Sticky Cranberry Gingerbread

Sticky Cranberry Gingerbread

Sticky, spicy and full of cranberries, this gingerbread is perfect for the holidays. The recipe has been designed to make ahead, and will taste as good 2 days after baking as it does on the same day. (It will keep for 4 to 5 days.) To store it, wrap it well, stick it in the fridge and then bring to room temperature before serving. Whipped cream or crème fraîche, spiked with a little bourbon if you like, is nice on the side.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

2 cups/8 ounces/266 grams fresh or frozen cranberries

1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar

1 stick/4 ounces/113 grams unsalted butter

⅔ cup/133 grams dark brown sugar

½ cup/120 milliliters whole milk

½ cup/120 milliliters maple syrup

¼ cup/60 milliliters molasses

1½ cups/185 grams all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon/5 grams ground ginger

½ teaspoon/1 gram ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon/3 grams baking powder

½ teaspoon/3 grams kosher salt

¼ teaspoon/1 gram baking soda

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon/14 grams grated fresh ginger (from 1-inch piece)

Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9-inch square or round baking pan with parchment.

In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together cranberries, granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Stir the cranberries over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and cranberries form a sauce that is syrupy and bubbling thickly, about 10 minutes. Aim to have about half the cranberries broken down, with the remainder more or less whole.

In a separate saucepan, stir together the butter, brown sugar, milk, maple syrup and molasses over medium heat. Bring it to just barely a simmer and then remove it from the heat. Do not let it come to a boil, or the mixture may curdle.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda and black pepper. Beat in the butter-maple syrup mixture and then beat in the eggs. Stir in the ginger.

Scrape the batter into the pan. Drop fat dollops of cranberry sauce onto the surface of the cake batter. Drag a long, slender knife through the batter in a swirly design, as if you are marbling a cake. Transfer the cake to the oven and bake it until the top is firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire baking rack and let the cake cool completely before eating it.

TIP: Since my husband likes desserts likes less-sweet, I brought the granulated sugar down to 3/4c, the brown sugar down to 1/3c, and the maple syrup down to 1/4c. I also upped the fresh grated ginger to 1-1/2 T. DELICIOUS! More moist than sticky. Next time I'll put in the full 12 oz bag of fresh cranberries.

This is our favorite gingerbread by far, one we've made many times. But the original excellent recipe is now a bit too sweet for our tastes, so we used half the recommended amount of sugar to make the cranberry sauce, and it made a perfectly balanced mix of sweet and tart. We also used 1/2 cup brown sugar instead of 2/3 cup, and about 2 tablespoons of grated fresh ginger instead of 1. It ended up a true gingerbread instead of a cake, and was roundly acclaimed by all to be the best one yet...

I added chopped crystallized ginger to the cranberry mixture. Perfection.

Duchess-Style Twice-Baked Potatoes

Duchess-Style Twice-Baked Potatoes

Unlike American-style twice-baked potatoes, which are laden with cheese and sour cream, these potatoes, inspired by the French dish pommes duchesse, get their richness primarily from egg yolks. While you can scoop the filling back into the skins with a spoon, piping it with a star-tipped pastry bag makes the potatoes especially fancy.

Yield: 8 servings

6 medium russet potatoes (about 3 pounds), scrubbed

¾ cup whole milk

½ cup unsalted butter

⅛t easpoon ground nutmeg

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 large egg yolks, at room temperature

Sweet paprika, for topping

Arrange an oven rack in the center position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake the potatoes directly on the oven rack until the flesh is soft and tender and the skins are crispy, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them sit at room temperature just until they’re cool enough to handle (they should still be hot). Leave the oven on.

Meanwhile, combine the milk and butter in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting just to keep the mixture warm. (It should not be bubbling.)

Cut 2 of the still-hot potatoes in half lengthwise and carefully scoop the flesh into a food mill, ricer or drum sieve, taking care to keep the skins intact. Set the skins aside, then mill, rice or press the flesh into the saucepan. Repeat with the remaining potatoes in 2 more batches, reserving 8 skins total (you can snack on or discard the 4 other skins).

