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My mother’s hidden sorcery lies in wielding those spices with craft and care. Time and time again, I watch her cleverly transform a simple weeknight dinner into something quite magical. On a whim, she creates enchanting combinations, tossing freshly grated carrots with lime juice, mustard seeds, and shredded coconut; drizzling creamy yogurt with fragrant curry leaf oil; and stir-frying steamed squash with chili powder and cumin seeds. In the late ’80s, my parents immigrated to the United States from India....

We’re just here for the pie, thanks. There’s a lot riding on these Thanksgiving pies. Do you stick to tradition, or branch out into something new? How many pies do you really need? (Trick question: you need all of them.) Here’s my advice—give yourself a break when it comes to Thanksgiving dessert. Make one or two traditional pies, but then make some room for something new on the table. Who knows—one of your guests might just discover a new favorite!...

I recently scanned the menu of a popular smoothie shop in my neighborhood, marveling over some of the unusual ingredients: Brown rice protein, adaptogenic mushroom mix, cold-pressed turmeric juice, and something called Blue Magik. I’m sure every single one is packed with promise, but sometimes a girl just wants what’s familiar (say a straight up Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie this like one). It’s creamy, deliciously nutty, and just so simple....

This is an amalgam of pantry goods that, when combined, make for much more than the sum of their parts. A New Riff on Magic Bars And while I do love a good old magic cookie bar, for me, the original version leans a little too sweet. So, I made a version with pretzels and peanut butter to bring some salty balance to the party (salt + sugar is my baking language)....

Hank and I got an inkling to do a more “retro” recipe, and somehow we ended up with ham balls. Pineapple glazed ham balls. Let’s just say the jokes were flying today, Hank being who he is, never ceasing to look for opportunities to make me blush. What are ham balls? Meatballs, made with ham, ground pork, and in our version, bacon. Slathered with a sweet and sour glaze of pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, and vinegar....

My favorite thing about Pizza Casserole is that it satisfies my pizza craving and pasta craving at the same time. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner: Gather the whole family together because it’s a meal everyone will love! Easy Tips for the Best Pizza Casserole This casserole is easy to make, but here are a few tips I’d like to share: Cook the pasta al dente. That means it should still have a little bit of a bite....

Early fall is peak chile season, and we have plenty of poblanos in the garden. Every few days I pick a few chiles, char them over direct flame on the gas stove, let them steam a bit in their own heat, and then scrape off the char. Usually we eat them right away, sometimes just with some olive oil and salt drizzled over, or wrapped in a warmed corn tortilla with a little cheese....

The first is to brine the roast; brining helps the roast retain moisture when it cooks. The second is to not overcook the pork. Take the roast out at 140 to 145°F; the internal temperature will still continue to rise 5 or 10 degrees. Much higher and you have shoe leather. The third tip is to pair the roast with a wonderful sauce, as pork is rather mild and fares well with a good sauce....

We had barely begun talking last month when we started sharing our histories and love of food: Hawa was born in Mogadishu, Somalia and moved to Seattle at the age of seven. I was born in Korea and also moved to America at the age of seven. Although our backgrounds couldn’t be more different on the surface, immediately we found a connection through food and the commonalities of being from war-torn countries....

Yes, some people shy away from this odd little vegetable, usually because depending on the preparation it can be a little slippery slimy. Personally I love okra, any which way, including slimified. Alas, not everyone shares my affection (it’s a texture thing), but the good news is that okra can be a perfectly un-slippery vegetable if it is sautéed quickly, on high heat. That way you get all the benefits of the crunch and flavor, but without the slurp....

I sometimes make an extra chop just to have for lunch the next day. Heaven! If you can find thin cutlets in the market, snap them up. They cook so quickly that you can easily make this whole meal in about a half an hour. But alas, sometimes the best-laid plans go awry, as they did on the day I decided to make these. My usual thin cutlets weren’t available, so I bought boneless chops....

This sesame noodle salad is a perfect cold noodle salad for a hot day. Make the noodles and the dressing ahead of time and let the noodles soak in all the flavor from the dressing (sesame oil, honey, soy sauce). Then toss it with green onions, cilantro, bell pepper and peanuts right before serving. Yum! You can also add cubed cooked chicken to the salad to make it a more substantial meal, or some tahini for a creamier sesame flavor....

Video: How to Make Slow Cooker Pot Roast What’s the Best Cut of Meat for Pot Roast? Leaner cuts of beef are best for the slow cooker or Crockpot. The long, slow cooking method helps the connective tissue and fat breakdown slowly over many hours, which yields fork-tender bites of beef. TIP: If you’ve ever made a tough roast it’s usually because it was either cooked at too high heat, for not enough time, or both....

While I love that salad, I find that heating oil in a wok (or even a small pot) is often more work than I want to do for a weeknight meal. So recently, I started making my own version. The flavors are essentially the same, but instead of rock sugar, I use some light brown sugar (which has a similar caramelly flavor). And in place of the dried chili, I use one of the best and most popular new condiments to hit American markets in recent years—jarred chili crisp....

At its core, American buttercream is just a combination of butter and powdered sugar whipped together until light and fluffy. I take that base and use multiple strawberry ingredients—strawberry preserves, freeze-dried strawberries, and strawberry extract to make a strawberry frosting bursting with berry flavor! For me, a strawberry frosting should not only smell like the berry itself; I want the essence of strawberries invading my mouth when I take a bite and this easy to make strawberry buttercream fits the bill!...

In this terrine, orange zest makes an appearance as well. I made this on a whim a week ago to help escape from the heat; an encore performance was demanded a few days later. Each recipe makes two terrines. (That’s four terrines for 3 people in 4 days.) So pretty too! Remove from the water and run a blunt knife along the edges of the pan to break the suction....

“The great thing about toast is that almost any bread will profit from being toasted,” says Linda Hampsten Fox, chef, and owner at The Bindery in Denver. “It is a little more digestible and definitely highlights the nuances of any bread, whether it’s the buttery-ness of brioche, the sourness of sourdough, or the nuttiness of whole wheat. I never met bread I didn’t want to toast!” The best toasters deliver consistent, even results, whether you’re toasting bagels, rye bread, white bread, or whatever else....

We researched the market to identify the cookware sets that boast expert craftsmanship, optimal heat distribution, and impressive longevity. Our top pick is the Tramontina 12-Piece Tri-Ply Clad Stainless Steel Cookware Set. Spanning a wide budget range, here are all of the best cookware sets to seek out. What We Don’t Love: Food sticks on high heat, prone to discoloration There’s a reason why stainless steel cookware features heavily in professional kitchens....

I’ll use it as a base from which to add layers of flavors, then add sauce on top. Other times I’ll use it as is (especially on pork chops) for an easy and quick meal. What’s In This Dry Rub? This BBQ rub uses a lot of dark brown sugar to give it sweetness and a tiny flavor of molasses that the brown sugar imparts. There’s also mustard and cayenne to give it a little bit of heat and smoked paprika to add a touch of smokiness....