Posts in Seasonal Recipes
Bramble brûlée from Cooking: Simply and Well, for One or Many
Bramble brûlée from Cooking: Simply and Well, for One or Many

This is a pudding mum would make for us through the Autumn on our return from gathering brambles picked from the hedgerows in and around the village. The pudding was a prize earned for the scratches and general dishevelment resulting from battle with the bushes. If brambles, as wild blackberries were always known in Scotland, were plentiful, and survived scoffing by us hungry pickers, jars of bramble jelly were made and stored with all the other preserves, each label painted by Dad and watched over with careful eyes against an always ravenous brood.

Read More
Seasonal Recipes, DessertsJeremy LeeComment
Fennel and Pumpkin Caponata with Mozzarella from Recipes for a Lifetime of Beautiful Cooking
Fennel and Pumpkin Caponata with Mozzarella from Recipes for a Lifetime of Beautiful Cooking

I am very drawn to the Sicilian flavour profile of sweet, sour, salty and oily. Caponata is the perfect embodiment of this combination. As with many Sicilian dishes, caponata has drawn its ingredients from across the Mediterranean. It is also a dish that traditionally travels, with the vegetables being bought fresh at port and the sailors preserving them with vinegar and sugar while at sea. This dish is best served at room temperature, with good crusty bread or focaccia to mop everything up.

Read More
Seasonal Recipes, StartersDanielle Alvarez with Libby TraversComment
Charred Lemon Risotto from Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook
Charred Lemon Risotto from Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook

I was always taught that good risotto starts with high-quality bone broth, but what if I don’t want to spend twenty bucks on dinner? Here I skip the broth and instead deeply char cut lemons in olive oil until the fat is speckled with bits of burnt flesh. Don’t be alarmed, the bitterness from the blackening, once combined with salty parmesan and butter, adds unbelievable depth and richness. The charred lemon juice also slaps you with its brightness, so even with all that creaminess, your palate is never weighed down.

Read More
Seasonal Recipes, MainsSohla El-WayllyComment
Pepper Soup with Short Ribs from My Everyday Lagos
Pepper Soup with Short Ribs from My Everyday Lagos

This brothy soup is made from a distinct blend of ground seeds, spices, chiles, and fresh herbs. For me, peppersoup embodies the playfulness and inventiveness of our cuisine. The delicate layering of flavors is a hallmark of so many of our best dishes. One generous spoonful of this heady broth is all it takes to feel the sensation of sweat sweeping over you and a sharp tingling flare in your nostrils— exactly what you’d experience in the humidity of noontime Lagos. While whole cuts of bone-in meats are essential to the broth, a lively mix of mushrooms will make for a satisfactory vegetarian version. Fresh scent leaf is the ideal finish, but in its absence any herb with a sharp bite, such as basil or cilantro, will work.

Read More
Seasonal Recipes, MainsYewande KomolafeComment
Date and Pistachio Coffee Bars from Snacking Bakes
Date and Pistachio Coffee Bars from Snacking Bakes

Caramelly dates are one of my very favorite foods and they pair so well with bitter coffee, toasty pistachios, and nutty sweet coconut in these bars. Somehow the combination smells just like pancakes and maple syrup (I don’t know why, it just does!). Dates are quite sticky, so I like to snip them with kitchen shears rather than cut them with a knife. Feel free to swap the nuts for whatever type you like, and add a handful of chocolate chips while you’re at it.

Read More
Seasonal RecipesYossi ArefiComment
Amaranth Marigold Buñuelos
Amaranth Marigold Buñuelos

Buñuelos are a festive dessert that comes together so quickly! Amaranth and marigold combine to make the dough golden, tart, and floral. If you can’t find marigolds, use a flower of your choice. It is so fun to watch them puff and bubble in the oil. You can serve them “dry,” tossed in sugar, or “wet,” drenched in syrup. I like them best dry, tossed in more marigold sugar. I live for biting into them fast and hard to shatter them into a million pieces. Fry and stack them high for a showstopper presentation. Beloved by all ages, they turn any day into a party! The dough keeps for 2 days, wrapped tightly, in your fridge. Buñuelos are best eaten on the same day as they’re made. They are naturally vegan.

Read More
Seasonal Recipes, DessertsRose WildeDessertsComment
Golden Za'atar Onion Rings with Buttermilk Caraway Dipping Sauce from Veg-Table
Golden Za'atar Onion Rings with Buttermilk Caraway Dipping Sauce from Veg-Table

I love fried food and herby dips, but there’s a more profound message embedded here: The combination of hot and cold temperatures is a joyful experience. The concept of contrasting temperatures works elegantly when hot, crispy onion rings kissed with turmeric and za’atar are dunked into the cold herby buttermilk dipping sauce. This makes a worthy appetizer; these rings are also great stuffed into a bun with the Masala Veggie Burgers (page 330) and the buttermilk caraway sauce. Serve with chilled ginger ale or beer.

Read More
Seasonal Recipes, StartersNik SharmaStartersComment
Molly Baz's Drunken Cacio e Pepe from More is More
Molly Baz's Drunken Cacio e Pepe from More is More

This pasta is so impressive-looking, you’d never guess how easy it is to make (the best kind of pasta dish). You’re romancing classic cacio e pepe with a deep, dark, shmoody red wine sauce, a technique I learned from the amazing Montreal pizza and natty wine joint Elena. You’ll reduce an entire bottle of wine (!!!), along with lots of garlic and black pepper, until it’s thick and fragrant and devoid of any astringency, and then add boatloads of salty cheese. I like to use a fifty-fifty mix of Pecorino Romano (salty, sheepy) and Parmigiano Reggiano (nutty, sweet), but you could use one; just know that pecorino is a supremely salty cheese, so you might want to hold back on the salt elsewhere in the recipe.

Read More
Seasonal Recipes, MainsMolly BazMain DishesComment
Tomato Party from From Salt to Jam
Tomato Party from From Salt to Jam

I live for tomatoes. In summer I am constantly seeking and eating them. Here they play together in all their forms – the pop of fresh, the collapsing roasted, and the smoky sweet chewiness of the semi-dried smoked versions. The slathering of feta and fragrant hit of zhug make this salad the life of any party. When showcasing a few ingredients like this there is nowhere to hide, so buy the best that you can find and afford.

Read More
Seasonal Recipes, MainsKatrina MeyninkMain DishesComment
Claire Ptak's Lemon Meringue Pie Bars
Claire Ptak's Lemon Meringue Pie Bars

This recipe originally came from my mom, Elisabeth. She always made excellent lemon bars when I was growing up. Mom loves anything lemony and tart and I’m just the same. I’m so lucky that she is always so willing to share her recipes with me. We make these at the bakery with a torched meringue topping for fun. It’s worth getting a small kitchen blowtorch to raise the bar of presentation in your home baking.

Read More
Seasonal RecipesClaire PtakComment