Simple Cooking

An elegant dish that may be served to the family or at a grand party. Rice is the ideal accompaniment.

This is a South Indian–inspired sweet, mild curry. Serve it with steamed white rice and a tangy fruit chutney like cranberry or mango for a perfect rainy day meal. The recipe calls for a rather small quantity of butternut squash, so you may want to reserve the rest for another recipe.

Shrimp are quick to cook, but still manage to feel rather special. This recipe borrows spices from the southern shores of India; I tasted a dish similar to this when I was learning about the local cuisine. At first, you get pure heat from the chiles; when it subsides, you're left with delicate and delicious flavors. Here, I have toned down the chiles and added some background warmth by using fresh ginger instead. I’ve used tiger shrimp and removed most of the shell, apart from the tail. I prefer to leave the tail on, as it means that you have something to hold on to when biting into the shrimp, but you can take the entire shell off if you prefer. Just make sure the shrimp are raw and that they have been deveined.

Try this creamy cauliflower purée instead of mashed potatoes—it's more nutritious, lower-carb, and just as delicious.

Chinese five-spice powder, sprinkled throughout the layers of phyllo dough, and an orange–cream cheese filling give this dessert a wonderful aroma.

Make your own fizzy refresher using grapefruit peel for tons of floral flavor and grapefruit juice for just a hint of sweetness.

On January 1—the country's independence day—Haitians prepare soup joumou, a rich pumpkin soup with an even richer history.

This blend of onions, scallions, garlic, parsley, bell peppers, and other spices is the foundation for most Haitian dishes, and many Haitians have it in their refrigerator at all times. Even in recipes that do not call for it specifically, it can often be added. Basil brings a freshness to this version; you can also add thyme. In Haiti, a mortar and pestle is used to mash the ingredients together, but a food processor or blender makes it come together much faster. Make a big batch and use it to season meats, soups, rice, and more.

For a smaller batch and an easier time mixing the cereal, divide the recipe in half (but use an 8x8" pan).

These financiers are moist and nutty from the addition of brown butter and hazelnuts; in this recipe, resting the dough amplifies all of those flavors.

In this recipe, a few textured and vibrant toppings gussy up a tender, buttery, and ultrasimple shortbread.

Known as mendiants in France, these adorned chocolate bites are a holiday tradition.

Mix equal parts blue with red food dye to make purple.

Mix equal parts yellow and blue food dye to make green.

Natural dyes work best in royal icing or buttercream frosting, not cake batter.

This classic French preparation makes potatoes taste—and look—amazing. And yes, there's lots of butter involved.

Pleasantly bitter escarole adds balance to a rich vegetarian stew brightened with feta cheese and green Castelvetrano olives.

Instead of deep-frying the broccoli in this sesame noodles recipe, we used a high-heat roasting method.

The best way to tackle this duck recipe is to braise the legs and make the relish in advance, then cook the breasts and crisp the legs on party night.

In this hearty, velvety stew, chicken slowly braises in red wine with bacon, mushrooms, and a touch of enriching cocoa powder.