Brown butter and sage are a classic couple that will never steer you wrong. Whether you use the sauce to dress a bowl of pasta or add another dimension to a homeandleisure/recipes/varietymenu/s-4336343">Read more

I have a pantry stocked with ingredients purchased while traveling. Truffle oil, dried porcini, aged balsamic vinegar, unusual pasta shapes from Italy, black currant cassis liqueur from France, paprika from Spain and marmalades from London. All get tucked away for special occasions. This holiday season I’m cooking the hand-harvested wild rice ...Read more

Pumpkin is a nutrient-rich and delicious vegetable to enjoy this season and all year long.

The folklore

Pumpkins are a beloved symbol of autumn: bright orange spheres lazing in pumpkin patches, decoratively adorning porches and tablescapes, carved into jack-o-lanterns, and savored in Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. A Mexico native, ...Read more

After more than 20 years of writing this column, I’m stepping away to pursue new projects. Before I say goodbye, I want to share my all-time favorite recipe: chocolate brownies. They’ve never failed me and embody the Seriously Simple approach — the entire batter comes together in one double boiler. Slightly chewy and wonderfully moist, ...Read more

Whenever I go home to Minnesota to visit my family, there’s one thing that I always request: Grandma’s overnight yeast waffles. To me, these are the quintessential waffles and all others are held to their standard. They’re crispy on the outside and tender in the middle, but they’re also a touch chewy from the overnight rise with yeast.

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French onion soup is one of my favorite cold-weather comfort foods. These pork chops transform everything I love about the classic into a hearty skillet dinner. The ...Read more

California’s vintners, struggling with a precipitous drop in wine consumption, are experimenting with making an American version of tequila.

Facing state-imposed water restrictions and an oversupply of grapes, second-generation farmer Stuart Woolf is one of those betting on agave. He has planted about 550 acres over four years on his land in ...Read more

The best weeknight dinners have a short ingredient list, require minimal hands-on prep, and come together quickly at a time of day when my energy is fading. Did I mention that it helps when those dinners taste amazing too? Some of my ...Read more

As a tween, few things felt as classy, special, and adult to me as dining at an in-mall restaurant sans parents (because, you know, they dropped us off). Because of this, even though it was more of a special splurge, California Pizza Kitchen feels so intensely core to my suburban childhood. ...Read more

Roasting a boneless turkey breast solves the problem of stuffing and carving a whole bird. It’s perfect for a small group and with luck you’ll have leftovers.

I like this Asian-inspired marinade because it adds a bold flavor without overwhelming the other traditional Thanksgiving dishes. The turkey breast is first steamed in ...Read more

Q: What is lab-grown meat?

A: You’ve probably been hearing more and more about the possibility of seeing meat products on the supermarket shelves that have been grown in a lab (instead of coming directly from a farm). And now you’re wondering: Meat from a lab? Is this a real thing? The short answer is yes, this is a real thing. So, unlike ...Read more

The struggle is real: Feeding the family in the middle of the work week proves a mighty challenge. Frozen meals and take-out often suffice, but we are partial to a family meal together at the table.

Armed with a cutting board and a heavy-duty nonstick skillet, we can handle the challenge. That is, if we invest a modest amount of time doing food...Read more

There are times for layer cakes, piping bags, and waiting patiently for butter to come to room temperature. (I’ve got the confetti birthday cake and Ding Dong cake recipes saved for a reason.) But more often, when you want cake, you want it approximately five minutes ago. This peanut butter mug cake is for those latter times. Made with creamy ...Read more

ST. PAUL, Minn. — If you need a specific shape of cookie cutter, chances are high that Meghan Gordon has it.

Gordon, the owner of St. Paul home cookie bakery The Chocolate Chickadee, stores her collection of around 1,500 cookie cutters in a dedicated closet, organized by theme and tracked via a digital database list on her iPad.

One massive ...Read more

Now that we’ve settled into fall, many have reacquainted their inner cook with the comforting, inviting aromas of something baking in the oven or simmering on the stovetop.

Autumn reintroduces warm and earthy spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves into baked goods and casseroles, and this is the time of year when many home chefs also reach ...Read more

The crisp fall air seems to give us permission to officially declare it baking season, with recipes for pumpkin this and apple that everywhere you turn. But there shouldn’t be a season — sweets treats and breads should be baked into our routine year-round.

As soon as the calendar flips to September, we have cookies on our minds, thanks to ...Read more

Start the day with the delicious flavors of the Mediterranean — fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, lean proteins, healthy fats — and you’re doing it right. Eating a Mediterranean style breakfast is not only nourishing and satisfying, it’s important for health, performance, mindset, and the environment.

The Mediterranean-...Read more

As the weather turns cold, I like to add hearty breakfasts to my menu. Traditional polenta takes at least 30 minutes of cooking in a copper pot over low heat with continual stirring. Fortunately, an imported instant (precooked) polenta with a silkier texture has become available nationwide. Perfect for a Seriously Simple cook.

You’ll find ...Read more

On a recent trip to the U.K., we enjoyed dining at several National Trust properties. We’d spend the morning touring a historic mansion, garden, or ancient site and stop for a midday meal. Many of the conservation charity's more than 500 properties feature cafes that specialize in traditional ...Read more

Dessert bars are among my favorite recipes to make whenever there’s an opportunity to bring something sweet to share. Bars are easy to bake and simple to serve, and because there are so many styles to choose from, there’s a flavor for every occasion.

One of my favorite ...Read more