These delicious candies are made with milk and sugar that is slowly and patiently cooked (most often in heavy copper pots). There are several variations as well, two of which are below. During my travels in Mexico, I never met any candy makers who used a thermometer because they rely on knowledge, feeling, and instinct, but if you have one I suggest you use it (see page 13) and slowly train your eye. When the recipe asks you to beat the mixture at the end, do not use the spoon you have been stirring with, because any leftover sugar will cause the mixture to rapidly crystallize (if for some reason this happens, though, it makes a delicious ice cream topping).
This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.
The silky French vanilla sauce that goes with everything.
Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.
An extra-silky filling (no water bath needed!) and a smooth sour cream topping make this the ultimate cheesecake.
This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.
Crispy tots topped with savory-sweet sauce, mayonnaise, furikake, scallion, and katsuobushi.