Ever have a half-empty, opened can of pumpkin purée staring back at you when you open the fridge? I don’t know about you, but it pains me to see food, or anything for that matter, go to waste. Heck, I even save egg shells and spent coffee grounds for compost. So, what can one make with the remainders of a can of pumpkin purée? Pumpkin waffles! Pumpkin Spice Waffles Lightly spiced with ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, these pumpkin waffles are a fun way to change up a waffle breakfast....

This hearty lamb stew is well-seasoned with cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and cayenne. The meat keeps its delicious and distinctive taste, while the seasonings add intrigue to every bite. I think that leg of lamb, cut into cubes, makes the best stew. You don’t need a butcher to do it: Buy a pre-boned leg of lamb and cut it into cubes yourself. Start by cutting apart the smaller muscles that make up the leg – when you remove the leg from its wrapping, you’ll see that these muscles are loosely held together with deep cracks running between them....

My parents love it when I cook for them, especially when it’s a new recipe and they get to be the taste testers. They happily put up with the delays to the meal due to my tweaking the dish as they “dish out” their suggestions. And with the delays that come from my attempts to take the perfect photo (“Don’t touch that, I still haven’t shot it!”). I love their input, as they know much more about food than I do, and their suggestions almost always result in something better....

Dad found this recipe (made minor adjustments) in an old (1988) issue of Gourmet. Warm and hearty, it’s perfect for Winter. Spoon sauerkraut on to a large serving plate. Place the chops and kielbasa on top of the sauerkraut, sprinkle with fresh parsley.

My parents don’t make it that often as it requires too much (for them) careful stirring while the tapioca cooks. Yet, tapioca pudding is one of those comfort foods that conjures up happy childhood memories. It’s actually really easy to make. Tapioca can take many forms, but the small pearls are what’s used to make tapioca pudding. Tapioca pearls are usually opaque when raw, but become supple and translucent when cooked....

Here are our favorite Thanksgiving recipes to help fill your bread basket.

If you just make the occasional soup or smoothie, a basic blender may be fine for your purposes. But it just won’t offer the same power and functionality as the more souped-up (pun intended!) models, or last as long. And we can almost guarantee that the cheaper models will be noticeably louder. “When you are looking to purchase a blender for yourself, consider what it will mostly be used for....

Since a charcoal grill can be a larger purchase, it’s a great idea to do your research before buying. The good news is we did the research for you. Based on user reviews, product information, an expert source, and key features like size and construction, we awarded Weber’s Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill the top spot. For its size, construction, and cooking surface area, it’s quite affordable and boasts the classic look and performance you’d expect from a Weber grill....

A home espresso maker can be a hefty investment—and for good reason. For a high-quality, consistent espresso, a machine must maintain both exact temperature and stable pressure. This requires serious engineering, which is why you can easily shell out $500, or even $5,000 or more. The ideal machine makes excellent tasting espresso every time and is relatively easy to set up and use. A bonus is a well-integrated steamer for frothy milk for cappuccinos, lattes, and macchiatos....

Sifters primarily came into use to weed out flour milled too large for baking, or to break up flour that had lumped together during production or storage. Now that flour is mass-produced, you can get away without sifting in many cases, though sifted flour will improve the texture of light cakes, like angel food cake, and starch-thickened sauces or creams, and decrease any chances of flour lumps. A good rule of thumb is to sift flour that has been sitting around for a few months, or if it could’ve gotten wet in any way....

And it’s not only ice cream: Some of these machines can make any recipe into a semi-frozen or frozen treat. This means a tomato gazpacho made into a semifreddo for lunch, or maybe throw in a frozen strawberry daiquiri or a frozen virgin pomegranate citrus sangria into the mix! Really, the possibilities are endless. The other great bonus is you can also take charge of what ingredients are—and aren’t—in your treat....

Homemade Thousand Island dressing takes just minutes to whip together, and like most food, the flavor of homemade outperforms even the best bottle of store-bought. Traditional versions of this dressing are often made using a hardboiled egg, but I decided to leave it out for two reasons. First, of the four versions I created, my taste testers liked the one with egg the least. Second, hardboiled eggs have a strong odor, even when mixed with other ingredients, and they overwhelmed the dressing....

Where regular tiramisu has lady fingers dipped in coffee, this tiramisu cake infuses the beverage right into the cake, so each bite is balanced and flavorful. The rich filling is mildly tangy from the mascarpone and fragrant with Marsala. The cocoa powder provides a tiny hint of bitterness and when combined with the lightly sweetened cream and fluffy cake, it tastes like a sliver of fine dark chocolate. This is a great make-ahead cake and it is, in fact, better when assembled ahead of time, the perfect dessert for your next gathering....

Families will display beautiful pictures of their ancestors on an alter next to burning incense sticks, an array of fruit, sticky rice dumplings, and treats like coffee or a piece of their favorite cake. These are all gifts for the ancestors in their next life, with hope and prayers that they do not go hungry and all their paths are paved with luck. The more you give to your ancestors, the more luck and prosperity they are able to bring to you....

Vegan Banana Bread: A Riff on a Classic When adapting a classic recipe to make it vegan, I start with a solid non-vegan recipe. For this vegan banana bread, I used this banana bread recipe, which is one of the most popular recipes on Simply Recipes! From there, I looked at what I needed to switch out: butter and eggs. Which Oil Is Best for Vegan Banana Bread? Butter is the easy switch; it’s just a fat for a fat....

A Beloved Comfort Food Made Vegan The version of green bean casserole I grew up with was the classic one that was printed on the Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup can label (did you know a Campbell’s employee created green bean casserole in the 1950s?), which called for just six ingredients: canned or fresh green beans, canned cream of mushroom soup, soy sauce, black pepper, milk, and canned French fried onions....

In the more tropical areas of Mexico and Central America, you’ll commonly find tamales wrapped in banana leaves or plantain leaves, which have their own unique and subtle flavor. If you’ve never made tamales before, it’s a pretty long and involved process, which is why the making of them is so often a social event. Several dozens are made at a time, with the help of many hands. Tamales freeze well, so it makes sense to make more than you can eat at the time....

What Is Victoria Sponge Cake? Let’s get one thing straight before we have arguments; there is no set-in-stone version of this cake! Technically, it is not even a true sponge cake in the classic French tradition since it contains butter, as well as baking soda for leavening. What you need to know is that it is a scrumptious and simple cake, easy to make and very satisfying as an afternoon snack with tea or as a light dessert....

Not everyone has time to go on walks, or the quiet space to do yoga, or the inclination to journal. And a good night’s sleep can be maddeningly elusive. But if you’re reading this, there’s one ritual we all share: making dinner. Even if you are wiped out from whatever the day requires of you, dinner presents a time to focus on the basics and follow your senses: how things look, smell, sound, taste....