Megan Gordon's Recent Articles
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Dessert Recipe: Coconut Chocolate Pudding with Coconut Flakes
I’ve made a dangerous discovery this week. A discovery that involves heating up a can of coconut milk with a handful of really good chocolate and a little vanilla (and a few other ingredients) and creating the silkiest, dreamiest pudding you may have ever tasted. Although usually quite easy, puddings can sometimes be tricky. There’s nothing worse than a lumpy or grainy pudding, or a pudding that simply doesn’t taste like much. You won’t find any of those things here.
Megan Gordon
Jan 22, 2020
Recipe: Winter Greens & Gruyere Tart with a Cornmeal Millet Crust
This time of year can be a tricky one for inspired breakfasts. Oatmeal is my go-to on weekdays, and on the weekends we often flail for something a bit more interesting but no more complex. With this morning tart, flail no more! I call this a morning tart instead of a quiche because I tend to think of quiche as more major, perhaps even towering.
Megan Gordon
Jan 21, 2020
Easy Dessert Recipe: Dark Chocolate & Hazelnut Skillet Blondies
My cast-iron skillet gets a lot of play in the kitchen. In fact, I have two: an 8″ and a 10″, and I use them for everything from chicken to scrambled eggs. Now, I can add desserts to that long list.If you don’t own a cast-iron skillet, they’re inexpensive and they’ll last you forever. And if you’ve never had a blondie, they’re like a big, decadent chocolate chip cookie.
Megan Gordon
Jan 21, 2020
Recipe: Blueberry Breakfast Bars
This recipe is one that I often teach in cooking classes because you can make it year-round (just use frozen blueberries when you can’t find them fresh!) and because the crumbly topping — once you’ve done it once — is something you can begin using to top just about anything. I use it on apple crisps and cobblers, any fruit bar I make these days, and even bake it up on its own to scatter atop vanilla ice cream.
Megan Gordon
Jan 21, 2020
Recipe: Whole Grain Gingerbread Muffins
I don’t often write about muffins or even make them at home because, to be honest, I just don’t like most muffins! The typical coffee shop fare tends to have big, domed tops and are often too sweet for my taste. I’m drawn to those dense hippie muffins that are packed with a good bit of whole grain flour and interesting flavors and textures — which is exactly the kind of muffin I’m sharing today.
Megan Gordon
Jan 21, 2020
Recipe: Cottage Cheese Muffins with Roasted Red Peppers and Feta
Many morning meals and recipes can be divisive in the same way that brownies (fudgy or cakey?) or chocolate chip cookies (soft, chewy, or crisp?) often are. There are people who tend towards the savory side of things and others who would choose a fruit scone, muffin, or stack of pancakes before they’d ever order eggs at brunch. That’s not to say you can’t dabble in both (I certainly do!
Megan Gordon
Jan 21, 2020
Recipe: Strawberry Cheesecake Breakfast Bars
There’s a time and a place for a granola bar or energy bar, and then there’s an altogether different time for a decadent, crumbly, fruit-filled bar with a silky layer of cream cheese. These bars are for that occasion — and for all the brunches and spring parties that may be on your calendar in the coming months. Or for no occasion at all, other than breaking up the inevitable breakfast rut that strikes us all at some point.
Megan Gordon
Jan 21, 2020
Recipe: Coffee Cake Muffins
Sometimes when you combine two beloved things into one new form, you wonder how you ever ate them separately. I find this to be true especially after developing the recipe for these coffee cake muffins. With a buttery, crumbly topping and a slightly sweet glaze, they are truly the best of both worlds. I came up with the idea for these muffins this past summer at a diner in Upstate New York.
Megan Gordon
Jan 21, 2020
Quick Dessert Recipe: Double-Chocolate Cherry Quinoa Brownies
I have my go-to brownie recipe and I generally don’t mess around with it. If I’m going to make brownies, it’s what I reach for. But then there are days (like today) when there are dried cherries in the pantry and I begin to wonder what would happen if I jammed a few different kinds of chocolate, some quinoa flakes, and said dried cherries into one pan of brownies? The answer: something quite wonderful.
