Simple Cooking

A texture riot of a salad; it gets crunch and creaminess from toasted pecans and almond butter(!).

Pour in the soda slowly, allowing it to cascade over the ice cream, then top off until the glass is full.

In case of sunshine and happiness, make this colorful ice cream float! Spiking it with some booze makes it even tastier.

Chill glasses in the freezer for 5–10 minutes to keep the ice cream from melting into the ginger beer too quickly.

These meaty ribs are purposely precooked until very tender but not yet falling off the bone so they don't shred when it's time to grill them.

This decadent, delicious burger, featuring a 6-ounce patty, clothbound cheddar cheese, and the requisite "special sauce," comes from Ralph Lauren's restaurant (yes, that Ralph Lauren) in Chicago.

These deep, dark brownies, a Lauren family favorite, are from Ricky Lauren's The Hamptons: Food, Family, and History.

Lime is an integral part of great guacamole—or so we thought. Turns out, you get to taste and enjoy the pure flavor of avocado better in guacamole without the lime.

What you really want to do with this granola is make the be-all, end-all of yogurt parfaits.

Why waste time with a knife? A simple whack to a cucumber yields jagged surfaces eager to soak up this tangy dressing.

Any fairly thin cut of beef will work with this marinade; try flank or New York strip.

These tomatoes are doused in a mixture of balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire, and garlic before going into the oven. The results are melt-in-your-mouth tomatoes with flavors reminiscent of homemade ketchup. Use it in Charred Romaine Greek Salad With Quinoa-Crusted Feta .

Bursting with the big, brash flavors of green olives, anchovies, and capers, this herbaceous pasta sauce isn't afraid to bite back.

These potatoes steam away in the coals while you grill the rest of your meal. If you're not eating them right away, keep them in their foil pouches and rewarm them on the grill or in a 350°F oven before serving.

Cooking corn this way adds a depth of flavor from the husk and keeps the kernels from drying out. Tossed together with zucchini and scallions, these quesadillas make for a super-satisfying vegetarian dinner.

Step aside pancakes; butter and maple syrup is a combination worthy of the ripest grilled summer fruits. Can't find apricots? Try this recipe with peaches or plums for a fantastic ice cream topping.

You could bake this hunk of meat in an oven, but you'd be missing out on all that smoky flavor you'd be getting from the grill.