When I find a book I love I want to yell about it from the mountain top. Instead, my friends are the beneficiaries of this enthusiasm, since I typically find every excuse to send them a copy of the new favorite. Last year the book my friends received was The Lost World of the Kalahari by Laurens van der Post. This year it will be The Honey Thief, a beautifully written collection of fictional stories by Najaf Mazari, a Hazara Afghani refugee living in Australia, and his collaborator, novelist Robert Hillman....

I had a basket of blueberries giving me the eye the other morning, as well as some ricotta cheese in the fridge begging to be used up. Hmmm. Blueberry muffins, maybe? Blueberry pancakes? Or pound cake? A lemon blueberry pound cake won the toss this time, a pound cake made even more dense and silky rich with the substitution of ricotta for some of the butter and flour. This lemon blueberry ricotta pound cake was declared a winner by all who tasted it....

How to Turn a Negroni into a NA-groni How do you make up for the character and substance of a true London dry gin, the backbone of the classic negroni? Alcoholic drinks have a finish (or lingering after-taste) that is not easily replicated in non-alcoholic versions. A drinkable something is easy enough – and most of my attempts using light, ever-so-subtle infusions were just that – but if you want to feel you’re drinking an actual cocktail, you need to figure out that finish....

When I’m baking, a few drops of almond extract take my basic sugar cookies from just fine to flavorful. In my cocktails, I use orgeat, a sweet almond syrup, to add a sweet nuttiness with floral undertones. It creates layers of flavor that get my guests asking, “WHAT is in this delicious drink?!” If you’re not well-acquainted with tiki, tropical drinks or some classic pre-prohibition drinks, orgeat may be an unfamiliar cocktail ingredient....

We grew up with oxtail stew, a deeply rich, hearty stew perfect for cold days. You don’t find them that often in the market. So, when they appear, I’ll usually pick up a few pounds. What Are Oxtails? The oxtail is the tail of a steer, usually cut into segments. It is a tough, flavorful cut, well marbled with fat, and perfect for slow braising in stews or soups,. And here’s the best part, the bones have a ton of collagen, so good for making a gelatinous stock....

This is one of my favorite things to do with duck confit or the easier, slow-roasted duck version of it. This is a sumptuous pasta dish that has its origins in old Venice, where it was done with the Italian version of preserved duck. Despite this, it is an easy dish to make – the only tricky part is getting the garlic browned but not burned. Traditionally this is served with tagliatelle, a long, flat pasta both wider and thinner than the more familiar linguine....

Meatballs and vegetables roast together in the oven while pasta boils on the stove, then everything gets tossed with some olive oil, lemon juice, and a handful of parsley. A Flexible Dinner Recipe The recipe is very adaptable. You can really use any kind of ground meat, and any of your favorite vegetables that have been cut into bite-sized pieces. Today, I went with ground turkey for the meatballs, and zucchini, bell peppers, and onions for the vegetables....

Each person left with a tin of assorted cookies, along with a slight sugar buzz. It was a marvelous way to meet new people in the neighborhood, as well as learn about new cookies that I wasn’t familiar with. And that’s exactly how I was introduced to the magical pfeffernusse. What Are Pfeffernusse Cookies? The executive director of the nonprofit, Rosie, grew up making pfeffernusse. Pfeffernusse cookies are a traditional German holiday cookie; the name translates to “peppernut....

Not one to have torn up bread with it when one could easily make buttered croutons, I made some croutons for it as well. Okay, bacon, eggs, and buttered croutons and it counts as a salad? I inhaled it. Devour.

So when my father decided that he wanted to make a pork crown roast for the benefit of any of our readers who actually might want to tackle it one day, I happily went along. Here’s the deal. What Is a Pork Crown Roast? A crown roast of pork is nothing more than a bunch of pork rib chops nicely formed into a circle and tied up by your butcher....

I’ve made several batches of this soup. Leftovers are dangerous, I tend to eat them all! Now, one of the things I’ve learned over the years is that either you are a Guinness fan or not. If you are not, then you likely will not like this soup. But if you are, I think you will love it. Ireland produces some of the best sharp cheddar cheeses out there. So if you have access to Irish sharp cheddar, by all means use it!...

Creamy pasta tetrazzini is such a crowd pleaser, and adding pesto only makes it more delicious! Put the two together and you end up with a seriously comforting and flavorful dish. Tender chunks of chicken and carrots make it a one-pot meal, with protein, veggies, and pasta all in one pot. Video: Pressure Cooker Pesto Chicken Tetrazzini Real Milk in the Pressure Cooker Pressure cooker dishes with dairy do take some special technique to cook well....

Red bean tangyuan is a deliciously warm and lightly sweet Chinese dessert. The soft and chewy balls have a mochi-like texture and the adzuki red bean filling adds creamy sweetness. Tangyuan can be made with a variety of fillings like sesame or peanut, and are commonly served with a gingery soup that adds a warm brightness. The Red Bean Filling Red bean, also known as adzuki or azuki bean, is a small and smooth bean with a reddish skin and white interior....

The method for this recipe couldn’t be simpler. Coat cherry tomatoes with oil and pop them into the oven to cook low and slow for about 2 hours. Halfway through, drizzle with a mixture of honey and vinegar, accentuating the tomatoes’ flavor. Yes, it’s a long time. But this recipe requires little attention and coaxes the natural sweetness from every last little tomato. The result is tender, nearly candied flavor bombs....

All-in-One Skillet Pot Pie This pot pie is prepped on the stove, baked in the oven, and served directly in the skillet—which saves time doing dishes! For those looking to save time upfront, a pre-made pie crust works as well as a freshly prepared one. If it cools before everyone comes to the table, you can pop it directly back into the oven to keep it warm until everyone is ready....

For this recipe, the sweet, mildly licorice flavors of fennel are paired with a salty and tangy lemon sauce inspired by piccata. It’s an impressive side dish to serve at a fancy gathering or for a slow weeknight dinner. You are going to be hooked on fabulous fennel from here on out. What Is Fennel? You’ve definitely seen it at the grocery store or farmers market and, if you’re not familiar with it, mistakenly walked past it....

Slicing the Brussels sprouts can be a bit laborious; if you have a food processor with a slicing blade, this would be a good way to make use of it. Brussels sprouts can go from crisp and nutty to soggy and bitter if they are overcooked, so cook them quickly in a large sauté pan so they still retain their crunch and vibrant green! Cut the sprouts in half lengthwise....

Skeleton cake pops are one of those popular treats that are not only fun to eat but even more fun to make! These spooky Halloween-inspired cake pops are great because they don’t require using dyes or advanced decorating skills. In fact, the more imperfect the coating and the more wonky the decoration, the more creepy and cute the final product will be! What’s the Best Chocolate to Use? For a less sweet cake pop, use a darker bittersweet chocolate for the chocolate ganache frosting....

Thankfully, we have science and salt to help us avoid the dreadful dry turkey. While cooking to the proper final temperature of 165º F can help avoid a turkey disaster, think of brining the turkey is an extra flavor-infused safety net. Even though the brine’s mission is moisture, with the help of friends, it can also impart some flavor. Give your turkey a good soak in this brine recipe of Italian parsley, crushed black peppercorns, garlic, and oranges before you smoke it for a citrusy, juicy turkey every time....