Broken Phyllo Cake with Orange and Bay

The soaking syrup we use in this pudding-like citrus cake is infused with warm spices for added dimensions of flavor and fragrance.

Emergency Chocolate Cake

This ultra-easy chocolate cake, made without eggs, milk and butter, is also known as crazy cake because it doesn’t require ingredients standard to most cakes. It’s said to originate during the Great Depression when ingredients were scarce—hence anothe

Browned Butter Madeleines

At Jouvence restaurant in Paris, chef Romain Thibault is known for his warm, made-to-order madeleines, which feature a delicious contrast of delicately crisp exterior and rich, custardy-cakey crumb. Thibault uses browned butter, almond flour, and grat

Japanese Cheesecake

This hybrid of sponge cake and classic cheesecake goes by multiple names, including Japanese cheesecake, cotton cheesecake and soufflé cheesecake. The understated, light yet rich confection is defined by a fluffy, airy texture—known as fuwa fuwa in Ja

Chocolate and Tahini Babka

Jewish-style babkas originated as a way to utilize leftover challah dough. To keep the pastry kosher, no dairy was allowed, so both the dough and filling typically were oil-based. These days, bakeries across the globe have reinvented the classic, craf

Potato and Herb Focaccia

This potato focaccia is impossibly easy and incredibly tender, with flavor infused in the potatoes and the dough.

Portuguese Sponge Cake (Pão de Ló)

Portugal's famously airy, eggy cake with a gooey layer underneath a thin withered crust.

Chocolate-Almond Spice Cookies

From Switzerland, an easier, chewier chocolate cookie.

Italian Flourless Chocolate Torta

A deeply chocolatey flourless cake, devised from a century-and-a-half-old secret recipe from Vignola, Italy.

Tahini Swirl Brownies

The duo of dark chocolate and cocoa powder gave these brownies depth, and the vanilla enhanced the flavor of both of them. The combination of tahini and sugar replicates the sweet sesame flavor of halvah candy but was easier to work with—and to find.

Tomato-Olive Focaccia

The world’s best focaccia comes from Bari, Italy, where oozing buckets of dough bake up into an impossibly airy, tender crumb. OR A recreation of a light, open-crumbed focaccia from Bari, Italy, with tomatoes and olives melded in the crust.

Kolaches

“The best Danish in the world is a kolache,” writes Milk Street’s Shaula Clark—after whipping up several batches of these pillowy, savory or sweet treats, we are inclined to agree.

Coconut Cashew Cake (Sanwin Makin)

Our lighter, springier version of Burma’s simple, richly coconut-y cake.

Romanian Crème Fraîche Cake (Lichiu)

During a trip to Transylvania, we tasted lichiu, a sweet yeasted dough spread with a creamy, lemony, semolina filling and a custard upper layer made with crème fraîche and egg yolks. The semolina and custard fuse during baking, resulting in a deliciou

Brown Butter-Cardamom Banana Bread

Two simple changes, and zero additional effort, make banana bread holiday-worthy, and we now only make it this way. OR Two simple changes, and zero additional effort, put this banana bread head and shoulders above the rest.

Ancho Chili Soup

Ancho Chili Soup

By Courtney HillOctober 8, 2018

Moroccan Beef and Chickpea Stew

Packed with vegetables and spices, a simple stew from Fes delivers riches of flavor

By J.M. HirschAugust 17, 2022

Spicy Red Lentil Stew with Coconut Milk and Spinach

“One of the best lentil soup recipes I’ve ever tried,” a reader writes about this lentil soup that mixes soothing coconut milk, woken up with spices, heat, and cut with lime.

Cape Malay Chicken Curry

Lemony and richly savory, Cape Malay curry is a chicken and vegetable one-pot from South Africa. Its ingredients are similar to those in Indian curries, but the techniques are different, creating a refreshingly light curry. Spices, for instance, aren'

By Diane UngerAugust 7, 2017

Green Pozole with Chicken

A reader favorite, one commenter writes that this pozole “has a ton of flavor for not much work, my kind of recipe.”

