Or you could air fry them. Now, I don’t expect that there will be too many falafel street carts setting up with air fryers any time soon. It’s true that the falafel cooked this way doesn’t get 100 percent as crispy as a traditional deep fry, but it’s very close. Plus, the the easy clean-up and use of less oil make it totally worth it. New to the air fryer?...

Oh the magic of baking to young eyes! A half hour later the coffee cake would emerge from the oven, perfectly risen and crusted with brown sugar. Several years ago I found a recipe for a similar coffee cake in the Boston Globe (can no longer find it), one that they had listed as an apple cake for the Jewish high holidays and posted it here. However, the Globe recipe made a much thinner cake than the one I loved from my childhood, and several people over the years have had more success with this one by doubling the batter....

With so few ingredients, the devil is in the details with this recipe, as it always is when it comes to simple food. Not to say you should overcomplicate it, but a few little tweaks take it from good to scrumptious. What Is Bruschetta? Bruschetta (pronounced broo-skeh-tah) is nothing more than toast—Italian style! The word comes from the Italian “bruscare,” which means to roast over coals. Large oval or round-ish slices of chewy, crusty bread are typically grilled, brushed with olive oil, and scraped with a garlic clove....

I may not have loved some veggies as a child, but as an adult, I crave them. If not for the fact that the other members of my family love their greens too, I could easily eat an entire serving bowl of pretty much any of the veggies that regularly grace our table. This baby bok choy dish by my mother, case in point. I think I ate most of the bowl, and then begged her to make it again the next day so I could get some good photos....

The best bacon of the month clubs match your bacon preferences, whether you value animal welfare, natural processes, or artisanal preparations. These clubs deliver the right amount of bacon that you need at a price that fits your budget. Best Bacon of the Month Clubs of 2022 Best Overall: Goldbelly Best Value: North Country Smokehouse Best for Savory Bacon: Pig of the Month BBQ Best for Sweet Bacon: Bacon Swinery Best for All-Natural Bacon: The Baconer Best Variety: The Baconairum Best for Thick Slices: Grandad’s Bacon...

Make a cobbler instead! An easy blackberry cobbler makes a delicious dessert. That’s what I love about cobblers. What Is a Cobbler? Cobblers are really easy fruit desserts typically made with a biscuit-like topping. If you have a couple baskets of berries or some stone fruit sitting around, you can quickly prep an easy cobbler before dinner, let it cook while you’re eating dinner, and it will be ready in time for dessert....

Made with brandy, crème de cacao, and heavy cream, a Brandy Alexander is alcoholic and indulgent, creamy without being cloying, decadent but not overwhelming—like a boozy dessert-in-a-glass. It’s perfect for a holiday party or a treat on a quiet night at home, and it’s so easy to make that it may become one of your go-to drinks. The History of the Brandy Alexander The Brandy Alexander first appeared in print in The Savoy Cocktail Book, published in 1930....

If you have, bravo! If you haven’t, don’t despair, neither have we. Typically that happens about two days before the event. But if I have anything to do with it this year (and that’s a big if, as my dad is usually the one who decides what we eat for the big family meals) these Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and bacon will be on the menu. Chestnuts and Brussels sprouts are a natural combination—earthy and strong, warm and filling....

In this guide, we will explore all of the ins and outs of this unique spice. What is Caraway? Contrary to popular belief, caraway “seeds” are actually dried fruits. For the remainder of this article, we will refer to caraway dried fruits as “seeds” since that is the more common name for them. Caraway seeds can be used whole or ground up to flavor a dish. Some cultures even use the leaves of the caraway plant for a garnish or base of a soup....

The Secret Ingredient: Cheese! These sausage balls are basically meatballs, but less finicky; the recipe doesn’t call for breadcrumbs, eggs, or a bunch of other add-ins. What it does call for is cheese (two kinds, in fact): cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Stir these together with Italian sausage and you are in business! Don’t Skip the Browning Step I was worried that the meatballs would fall apart in the slow cooker or while browning but they firmed up nicely and held their shape....

Often this time of year gardens are overflowing with zucchini and summer squash. This quick and easy recipe is a great way to use up some of the bounty. Note that summer squash varies in tenderness, sometimes you need to cook them a little longer, sometimes a little less. As you are browning, sprinkle either dried basil or chopped fresh basil on the vegetables.

I admit I have not, though the idea of it intrigued me recently. The dish sort of reminds me of my mother’s arroz con pollo, but with mushrooms and without tomatoes. With this recipe, I set out to make a scratch cooking version of chicken and rice casserole, sans the cans, with the goal of extracting as much flavor as I could out of the ingredients. How to Make Chicken and Rice Casserole First, note that we use chicken thighs, instead of the more popular (and more expensive) breasts....

This is a simple, light chicken soup that is richly flavored with shiitake mushrooms, and brightened with fresh ginger and soy sauce. The stock is very light and comes just from the cooking of the ingredients for less than half an hour. The combination of the ginger, chicken, mushrooms, soy sauce, and a touch of salt and sugar is just lovely, and I highly recommend trying this soup. A Simple Soup With a Complex History The recipe is an adaptation of one I discovered in a most curious cookbook, The Cultural Revolution Cookbook by Sasha Gong and Scott Seligman....

This is why, on our annual trek back to the United Kingdom to visit his family over the holidays, we’ve started the tradition of going to an Indian restaurant on New Year’s Eve. We skip the champagne, the sparkles, and the countdown in favor of eating our fill of spicy curry. In an effort to ensure that we’re not deprived of Indian food the rest of the year, I am learning how to cook more Indian dishes at home....

It’s a favorite filling for burritos and tacos, and wonderful just on its own with a bit of rice and tortillas. Many recipes call for puréeing raw tomatillos and adding them to the pork to cook. In this recipe we roast the tomatillos first, browning their skins, to bring out more flavor. I recently begged this recipe from my Acapulco friend, Arturo who was surprised I wanted it. “But Elise, it’s so easy, anyone can make chile verde....

Even better, Matzo Toffee is vegan, so you can serve it after any Seder meal. A Family Favorite I first learned about this kind of toffee from my Aunt Belinda, who taught me how to bake all kinds of delicious treats when I’d stay at her house as a kid. We made it with a recipe that used saltine crackers in the same way matzo is used here (not on Passover, of course!...

Pavlova, if you are not familiar with it, is a meringue cake named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlove. It’s especially popular in Australia and New Zealand as well as in the U.K. It’s a deliciously sweet and feathery light confection, often filled with whipped cream and fresh berries – and in our case, chocolate! Here is how it works: First, make a meringue – just whip egg whites with sugar, it’s not rocket science!...

I’m a Yankee, after all, and taking on the venerated Southern buttermilk biscuit felt a little risky. The Best Biscuits? Ask a Southern Chef That’s why I enlisted my friend Kurt, who’s from Georgia, to help. I thought maybe his mom would know a trick or two, but it turns out his Southern mom makes biscuits from a can. She, like many moms, resorted to the occasional shortcut to feed a family of big, hungry men!...

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut These cookies are a great combination of soft and chewy, like a cross between macaroons and chocolate chip cookies. The recipe calls for shredded unsweetened coconut, so the coconut flavor shines through and isn’t masked by too much sweetness. (I used the product from Bob’s Red Mill.) I like to use a large cookie scoop (like this one) to portion these cookies onto the baking sheet....