Corn Salsa Flapjacks

I’ve been making these flapjacks for years. They’re a family favorite recipe, easy to make with pantry ingredients and cooking up quickly. My only problem is not eating half the stack hot off the griddle before I serve them for dinner.

Cheeseburger Soup

This is definitely Midwestern American “comfort food”: a hearty potato soup fortified with hamburger and American cheese and other ingredients that make it rich and satisfying, if not the healthiest recipe in my repertoire. Perfect for cold nights when you’re craving something warm and familiar.

Psari Plaki – Greek Fish with Tomato Sauce

My brother made this dish for our Mediterranean dinner yesterday – it was a new recipe for us, but one that stood out, even among some favorite recipes, as one to try again soon. With the help of a food processor, the sauce came together very simply, then the fish went into the oven while the rest of the meal came together and was done very shortly.

Roasted Red Pepper Risotto

Risotto requires a bit of patience, something I’m usually in short supply of on a Monday night. But a last week – when I first said I’d be “restarting this blog” – I came home on a cold dark evening to find no one would be home for a while. I was hungry and felt…

Homemade Gnocchi

Gnocchi uses very simple ingredients to create something that tastes sublime. Store-bought frozen gnocchi simply can’t compare – but the warnings on the recipes I’d read made me think it must be hard to make. I didn’t find that to be the case when I actually tried it, though you do have to be willing to get your hands a bit messy.

Puerto Rican – Pastelón Plantain Casserole

A wonderful family recipe from my friend Iris – the “structure” is similar to lasagna or moussaka and many other layered casseroles from around the world, but the flavor is completely unique, the faint sweetness of the plantains contrasting with the richly seasoned meat filling.

Sri Lankan Favorites – Fish Cutlets

This recipe works nicely as an appetizer or as a quick main dish. It can be made ahead (mostly) or put together at the last minute. It’s cheap, versatile, and delicious. Of course it’s becoming a regular at our house.

Ben’s Favorite Chicken

This dish is an example of American pantry cooking at its finest, a hodgepodge recipe that looks like it was invented by going through cupboards and grabbing condiments and spices seemingly at random – yet somehow, it works: Sure, it’s sweet and salty and has its share of fat – all the usual markers Americans…

Indian Dinner – Aubergine Mushroom Curry

One of my top favorite curries that’s got lots of rich veggies and tastes even better when made ahead – cooking the eggplant in the oven brings out a lot of flavor with little bother.