Tuscan Beef and Black Pepper Stew (Peposo alla Fornacina)

The simple, generously peppered beef stew known as peposo is said to have been created by 15th century kiln (fornacina) workers in Tuscany, Italy. Chianti is the best-known wine produced in that region and is the traditional choice for peposo, but any

By Diane UngerAugust 6, 2018

French Onion Soup

Is there such a thing as “light” French onion soup? The answer is an herbaceous, brothy bowl served to Chris Kimball at Bichettes in Paris. OR In Paris, we learned to make a light, bright French onion soup—the opposite of beef stock, soggy bread, and

By Courtney HillMarch 7, 2024

Somali Chicken Soup

This electric Somali-style chicken soup is heaped with fresh, crisp ingredients added at the end and spiked with hot sauce. OR. Warming spices, a cut of lime juice, and broth simmered in a pot-full of browned onions is our prescription for all ailment

By Diane UngerJanuary 8, 2018

Romanian Pork and White Bean Soup with Vinegar and Caraway (Ciorba de Porc)

This soup, called ciorbă de porc, was inspired by a recipe from “Carpathia: Food from the Heart of Romania” by Friend of Milk Street, Irina Georgescu. It’s a hearty, subtly smoky potful of pork and beans in a tomatoey broth scented with caraway and fi

By Diane UngerAugust 9, 2021

Peruvian Beef and Cilantro Stew

Seco de carne is a classic Peruvian meat and vegetable stew, and a perfect contender for cooking in an Instant Pot, either quickly under pressure or using the slow-cooker function. Fresh cilantro is a defining flavor of the dish. We blend an entire bu

By Calvin CoxSeptember 30, 2021

Red Lentil Soup

This simple yet robust soup is rich with butter and earthy paprika. Red lentils cook quickly and become creamy as they break down. The infused butter that's drizzled on at the end gives the soup a moderate heat; adjust it by reducing or increasing the

Georgian Chicken Soup (Chikhirtma)

This pearly Georgian chicken soup (chikhirtma) is incredibly satisfying to make—while relatively hands-off—with all of the components are built from scratch. OR Adapted from Darra Goldstein, this egg-and-flour-thickened Georgian chicken soup (chikhirt

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Niu rou mian, or beef noodle soup, is one of Taiwan’s signature dishes. Chuang Pao-hua, founder of the Chung-Hua Culinary Teaching Center, located in Taipei's Datong District, taught us how to make the hearty meal in a bowl the slow, labor-intensive t

By Diane UngerSeptember 8, 2018

Romanian-Style Potato and Sausage Soup

In Bucharest, Romania, at Bucataria Local Food, a restaurant owned by brothers Adrian and Gabriel Alexe, we tasted a broth containing aromatic vegetables, potatoes and a local smoked sausage called babic. The dish is one of countless types of borş, or

By Courtney HillMay 5, 2025

Coriander-Cumin Beef Stew with Lime

This hearty, fragrant stew is a simplified Instant Pot version of a recipe from Hawa Hassan. Large chunks of beef chuck are pressure-cooked or slow-cooked—depending on your preference—with aromatics, tomato paste and spices until the meat is tender; t

Romanian Meatball Soup (Ciorbă de Perișoare)

Ciorbă is a category of Romanian soups that can feature just about any type of meats and/or vegetables, but always has a tart, tangy flavor from an acidic ingredient, such as fermented wheat bran or vinegar. This simple, rustic meatball ciorbă is our

Romanian Baked Polenta with Sour Cream and Cheese

In Romania, mămăligă cu brânză și smântână, or polenta with cheese and sour cream, can be the center of a meal or served as a side to roasts and braises. We prefer the robust texture and flavor notes of coarse polenta or stone-ground yellow cornmeal.

Romanian Musaca

In Bucharest, at Bucătăria, a restaurant owned by brothers Adrian and Gabriel Alexe, we were introduced to hearty, stick-to-the-ribs Romanian musaca di cartofi. A relative of better-known Greek moussaka, the dish layers precooked sliced potatoes with

Linzer Bars

Linzertorte is from Linz, Austria, but these more casual bars were inspired by ones we tasted in Frankfurt, Germany. Whereas the classic dessert requires a tart pan, a lattice top and deftness with delicate doughs, this bar cookie comes together easil

Tahini and Browned Butter Cookies

These sweet and nutty cookies are proof that chocolate can make anything better, even from a rich and luscious starting point!

Polish Gingerbread Cookies with Honey and Rye (Pierniki)

Peppery and honeyed pierniki, Poland’s celebrated gingerbread. OR To decorate, roll the dough balls in turbinado sugar before baking to create a pretty, crackled appearance. Or you can drizzle the baked and cooled cookies with an espresso glaze.

Korean Stir-Fried Chicken with Rice

Around communal tables in Seoul, we gorged on the spicy, saucy chicken stir-fry maeun dakgalbi; at home, we adapted it for stovetop cooking.