Add the nutmeg to the saucepan and generously season the potato mixture with salt and pepper. Remove the saucepan from the heat and gently fold until the mixture is smooth, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Gently stir in the egg yolks until combined. Set the saucepan aside and let the potato mixture cool completely to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Place the 8 potato skins on a rimmed baking sheet, spacing them evenly. For a fancy (but optional) look, scrape the potato mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large open star tip and pipe the mixture into the skins, dividing evenly and using all of the mixture so that each skin is mounded with filling. Alternatively, spoon the potato mixture into the skins and smooth the tops.

Lightly dust the top of each potato with paprika, then transfer to the oven and bake until the surfaces are lightly browned in spots, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve.

Tip: DO AHEAD: The potato skins can be filled up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate, then bring to room temperature before topping with paprika and baking again. They will take a few minutes longer to heat through and brown in the oven.

Made these tonight and they were delicious! I think that the outside of the potato ought to be oiled and salted somewhere along the process to help it crisp, and also to give the skin itself more flavor. For that reason I almost shaved off a star but the yolky filling is very delicious.

For the filling, I used buttermilk instead of milk as its what I had on hand. I plan on making these potatoes for thanksgiving.

Excellent recipe. I added a bit of green onion to the filling because it sounded good (it was). I also added a bit of salt to the “boats” before filling them and that seems like the right call. I wonder if I slightly over baked my potatoes the first time round, because I found the skins slightly too tough. But I will make it again! Highly recommend: delicious, lovely presentation, and flexible.

Mashed Potato Casserole

Mashed Potato Casserole

This casserole may upset some mashed potato purists, but take heart: one bite and they'll be won over. The genius of this recipe, besides its utter deliciousness, is that it can be made the day before, or even two. Cook the potatoes, assemble the casserole, wrap tightly and store it in the refrigerator. When dinnertime comes, dust it with the cheese, butter and bread crumbs and bake the whole thing off. (And for everything you need to know to make perfect potatoes, visit our potato guide.)

Yield: 12 to 14 servings

14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, and more for the pan

6 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt

1½ cups sour cream

1 teaspoon black pepper

6t ablespoons finely chopped chives

⅔ cup bread crumbs

⅔ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Lightly grease a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan.

In a large pot, bring the potatoes, 4 quarts water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil. Boil potatoes until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.

Mash potatoes with 10 tablespoons butter, sour cream, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Mash in the chives. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Spread potatoes into the prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate for up to three days.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, bread crumbs and cheese. Mix together until it forms coarse crumbs. Crumbs can be refrigerated for three days.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle crumbs over the top of the potato casserole and bake until golden and crisp, 30 to 40 minutes.

TIP: If you make this ahead of time and store it uncooked in the refrigerator, it will go into the oven cold and will need considerably more than 30 to 40 minutes to bake. Count on at least an hour.

This is my "go to" make ahead mash potato recipe. It feeds a large crowd. It's very rich so it goes a long way. I follow the recipe. I have made the mistake 2 times of adding all 14 tablespoons of butter (instead of 10) to the mash potatoes, sour cream, etc. Thus making the potatoes too wet. I wasn't paying close attention to the recipe, just a heads up: 10 tablespoons for potatoes and 4 for the topping. Panko breadcrumbs work nicely too.

I have made a recipe like this for many years at Thanksgiving and other special occasions. I added 2 beaten eggs to the mix which allows the potato casserole to rise...a bit like a souffle! I love the chives and the crunchy topping...and especially the fact that you can prep this the night before the event and then just bake it when needed. Killer recipe!

