Cakes, Desserts

Pumpkin Date Cake with Maple Caramel Sauce

Makes 8 to 12 servings This cake is a cross between sticky toffee pudding and a fluffy pumpkin snacking cake. It is lightly spiced, spongy and moist, and best when bathed in maple caramel sauce. Leftover sauce should be refrigerated and lightly heated before serving. Substitute about 2 teaspoons of […]

Desserts

Rhubarb Tart

Makes 6 servings Tarte à la rhubarbe is a popular dessert in the Lorraine region of France. The temperature of the area and the soil type support the growth of this delicious vegetable, often mistaken for fruit. This recipe, prepared with store-bought puff pastry, is a snap to prepare. dessert […]

Pies and Tarts

Roasted Ginger Plum Tart with Nut Streusel

This tart makes the best of in-season plums, but you can substitute any stone fruit, like halved cherries, apricots, or nectarines. Makes one 9-inch tart Ingredients Vanilla Tart Dough, fitted into a 9-inch tart pan and chilled 1 1/2 lb plums (7 to 8 medium), rinsed, halved, and pitted 1/2 […]

Appetizers, Hors D’oeuvre, and Snacks, Side Dishes

Roasted Radishes

Makes 4 servings Roasting tempers the slightly bitter flavor of the radishes and brings out their natural sweetness. Give this technique a try in your kitchen to add to your repertoire of ways to serve radishes. Ingredients 2 bunches red radishes, cleaned, tops removed and sliced in half 1 teaspoon […]

Main Dishes

Spicy Tofu with Mushrooms

Makes 4 portions If you can’t find oyster mushrooms, you can use any mix of mushrooms that are available. For the cornstarch slurry, combine about 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water. You may not use it all; add it slowly to avoid a gummy sauce. Ingredients 3/4 tsp Sichuan […]

Main Dishes

Spit-Roasted Duck with Orange-Ginger-Soy Glaze

Makes 6 servings Spit-roasting is one of the earliest cooking techniques. A duck on the spit emerges from the grill with a crackling crisp skin and meat that is less greasy than you might anticipate. Cutting the skin helps to render out the fat for lots of flavor without as […]

Soups and Stews

Squash Soup with Ginger Cream

Serves 6 to 8 Use whatever hard-skinned squash that you can find, like butternut, pumpkin, calabaza. For a vegan version, use olive oil instead of butter, omit the milk and whipped cream garnish. Add 1 cup of raw cashews in Step 2, which will make the blended soup creamy. Ingredients […]

Pantry, Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments

Tahini Soy Dressing

Makes about 2/3 cup This dressing is great on salads and as a dipping sauce, but it also tastes exceptionally good on a pasta salad as well. Ingredients 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce 1/4 cup sherry vinegar 2 teaspoons minced ginger 1 shallot, minced 2 teaspoons brown sugar 2 […]

Main Dishes, One-Dish Meals

Take Out-Style Chicken and Broccoli

Makes 4 to 6 servings This dish may not be authentically Chinese, but it is a kid-friendly introduction to a common Chinese cooking method: stir-frying. Once you get the hang of the technique, you can experiment with new ingredients, like chiles, Szechuan peppercorns, and and bok choy. Ingredients 3 tablespoons […]

Main Dishes

Tandoori Chicken

Makes 6 to 8 portions We use two whole chickens for this recipe, but you can use any mix you like, such as all thighs, legs and wings, or breasts. Bone-in cuts will help keep the chicken tender through roasting. Ingredients 2 whole chickens (about 3 lb each), broken down […]