Megan Gordon
Jan 21, 2020
Recipe: Fudgy Hazelnut Rye Brownies
The craving for chocolate hit pretty hard last week, and the timing was perfect as we’d been invited to a dinner party over the weekend and were tasked with bringing something sweet. I decided to try a new riff on a brownie recipe I’ve been experimenting with over the past few months — I wanted to see if I could make these brownies super decadent and fudgy while relying on 100% whole-grain flour. The verdict? A new go-to brownie and family favorite.
Megan Gordon
Jan 21, 2020
Recipe: Almond-Fig Breakfast Quick Bread
Everyone has their comfort zone in the kitchen. Maybe you make a mean meatloaf or the very best chocolate chip cookies. Maybe your spaghetti sauce has garnered a reputation around your neighborhood. For me, quick breads, muffins, and scones are my jam because they come together quickly, and I can experiment with ways to make them a bit healthier by incorporating some whole grains and much less sugar than is often called for.
Megan Gordon
Jan 21, 2020
Recipe: Whole Wheat Chocolate Coconut Scones
At this point in my baking career and time as a home cook, I do feel as though the world might not need another scone. There are great cream scone recipes out there, and wonderful flaky butter scones; there are scones packed with whole grain oats and berries, and others cloaked in sweet, sugary glazes. So why another scone today?
Megan Gordon
Jan 21, 2020
Recipe: Savory Breakfast Toaster Tarts
I have a very, very soft spot in my heart for homemade Pop-Tarts (or toaster tarts, as I’ve called them here). Much like pie, the options for filling are endless, and once you master the dough — which is a pretty straightforward pie dough — you’ll start scheming and dreaming up things you’d like to stuff inside. For me, lately, the fillings have all been savory.
Megan Gordon
Jan 21, 2020
Recipe: Plum Crumble
Crumbles and crisps are the ultimate fall dessert because they’re simple to put together and humble in appearance, but will light up a fall evening like nothing else. While apple crisp is a classic this time of year, the plums have been so irresistible in the markets lately that we thought we’d use them while we still can. The secret to making a really fantastic plum crumble is using ripe, in-season plums.
Megan Gordon
Jan 21, 2020
Recipe: Ham, Brie, Marmalade and Arugula Pressed Sandwich
Although we’ve been in our current house here in Seattle over a year now, I’m still unpacking a few stray boxes from the basement. Last weekend, I unpacked an old, beloved friend: my panini press. And I got right to work preparing this heavenly new sandwich that marries tart marmalade, spicy arugula, creamy brie and little-bit-salty ham. I am not a big appliance gal.
Megan Gordon
Jan 21, 2020
Recipe: Freeze-and-Bake Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
Now, I’m sure many of you have had frozen scones or muffins before. Perhaps you made extra and weren’t able to eat them all, so you froze the leftovers for a rainy day. Well if you’re planning in advance for company, an event, or a big meal, you can actually freeze the unbaked scones and pop them into the oven when you’re ready for a warm breakfast treat.
Megan Gordon
Jan 21, 2020
Recipe: Apple Pie Breakfast Cookies
A grab-and-go recipe that's perfect for chilly fall mornings.
Megan Gordon
Jan 21, 2020
Ice Cream Sundaes: What’s Your Approach?
There are ice cream sundaes and then there are ice cream sundaes. You know the ones: the interesting, inspired sundaes that boast fancy toppings, delicious sauces and homemade whipped cream. These aren’t usually the ones we make at home, but I so appreciate a well-crafted sundae and thought we should take a moment to discuss how to put together a memorable one — how to really craft one.
Megan Gordon
Sep 12, 2019
Recipe: Triple Berry Quick Jam
I am a lousy jam maker. It’s something I’ve become comfortable with after numerous seasons of buying different canning books and thinking the problem was rooted in the fact that I hadn’t found proper instruction. Then I bought cute jars thinking I needed an aesthetic nudge. Turns out neither are true.
Megan Gordon
Jun 14, 2019
How To Make Your Own Hot Cocoa Mix
I secretly love those little packets of hot cocoa mix — but I recently decided to quit buying them and start making my own. The nice thing about making your own hot cocoa mix is that you have free control over what goes into it (and what stays out of it). Like yours super chocolatey? No problem. Want to take down the sugar and add a bit of cayenne and cinnamon? Do it.