Korean Spicy Stir-Fried Pork

Jeyuk bokkeum, also known as dwaeji bulgogi, is a popular Korean dish of thinly sliced pork, and oftentimes vegetables, in a vivid red sauce that’s spicy, salty-sweet and super-charged with garlic and umami. Seoul home cook Hakyung Han taught us her v

Korean Hand-Torn Noodle Soup with Chicken (Sujebi)

Rustic hand-torn wheat noodles are the star of sujebi, a hearty, brothy Korean soup. In Seoul, we learned there are countless ways to make the dish, but for our version, we combined our favorite elements of the recipes we learned from home cook Insook

Tiramisù

In Treviso, where tiramisù was born, we were shown how to make the dessert by Linda Maria Botter of Camelia Bakery, whose tiramisù was voted best in the city. The lesson: Simplicity is best. Many recipes start with cooking a zabaglione, a yolk-rich cu

Ricotta and Cherry Jam Tart

A rustic tart inspired by the traditional Roman combination of milky-sweet ricotta and tangy cherries.

Almond and Citrus Biscotti

In Tuscany, Antonio Mattei Premiata Fabrica di Biscotti is a bakery that has been churning out the twice-baked cookies for more than a century. Their biscotti are classic and simple, just flour, sugar, eggs, almonds and pine nuts. On the other hand, c

Buttery Hazelnut and Winter Squash Tian

This winter squash side comes together easily. It takes its name from a classic French Provençal dish of vegetables baked in a shallow, round earthenware vessel called a tian. Either a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate or an 8-inch square baking dish works f

Crisp Oven-Fried Cauliflower with Tahini-Yogurt Sauce

Corn starch and oven frying mimics crispy-creamy Lebanese fried cauliflower, for the home kitchen.

Moroccan-Spiced Glazed Carrots

This recipe was inspired by the Moroccan carrot salad we enjoyed in Israel as a part of salatim. The term translates as “salads” but also refers to the array of small plates—from pickles to slaws to dips—offered at the start of a meal, much like meze.

Spicy Peanut-Sesame Stir-Fried Shrimp

Chunky peanut butter and toasted sesame oil bring two layers of nutty flavor to this simple stir-fry.

Vietnamese-Style Meatball Lettuce Wraps

Meatballs, carrot salad and a dipping sauce? Seems like a lot of work. But not so with these Vietnamese-style meatballs.

Chicken Teriyaki Rice Bowls (Teriyaki Donburi)

Tender and glossy, with a sweet-­savory glaze, this perfected chicken donburi was served to us by cook and philosopher Elizabeth Andoh.

Chinese Chili and Scallion Noodles

These spicy Chinese scallion noodles have quickly become one of our back-pocket dinner ideas—the kind of recipe you throw together, top with a fried egg, and still look forward to every time.

Chorizo and Potato Hash

Guisado de chorizo con papas, or Mexican chorizo and potato stew, inspired this simple, hearty one-skillet dish. Chorizo sausage is spicy, so if you’re sensitive to chili heat, you may want to remove the seeds from the jalapeño before slicing. Serve w

Udon Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms and Spinach

A full pound of fresh shiitake mushrooms and a good dose of soy sauce give this quick vegetarian supper lots of meaty flavor, while thick, chewy Japanese udon noodles give it satisfying texture. Though udon also is sold fresh and frozen, we use dried

Paprika-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

“I found myself wanting to lick my plate to get every last bit of sauce." OR A quick yet decadent-looking platter of pork gets smoke, spice, and color from smoked and sweet paprika.

Greek Chicken and Potato Traybake

The Greek dish known as kotopoulo skorthato typically is called “Greek garlic-lemon chicken” in English, but the ensemble also includes potatoes, making it a delicious complete meal. For our take on the classic, we use our trusty traybake technique—we

Milk-Poached Chicken with Tarragon Salsa Verde

We love the Italian trick of gently simmering pork and chicken breasts in milk for extra-tender, succulent meat.

Ribeye Steaks with Green Olive-White Wine Pan Sauce

This is a riff on a dish from the new edition of “Spain: The Cookbook” written by Simone Ortega and first published in Spain in 1972. The 1,080-recipe tome has since become a bible of Spanish home cooking. We use pimento-stuffed green olives to add po

Oven-Perfect Strip Steak with Chimichurri

For a medium rare steak cooked to perfection, use the "reverse sear" method. We top it with Argentinian chimichurri, a smoky blend of spices that's our new go-to steak sauce.

