Hot take: Crispy smashed potatoes are the ultimate form of potato. Sure, mashed potatoes get all the glory, but there’s something about these creamy-in-the-center, crisp-on-the-outside twice-cooked spuds that can’t be beat. The two-step cooking method is key to any good smashed potatoes recipe: Boiling the potatoes fluffs up their interior and gets them soft enough … Read more
Wassail means different things to centuries of people. Used as a noun and verb, the word derives from waes hael, a 5th-century English toast meaning “good health,” or something apple farmers recited to encourage a bountiful spring harvest, depending on which historical account you believe. The term also pops up in Beowulf—and later in song … Read more
Cooked hot and fast, thinly sliced brussels sprouts become crisp-tender and lightly wilted, a happy Goldilocks option between roasted and raw. The golden raisin agrodolce is a tangy foil, its sweetness cutting through the sharpness of the brussels sprouts. Make sure your pan is ripping hot so the sprouts have every chance of developing blistered … Read more
In 1936, agriculturalist George Washington Carver published two versions of glacéed sweet potatoes in a farmers bulletin. Forty years earlier, legendary chef Fannie Farmer included her recipe for candied sweet potatoes in what would become her eponymous cookbook. This is to say, The dish most often known as “candied yams” has a long history on … Read more
We won’t sugarcoat it. This old-fashioned fudge recipe will test your willpower. First, it has no modern tricks to hide behind—no sweetened condensed milk or marshmallow fluff to make easy work of it. Second, you’ll have to beat it with a wooden spoon for about 6 minutes; not long in the grand scheme, but eons … Read more
Few can resist the lure of tender, herby Greek lemon potatoes. Often cooked in the drippings of a roasting leg of lamb or whole chicken, Greek potatoes don’t require a big roast for big flavor. Here, the lemony side dish gets its punch from a bit of chicken stock, plus plenty of garlic, oregano, and … Read more
This easy spinach salad recipe has range: It is elegant enough for a dinner party, will impress at a potluck, and makes for a quick and satisfying midweek lunch—especially if you give it main dish energy by adding chickpeas, or sliced hard-boiled eggs. If frying sounds fussy, you can make crispy bacon in the oven. … Read more
Step 1 Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 400°. Arrange 6–8 thin slices prosciutto on a parchment-lined baking sheet, overlapping by no more than ½” if needed, and bake until crisp, 7–9 minutes. Let cool. Step 2 Meanwhile, cook 2 lb. green beans, trimmed, in a medium pot of boiling generously salted … Read more
Step 1 Preheat oven to 425°. Toss 1 lb. precut ½” pieces butternut squash and 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet to coat; season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Push squash to one side and arrange 4 thick-cut bacon slices on other side. Bake until bacon is lightly browned, … Read more
Raw, roasted, puréed, under or over cheese, broccoli is a reliable favorite. This quick side dish of broccoli with garlic butter sauce is another one to add to the roster. Parrot green and pleasantly crisp, it might be the fastest way yet to cook broccoli. The 10-minute cook time and one-pot ease are thanks to … Read more