Yamitsuki (Addictive Cabbage)

Yamitsuki (Addictive Cabbage)

In Japanese, “yamitsuki” means addictive — a precise description of this seemingly humble side dish of cabbage, gently torn and simply anointed with sesame oil and seeds, garlic, black pepper and a fingerprint’s worth of salt. So few ingredients, so little time required, and you can’t stop eating it. Often served at izakayas, the Japanese equivalent of pubs, the cabbage is especially good for refreshing the palate and easing the stomach between bites of richer, fattier foods. Aiko Cascio, an instructor for the New York-based League of Kitchens cooking school, prefers tearing the leaves by hand rather than using a knife because the rougher edges absorb more of the sesame oil. This recipe, from “The League of Kitchens Cookbook” (Harvest, 2024) by Lisa Kyung Gross, Rachel Wharton and the women of the League of Kitchens cooking school, calls for flathead cabbage, also known as Taiwanese cabbage, which is soft and tender, with space between the ribs. If you can find only green, Ms. Cascio advises cutting it into smaller pieces and letting it rest a little longer in salt, for greater pliancy. —Ligaya Mishan

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

1 pound Taiwanese flathead cabbage or Napa cabbage (about ½ cabbage), see Tip

Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and pepper

2 medium garlic cloves

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon untoasted sesame seeds

Prepare the cabbage: Peel away any damaged outer leaves from the cabbage. Trim any brown or oxidized bits, then halve the cabbage through its core and remove the solid white heart— you can usually do this just by cutting out a little triangle with the tip of a large knife.

Cut the leaves of the cabbage into rough 1¼-inch square pieces. If you spot any very thick pieces, like the parts of the leaves that were closer to the core, cut them not into squares but into thin slices about ¼-inch wide.

Wash and drain the cut pieces of the cabbage in a colander in the sink. (They do not need to be totally dry.) Put the cabbage pieces in a very large bowl and sprinkle them with 3 tablespoons salt, then crunch and scrunch the leaves with your hands, making sure they’re all separated, well mixed in with the salt, and beginning to soften. Let the salted cabbage sit for 10 minutes.

Make the dressing: While the cabbage sits, finely grate the garlic into a smooth paste into a small bowl (you should have about ½ tablespoon). Whisk the sesame oil, ⅛ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper into the bowl with the garlic.

Check the cabbage: After 10 minutes, the cabbage should be slightly wilted and taste slightly salty. Test a leaf by rinsing it under running water and tasting it; it should taste like the leaf absorbed some salt. (If not, let it sit for 10 more minutes and then taste again.) Put the cabbage pieces in a colander or salad spinner, rinse off the salt under running water, then drain the cabbage as well as you can. (It won’t be bone dry, but it shouldn’t be sopping wet.) Let it sit until you are ready to dress the salad.

Dress the salad: When you’re ready to serve the dish, transfer the cabbage to a serving bowl, add the dressing and use two large spoons (or chopsticks) to toss until coated. Sprinkle the salad with the sesame seeds, again making sure everything is mixed together.

Serve the cabbage: You can either serve this family style in a large bowl on a table or you can give each diner a small bowl as part of a larger meal with rice. This is best eaten the day it’s made, as the garlic intensifies in the dressing over time.

Tip: Taiwanese flathead cabbage, which has looser, softer leaves than other varieties, is available in Asian markets. If you can’t locate it, Napa cabbage is a good substitute.

This is Lisa Kyung Gross--founder of the League of Kitchens and author of this cookbook. Some people have said that this is too much salt. The salt is RINSED OFF before serving. You salt the cabbage with 3 Tablespoons of Diamond Crystal Kosher salt (the large grains of salt are important--table salt or fine sea salt will make this much too salty), crunch it in with your hands, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then you wash off the salt before dressing it.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

This quick batter cooks into the most tender pancakes for the most comforting breakfast. Milky ricotta and butter, along with tangy buttermilk, lend a soft, sweet creaminess, and well-beaten eggs keep them fluffy and light. Lemon- and vanilla-scented sugar makes the pancakes sweet enough to eat on their own, but they’re fun to serve with blueberry syrup or your favorite toppings. If you prefer soufflé-like pancakes, separate the whites from the yolks and beat them to stiff peaks. Mix the yolks in with the wet ingredients, fold the whipped whites in after the dry ingredients are incorporated and cook as directed below.

Yield: 8 to 10 small pancakes

¾ cup/102 grams all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon fine salt

¼ cup/50 grams granulated sugar

1 lemon

1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

¾ cup/170 grams whole-milk ricotta

¼ cup/61 grams buttermilk, preferably whole milk

2 tablespoons/28 grams unsalted butter, melted, plus room-temperature butter for cooking and serving

Blueberry Syrup or other toppings, for serving (optional)

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Heat a griddle or large nonstick pan or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-low.