Megan Gordon
Jun 8, 2019
5 Dishes That Are Better with Cocktail Bitters
If you make cocktails at home, you know that a good bottle of bitters is one of the essentials to have on hand. Bitters are a concentrated mixture of alcohol, herbs, aromatics and spices — maybe you’ve heard of Peychaud’s or Angostura? The herbal notes that bitters bring to the table help to round out the flavors of many cocktails, and I even use a little in my seltzer water in the afternoon as a pick-me-up.
Megan Gordon
Jun 8, 2019
Snack Recipe: Deluxe Tropical Trail Mix
I long to be one of those people who packs a healthy, well-balanced meal when they travel. I have friends who pack lunches for their plane journeys — thinking out which foods will complement others and how it will affect the way they feel mid-flight. I don’t do this. Usually I can barely manage to eat a decent breakfast before I get out the door.
Megan Gordon
Jun 5, 2019
Recipe: Spring Fruit and Nut Tabouli
Growing up, my sisters and I ate a lot of casseroles, baked chicken, and occasional corn dogs or frozen pizza. My mom was a full-time teacher and I can only imagine how she managed as well as she did. Speed and ease were always of the essence. For that reason, I think this salad would’ve appealed to her, just as I think it will appeal to many of you.
Megan Gordon
Jun 5, 2019
Fresh Summer Recipe: Dandelion Pumpkin Seed Pesto
People can be protective about their pesto recipes and approaches. A little extra garlic or the special way they grind down the pesto? It’s the magic touch. This is largely because pesto is so adaptable: you can create a signature pesto of your own using different nuts, greens, cheeses and spices. And that is exactly what we have here. I recently had the opportunity to sit in on a Cooking with Herbs class taught by cookbook author and amazing gardener, Willi Galloway.
Megan Gordon
Jun 5, 2019
No-Bake Dessert Recipe: Malted Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Squares
This week of light summer cooking on The Kitchn came at an appropriate time in our household. I’ve been baking non-stop for a few writing projects and testing recipes to make for our family’s July 4th get-together. So I was overjoyed to have the chance to play around with a simple, delicious, no-bake summer (or anytime) dessert.Chances are, you’ve probably made Rice Krispie Squares before.
Megan Gordon
Jun 5, 2019
Easy Party Dessert Recipe: Roasted Strawberry Goat Cheese Squares
I love having a dessert recipe in my backpocket that’s simpler to make than it looks. These are the ones you break out for get-togethers, the ones that people think you spent all afternoon on and you really spent no more than 15 minutes of active time. This is one such dessert. Usually my go-to party dessert are my brownies. They’re super simple, decadent, and when sprinkled with a little powder sugar, they seem far fancier than the effort they require.
Megan Gordon
Jun 5, 2019
Dessert Recipe: Cornmeal Lime Cookies
Sometimes the best desserts are born from imitation. Such is the case with these cookies. I first had a Cornmeal Lime Cookie here in Seattle at one of my favorite bakeries, Honore. I was running in to get a macaron and saw a friend who asked if I was picking up a Cornmeal Lime Cookie. I told her I’d never tried one; she looked at me as if I was crazy. Everything changed that day.
Megan Gordon
Jun 5, 2019
Spring Appetizer Recipe: Goat Cheese Rapini Toasts
A successful appetizer is one that keeps people nervously eying their neighbors to make sure they won’t finish the entire plate. With the winning combination of bright lemon, mild goat cheese, crispy toasts, and slightly bitter greens, this is one such appetizer.We made these toasts for our housewarming party last month.
Megan Gordon
Jun 5, 2019
Morning Recipe: Apple Farro Breakfast Bowl with Cranberries and Hazelnuts
Oatmeal, step aside. There’s a new world of warm grain cereals on the block. Breakfast bowls that include satisfying farro, warm apples cooked up in coconut oil, crunchy hazelnuts, and soft cranberries. Bowls that will warm you up in the morning and satisfy you until lunch. This is one such bowl. I’ve been experimenting with a variety of whole grains in warm breakfast bowls lately and farro is one of my favorites.
