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You simply cannot go wrong with this apple cake! It uses three whole cups of chopped, peeled apples. We like to use a variety of apples for baking—Granny Smith, Gravenstein, Fuji, Jonagold. That way you get more complex flavors from the various apples in the cake. For more information on which apple varieties are best for baking, check out our Guide to Apples. The Secret Ingredient The secret ingredient for this cake, that you wouldn’t expect to find in an apple cake, is … wait for it…....

I’m from Tennessee, where fried okra reigns supreme. While I inhaled the fried bites as a kid—I still enjoy fried okra like my grandmother made it, tossed in cornmeal and quickly fried—my love has evolved. Okra is not just for frying; in fact, it might be even better grilled. Why Grilled Okra Reigns Supreme The high heat of the grill gives okra a lightly charred exterior and a tender (not slimy) interior....

All squashes belong to the family of flowering plants called Cucurbitaceae. More commonly referred to as cucurbits or gourds, these fruits — yes, we treat them like vegetables, but squashes are technically fruits — are related to cucumbers, melons, chayotes, loofahs, pumpkins, and all the hardy winter squashes and decorative gourds. When is Summer Squash in Season? As our colloquial naming suggests, you’ll find summer squash dominating your local farmers markets from June to August....

While it’s wise to have non-perishables on hand, you might be surprised to know that a wide variety of fruits and vegetables are built to last, too. When stored properly, your fresh produce favorites can keep for months. Knowing how to make the most of what you buy helps to stretch your dollar and keep your kitchen filled with healthy, wholesome options. Here are some pointers to guide your way....

Every time I make rice, I achieve the same results: separate grains, with a pleasing, chewy texture. Pressure cooking does give rice a slightly different texture than stovetop cooking, and I have actually grown to prefer it prepared this way. Give it a try and see what you think! New to the Instant Pot? Check out our post How To Use an Instant Pot: A First-Timer’s Guide. Video: How to Make Easy Rice in the Instant Pot How Much Water Do I Add?...

This tuber looks like a seriously overgrown radish and is the root of a vine native to Mexico and Central America. The flesh is crunchy, mild, and even faintly sweet, and is often served with a little lime juice and chile powder to accompany Mexican dishes. I first encountered jicama (pronounced HICK-ah-mah) years ago in cafeteria salad bars, and on its own (how they typically serve it in those places), jicama can be a little boring....

February can feel like one of the longer months in Seattle, where I live. The weather is often wet and cold, and we’re all starting to itch for signs of spring. This week, I’m trying to combat some of those winter blues with as many fresh but substantial salads and colorful ingredients I can get my hands on – essentially, trying to trick my senses into thinking perhaps warmer weather is truly on the way....

Peach pie with fresh peach filling is right up there on my list of favorite things to make and eat. One of my very first memories is of riding my grandfather’s shoulders, picking peaches right off the trees in a California orchard, taking that first bite, and letting the juices flow down my arm. This is the memory of summer for me, and peach pie is a recipe I think every baker should have in their recipe box....

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Because of its natural intense beefy flavor, I kept the seasoning simple for this recipe, and let the sauce shine. It’s a culinary duo that will get devoured fast! What Is Skirt Steak? Skirt steak is sold as long and relatively thin strip of meat in most grocery stores. It comes from the short plate (diaphragm area) of the steer found under the rib section. It’s an affordable cut that sells quickly....

I know that’s been the case for me ever since I discovered the sauce back in my twenties. Now, decades of cooking experience later, I still use this technique for simple summer pasta dishes. How to Make this Easy Tomato Sauce The approach for this pasta is about as basic as it gets. If you have beginner cooks or kids at home, this is a terrific recipe for them to gain confidence in the kitchen....

Strawberry Rhubarb Danish Pastries These Strawberry Rhubarb Danish Pastries are heavenly. My good friend brought me some rhubarb the other day so I decided it was about time I figured out how to make something with it! These Strawberry Rhubarb Danish Pastries were the yummy result of my experimenting. The best part about these is they were super easy to make! Try Something New If you’re like me and have been putting off cooking with rhubarb, take it from me, it wasn’t bad....

Traditionally, agrodolce is made by simmering sugar, vinegar, pine nuts, and dried fruit until a caramelly sauce forms. It is used as a glaze for meat or charred vegetables and as a condiment on panini and salumi boards. Based on the sheer versatility of this condiment, and my weakness for subtle and beautiful neutral-toned packaging, you can imagine my delight when I stumbled upon the Agrodolce White Wine Vinegar at my local Trader Joe’s....

It is one of my girlfriend Holly’s favorite dishes to cook, and ever since she first encountered recipes for it, first in Diana Kennedy’s The Cuisines of Mexico and then in a book called Mexican Border Flavors. Holly makes it whenever she can. This is gorging food. We once made it with nearly four pounds of pork shoulder and invited another couple over for dinner—we ate the whole thing, with a pile of rice and lots of beer....

The result is a lusciously smooth frosting, perfect for spreading over birthday cakes or piping on decorative details. If this frosting recipe isn’t part of your baking portfolio it should be! In cookbooks from the mid-20th century, you’ll also see it was called boiled milk frosting, cooked frosting, or flour buttercream. My mother remembers my grandmother making it, only with Crisco instead of butter (this was the 1950s, after all)....

This beet citrus salad includes a mixture of vibrant red, pink, and golden beets, blood and navel oranges, slivers of dark green kale, and crumbles of lime green pistachios. It’s like a Christmas tree! That you get to eat. My friend Katie made this salad for a holiday party last week and I loved it so much I made a version of it for my family for our Christmas dinner....

So, what to do? Grilled Chicken Breast: The Solution (Brine!) One method is to marinate chicken cutlets, or chicken breasts pounded to an even thickness, and quickly grill them on high heat. We use this method for our cilantro lime chicken and it works fine. Another way, which doesn’t require you to change the shape of the chicken breasts, is to brine the chicken first. VIDEO! How To Grill Boneless Chicken Breasts How Long To Brine Chicken Breasts All it takes is 30 minutes in a simple brine solution of 1/4 cup kosher salt dissolved in 4 cups water....

Red and white pinwheel cookies were one of them. And that’s too bad because they are a classic holiday cookie that everyone should learn to make. But today is your lucky day! I’m resurrecting the recipe and sharing it with you. Getting the Perfect Swirl Though they look difficult to make, the secret to pinwheel cookies is really just patience. The basic process involves dividing the cookie dough and adding color and flavoring extract to half....

If not at school, we kids were always on that street, kicking a soccer ball, hitting a four in cricket or flying kites. Come dusk, a gentle wind would blow and bring with it the aromas drifting out of the kitchens. Aunty Anwari lived in the house right across the street from ours, and the days we would smell biryani were the days we’d be eating dinner at her place....