Add the sugar to a large bowl, then finely grate the zest of the lemon directly over the sugar.

Using your fingers, gently rub the zest into the sugar.

Add the vanilla and whisk to evenly moisten. Add the eggs and whisk until foamy on top.

Next, add the ricotta, buttermilk and butter, and whisk until well blended.

Add the flour mixture and gently stir until no traces of flour remain.

Generously butter the griddle, then drop a scant ¼ cup batter onto it. Repeat, spacing the rounds at least an inch apart. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and the tops are bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes.

Flip and cook until the other sides are golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Repeat with more butter and the remaining batter. Serve warm, slathered with butter and blueberry syrup or other toppings if you’d like.

TIP: If you don’t have ricotta on hand, a large spoonful of sour cream gives a similar effect. This recipe is unnecessarily complicated. I always add lemon zest, vanilla (and cinnamon, not sugar) but I don’t bother to separately mix them. I just put all ingredients in a bowl and briefly whisk together. We also like to drop in blueberries as each pancake cooks (to avoid turning the whole batter blue).

These were easy and delicious. I used plain milk with lemon juice instead of buttermilk and the pancakes still turned out perfectly fluffy.

Bobby Flay's lemon-ricotta pancakes have been my go-to for a while. Similar to this recipe, but a bit simpler: no buttermilk, no vanilla, simply dry ingredients in one bowl, wet in another. The clincher: warmed lemon curd for the topping.

I use whole fat Greek yogurt for many things, as sour cream on baked potato or a cucumber salad. I’d also use it in pancake batter instead of ricotta here. It gives the tang of buttermilk and fluffy texture. I’ve used it for years in cornbread batter as well.

These are wonderful! Lightly lemony, super tender, easy to assemble.

One tip, though: I was intrigued to see that it's easy to make just a third of the recipe, because it calls for 3 eggs; I was making them for my wife and me - and we don't need 12-14 pancakes! I measured carefully throughout, including adding exactly 1/4c batter per pancake to the griddle . . . and wound up with just 3 pancakes, not the expected 4. So, if making for 2 people, you might want to make 2/3rds of the recipe.

Beef Bourguignon

Beef Bourguignon

Like coq au vin, its sister dish from the Burgundy region of France, beef Bourguignon is a stew of meat slowly simmered in hearty red wine along with pearl onions, mushrooms and crisp, cubed bacon. Use a good wine here, something simple but drinkable. It makes all the difference in the finished dish. As with all beef stews, this one is best made a day or two ahead; don’t sauté the mushrooms and onions until just before serving. This recipe is part of The New Essentials of French Cooking, a guide to definitive dishes every modern cook should master. Discover more ideas for the holidays here.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

3 pounds beef chuck or other boneless stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes and patted dry

2¼ teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

5 ounces lardons, pancetta or bacon, diced (about 1¼ cups)

1 onion, finely chopped

1 large carrot, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1750-milliliter bottle of red wine

1 large bay leaf

1 large sprig of thyme

8 ounces pearl onions, peeled (about 12 to 15 onions)

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved if large (about 4 cups)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Pinch sugar

Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Season beef with 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Set aside for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid, cook lardons over medium-low heat until fat is rendered and lardons are browned and crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve fat in pot.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Raise heat under pot to medium-high and cook until fat is starting to smoke. Lay half the beef cubes in a single layer in the pot, leaving space between pieces. Cook until well browned on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes; transfer pieces to a plate as they brown. Repeat with remaining beef.

Reduce heat, if necessary, to prevent burning. Stir in onion, carrot and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until soft, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in garlic and tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in flour, cook for 1 minute, then add wine, bay leaf and thyme, scraping up brown bits at bottom of pot. Add browned beef and half the cooked lardons back to pot, cover, and transfer to oven. Let cook until beef is very tender, about 1½ hours, turning meat halfway through.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet set over high heat, combine pearl onions, mushrooms, ¼ cup water, the olive oil and a pinch each of salt, pepper and sugar. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce heat to medium, cooking for 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to high, and cook, tossing frequently, until vegetables are well browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

To serve, scatter onions and mushrooms and remaining cooked lardons over stew, then top with parsley.

