut milk, get our Eggplant Curry with Lemongrass and Coconut Milk recipe, or our Coconut Rice Pudding recipe.

The “al fresco” restaurants of Malaysia serve these chili prawns right from the blazing wok. This is one of Malaysia’s most popular dishes, filled with layers of flavor, using ingredients from the cupboards of Chinese, Indian, and Malay cultures. It’s best to use a wok for this recipe since the hot wok will create a marvelous caramelized crust on the surface of the prawns. The sauce in which the prawns are cooked includes ginger, garlic, curry leaves, tomato ketchup, a small amount of fresh chilies, and is thickened with eggs and sesame seeds at the end to give body to the dish. Chili prawns are traditionally served with Chinese-style steamed buns, but a French baguette is a fantastic substitute. In my home, we cannot resist dipping into the sauce, making a delicious mess. I also can make this interchangeably with crabs, since the key is the delightfully complex, creamy chili sauce. If you’d prefer to serve this saucy stir-fry with a different starch, get our Coconut Rice recipe. Or, if you’re cutting back on carbs, get our Cauliflower Rice recipe.

Humphry Slocombe, a treasured San Francisco scoop shop, has made a name for itself with its uncommon ice cream offerings, like Peanut Butter Curry, Secret Breakfast (with bourbon and cornflakes), even proscuitto and foie gras —but the real story is how delicious all their flavors are. Even their more pedestrian options are exceptional, like the intensely fragrant, malt-kissed Tahitian V*n!ll@ in this sundae, which will be featured at Clusterfest this June. Hot fudge is a perennial sundae topping (for good reason), but the unexpected addition of salty, crunchy potato chips and pretzels, plus sweet frosted peanuts, elevates this one higher. You’ll devour it in no time, even if you don’t have the munchies. Instead of buying jarred hot fudge, get our Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce recipe. If you want to experiment with adding even more flavors, get our Marshmallow Sauce recipe too.

Chef Travis Lett of Gjelina shares his spin on the classic Asparagus with Sauce Gribiche: This riff on Asparagus with Sauce Gribiche incorporates the lovely red mullet bottarga from my friends at Cortez Bottarga. Try to score the fattest jumbo asparagus possible in early spring; if you’re not seeing it, ask a local farmer if they have some extra jumbo or if they are willing to cultivate it. Big, fat asparagus really is ideal for this preparation. If you are lucky enough to stumble onto jumbo white asparagus, it’s truly amazing prepared this way. I’ve only encountered beautiful white asparagus in France, where it has a very short season, and is celebrated by the chefs there.

The existence of a weekend is reason enough to celebrate with decadent brunch, but some brunches are extra special. For those times when a brunch day is also a birthday, these pancakes are a must. Speckled with rainbow sprinkles and made in a small, stackable batch, they’re a surprise just for the birthday boy or girl. Reprinted from Joy the Baker: Over Easy. Copyright © 2017 by Joy the Baker, Inc. Interior and cover photographs by Jon Melendez. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. For more festive breakfast ideas, check out our Carrot Cake Pancakes recipe or our Dutch Puff Pancake recipe.

I’ve learned a thing or two about New Orleans cooking. I’ve learned enough to know that, as a Californian and not a native New Orleanian, I’m not really allowed to call any of my cooking Cajun. I’ve eaten too many avocados and not enough crawfish in my life to call anything Cajun. Luckily, I’m not listening. I’ve combined the trinity—bell pepper, onion, and parsley—with creole seasoning, and I made this in my kitchen in New Orleans. So, dangit . . . it’s Cajun! Hungry for more Cajun food? Try our Gumbo Z’herbes recipe or our Chicken and Andouille Jambalaya recipe. Reprinted from Joy the Baker: Over Easy. Copyright © 2017 by Joy the Baker, Inc. Interior and cover photographs by Jon Melendez. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Brine lean meats. Always. Forever. This bit of culinary know-how will always be there for you. Like a bestie asking if you’ve lost weight or letting you know your ass looks great in those new jeans: but you have to be willing to put in the time, if you want to reap the rewards of this friendship. It’s a two-day thing, gurrrl. Our fried chicken thighs begin with brining boot camp, make a pit stop in a buttermilk marinade, and end their journey fried to perfection and garnished with wildflower honey and sea salt. We’ll show you how, and yes, those jeans look great on you!

