Simple Cooking

In this ramen recipe, I use miso paste in two different ways, slathering it on the squash before it roasts and mixing it into the broth, where it amplifies both the sweet and savory character of the squash. The real game changer is blending some of the roasted squash into the broth, delivering velvety, rich body. You can use other types of squash or pumpkins for this dish, but because of its robust flesh, nutty flavor, and meaty mouthfeel, Japanese kabocha is my preferred choice; butternut squash is a worthy substitute.

This coconutty soup from Ramin Ganeshram is ideal for fall, when squash and pumpkin are readily available. Serve it with crusty bread or a hearty green salad for the perfect autumn lunch.

When grilled (or broiled) whole, eggplants get silky and smoky inside and charred on the exterior—perfect for mashing and mixing with sautéed onion, garlic, and fresh tomato.

This Trinidadian version of curried chicken is an earthy, rich stew of whole chicken pieces in an aromatic, vibrant broth, spiked with hot chile and a traditional herb paste.

Hot pepper is notably absent from this mixture—unlike curry powder from Madras. Trinidadians like to add fresh hot pepper to dishes, according to taste.

Quickly simmer shrimp in a stew of canned tomatoes, bell pepper, chicken broth, and cumin for an excellent and easy dinner.

Green seasoning is one of those herb mixtures that is unique to the Caribbean and differs slightly from island to island.

Pelau, rice cooked with meat and vegetables, really exemplifies Trinidadian cuisine because it is an admixture of various cooking styles. 

This sherry-Cynar Negroni riff was created by bartender Dan Greenbaum at The Beagle in New York City.

Creole cream cheese is Louisiana's answer to ricotta or burrata cheese. Traditionally, it’s eaten with cream, sugar, and fruit spooned over the top or used as a substitute for yogurt.

This isn’t your typical super-puffed Dutch baby; it’s creamy and custardy on the inside and airy around the edges, thanks to the inclusion of canned pumpkin purée.

Sweet red or green grapes also have just the right amount of acidity. Sweet fennel and honey, Calabrian chile paste, and red wine vinegar make this a balanced meal.

This scalloped potatoes recipe is a classic from Gourmet, simply made with softened onions, an easy roux, and thinly sliced potatoes.

Cube your salmon and roast it at high heat for a perfectly charred exterior and tender, flaky interior. The creamy marinade in this recipe brings flavor, while also keeping the salmon moist.

If you’ve only ever had dry supermarket pita, this is a different animal entirely: puffed up like a pillow, savory on its own, and ready to scoop up anything you like.

Tomato brown butter is the deeply savory—and slightly sweet—result of swirling fresh, raw tomato purée into fragrant brown butter. Drizzle it over roasted vegetables, grilled fish, or grain bowls.

When I was growing up, my mother served a lot of canned vegetables, but the one thing she always made from scratch was acorn squash, which she roasted with butter and maple syrup. When I revisited her old method, I found it was just as good as I remembered. The sweet squash filled with a big puddle of melted butter and sweet syrup is so irresistible!

Turmeric, chiles, and chewy-nutty cooked grains balance the sweetness of fresh corn in this loose vegan riff on creamed corn.

This savory pie calls for roasting tomatoes to concentrate their flavor, then layering them with two kinds of cheese atop a garlic-butter crust for a result as dramatic as it is delicious.