TIP: Wonderful recipe! I used 4lbs of beef chuck & pinot noir wine. After Step 5 I put the Dutch oven into the oven at 300 for 3hrs...meat was very tender with lots of liquid. Transferred everything into a large ceramic casserole dish, covered it with foil and refrigerated overnight. Next day scraped off some of the fat on the top. Made the onions and mushrooms. Pulled the casserole dish out of the fridge one hour before reheating it (covered) at 325 degrees in the oven for about 45 minutes.

As a Professional Italian Chef I've cooked lots of Beef Stews and Italian Style Pot Roasts. The steps in the recipe are simple and easy to understand. Unfortunately, the most important step in the recipe is the temperature of the oven and the cook time. Doing everything according to Melissa Clark's directions your meat will be tough as shoe leather! You have to seriously turn your oven down to 260°F for the entire time. And cook the meat for at least 3-4 hours. Good Luck.

Vietnamese Coffee Swirl Brownies

Vietnamese Coffee Swirl Brownies

These ultra-fudgy brownies take the bittersweet elements of Vietnamese coffee — espresso and sweetened condensed milk — and turn them into dessert. For the most pronounced coffee flavor, there’s instant espresso in the brownie batter plus some ground espresso (or coffee beans) speckling the milky cream cheese swirl. To get the neatest, most crumb-free slices, chill the cooled brownies for an hour or so before slicing them upside down. Use a sharp knife and wipe it down between slices. These brownies last for up to a week when kept refrigerated in an airtight container, and they freeze well, too.

Yield: 16 brownies

1 cup/225 grams unsalted butter, plus more for pan  

8 ounces/225 grams unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

¾ teaspoon fine sea salt 

2 cups/400 grams sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process 

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup/125 grams all-purpose flour

½ cup/85 grams bittersweet chocolate chips (optional)

For the Topping

⅔ cup/170 grams cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

1½ teaspoons ground espresso or dark roast coffee beans

Flaky sea salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of overhang on two sides to use as handles later.

In a large heavy saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine the butter, chopped chocolate, instant espresso powder and salt. Let butter and chocolate melt, stirring occasionally. (Alternatively, using the microwave, melt the ingredients together in a microwave-safe bowl, in 30-second increments, until smooth, stirring between increments.)

Whisk in sugar and cocoa powder until smooth, then whisk in eggs and vanilla. Finally, whisk in flour until no streaks remain. Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chips, if using.

Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

To prepare the topping, using a whisk, beat together cream cheese and condensed milk in a small bowl until very smooth. Use a spatula to mix in ground espresso beans until just combined. (Don’t overmix: You want to see speckles.) Dollop on top of brownie batter in the pan and swirl with a knife or spatula, pulling up some of the brownie batter from beneath the topping for a marble effect. (For best results, both topping and brownie batter should be about the same temperature.) Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt.

Bake until the top is set, the center is soft and the edges start pulling away from the pan, 30 to 40 minutes. (Ceramic and glass pans will take about 5 minutes longer.) The top should look dry and firm when done, but a toothpick inserted into the center should come out slightly gooey.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. To get the neatest pieces, chill the brownies for 1 hour, then invert the whole slab of brownie onto a cutting board, peel off the parchment, and slice them, still upside down, into bars.

Basil Tofu

Basil Tofu

Inspired by the savory heat of pad krapow, the popular Thai dish of stir-fried ground chicken or pork with chiles, garlic and basil, this tofu version is just as robustly seasoned and satiating. The traditional dish uses holy basil, but Thai or everyday sweet basil will work here. The cooking of this dish happens quickly, so have all your ingredients prepped before cooking. Tear the tofu into chunky pieces, as it will naturally break down further while being stir-fried. Keep the flavor of the basil bright and the color green by adding it right at the end, so the leaves are barely kissed with heat. Thai chiles are spicy, so add according to your taste: Two is a good choice for those who like spicy food, or three if you like it fiery. 