Berbere-Spiced Red Lentils

This lentil stew is our spin on the Ethiopian dish called misir wat. It’s seasoned with berbere, a rich, complex, aromatic Ethiopian blend of warm spices, savory dried alliums and red chilies. Look for berbere in spice shops or in well-stocked grocery

Easy-Stretch Yogurt Pizza Dough

Is it heretical to use yogurt in pizza dough? Traditionalists would say yes. But there’s no arguing that the yogurt in this high-hydration formula yields a dough that is easy to shape into rounds because it does not recoil when stretched. It also adds

Tacos al Pastor

Our no-fuss riff on this Mexican street food staple relies on your oven's broiler to mimic the effect of a spit roast.

Tomato Rice with Smoked Sausage and Peas

This homey, comforting one-pot meal is a riff on Cuban arroz con salchichas, or rice and sausage. We first brown slices of smoky kielbasa, then sauté a simple sofrito of onion and poblano pepper to build flavor. Garlic, cumin, dried oregano and bay pr

Milk Street 3-Piece 13-Inch Hammered Carbon Steel Wok

Milk Street 11-inch Everything Pan with Magnetic Trivet

Milk Street 3-Piece 10.5-Inch Small Hammered Carbon Steel Wok

Milk Street 7.5-inch Everyday Pan with Trivet

Iwachu Cast-Iron Omelet Pan

Unilloy Signature Lightweight Cast-Iron Skillet

Iwachu Cast-Iron Grill Pan

Garcima Pata Negra 15-Inch Paella Pan

Milk Street Közmatik

Miya Company Donabe Casserole Earth Green

Milk Street Cast Iron Stovetop Korean BBQ

La Chamba® Comal

Mexican Terra Cotta Medium Lidded Cazuela Pot

Milk Street Everything Pan 11-inch Glass Lid

Ancient Cookware Mexican Carbon Steel Comal

Turkish Date-Filled Semolina Cookies

During a recent visit to Türkiye, we became fans of kömbe, buttery, pastry-like cookies made with spices and semolina, filled with nuts or dates and imprinted with delicate patterns or designs. Similar to Middle Eastern ma’amoul, kömbe are a specialty

Portuguese Sponge Cake (Pão de Ló)

Portugal's famously airy, eggy cake with a gooey layer underneath a thin withered crust.

Palestinian Upside-Down Chicken and Rice (Maqlubeh)

A streamlined version of impressive Palestinian upside-down rice.

Basque Leek and Potato Soup

This rustic soup, called porrusalda, takes a few humble ingredients and transforms them into a light but satisfying vegetarian meal. Leeks’ many layers tend to trap dirt and sand, so make sure to thoroughly rinse the sliced leeks, then drain them well

French Apple Cake

This simple French cake is more apples than cake, held together with a light crumb and thin golden crust.

Thai Rice Soup (Khao Tom)

One of our readers’ favorite recipes, this pork soup showcases almost magical layers of aroma and flavor.

Saffron Risotto (Risotto alla Milanese)

In Milan, at Trattoria Masuelli San Marco, our editorial director J.M. Hirsch tried a saffron-flecked risotto that “lingered in taste memory” so much that he cancelled his dinner plans the following night.

Spaghetti with Lemon Pesto

This zesty, lightly perfumed lemon pesto is inspired by the world-famous lemons of Amalfi, Italy.

Fettuccine Alfredo

In Rome, fettuccine alfredo is totally unlike gloopy American versions—silky-smooth, buttery, and light.

Georgian Chicken Soup (Chikhirtma)

This pearly Georgian chicken soup (chikhirtma) is incredibly satisfying to make—while relatively hands-off—with all of the components are built from scratch. OR Adapted from Darra Goldstein, this egg-and-flour-thickened Georgian chicken soup (chikhirt

Dutch Oven Beef Birria Tacos

Slow-cooked, succulent meaty stew in a thick, chili-rich sauce.

Thai-Style Coconut and Chicken Soup

This fragrant Thai soup is rich with coconut milk, awoken with chili heat, lime, and lemongrass, and studded with meaty chicken and mushrooms—and its electricity depends on that deep, coconutty backdrop. Ersatz homemade coconut milk provides the rich

Colombian Potato Soup with Chicken, Corn and Capers (Ajiáco)

Loaded with potatoes, a corn cob, and avocado slices, this chicken soup (ajiáco) is creamy, hearty, and fresh all at once.

