Simple Cooking

These vegan brownies took at least thirty rounds of serious test-kitchen madness (not kidding!). When we finally said, okay, okay, moist and crumbly and chocolatey and delicious, we gave in. I used flaxseed meal and warm water to create a binder that replaces the need for egg. These egg-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, guilt-free brownies are some of the best you will ever taste! They will crumble a bit more than regular brownies, so beware of crumbs!

At Selamat Pagi, our Balinese restaurant, lime, ginger, and lemongrass are mainstay ingredients, appearing in many dishes. We were thinking about making a sorbet that reflected some of these ingredients and wondered what would happen if we threw all of them together. Our initial taste transported us back to the lush green hills of Bali, after which we were all too disappointed to find ourselves standing in our test kitchen. Along with lemon sorbet, this might be our go-to refreshment when we desperately need to cool off.

We kept this basic pickle brine simple so it can be used with virtually any vegetable. For more flavor punch, swap in different vinegars or add additional spices.

These spicy pickles pack a mean punch. Toss them into salads for a sharp bite or use them as a fun garnish on your weekend Bloody Marys. This brine is also great with green beans or asparagus.

These spiced-packed pickles are the perfect combination of tart and sweet, great for pre-dinner snacking or to top a sandwich. Yellow squash is delicious, but the brine also works well with cucumbers, zucchini, onions, or mushrooms.

These herbaceous pickles combine spicy ginger with bright dill. Although cucumbers are classic, cherry tomatoes or green beans would also work well in this brine.

In Peru, Quinoa is one of the most nutritious grains cultivated by our ancestors, which we are once again sharing with the world.

Always use firm-fleshed white fish, without skin and bones, to prepare classic ceviche. Avoid oily or fatty varieties of fish.

Hard work, leadership, and delicious quesadillas-that's the Boy Scout way.

Most people think of ambrosia salad as a cloud of chunky white fruit in a glass bowl with neatly arranged canned mandarins on top. But we've evolved from those dark ages, and it's high time this salad got a makeover. Ambrosia can be reeeaally delicious, if made with the best, freshest ingredients. If you are even thinking about using dried coconut flakes from a bag, don't bother with this. Sweet fresh coconut meat is what makes it a standout. I don't usually go for aperitifs, but a chilled glass of Lillet is perfect with this salad.

This sandwich gets better and better the longer it sits (okay, to a point); assemble it after breakfast and eat it when you've worked up an appetite.

A thousand might be an exaggeration, but this complex syrup can be used many ways. Add to spritzers, drizzle over fruit, mix into yogurt, or spoon onto grapefruit halves (to name just a few).

If you have any doubts about your fish-cooking skills, put an end to them by using a nonstick skillet.

These flavorful grilled mushroom skewers get their pop from a marinade of red wine or Sherry vinegar, garlic, and chopped fresh thyme.

Leaving the skin on chicken cutlets allows them to develop fantastic savory crunch without the need for dredging through flour.

A little honey in the marinade helps these cutlets caramelize, guaranteeing they'll be nicely browned despite the super-short cooking time.