Yield: 4 servings

Vegetable or grapeseed oil

1 shallot or small red onion, halved and sliced 

1 red bell pepper, halved, seeds removed and finely diced 

4 ounces green beans, trimmed and thinly sliced into ½-inch pieces 

Salt 

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

2 to 3 Thai chiles, finely chopped

2 (14- to 16-ounce) packages extra-firm tofu, drained and broken into irregular 1-inch pieces 

2 tablespoons soy sauce 

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

2 tablespoons lime juice, plus 1 lime, quartered, to serve 

1 cup Thai, holy or sweet basil leaves 

Cooked jasmine or short-grain white rice, to serve 

Heat a wok or a large 12-inch skillet on medium-high. When it’s hot, drizzle in 2 tablespoons of oil, add the shallot and toss until softened, 1 minute. Add the red bell pepper and green beans, season with ½ teaspoon of salt and toss for 1 minute. Add the garlic and Thai chiles and toss until fragrant, about 1 minute. 

Add the tofu, soy sauce and dark soy sauce, and stir fry until the tofu is well coated and thoroughly warmed, 3 to 4 minutes. Finally, add the lime juice and basil leaves, and toss until the basil is wilted, about 30 seconds. 

Serve with rice, with lime wedges on the side.

TIP: Three small changes that really brought this to life - added a tablespoon of rice vinegar, a teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of cornstarch to the soy sauce mixture. Otherwise made as is and it was delicious!

This recipe has potential. I thickened the sauce with some corn starch as it was too watery. Next time I may add some vegetable broth as well to increase the amount of sauce instead of just adding soy sauce. I would mix the cut up tofu with cornstarch and bake in oven to get crispy before adding to wok. I would also double the amount of green beans and simply cut them in half instead of slicing.

Unexpectedly flavorful/ well-seasoned. Super easy. Used 4T soy -- had no dark soy. Added a smidge of fish sauce. Skimped on the basil because I had only about 1/2 c. Clearly would have benefited from more.

Dan Dan Noodles

Dan Dan Noodles

A specialty from Sichuan, a province in the southwest of China, vendors once balanced baskets of noodles and sauce on their shoulder poles and cried out “dan dan mian!” to hawk their wares. Dan dan refers to those bamboo shoulder poles and mian means noodles, but there’s no one way to prepare them. Nowadays in the Western diaspora, the dish is associated with a few essentials, namely chile oil and sesame paste, but another is worth adding: preserved vegetables. Salty and a little sweet with the sour oomph of fermentation, pickled mustard greens give the soothing noodles an umami zing. These noodles are especially rich with sesame, but you can adjust all of the seasonings to your taste. Toasty and salty, tangy on the cliff of funk, chewy with pops of peanut, dan dan noodles are a bowl of contentment.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

For the Sauce

¼cup well-stirred Chinese sesame paste or tahini (see Tips)

2tablespoons soy sauce

1tablespoon sesame oil

1 to 2tablespoons chile crisp, preferably Sichuanese, plus more for serving

2 to 3teaspoons brown sugar

½teaspoon Chinkiang vinegar or balsamic vinegar

For the Meat

2tablespoons vegetable oil

½cup ya cai (Sichuan preserved mustard greens) or other finely chopped Chinese pickled or preserved mustard vegetables (see Tips)

1large garlic clove, finely chopped

8ounces ground pork

1tablespoon Shaoxing wine or other rice wine

1tablespoon soy sauce

2teaspoons tian mian jiang (sweet wheat sauce) or hoisin

For the Noodles

1pound fresh Chinese wheat noodles (see Tips)

8 to 12bok choy or gai lan (Chinese broccoli), optional

Chopped roasted, salted peanuts, ground Sichuan peppercorns and finely sliced scallions, for topping

Start the sauce: Set a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, mix the sesame paste, soy sauce, sesame oil, chile crisp, brown sugar and vinegar in a large bowl. The mixture will be thick. Taste and add more chile oil or brown sugar (or other seasonings) to your liking.