Making ice cream using a sous vide machine is a complete game changer. Not only do you get perfectly cooked custard without the risk of curdled yolks, it also takes almost no work to achieve: no tempering, no patient stirring over low, low heat, nada. Just drop the bag in the water and wait, and you’ll have perfect results. I can never get enough of homemade ice cream, so I’m including plenty of options in this chapter. Feel free to use this vanilla ice cream recipe as a blank canvas for all your ice cream–making endeavors. Vanilla does a great job of subtly enhancing the flavors of other complementary ingredients, but there are some instances where the flavors might clash. For this reason, I make vanilla an optional ingredient in the other ice cream recipes that follow. Other aromatic ingredients I like to use in lieu of vanilla are citrus zests; coffee beans; spices such as cardamom pods, ginger, cinnamon sticks, and coriander; and herbs such as mint, lemongrass, bay, basil, and thyme. Add these at your discretion when whipping up your own inspired creamy creations, and be sure to strain the custard to remove any coarse bits before pouring it into the ice cream machine. You can also make any fruit-flavored ice cream by swapping out some of the milk for a juice or puree. Feeling boozy? Up to 2 tablespoons of nearly any alcoholic beverage can be stirred into the base after chilling. Some of my favorites are Cognac, amaro, Grand Marnier, amaretto, and crème de cassis. The only ingredient I wouldn’t recommend you omit is the honey (or corn syrup), as it greatly improves the texture of ice cream because the glucose helps prevent the formation of larger ice crystals, resulting in a smoother end product.

One of the secrets to making good and fast vegetarian pho is selecting the right broth at the store. Purchase an amber brown and robust broth, such as those made by Whole Foods or Swanson, which tends to be on the clear side and seasoned with spices that are more in line with pho; use two cans or one large carton. Avoid golden-hued vegetarian broths that are often celery forward and mute pho spices. Stocked at many supermarkets, La Baleine sea salt, Annie Chun pad Thai rice noodles, and Kikkoman soy sauce work well for this recipe.

I order chicken wings anytime I see them on a menu, and this recipe will make you realize just how incredible they can be. After a lot of trial and error, when I finally got the rub right I felt like I had unlocked a magic puzzle. There are a lot of ingredients in the rub, but they provide a perfect mix of sugar and spice, and the bourbon-spiked sauce coats the wings in yet another layer of bold flavor. If you prefer the grill to the oven, grill the wings over medium indirect heat (about 400F) for about 40 minutes, until they are almost done, before adding the sauce.

Great for pho beginners, this recipe is also terrific for cooks in a hurry. It involves less than 45 minutes, during which you’ll doctor up store-bought broth so it says, “I’m pho-ish.” Choose a broth that tastes like chicken, such as Swanson brand, which is less fussed up and easy to manipulate. You need two 14.5-ounce (411 g) cans or one 32-ounce (907 ml) carton. Stocked at many supermarkets, La Baleine sea salt, Annie Chun pad Thai rice noodles, and Megachef fish sauce work well for this recipe.

This cheeky take on vegetarian spaghetti is from Molly Yeh’s cookbook, Molly on the Range: During my second year of college, I dated a vaguely macho Philly-based vegetarian who survived almost entirely on cheese and beer and Rita’s “wuhter ice”. We had met at a summer orchestra festival at the University of Maryland and bonded over spiking our slushies before rehearsals and eating cheese sandwiches from the hippie food co-op in the basement of the student union. When we returned to our respective cities at the end of the summer we did the duty of schlepping back and forth via BoltBus in the name of Young Love. (Which is a terrible idea because Philadelphia and New York are jusssst close enough that you think you can get away with a quick 12-hour round trip, but in practice that requires more sleep deprivation than is acceptable for a day of long rehearsals.) On my weekends in Philadelphia we’d usually play xylophone excerpts for each other, as he was always preparing for the next big orchestra audition, and I was still dabbling with the idea of taking some auditions. Then we’d venture off to Monk’s for a beer bought with Stoopie’s old ID, and a bucket of Belgian french fries. They were nice little adventures away from the City, because compared to New York, even just going to Philly felt rejuvenating and relaxing. But the best weekends were when we’d unwind at his parents’ house in the suburbs, which brought about the two main components of his legacy that remain in my life today: his dad’s wondrous latkes (see page 204) and his mom’s meatless meatballs. This guy was a real curious type of vegetarian in that you’d rarely catch him eating fake meat or beans or vegetables, but his mom’s fake meatballs were the absolute 
tits and everyone knew it. They were dense and flavorful and so perfect that if they 
had been invented before actual meatballs, you’d think that actual meatballs were trying to impersonate them. Typically they were served at parties in red sauce with toothpicks as an appetizer, but I probably made a meal out of them on more than 
one occasion. In the years after our breakup, my desire to relive these balls eventually transcended any negative ex-y feelings and made the awkward Facebook conversation to acquire the recipe 100 percent worth it. There was no beating around the bush with formalities, I just dove into the trenches of ex-boyfriend territory, went for the meat, so to speak, and came back with this here recipe for you. This version has been tweaked slightly from the original and includes my favorite way to turn the balls into a meal (with soft white spaghetti). But try stuffing them into a hoagie or putting them out in a slow cooker for a party, and see how many people can catch that they’re meatless.


