But there is only so much denying one can do, before the shivering reality sets in, and then it’s time for stew. Lentil stew in this case. My friend Clara and I were inspired to make this hearty lentil stew today, in the midst of yet another downpour, based on Clara’s family recipe. It’s made with bacon and sausage, a mirepoix of onions, carrots, and celery, and topped with parsley....

COPYCAT QUESO DIP “I MUST try fake cheese dip!” I declared to Jo when I visited her in Calgary, Canada, earlier this month. “We don’t have it in Australia!” She wrinkled her nose and looked at me dubiously, trying to figure out if I was serious. Once she realised I was, she lead me to the astonishingly large range of fake cheese dips in the corn chip aisle at the supermarket....

As I get older though, I find that the slightly processed taste that I get when I make box white cake isn’t what my grown-up palette wants anymore. As I love to bake from scratch, I realized that fluffy, tender white cake is actually pretty easy to make at home, which means I can finally satisfy my childhood inner kid AND my adult self all at the same time....

This is a terrific quick and easy dessert for assembling ahead then popping in the oven while you’re eating dinner. Just don’t forget the ice cream! Today’s recipe is brought into this world courtesy of Modi Apples, bright red balls with a hint of yellow full of crisp juiciness with fabulous apple flavour! Baked Apples recipe I’ve been munching on Modi Apples obsessively since I discovered them which, admittedly, was only a couple of months ago when I was asked to try them....

Prep this skillet pasta in the morning before you leave – or even the night before – and pop it in the oven when you’re home from work, your kid’s soccer practice, the last beach run of the season, or whatever activities have filled your day. This is not exactly mac and cheese for grownups but it’s close. It has a little more substance in the form of yellow squash and cherry tomatoes, and it’s bound together with eggs and cream....

Although Mandu Guk is eaten throughout the year, for Lunar New Year Koreans add rice cakes called tteokguk tteok, which translates to “rice cakes for rice cake soup.” This makes me chuckle! The rice cakes make it a celebratory meal that symbolizes growing another year older. You can find them in the refrigerated or freezer section of most Asian markets. Where to Buy Mandu Make this soup with either homemade or store-bought Korean dumplings....

BONUS: I’ve also included directions for how to make this using store bought Massaman Curry paste, including my tip for the BEST brand to use! Feeling inspired to make a Thai banquet? Try adding Chicken Satay Skewers, Thai Fish Cakes, Pad See Ew Noodles or Thai Fried Rice to your menu! Massaman Curry Peanuts, coconut, aromatic fresh and ground spices, potatoes and fall apart beef. What’s not to love about Massaman Curry?...

Now, well into middle-agedom, I blink and it’s a new month. One good yawn and we’ve moved from pea shoots to picnic salads. Speaking of which, picnic salads that is, everyone needs a good potato salad in their picnic repertoire, right? This one fits the bill. It’s sort of a potato salad a la Nicoise. No mayo, the dressing is a mustard vinaigrette; new potatoes are tossed with green beans, roasted red bell peppers, red onion, minced Kalamata olives, parsley and arugula....

They are a cross between a regular lemon and an orange. They’re not quite as sour as regular lemons, and their peels are smooth and not as bitter. They make wonderful marmalade. Homemade Marmalade: A Winter Ritual Every winter I make several batches of marmalade from the citrus growing in our yard. This Meyer lemon marmalade recipe is the “master” recipe from which I base all sorts of variations (adding grapefruit, blood oranges, etc....

For 50 years, my mother was in charge of the turkey. But now that the dinner gathering has shifted to my house, the task has fallen to me. Fortunately, my mother has taught me well! Her turkey cooking method produces a roast turkey that is always perfectly done. The breast is never dried out, but tender and full of flavor. There’s no need to brine or baste. Video: How to Roast a Turkey Breast Side Down How to Cook a Turkey: 3 Tips to Know How does my mother do it?...

It’s ready in about 50 minutes, and the leftovers taste great, whether reheated or cold. This frittata is so wonderfully flavorful! I make many kinds of frittatas, but this is certainly one of the best. Even the kids, who normally don’t respond to mushrooms too enthusiastically, like it. I also like that it’s so easy to make. Yes, you have to go through the extra step of cooking the mushrooms before adding them to the egg mixture....

My mother’s hidden sorcery lies in wielding those spices with craft and care. Time and time again, I watch her cleverly transform a simple weeknight dinner into something quite magical. On a whim, she creates enchanting combinations, tossing freshly grated carrots with lime juice, mustard seeds, and shredded coconut; drizzling creamy yogurt with fragrant curry leaf oil; and stir-frying steamed squash with chili powder and cumin seeds. In the late ’80s, my parents immigrated to the United States from India....

This butternut squash / pumpkin soup is made without chopping a single thing. And it’s also made without using the stove or a pot. It’s creamy and the sweetness and flavour of pumpkin is more intense than classic pumpkin soup. And it takes all of FIVE MINUTES of hands on effort. 🙂 As soon as you see the preparation photos, you are going to “get” how I make this, so let me cut to the chase and show you!...

this recipe I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream Another thing I love about making ice cream at home is that it is really so easy, especially for something that brings so much cheer to my life. I don’t know exactly what it is about ice cream, but it has been a love of mine for as long as I can remember. My favorite flavors are those with both savory and sweet notes, and I can’t help but try to make everyone around me love ice cream as much as I do....

We’re just here for the pie, thanks. There’s a lot riding on these Thanksgiving pies. Do you stick to tradition, or branch out into something new? How many pies do you really need? (Trick question: you need all of them.) Here’s my advice—give yourself a break when it comes to Thanksgiving dessert. Make one or two traditional pies, but then make some room for something new on the table. Who knows—one of your guests might just discover a new favorite!...

The glaze is optional - they’re excellent with or without it. And the leftovers are great too! I first fell in love with meatballs as a kid. Who doesn’t like spaghetti and meatballs! As an adult, I learned to appreciate them all over again when, as a mom to young picky eaters, I discovered that if it’s meatloaf they’ll refuse it, but if the exact same mixture comes in the shape of meatballs, they’ll gobble it up and ask for seconds!...

I recently scanned the menu of a popular smoothie shop in my neighborhood, marveling over some of the unusual ingredients: Brown rice protein, adaptogenic mushroom mix, cold-pressed turmeric juice, and something called Blue Magik. I’m sure every single one is packed with promise, but sometimes a girl just wants what’s familiar (say a straight up Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie this like one). It’s creamy, deliciously nutty, and just so simple....

This is an amalgam of pantry goods that, when combined, make for much more than the sum of their parts. A New Riff on Magic Bars And while I do love a good old magic cookie bar, for me, the original version leans a little too sweet. So, I made a version with pretzels and peanut butter to bring some salty balance to the party (salt + sugar is my baking language)....

No false promises – these french fries really stay crisp! There’s nothing more deflating than going to all the effort of making your own fries from scratch, only to find they start losing crispiness before they even hit the table. Which is what happens if you use the standard way of cooking homemade fries – soaking in water followed by a double fry. Well, it’s taken me years but with the help of the impressively thorough french fry research documented in Kenji López-Alt’s The Food Lab, Chef JB and I have finally nailed down the recipe for the perfect homemade french fries....