The magical land of Bucovina, in northern Moldavia, is well known for its outstanding dairy farms and produce. Thick, unctuous smântână and brânză, crème fraîche and curd cheese are used generously in many recipes. This cake is a happy marriage between dairy and another staple ingredient in the region: cornmeal (polenta). It is traditionally made in two versions: one savoury and one sweet, and some recipes add various amounts of flour, oil and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda). While it is common in Moldavia to mix cornmeal with flour, I have deliberately returned to a basic, gluten-free recipe here.
Spatchcock chicken—also known as butterflied chicken—is the easiest way to roast a whole bird, full stop. Removing the backbone and flatteningout the bird allows the breast meat and leg meat to reach their target temperatures—around 150°F for the breast and 165°F for the legs—at the same time, which is a challenge whenever roasting a whole chicken (unless you truss it, which is another lesson for another cookbook). Another trick for roast chicken excellence is rubbing the meat with an intensely flavored spice paste, and the North Afri- can-inspired one I use in this recipe is a delicious blend that will give the chicken’s skin a beautiful brown hue, and works equally well on pork, fish, and slow-roasted meats.
If you like hash browns but want something healthier, the sweet potato hash that follows is a dish I make a lot for my sons when I want to work some extra nutrients into their supper (which is always).
The flavors of brown butter are incredible, adding a rich, nutty flavor to the simplest of dishes. To round out the richness of the brown butter sauce, the dish is paired with crispy panko breadcrumbs with notes of sesame and lime juice to add a beautiful brightness. This recipe combines bold flavors and simple techniques to create the perfect weeknight dinner to add to your repertoire.
THIS IS THE ULTIMATE mashed potato side dish, with just a hint of smoky cheese and savory onion. I’ve used the smoked Gouda cheese sparingly so it’s not overpowering, but it truly makes these potatoes great. These mashers are fantastic on their own; with an extra pat of butter; with Thanksgiving turkey gravy; on the side of my Pot Roast, grilled steak, or chicken; and with Easter ham. Consider halving the recipe for a smaller, weeknight meal.
Made with a gingerbread-spiced dough tucked around a bright, tart fresh cranberry filling, this galette is an unexpected way to bring classic holiday flavors to life, like a pie-shaped mash-up between gingerbread cookies and cranberry sauce, in the best possible way. Just be sure to serve the galette slightly warm, with big scoops of cool vanilla ice cream. If you can’t find fresh cranberries, fresh blueberries make a good substitute; just reduce the sugar in the filling by ½ cup.
Parkin is a form of oatmeal gingerbread common to Yorkshire and other parts of England where oats were grown in abundance. Dark and treacly, parkin makes the perfect accompaniment to mid-autumn holidays like Bonfire Night – an occasion for which it is often made. Once baked, cover well and allow to mature and soften up for a few days before serving.
Serves 8–10
I don’t know if crostatas are any simpler to make than pies or tarts, but the relaxed, unfussed feel of the pastry makes them my preferred summertime dessert. I don’t peel the peaches for this; if you prefer to, I recommend you add a little extra cornstarch to the filling so it doesn’t wind up too juicy. I cool all crostatas on a wire rack to prevent the crusts from steaming and softening. Note: This recipe calls for only 3/4 cup of the crumble, but I make the whole batch and freeze the rest for later.
Celebration IPA season is a magical time at the brewery as we toast the start of the holiday season. Celebration IPA is layered with citrus and rich sweet malt notes which pair nicely with the bitterness of the chocolate and accentuates the citrus zest in the crust. The ginger adds a little punch to tie it all together.