Plum pudding tastes best when it’s made days, weeks, or even months ahead of time, according to American culinary legend James Beard. “It was customary to make it in early Advent—the religious season before Christmas Day—and use it the following year,” Beard wrote when he published this recipe in 1963. “Everyone in the family was … Read more
The titular ingredient in this Italian-style olive oil cake recipe provides most of its flavor, so choose yours with care. Extra-virgin olive oil gives the dessert a vibrant taste, while lesser grades will produce subtler results. Both are reliably delicious so long as you use a high-quality olive oil. Adding lemon juice and zest elicits … Read more
This sweet potato cornbread recipe comes together quickly. After just 12 minutes in the microwave—though it also works with a leftover baked sweet potato (or even canned sweet potato purée)—the tubers emerge soft and steamy, ready to be mashed by hand and whisked into the wet ingredients. If you have trouble finding buttermilk, combine milk … Read more
“Black garlic can make nearly anything taste good,” says Silver Iocovozzi, chef at Neng Jr.’s in Asheville, North Carolina. Made by aging regular garlic in a warm environment for a few weeks, the resulting cloves are jammy in texture, jet-black, and slightly sweet, with a deep, almost mushroom-like flavor. Locate black garlic at some specialty … Read more
A portmanteau of chocolate cake and flan, chocoflan is often referred to by bakers as “pastel imposible.” It’s easy to see why: The Mexican dessert is composed of layers that mysteriously switch places as it cooks, but simple science can explain the seemingly impossible feat. The dish starts with a roasty homemade caramel set in … Read more
For dinner, senior commerce writer Emily Farris really only wants one thing: salad. Recently free from an 11-year marriage and the heavy meals it was filled with, Farris is rebuilding her life, starting with this cruciferous bowl of crunchy goodness, greens, and beans. This crunchy salad is built around a base of marinated canned beans … Read more
These no-bake cookies aren’t your average stovetop chocolate oat drops. For one thing, they don’t have any peanut butter (they call for almond butter instead). Next, they get crunchy toasted almonds for amped-up flavor and texture. Third, they get chewy dried cherries for a burst of acidity that complements the fruit notes in the chocolate … Read more
Not everyone has the time to slow-simmer dried chickpeas for the express purpose of blitzing them into oblivion. And while some will tell you that doing so is the only way to achieve a silky smooth hummus, this recipe begs to differ. Canned chickpea hummus is the simple supermarket-ingredient hack that gives you ownership over … Read more
These salty-spicy party nuts from chef Sam Fore are the ideal snack to put out during any get-together. Made entirely on the stovetop in just one pot, they can be whipped up right before guests arrive or prepared days in advance for a head start. The key method here is frying: first the fresh curry … Read more
For those unfamiliar with seeni sambol, a Sri Lankan condiment of spicy-sweet caramelized onions, these cheesy Hawaiian buns are the perfect place to start. In this recipe, chef Sam Fore makes her own DIY version of the relish by cooking red onions with curry leaves, red pepper flakes, and a dash of tamarind concentrate. The … Read more