Megan Gordon
Jun 5, 2019
Recipe: Cranberry Bean Salad with Basil, Mint and Feta
This past weekend I was led astray from my usual, predictable purchases at the farmers market. The culprit? Beautiful Borlotti Beans (or Cranberry Beans) and the promise of a great early fall salad.Cranberry beans have beige and red pods that house darker, speckled beans. While the shell is inedible, the beans inside are incredibly nutty in flavor with an almost creamy texture.I had leftover mint and basil at home, and I picked up some mild goat’s milk feta.
Megan Gordon
Jun 5, 2019
Mark Bittman Disses Pie
I just had the pleasure of judging a pie contest at our local farmers market. People came from all over, entering apple and pear pies, cream pies, chocolate pies and pecan pies. There was a generous cash prize, and many of the contestants left talking about what they’d bake for the next round. As far as I can tell, pie is alive and well. Bittman would quibble.Mark Bittman doesn’t have a problem with pie so much as he has a problem with the crust. He is a self-proclaimed filling man.
Megan Gordon
Jun 5, 2019
Recipe Review: Mark Bittman’s Four-Spice Salmon
Simplicity is key with summertime meals. And that’s why turning to Mark Bittman’s The Minimalist column is never such a bad idea, especially now that he’s starting to make videos to accompany so many of his most popular recipes. And this summer, this particular recipe should really be your simple, go-to salmon.What I love about Bittman’s take on salmon is the warm blend of spices and the versatility of the dish.
Megan Gordon
Jun 5, 2019
5 Tips to Avoid Soggy Summer Fruit Pies
It’s that time of the year again: summer berries, cherries and even peaches are starting to make their way into farmers markets and grocery stores. And with that comes summer pies! Recently I’ve had a few Marge customers write to me asking how we achieve fruit fillings that aren’t runny or overly gummy or starchy.
Megan Gordon
Jun 5, 2019
Eating Vegetarian? 7 Cooking Blogs to Check Out Right Now
These 7 vegetarian cooking blogs are a few of my favorites. Some are narrative, while others are more informative or educational. Taken as a group, they are pretty much all you need. 7 Inspiring Vegetarian Cooking Blogs The First Mess: Laura’s photos will be the first thing to draw you in, but it’s her unique and impeccably-tested recipes that will keep you coming back for more.
Megan Gordon
May 30, 2019
Product Review: Dalmatia Fig Spread
Would you enjoy a delicious fig spread on your morning toast while helping to support farmers in Dalmatia? Interested in trying a new appetizer that straddles the line between sweet and savory? Yes, please.Dalmatia fig spreads are made off the Adriatic coast of Croatia with just a handful of ingredients (mainly figs, sugar and pectin). I tried the original fig spread, but you’ll find other interesting varieties including a sour cherry, orange and quince.
Megan Gordon
May 30, 2019
The Traveling Cocktail: 5 Tips for Drinking Well on the Road
We recently returned from a quick trip to Montana by train. The plan was to not bring computers, read as much for pleasure as we could, snowshoe every day, and drink copious mugs of hot chocolate. We did pretty well on the plan, adding to it at the last minute a few flasks of cocktails we whipped up at home for the overnight train ride. What we learned? You can drink well on the road. We like to have friends over and make drinks, so I realize our home bar might be a bit more robust than most.
Megan Gordon
May 24, 2019
Cooking From Buvette Is Almost As Good As Going There
Cookbook: Buvette: The Pleasure of Good Food by Jody Williams Overall Impression: This book is for lovers of simple, good, unfussy food. From soft scrambled eggs to sumptuous lentils, Buvette has each meal and moment covered to the fullest. I can’t put this one down. Buvette is my favorite restaurant in New York City. I discovered it a few years ago with my partner Sam as we were stumbling through the West Village one hot, muggy July morning.
Megan Gordon
May 24, 2019
A Chef, a Baker, and a Chocolate Maker Talk About Growing a Business from the Ground Up
Cooking, baking, and owning a business of your own are dream jobs to many, and for good reason. There’s a certain romance in stirring a big pot of fragrant, melting chocolate, or in early morning light cast upon a tray of bubbling apple pies on their way to a farmers market.
Megan Gordon
May 24, 2019
French Buttercream: What’s the Difference?