So what is Baked Alaska and why do you need it in your life? Christina Lane is here to answer this all-important question. An old-fashioned dessert, Baked Alaska is a slice of pound cake with a scoop of ice cream or sorbet on top and a torched meringue (think: marshmallow) coating. Yes, there are fancier versions of it—with multiple layers of ice cream and sorbets and such — but this is the simple version. So, you’re going to buy a pre-made pound cake at the store. Check the bakery section or even the freezer for the one that looks the best. Grab a chocolate or lemon one, whatever you like the most. Next, grab your favorite ice cream or sorbet. Lane always reaches for raspberry. And then get those egg whites. Do you have a kitchen torch for making crème brûlée? If so, you’re going to use it again here. If not, Lane recommends you make the investment now. It’s one of our recommended tools to make impressing your Valentine’s Day date fool-proof. Lane wrote the recipe as if you’re making it for two, but obviously the number of servings you make depends on how many slices of pound cake and how many pints of ice cream you bought. Scale it up, scale it down, whatever you need to do. Note: If you don’t have a blowtorch, spread the egg whites onto the sorbet, then freeze for 2 hours. Heat the broiler and place the desserts on a rimmed baking sheet a few inches from the broiler until browned evenly. Watch them closely and rotate as needed. Before dessert, try our Olive and Mushroom-Smothered Pork Tenderloin recipe.

Breakfast rice bowls such as this have taken over Los Angeles in the last half decade. People are obsessed with them. And for good reason: they’re satisfying and healthy, and there’s just something about spooning rice and runny eggs from a bowl and into your mouth that makes you feel all wrapped up and warm; it’s like a free hug. The tomatoes called for here roast for hours to concentrate their sweetness, so if you haven’t already made them or don’t have several hours before hunger strikes, substitute sun-dried tomatoes or sliced fresh tomatoes.

This recipe is from Carolynn Carreño’s book, Bowls of Plenty: I call these ribs “candied meat” because they’re so sticky and sweet. I adapted the recipe from one my friend Susan Spungen, who worked for Martha Stewart Living for years (and who also beautifully styled the food in this book), published in one of the books she did with Martha. Have your butcher split the ribs down the middle so you can make bite-size riblets. If you buy your ribs at the grocery store with no butcher to be seen, it won’t be the end of the world—you’ll just have longer ribs to gnaw on. I serve the riblets with a refreshing rice and apple slaw, but if you prefer a hot entrée serve them over plain brown rice and a green vegetable. This bowl is the perfect example of serving meat as a side dish.

I’ve always loved chicken Parm, but I rarely order it in restaurants because it’s breaded, fried, covered with melted cheese, and usually served with a bowl of pasta alongside. This gluten-free version uses a nutrient-dense almond meal blend to coat the chicken, which gets baked in the oven and is then served with a mound of tomato-basil zucchini noodles. The ultimate Italian-American meal, without the heavy calorie or carb count, it’s my go-to Friday night dinner—and you’re about to find out why. Suggested equipment: A julienne peeler, sharp paring knife, or a spiralizer. For more options, check out Guide’s list of the best spiralizers.

I created this casserole for my dad, who in recent years has cut back on starchy breakfasts in favor of those rich in protein and vegetables. He is picky about the vegetables he likes, and these are a couple of his favorites. The spaghetti squash blends into the eggs to the point that you barely know it’s there; it just adds a gentle sweetness and some bulk. If you prefer, you can leave it out.

Candied bacon is a fantastic snack to eat with drinks because it hits so many spots on the tongue: It’s sweet, smoky, and salty, and usually a little spicy. I add another element to make it even harder to stop eating: tangy sherry vinegar. The hardest part of this recipe is waiting for the bacon to fully cool and crisp before trying it. For the most evenly cooked bacon, use bacon that’s the same width on either end.

