Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie

Make the pie a day ahead so the flavors can mellow, and serve it chilled. We love it with softly whipped, lightly sweetened cream.

Bell Pepper Soup with Sour Cream & Dill

Red bell peppers will give the brightest color, but yellow or orange ones are just as delicious.

French Onion Soup

Served with a tartly dressed green salad, this soup is hearty and filling enough for a light supper. I like the convenience of using chicken broth, but if you have…

Fresh Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Tangy pineapple and a buttery-sweet brown sugar topping are a good match for this yogurt cake. If you don’t have a square pan, a 9x2-inch round pan works too.

Eggplant Ragoût with Tomatoes, Peppers & Chickpeas

Broiling the eggplant first helps it keep its shape in the stew.

Farmhouse Ragoût with Pesto

This humble braise more or less cooks itself as you layer on the vegetables. You'll probably end up with a little extra pesto, but it's great on other vegetables, and…

Garlicky Tortellini, Spinach & Tomato Soup

Served with a crusty piece of bread, this feel-good soup makes a delicious lunch or dinner, and it’s incredibly easy to make.

Light, Crisp Waffles

Serve with melted butter and warm maple syrup, or try making your own Brown Sugar Syrup.

Molasses Mashed Sweet Potatoes

This mash is a great partner for pork, duck, and all kinds of game; the small amount of molasses really deepens the flavor but doesn’t become cloying. We love the…

Red Chile Sauce

You’ll only need about 2 cups of this sauce to make the enchiladas, but any leftover sauce can be used to coat baked chicken, to flavor rice, or to mix…

Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Orange & Honey

There's just a little bit of spice kick in these simple roasted sweet potatoes. Be sure to choose a baking dish large enough to roast the potatoes in a single…

Sweet Potato & Chile Hash with a Fried Egg

In this quick dish, you've got some options. In the mayonnaise, it's best to use homemade salsa or the adobo sauce from a can of chiles in adobo. If you're pressed for time,…

Seared Steak, Pepper & Onion Fajitas

These fajitas are bursting with flavor: Sweet onions and peppers and juicy, spice-rubbed steak get a fresh kick from cilantro, avocado, and tomatoes. To warm the tortillas, stack and wrap…

Warm Ginger Steak Salad

I like to use a mixture of curly, sturdy frisée with some baby spinach for this salad. I find that many mesclun mixes just don't have enough sturdy greens to…

Chocolate Nut Upside-Down Cake

For the toasted nuts, I like a mixture of whole hazelnuts (roughly chopped after toasting and skinning), slivered almonds, and large walnut pieces. This cake is easiest to cut with…

Creamy Tomatillo Sauce

The addition of heavy cream or crème fraîche qualifies enchiladas made with this sauce as enchiladas suizas (Swiss-style enchiladas).

Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Tomatillo Sauce

This is a great destination for leftover chicken or turkey. If you have some on hand, substitute 2 cups of shredded, cooked chicken in place of the thighs. If you…

Artichoke Ragoût with Shallots & Fennel

To prepare fresh baby artichokes, trim them (see How to trim baby artichokes). If you can't find baby artichokes, good-quality frozen ones will do.

Thai Flavor Paste

This extremely versatile flavoring paste is the essence of Thai cooking. The ritual of Thai food preparation invariably begins with pounding these ingredients, sometimes along with other herbs and spices,…

Turkey Enchiladas with Creamy Tomatillo Sauce

This is a great destination for leftover turkey. If you can find Mexican cheese, try queso panela or queso añejo instead of the mozzarella and provolone.

How to Choose a Turkey

Finding the perfect turkey for your needs is the first step to a memorable traditional Thanksgiving meal

How to Make Bread Stuffing or Dressing

Many choices, infinite variety

How to Make Pan Gravy

Tips for preparing a classic Thanksgiving favorite

Local Apples Are Worth Stopping For

Farmstands offer fruit you may not find on supermarket shelves

How Big a Bird?

How to match the size of your Thanksgiving turkey to the size of your crowd.

Shaping Layers for the Prettiest Cakes

Measuring ingredients by weight can help you avoid uneven layers

French Onion Soup That Warms and Satisfies

Blanketed by melted cheese and crusty bread, this bistro classic can become a home favorite by using chicken broth

Tandoor-Style Flatbreads From Your Own Oven

A baking stone and a very hot oven are the keys to soft, crusty naan bread at home

How to Make Crisp Waffles

A few twists on a traditional recipe yield light, airy waffles that stay crisp—long enough to serve everyone at the same time

Savory, Satisfying Vegetable Stews

Get long-simmered flavor in short order with these hearty main-course vegetable ragoûts

Firm, Glossy Swiss Chard

These greens can brighten your winter table

How to trim baby artichokes

Sweet potatoes vs. yams

When is a yam not a yam? The supermarket yam is really a sweet potato. Molly Stevens explains the differences and how the confusion came about.

