If you only cook with cherries a few times a year, it might not be worth it to get a designated cherry pitter. Here are four other ways you can pit cherries to get them ready for the pies, preserves, and cakes you are dreaming of! How to Pit Cherries Cherries have pits, and if you don’t like cracking your fillings, you need to get those pits out before you eat them....

The only reason that we don’t make it more often is because (let’s be honest here) it’s kind of a production to make. As in, an afternoon-consuming production that leaves my kitchen looking rather storm tossed by the end. Some weekends, I enjoy this production. Others, not so much. Enter my new favorite recipe: this Pressure Cooker Shepherd’s Pie from my pal and Simply Recipes contributor Coco Morante’s book The Ultimate Instant Pot Cookbook....

This year I’m all about Turkey Pot Pies. The great thing about these Turkey Pot Pies is that they use many of the ingredients you likely already have on hand from making other Thanksgiving dishes – ingredients like onions, celery, carrots, stock, and pie crust. Plus, the individual serving size works perfectly for little kids. What Turkey to Use for Pot Pies? No need to be picky; just use what you have!...

Trim and clean the mushrooms, brown and soften them lightly in olive with a little garlic in a wide saucepan, then add vinegar and fresh herbs. That’s it! They’ll be the star on your next antipasto platter, but that’s not all they’re good for. Serve them warm over polenta, or throw them into salads for an earthy, vinegary punch. And don’t forget crostini, pizza toppings, grain bowls, or omelets....

These mini frittatas are perfect for the in-between days! You can make a batch, chill them, and then just reheat in the microwave a few at a time when you want a light breakfast or lunch. They’re also perfect for a brunch buffet, as you can make them ahead of time and reheat to serve. Whatever amount of water you use to fill the wells is about how much egg mixture you will need for your muffin tins....

These miso glazed chicken wings are fit for Game Day, for sure, but they also serve year-round for any gathering or even just a fun weeknight meal. This recipe also doesn’t dirty very many dishes, which makes these wings even more appealing for a weeknight dinner. One small mixing bowl and a lined baking sheet is all you need. A pound and a half of wings is perfect for four people if you serve it with a hearty side of veggies or a quick Asian stir-fry....

Instead, let’s discuss the building of the mojito, which in my opinion, is what distinguishes a “good” mojito from a “truly incredible” mojito. Video: How to Make Mojitos Secret to a Better Mojito Before now, you may have made mojitos like this: You threw some mint, lime juice, and sugar into a glass and then mashed ‘em up with a wooden spoon, or if you were feeling bartender-y, with a fancy muddler....

That’s Where I Met Buckeye Pancakes Of course, this being Columbus, Ohio, there were numerous mash-ups of fluffy pancakes with the locally famous buckeye dessert. A buckeye is a sweet confection, wherein balls of peanut butter are dipped in chocolate, making a two-toned treat that mimics the look of a nut from the native buckeye tree. It’s simple, yet decadent, resembling fudge in texture, but full of satisfying, creamy peanut butter....

I am guessing the origin of this cake is German. It’s an everyday kind of cake, and the ‘cake part’ is not too sweet; it’s basically a foil for the fruit on top. When I ventured from apples into the land of pears, I was pleasantly surprised. I am now a convert! Pears turn soft, almost creamy when they bake. My husband swore there was custard involved, but as you will see, there is not!...

These persimmon cookies are cake-y and filled with walnuts and dried sweetened cranberries. I’ve topped them with a sugar glaze that includes persimmon purée and tangy orange zest. What type of persimmon are the best to use for making cookies? While wild native persimmons grow throughout the midwestern states, commercial persimmons come in two Japanese varieties—Fuyu and Hachiya—with very different properties. The Difference Between Fuyu and Hachiya Persimmons Fuyu persimmons are short and squat....

I developed this recipe out of necessity rather than noble ingenuity. Every summer Elise’s mother loads me up with so many plums I can’t eat them all in time, and many begin to get a bit over ripe, their skins bursting at the slightest touch sending their juice down my arms and onto my clothes and floor. Taking these plums and churning them into a magenta hued sorbet just seemed like the most logical thing to do in this heat....

The mustard, capers, shallots, broth, and cream make a wonderful sauce for the pork medallions. We recommend serving it with a creamy polenta. Stir in the mustard and capers. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

This is a curious, blended fish soup I’ve been making, in various forms, for many years. I like blended soups, which can seem creamy even without cream – although this one does have a little cream added at the end. They’re just, well, more refined than a typical country soup. And sometimes I feel the need for a touch of elegance, even on a busy midweek night. One of the things that makes this soup so lovely?...

Let’s just keep this train rolling, shall we? Why You Should Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars These pumpkin bars have a cheesecake-like filling and a crunchy streusel topping. Don’t wait for Thanksgiving to make them. They’re a great dessert all season long! I love adding a streusel topping to my dessert bars whenever I have the opportunity. This streusel is so simple and adds another layer of texture to the smooth pumpkin and cream cheese filling....

Not knowing why I was asked to perform this task, I picked out the cutest ones I could find. An hour later I was mortified when I went in the kitchen and saw those rabbits, skinned and sticking out of a huge steaming pot on the stove! The menu for lunch that day was rabbit stew, and we were having a feast with my friend’s extended family. White linens, silver, fine china, 20 people assembled at an impressively long dining table....

I would use up the whole bunch: the radishes themselves would be my go-to veggie for a number of easy meals, while the tops would be added to salad greens, bowls of ramen, or sautéed with garlic. The Magic of Roasting Radishes While the pungent, spicy flavor of radishes is always welcome in my salads and salsas, or even simply paired with bread and butter, I’ve found that roasting transforms them into an entirely different vegetable....

Making the Best Roasted Red Pepper Soup Over the years we’ve adjusted the recipe to include more peppers and fewer potatoes, to intensify the roasted red pepper flavor. By the way, this soup is open to flexibility on the ingredients and amounts. Claire originally made her soup with non-fat milk instead of cream, and it was still wonderful. Use olive oil instead of butter to sauté the onions. Replace the heavy cream with full fat coconut milk or cashew cream....

A homemade alfredo sauce will be rich, but still somehow lighter than what you would find in a jarred version. It should just hang on to the pasta without being gloopy. To make up for the homemade sauce and still make this a very doable, kid-friendly weeknight recipe, I use a rotisserie chicken rather than cook the chicken from scratch. It cuts way down on the prep with no noticeable taste difference, in my opinion!...