Originally made by the German community in America, where Dutch is actually a corruption of the word Deutsche, the Dutch puff (or Dutch baby) found new life as a diner classic in 1940s Seattle. However, if you, like me, grew up with Yorkshire puddings and roast beef most Sundays, then it can seem a bit odd to have these sweet and for breakfast, but, believe me, it’s as versatile as any other pancake. Chuck those traditions out of the window! I use beef dripping as my fat of choice here too. It will make your babies über–puffy and the smoky meatiness is a great background to all the sugar you are about to consume, but any favorless oil is a fine substitute. Serve with your favorite coffee.

Cajeta is the Mexican cousin of dulce de leche; however, it is made using goat’s milk, prepared in a copper pan, and develops its flavor through a Maillard reaction – the same chemical reaction that gives bread its crust and coffee its roast – rather than through caramelization. In Central and South America, panela is unrefined cane sugar that comes pressed in small blocks, but I would suggest a light muscovado sugar as a substitute. The baking soda is there to prevent the milk solids from coagulating before they’ve had a chance to develop the deepest possible flavor. This is perfect for dipping churros as well as a topping for ice cream or just to eat by the spoonful. I make a big batch because it’s quite time–intensive, but it will sit in the fridge for 6 months. Trust me, you’ll never look back.

Embrace fall with a fluffy, warmly-spiced pumpkin layer cake. This versatile recipe doesn’t have to be for a three-layer cake, though. You can use the same measurements to fill two 9-inch cake rounds or one 13-by-9-inch sheet pan for a sheet cake. You might want to double the frosting recipe if you want to ensure that there’s more than enough to go all around the cake. Imagine savoring a slice of this pumpkin spice layer cake with a steaming mug of hot chocolate, something special like our Coconut Hot Chocolate recipe.

I could go on and on about how much I love olive trees. I even have olive trees growing in my yard — and that’s just the beginning of my obsession. So, it didn’t take much convincing for me to try making a dessert with olive oil, and citrus is a natural pairing. I like to serve this cake with plain whipped cream and basil leaves for garnish. Or simply dust the top with confectioners’ sugar and call it a day.

Broccolini is a cross between broccoli and Chinese kale. Besides being a little more elegant, it’s more interesting — sweeter and a little more peppery than regular broccoli. All you need to do is toss it with olive oil, salt, and pepper, toss it on a sheet pan, and roast it. Side dishes don’t get any easier than this! Make Ahead: Prep the broccolini and store in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel. Roast before serving. Photographs by Quentin Bacon. Reprinted from Cooking for Jeffrey, Copyright 2016, is published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.

My former co-worker at Food & Wine, Melissa Rubel-Jacobsen, is a genius cook, and she showed me how gratins don’t need to be thick with cream and cheese to be delicious. All you need are some flavorful root vegetables. This recipe is based on one she created for Food & Wine, but instead of using her bread-crumb topping, I sprinkle herbed walnuts on top. The process of thinly slicing the vegetables is admittedly time-consuming, but I promise that the results are worth the effort. A mandoline makes the job even easier. The recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. Potluck Prep: The assembled gratin can be refrigerated overnight. To keep the nuts from getting soft, I like to sprinkle them on just before serving. While you can transport the gratin in an insulated carrier and serve it hot, it’s also terrific at room temperature. (Photo: Yossy Arefi)

This simple, flavorful dish utilizes two key herbs and spices: thyme and cumin. It’s also healthy while it still has butter and cream. Go figure. The correct plating is critical in making this dish look wonderful rather than eh. The recipe comes from Ayesha Curry’s new cookbook. Curry is a Canadian-born, Charlotte, North Carolina-raised wife and mom currently living in the Bay Area. A mom to two daughters, Riley and Ryan, and wife to NBA MVP and superstar Stephen Curry, Ayesha hosts her own show, “Cookin’ with the Currys,” on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. If you need a little more to this meal, add our Wild Rice, Pecan, and Cranberry Salad recipe to your repertoire.

This is more technique than recipe and is a great one to have in your back pocket, because it works as both a make-ahead recipe (the chicken reheats well and can be sliced and added to salads) and a last-minute save. Pan-roasting chicken produces brown, crisp skin and juicy insides in a single pot in very little time. It’s easiest if you use all chicken thighs, as they’ll cook at the same pace, but if you believe it’s better to buy all the parts of a bird, then just plan to remove the pieces from the pan as they finish cooking. You can make this Brussels Sprouts Salad with Anchovy Dressing recipe ahead of time if you want an easy side, and the leftovers (even dressed!) will also keep for a couple days — ideal for a next-day work lunch of shredded chicken over salad. Get more helpful hints for everyday cooking and for the coming holidays in our Storing and Re-Heating Tricks and Tips to Survive the Holidays article.