A really hot skillet means a well-seared steak

For Warm Ginger Steak Salad, you'll want a well-seared, deep golden crust on your steak. A ten-inch cast iron skillet is ideal for searing because it's a great heat conductor,…

Global Paring Knife Is Versatile and Good-Looking

Global's 4-inch paring knife is a workhorse in Amy Albert's kitchen and beyond.

Keep Food (and Wine) Fresher Longer

Sarah Jay reviews the Foodsaver home packaging vacuum system.

Keeping Knives Close at Hand

None of the most common ways to store knives does the job perfectly. The ideas presented here aren’t without drawbacks either, but they open up more options and might spark…

A Soothing Soup, Ready in Minutes

Joanne Smart turns to Garlicky Tortellini, Spinach & Tomato Soup when she's coming down with a cold. It's quick to make, especially if you use convenience ingredients. You'll get tips…

Authentic Mexican Enchiladas with an American Twist

Build a better enchilada by coating the tortillas with red chile sauce or green tomatillo sauce before filling and baking

Chile Roasting Season

Learn how chiles are harvested and roasted in the American Southwest.

Five Delicious Ways with Sweet Potatoes

They’re a natural in Thanksgiving pie, of course, but try sweet potatoes mashed, hashed, roasted, and baked in a gratin

Choose Heavy Acorn Squash

Amy Albert explains how to select the best acorn squash and offers serving suggestions for this tasty fall vegetable. 

Local Apples Are Worth Stopping For

Amy Albert offers tips for choosing the tastiest apples at farmstands and explains the difference between apples for eating and apples for cooking.

Honey Varies in Color and Flavor

Amy Albert explains why honey can differ in color and flavor, then offers tips for its use in baking.

How to Mix and Bake the Best Muffins and Cakes

The way you combine ingredients and bake the batter can have a huge effect on the texture and structure of your cakes and muffins. In this article, food scientist Shirley…

Baking Moist, Tender Upside-Down Cakes

Team smooth caramel, tender cake, and fruit or nut toppings for three fresh, irresistible versions of a homespun favorite

Ripe, Crunchy Bell Peppers

In this short article,  gardening cook and specialty seed retailer Renee Shepherd tells you how to select the best peppers at the market and suggests a few ways to use…

The Big Four Flavors of Thailand

Salt, garlic, cilantro root, and Thai white peppercorns are the essence of Thai cooking, and Su-Mei Yu's recipe for a Thai chicken and vegetable stir-fry makes a great introduction to their…

Shop with the Chefs at Earthy.com

Top chefs love Earthy Delights in Michigan, which sells organic bean and grain samplers, not to mention fresh truffles, morels, specialty oils, and baby vegetables.

Pour Some Fruity, Spicy Zinfandel for Thanksgiving

Amy Albert asks several wine experts if Zinfandel would be a good wine to serve at Thanksgiving. Most say yes and offer specific recommendations.

Just Sear & Slice for Great Steak Dinners

New York strip steak is the juicy foundation for fajitas, Philly style cheesesteaks, and warm salads

A Flat Whisk Makes Great Gravy

Cuisipro's model works well with nonstick surfaces

Red Chile Enchiladas

These are delicious alone or served alongside Mexican Rice, and some shredded cabbage in a tart vinaigrette. If you can find Mexican cheese, use queso Oaxaca or Chihuahua in place…

Butterflied Roast Chicken with Chile-Cinnamon Rub

Dried Apricot & Cranberry Upside-Down Cakes

The cornmeal flavor of these polenta cakes is a delicious complement to the dried fruit. You can line the ramekins with the caramel and fruit a day ahead. These little…

Georgian Baton Bread (Shotis Puri)

The whole-wheat flour makes these puffy, baton-like breads more interesting but can be replaced with all-purpose flour.

Silk Road Naan

Lamb fat is traditional for these Central Asian flatbreads, but a mix of butter and oil works, too.

Sweet Potato & Leek Gratin

If you want to prepare the gratin a day ahead, reheat it covered in a 300°F oven until bubbling around the edges and warmed through.

Sear-Roasted Chicken with Honey-Vinegar Sauce

The overnight refrigeration dries out the skin and helps make it crisper, but you can skip it if you want.

Philly-Style Mushroom Cheesesteak

Melt the cheese right over the warm mushrooms, onions, and sliced steak in the pan by covering the skillet with a lid or foil. If you like the cheese to…

Homestyle Indian Naan

These soft-textured, teardrop-shaped flatbreads, with their golden bottom crust and soft, rippled surface, are easy to make and eat in great quantity.

Stir-Fried Chicken with Green Beans & Mushrooms

Slicing the green beans lengthwise into quarters and blanching them might seem fussy, but it makes a big difference in their texture, so try not to skip this step. Serve…