Ah, buttercream. Our cupcakes wouldn’t be the same without you, birthday cakes would be a fleeting memory, and licking the beaters wouldn’t be nearly as enticing. But all this we know. But did you know that all buttercreams aren’t created equal? Buttercream is a beloved frosting made with a combination of fat and sugar. At my house, we’re all about the butter + confectioners sugar variety.
Megan Gordon
May 2, 2019
Ingredient Spotlight: Tuaca
Here in the Bay Area, the evenings are slowly getting cooler and it’s certainly getting dark a bit earlier. Fall has certainly arrived this week. So it’s time to put away the chilled white wine and the cool beers and look for a new way to wind down and warm up. Have you heard of Tuaca? A friend introduced me to Tuaca when I was going to graduate school in Boston.
Megan Gordon
May 2, 2019
Ingredient Spotlight: Turbinado Sugar
I just finished a week-long baking class in San Francisco where we focused on how certain ingredients function in any given recipe. Sugar came up often as more and more people are experimenting with natural sugars instead of white, refined sugar. But I left the class wondering: is brown sugar really better for you? Is Turbinado sugar an even better choice? When it comes right down to it, brown sugar and Turbinado sugar are both still sugar.
Megan Gordon
May 2, 2019
Recipe Review: Flour Bakery’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Is there really anything more satisfying than a good, chewy oatmeal raisin cookie? If you’re familiar with Flour Bakery in Boston, owner Joanne Chang has just come out with a new cookbook. In it, she features the shop’s famous yet simple oatmeal raisin cookie. We had to try it.We found the recipe for Joanne Chang’s delightful cookies on David Lebovitz’s site, and fell in love with them due to their chewy inside and crispy outside.
Megan Gordon
May 2, 2019
Sweet Recipe: Pomelo Citrus Bars
We’re all ready for spring. And while you’re probably noticing linens and pastels in the shop windows lately, you’re not seeing spring fruit popping up in great quantities quite yet. But last week at the farmer’s market I discovered the pomelo, and I couldn’t resist the urge to create a special citrus bar that places this new favorite winter fruit front and center.
Megan Gordon
May 2, 2019
Eat Cake For Breakfast! 15 Cakes for Morning Enjoyment
Everyone around me seems to be revving up their fitness routine to get ready for spring. Friends order salads when we eat out, and family members are working out twice in one day. Me? I’m eating cake for breakfast. Blueberry Banana Cake with Cream Cheese IcingNow cake for breakfast isn’t entirely a new thing. We’ve all had our fair share of coffeecake and sneaking a swipe of leftover birthday cake with our morning coffee.
Megan Gordon
May 2, 2019
Chef’s Trick: Firm Up Your Tofu
Tofu is one of those foods. You’re either game or you’re not. Maybe an old roommate or girlfriend cooked it for you a certain way that made you do a double-take. Not half bad. But back at home, perhaps you’re still struggling. If this is the case, we have a trick you’re going to like. In The Washington Post last week, Joe Yonan wrote a piece about tofu entitled Cooking For One: Tofu, Fuss or No Fuss.
Megan Gordon
May 2, 2019
Using Apple Butter in the Kitchen: 10 Recipes
A kitchen in the fall conjures up memories of apples and warm spices, pumpkin and squashes. Many folks make their own apple butter at home, but there are actually great store-bought varieties available in most supermarkets around the country.So we thought instead of focusing on how to make apple butter today, we’d think about ways to use it in the kitchen.
Megan Gordon
May 2, 2019
Alternative Pastas: Which One is Healthiest?
Diet fads come and go. This we know for sure. In the 1980’s and early 90’s, pasta was the thing: it was virtually fat-free and perfect for filling up on quick energy without risking excessive weight gain. Or so we thought. Today most nutritionists and doctors believe in a more balanced approach, relying heavily on protein and carbohydrates along with fruits, vegetables, nuts, and healthy fats. Now the focus is on whole grains.
Megan Gordon
May 2, 2019
Does Salting Pasta Water Have Any Scientific Merit?
Sure salting pasta water results in tastier pasta, but does it really lead to more efficient cooking? The salt-in-pasta-water seems to be a common enough debate while making pasta at home or out with friends. Do you salt the water? How much? When do you add it? Do you think it really makes a difference? So this week we set out to research the science to see if it really does serve a wider purpose other than flavor.
Megan Gordon
May 2, 2019