Make the meat: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large, deep skillet over high. Add the ya cai and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Scrape half into the sauce bowl. Add the remaining oil to the wok. When it’s hot, add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the pork and cook, smashing it into the vegetables and stirring to break it into tiny bits. When its pinkness fades after a few minutes, add the wine, soy sauce and tian mian jiang, and stir until the pork is cooked through. Keep warm over low.

Finish the sauce: Scoop ¼ cup boiling water from the pot and add to the sauce. Stir until smooth. The sauce should run off the spoon. If it doesn’t, add more boiling water a tablespoon at a time.

Make the noodles: Drop the noodles into the pot of boiling water, stir and cook until there’s still a bite in the center, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the bok choy and cook until bright green and the noodles are just tender, about 1 minute longer. Drain and run under hot tap water to rinse excess starch off the noodles.

Slide the noodles and bok choy over the sauce, scrape the pork and its sauce on top, then sprinkle with peanuts and scallions if you want. Top with more chile crisp if you’d like. Mix well and enjoy immediately.

Tips: Chinese sesame paste has a deep toasted flavor. If using tahini, try to find one made with roasted sesame seeds, such as Joyva. If using tahini ground from raw sesame seeds, add another tablespoon toasted sesame oil.

Sichuan preserved mustard greens, known broadly as ya cai or more specifically as Yibin ya cai for the region from which it comes, come in small foil packets or jars. The dark brown bits of preserved vegetables start as strips of Sichuanese mustard green stems, which are then dried, salted and fermented with a sugar syrup and spices. They end up savory, a little sweet and pleasantly funky. There’s no great substitute, but other varieties of Chinese pickled or preserved mustard greens, such as sui mi ya cai, work. In a Western pantry, a combination of finely chopped capers and finely diced fermented bread-and-butter pickles comes closest.

If you don’t have fresh Chinese wheat noodles, you can use 12 ounces dried lo mein noodles, thin spaghetti or ramen and cook according to the package directions before draining and rinsing.

Done it, almost weekly now. We've used shrimp instead of pork & subbed honey for the brown sugar. You can empty your veggie bin, we've added Kale, spinach, broccoli, snap peas, just about anything.

Vegan: Mix Chinese sesame paste (or tahini mixed with toasted sesame oil), soy sauce & chile crisp with a pinch of sugar in the bowl you’ll eat from. Adjust seasonings to taste. Stir in boiling water (maybe pasta water?) until runny. Cook your noodles, add whatever veg. Top with peanuts &or pickled veg.

 I’ve always used spaghetti for Dan-Dan, the quality of Italian ingredients is much higher where I live and wheat noodles are wheat noodles. The noodles don’t know they aren’t Chinese!

Mini Apple Tartes Tatin

Mini Apple Tartes Tatin

The pastry chef Claudia Fleming is known for her work with fruit desserts, and this recipe, adapted from her cult-classic cookbook, “The Last Course,” is an easy version of the classic caramelized apple tart. If you have large apples (or like large desserts), make this in a jumbo muffin tin; you’ll need more puff pastry, but everything else remains the same. —Julia Moskin

Yield: 6 servings

1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar

1 teaspoon light corn syrup

4 tablespoons/55 grams unsalted butter (½ stick), cut into 1-inch pieces

3 medium Granny Smith or other tart, firm apples, peeled

8 ounces/225 grams puff pastry, preferably all-butter, thawed in the refrigerator

Place ¼ cup water in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add sugar and corn syrup, increase heat to high, and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture caramelizes into a deep amber brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Once it starts turning brown, swirl often and keep a close eye on it.

Remove from the heat, and whisk in butter until melted and smooth. Divide among six 4-to 6-ounce ramekins, or among the cups of a nonstick 6-muffin tin.

Cut the apples in half from top to bottom. Use a melon baller or the tip of a knife to core the apple halves. Trim off any remaining peels and stems, and cut around the edges so each apple half is about the same diameter as each ramekin. Place the apple halves face down on a work surface, then slice into ½-inch-thick pieces, keeping the slices together so the shape of the apple half stays intact. Tuck each apple half into a ramekin or cup, with the flat side facing up and the curved back nestling into the caramel.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out or unfold the pastry and prick all over with a fork. Using a biscuit cutter or a knife, cut out six pastry rounds that are slightly larger than the ramekins (about ½ inch of dough all the way around). Keep pastry rounds chilled until ready to use.