Cantonese Sweet-and-Sour Pork

In Hong Kong, we sought out true Cantonese sweet-and-sour pork, predecessor of the gloppy, overly sweet versions served in many Chinese American restaurants. After sampling dozens of versions, we created our recipe by combining the attributes of the b

Broken Phyllo Cake with Orange and Bay

The soaking syrup we use in this pudding-like citrus cake is infused with warm spices for added dimensions of flavor and fragrance.

Spicy Peanut-Sesame Stir-Fried Shrimp

Chunky peanut butter and toasted sesame oil bring two layers of nutty flavor to this simple stir-fry.

Vietnamese-Style Meatball Lettuce Wraps

Meatballs, carrot salad and a dipping sauce? Seems like a lot of work. But not so with these Vietnamese-style meatballs.

Chicken Teriyaki Rice Bowls (Teriyaki Donburi)

Tender and glossy, with a sweet-­savory glaze, this perfected chicken donburi was served to us by cook and philosopher Elizabeth Andoh.

Chinese Chili and Scallion Noodles

These spicy Chinese scallion noodles have quickly become one of our back-pocket dinner ideas—the kind of recipe you throw together, top with a fried egg, and still look forward to every time.

Chorizo and Potato Hash

Guisado de chorizo con papas, or Mexican chorizo and potato stew, inspired this simple, hearty one-skillet dish. Chorizo sausage is spicy, so if you’re sensitive to chili heat, you may want to remove the seeds from the jalapeño before slicing. Serve w

Udon Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms and Spinach

A full pound of fresh shiitake mushrooms and a good dose of soy sauce give this quick vegetarian supper lots of meaty flavor, while thick, chewy Japanese udon noodles give it satisfying texture. Though udon also is sold fresh and frozen, we use dried

Paprika-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

“I found myself wanting to lick my plate to get every last bit of sauce." OR A quick yet decadent-looking platter of pork gets smoke, spice, and color from smoked and sweet paprika.

Greek Chicken and Potato Traybake

The Greek dish known as kotopoulo skorthato typically is called “Greek garlic-lemon chicken” in English, but the ensemble also includes potatoes, making it a delicious complete meal. For our take on the classic, we use our trusty traybake technique—we

Milk-Poached Chicken with Tarragon Salsa Verde

We love the Italian trick of gently simmering pork and chicken breasts in milk for extra-tender, succulent meat.

Ribeye Steaks with Green Olive-White Wine Pan Sauce

This is a riff on a dish from the new edition of “Spain: The Cookbook” written by Simone Ortega and first published in Spain in 1972. The 1,080-recipe tome has since become a bible of Spanish home cooking. We use pimento-stuffed green olives to add po

Oven-Perfect Strip Steak with Chimichurri

For a medium rare steak cooked to perfection, use the "reverse sear" method. We top it with Argentinian chimichurri, a smoky blend of spices that's our new go-to steak sauce.

Berbere-Spiced Red Lentils

This lentil stew is our spin on the Ethiopian dish called misir wat. It’s seasoned with berbere, a rich, complex, aromatic Ethiopian blend of warm spices, savory dried alliums and red chilies. Look for berbere in spice shops or in well-stocked grocery

Easy-Stretch Yogurt Pizza Dough

Is it heretical to use yogurt in pizza dough? Traditionalists would say yes. But there’s no arguing that the yogurt in this high-hydration formula yields a dough that is easy to shape into rounds because it does not recoil when stretched. It also adds

Tacos al Pastor

Our no-fuss riff on this Mexican street food staple relies on your oven's broiler to mimic the effect of a spit roast.

Tomato Rice with Smoked Sausage and Peas

This homey, comforting one-pot meal is a riff on Cuban arroz con salchichas, or rice and sausage. We first brown slices of smoky kielbasa, then sauté a simple sofrito of onion and poblano pepper to build flavor. Garlic, cumin, dried oregano and bay pr

Otoshibuta Adjustable Stainless Steel Drop Lid

Pure Indian Foods Alphonso Mango Puree

Kinto Pickling Jar

Dreamfarm Fluicer

Villa Jerada Za’atar

The Baking Steel Mini Griddle

Work Sharp Rolling Knife Sharpener

Straight Type Mentsuyu (All Purpose Soup Base)

GIR Ultimate Whisk

Blank Slate Kitchen Sichuan Chili Oil

Suncraft Brunch Knife

Oak Pasta Board with Roller

Blackthorn 100% Scottish Sea Salt Flakes

Skeppshult Waffle Iron

New Metro Metal Bowl Pouring Chute