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Simple Cooking

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Drumsticks

Chicken wings also work well here. Use 3 pounds, and skip the rice flour and cornstarch coating.

Baked Parsnip Fries with Rosemary

Roasting vegetables is just one of the things a sheet pan is good for.

Sourdough Toasts with Mushrooms and Oysters

Redzepi uses whatever foraged mushrooms he finds to make this rich ragout; feel free to do the same while foraging at your local farmers' market or supermarket. Omit the oysters and lardo (used here in place of Speck), if desired.

Spiced Rum No. 5

Martin Cate, owner of the rum-centric Smuggler's Cove bar in San Francisco, shares his spiced rum recipe below. The secret: Start with good rum, and don't overinfuse the mixture.

Crisp Okra in Yogurt Sauce

This coconut curry adds a tangy note to a South Indian menu. This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

Ham-and-Cheese Waffles

This waffle recipe is a ham and cheese sandwich disguised as the greatest brunch dish of all time.

Walnut Cake

Nadine Levy Redzepi created this incredibly rich, moist cake. "Fat with fat—what could be better?" asks her husband. Serve it for dessert or with coffee or tea for breakfast.

Roast Chicken

We cook our chicken in two phases to keep the skin taut and the flesh moist and juicy.

Pork Shoulder with Treviso Radicchio and Balsamic Vinegar

"The best thing about serving a braise," says chef Cruz Goler, "is that timing isn't critical, making this a great party dish." French in technique but Italian in spirit, the recipe calls for pleasantly bitter Treviso radicchio to act as a foil to the rich pork. Be sure to let the pork cool in its liquid so that the braised meat can continue to soak up the sauce.

Parboiled Rice

South Indian rice is parboiled during processing, which creates a more nutritious but harder grain that needs to be boiled like pasta for 40 minutes. The grains are puffy and separate, and they absorb the curries beautifully. Indian parboiled rice can be ordered from iShopIndian.com; but if this type is not available, American-style converted rice or regular long-grain white rice are both good substitutes. (North Indian basmati rice would not be served at a Sadhya.) This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

Ginger-Tamarind Chutney (Inji Puli)

This tart and spicy condiment is always served with a Sadhya feast. It is especially nice mixed with plain rice and yogurt as a palate cleanser. This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

Chocolate Sponge Cake

Sometimes we spread jam between the layers; other times we simply dust the cake with powdered sugar.

The Dandy Lion

Stephen Cole, bartender at The Barrelhouse Flat in Chicago, created this dressed-up take on the classic gin and tonic for our story Spring Cocktails Perfect for Brunch. While you should feel free to use your favorite gin, for this absinthe-laced cocktail, Cole suggests trying Hayman's Old Tom Gin, which is slightly sweeter than more traditional English dry gin.

Hoisin-Glazed Meatloaf Sandwiches

Delicious on its own, this thoroughly modern meatloaf takes on a terrine-like texture when chilled overnight, just right for deluxe open-face sandwiches with a banh mi-like flavor profile.

Classic Salad

We use fresh lemon juice for this vinaigrette as often as we do vinegar.

Ghee

South Indians don't use ghee in cooking the way North Indians do, much preferring their coconut oil. But they always have a spoonful with their parboiled rice and dhal. The first step of a Sadhya is mixing ghee, rice, dhal, crushed pappadam, and a little salt. This mixture is eaten by hand and forms the first bites of the Sadhya. This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

Cardamom Rice Pudding (Payasam)

This is the South Indian equivalent of cake: essential at every wedding, birthday, and holiday. Indians like to serve it warm and soupy. This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

Sweet Potato with Toasted Coconut

Erisheris are thick curries traditionally made with yams or pumpkin, toasted coconut, and whole kidney beans. They are hearty and earthy, with a tropical twist of coconut and curry leaves. My variation, made with sweet potatoes, crosses over beautifully to a fall or winter menu; I've even served it for Thanksgiving. This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

Citrus-Marinated Tofu with Onions and Peppers

Serve with warm tortillas or rice to make a heartier meal.

Rhubarb Collins

Jasper Soffer, bartender at the Mulberry Project in New York City, created this simple-to-prepare seasonal cocktail for our story Spring Cocktails Perfect for Brunch. The rhubarb simple syrup, Soffer explains, is simultaneously sweet and tart, not unlike a rhubarb-apple crumble or a strawberry-rhubarb pie. If you want to make this drink outside rhubarb's short early-spring season, frozen fruit makes a great substitute.
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