One hot, sunny day in late June I found myself in a tiny Arab market in Jaffa, Tel Aviv, sifting through a box of cucumbers. I was with Deanna and Danya, the lovely ladies behind the popular Israeli food blog Matkonation, and we were ingredient shopping for an afternoon cooking expedition. On the menu: stuffed grape (or vine) leaves made with spiced lamb, fresh mint, dried currants, and a cooling cucumber-yogurt sauce. May through early July is the best time to harvest grape leaves, which explained why we were able to grab bunches out of an overflowing cardboard box. The season was ripe for the recipe. More

It's always tempting to eat pesto by the spoonful. It's so very fresh and so very green. And those flavors of basil, pine nut, parmesan, garlic, and olive oil just play so very nicely together. Spread it on sandwiches, toss it with pasta, or yes, treat yourself a single happy spoonful, but definitely absolutely positively make pesto any chance you get. More

Do you love bubble tea? Personally, I can't walk past a bubble tea shop without suddenly craving one of their sweet ice-cold beverages dotted with chewy boba tapioca pearls. It's the most thirst-quenching snack I can think of! Fortunately for my addiction, bubble tea is super easy to make at home. More

This is the mac and cheese that I grew up on—creamy sauce, chewy pasta, and don't spare the cheese! It always felt like a special treat to us kids, though I suspect that my mother liked it more because it was an easy stove top dish that required almost no thought to pull together at the end of a long day. Whatever the reason, whatever the occasion, a bowl of this mac and cheese will always spell comfort. More

I love to cook, and love to entertain. There's something about sharing a meal with friends, or even strangers, that is just so visceral. Nothing brings people together like a great dinner party and to me nothing is more communal to serve than a platter of smoked foods. It's basic, comforting, and provides a real sense of abundance. So today I'm going to show you how to prepare a smoked salmon two ways. One for the delicate palate and another for the person who's looking for something boldly sweet and spicy. More

Despite being named after a world-class ballerina, I can't help but think of the pavlova as a rather humble and homely thing. I love the way the billowy whipped cream slumps into the cracked surface of the meringue, making a cozy nest for the fruit to rest. But perhaps the pavlova was named for the way it tastes: an arabesque of sweetness, a leap of airy confection, the beloved pas de deux of fresh fruit and cream. Like Anna Pavlova herself, it's perfect. More

From the ingredients you use to the foods you put them on, flavored salts are wide open to your imagination. Start with a flaky salt, add herbs, spices, or other ingredients, and you have a quick, unique way to season everything from sliced tomatoes to chocolate cakes. They make wonderful edible gifts, too. Here's a template with basic ratios to get you started, tips for how to use seasoned salts, and a few of our favorite ingredient combinations. More

Knowing how to make your own mozzarella is a dangerous thing. Knowing that at any moment, should the desire present itself, you could whip up your very own ball of creamy mozzarella, still warm from the whey whence it came? Yes. Very very dangerous. Here's how to do it. More

We here at The Kitchn are very fortunate to have a multi-talented team of writers, with careers that include professional photographer, cookbook author, architect, songwriter, actor, magazine editor — and more! But today, we're happy to note one particular pro: Granola entrepreneur. Megan Gordon, one of our regular contributors, writes from Seattle where she also owns Marge, a little company turning out the most scrumptious granola you've ever tasted. She took a break from her very busy day job filling granola orders from across the country (prompted in part by a Wall Street Journal feature a couple weeks ago) and shared with us her basic method and insider professional tips for making the most delicious granola at home.

This is not a hard and fast recipe — this is a template to memorize and customize in your own kitchen, to please your every granola desire. More

Have you ever sipped a shrub? Not a bush, but a fruit syrup, preserved with vinegar and mixed with water or alcohol to make a tangy, refreshing beverage. An old-fashioned favorite, shrubs have steadily made a comeback, especially on cocktail menus, but they aren't solely the province of mixologists. Making a shrub syrup at home is a fun way to preserve and play with seasonal fruit, and this template may be followed for practically any fruit you have on hand. In addition to drinks, you can use the brightly flavored syrup in salad dressings, as a glaze for meats, or add a splash to homemade jam. More