Place the pastry rounds on top of the ramekins or cups. Working your way around, use forefingers and thumbs to turn the pastry edges up and away from the apples, as if making a little round stand for each tart. Crimp the edges a bit. Tuck the pastry rounds slightly down into the ramekins; do not seal. Place the ramekins or muffin tin on a baking sheet lined with a nonstick liner or parchment paper.

Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake until the puff pastry is golden brown, the apples are fork-tender but not mushy, and the caramel is thick and bubbling, about 10 minutes more depending on the apples. To test, after 10 minutes, remove from the oven and slip a fork into one tart. The apples should be cooked through. Let cool in the ramekins or cups for at least 1 hour, to allow the apples to absorb the caramel.

When ready to serve, heat oven to 350 degrees. Reheat the tarts for 3 minutes (to soften the caramel) before inverting onto individual dishes. If using a muffin tin, cover the tin with a baking sheet and use both hands to flip the pans over, so the tarts fall out onto the baking sheet. Don’t worry if some of the caramel runs out.

Tip: You can bake up to 12 hours in advance and let cool completely in the baking pans. When ready to serve, reheat in a 325-degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the caramel is melted.

I have made this three times lately with apples and then pears. Using individual small cut puff pastry squares from Lidle. They are delicious and can easily be reheated in the oven. Addictively good. I’ve baked them in muffin tins and custard ramekins both work well. They look gorgeous too. Don’t be afraid they are easier than you think once you get the hang of them!!

Amazing! This was a hit for Thanksgiving. We baked them in small ramekins with lids. Very easy to assemble and people love the presentation. Little do they know it's making your life easier making it this way. We used maple syrup instead of corn syrup.

What fun this was and easy and delicious. I reduced all ingredients by a third for the two of us. Two individual ramekins. Took only a half hour of prep, including swirling the caramel. Expect to make this again and again.

I used Agave syrup instead of corn syrup with nice results.

Turkey Pho

Turkey Pho

A play on the Vietnamese chicken noodle soup, this clear broth, paired with rice noodles and flavored with charred onions and ginger, star anise, brown sugar and fish sauce, comes served with a platter of fresh garnishes. But this is more than your basic noodle soup: A spritz of lime at the end adds some tang, and mung beans and Thai basil a crunchy bite.

Yield: 6 servings

2 medium yellow onions, halved and peeled

1 (4-inch) piece of fresh ginger (do not peel)

12 cups turkey or chicken stock, preferably homemade

¼ cup fish sauce, plus more to taste

1 star anise

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 (1-pound) package dried rice vermicelli

12 ounces mung bean sprouts (about 3 cups)

1 small bunch Thai basil sprigs

3 jalapeños, stemmed and thinly sliced

2 to 3 limes, quartered, to taste

4 cups shredded cooked turkey (about 1 pound) 

Kosher salt, to taste

1½ cups coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems (about 1 large bunch)

1 cup thinly sliced scallions (about 1 bunch)

Cook onions and ginger directly over open flame of a gas burner for about 5 minutes, turning them occasionally, until they are charred on all sides. (If you don’t have a gas stove, heat broiler and set onions and ginger on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil, turning occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes until charred on all sides.) Allow charred ginger to cool, then slice it into ½-inch coins.

In a large Dutch oven or similar pot, combine onions, sliced ginger, stock, fish sauce, star anise and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

In the meantime, cook rice noodles according to the instructions on the package. Drain and set aside.

Arrange mung bean sprouts, sprigs of Thai basil, jalapeños and limes on a platter and set on the table.

Remove onions, ginger and star anise from the pot. Add shredded turkey to the pot, and return it to a simmer. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with additional fish sauce and/or salt, if needed.

Divide rice noodles, cilantro and scallions evenly among large soup bowls, then ladle hot stock over the top, making sure each bowl gets a healthy serving of turkey. Serve immediately, accompanied by platter of garnishes.

Cover and refrigerate leftovers, keeping noodles separate, for up to 3 days.