The Kitchn Archive

Sixty-seven years of amazing cookies — 1941-2008. That’s what Gourmet Magazine is featuring on their website right now. They went back through every year of their magazine’s history and chose a favorite cookie from each year.It’s like a time capsule back to their early days inthe 40s and 50s and all through the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. They give a quick recap of each decade and some of the new influences in each.The real stars of course are the cookies.

Looking for one more dish for Thanksgiving, or maybe a first course appetite-teaser? Maybe you should try this dish of pumpkin ravioli from chef Salvatore Corea of New York City’s Alloro. This is a very fun dish; we love pumpkin ravioli, and the sauces that accompany the pasta here are deceptively easy.Alloro is an Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side – thank you to chef Salvatore Corea for this delicious dish! We’ll be trying it out soon.

Oden is a hearty Japanese stew that is cooked over several days and commonly served during cold winter months. It’s pretty easy to make and most ingredients can be found online or in Japanese supermarkets. It’s got a wonderful, savory flavor and contains an odd melange of ingredients like yam, taro, fish cake, hard boiled eggs, and mushrooms. Even though those food combinations might seem odd to Westerners, oden is a delicious dish that should be tried.

We tore through these sweet potatoes before we had the chance to take much of a picture, so we’ll have to describe them instead.These are the easiest things. So much flavor for so little work. We caramelized onions slowly in butter and olive oil (hands off, really – they cook themselves) then browned sweet potatoes and garlic. We let them steam until soft, then added some ginger and paprika for flavor.

Apples and bread pudding – what could be more well-suited? This is fall dessert at its most comforting. We made this chock-full of autumn flavors – toasted whole wheat bread, fresh picked apples, roasted walnuts, plump raisins. We poured cinnamon cream and eggs over top, baked, and drizzled real homemade Caramel Sauce on top of individual servings.Great for breakfast – we speak from experience! Click through for recipe and another pic.

Spicy and sweet, crystallized ginger can add a wonderful zing to cookies, cakes, ice cream, and cranberry sauce. We also like it finely chopped and sprinkled over savory dishes like roasted acorn squash and pumpkin soup. Chewing on the ginger treat can even help soothe an upset stomach. Although a jar of it can be outrageously expensive at the store, crystallized (or candied) ginger is quite simple to make at home.Use the freshest, most tender and firm (not spongy) ginger root you can find.

I was sick with a bad cold over the weekend and although I was raised a WASP in midwestern USA, when I’m down for the count I usually cook up a big pot of congee, perhaps one of the most ubiquitous of all Asian foods.In my experience, there’s nothing simpler and more comforting than congee, which is basically rice cooked with a lot of liquid until it forms a soft and creamy porridge.

We focus a lot on the dough and crust when we talk about pies, since this is often the most intimidating part for new pie-bakers. And yet if your filling isn’t delicious as well, then what’s the point? Fruit filling is what makes us love pie. The opportunity to use fresh, seasonal fruit with a minimum of preparation or fuss, letting the fruit’s flavors shine out clearly – it’s one of the best things about baking.

Have you heard of the vodka pie crust recipe? It made big news in the baking world when Cook’s Illustrated first published it last fall. Half of the pie dough’s moisture comes from vodka, which is 40% pure alcohol. The alcohol doesn’t promote gluten formation, so it helps the crust stay much flakier and more tender – a foolproof help to those of us who tend to overwork our pie dough.So, how does this pie dough work? Is the unconventional addition of vodka worth it?

Tortilla soup is something we enjoy any timeOne might not expect a meatless tortilla soup to be very hearty, yet this is actually quite satisfying without animal, or even soy, protein. Pumpkin puree (made from scratch or canned) and cubes of avocado add creamy richness and balance the soup’s tomatoes and spice. Tortillas appear not only as crispy garnish but they are also cooked into the soup, infusing it with texture and flavor.

Still thinking about what to serve on Halloween tomorrow? How about this? Dorie Greenspan calls it a “recipe in progress.” We call it yum…This dish certainly has a wow factor—a whole pumpkin stuffed with bread, cheese, garlic, and heavy cream, baked until creamy and bubbly. We frequently see small pumpkins that are stuffed and served individually, but with this one, everyone slices or digs in to the same big gourd.Dorie admits that the measurements are rough.

Remember the doce de abóboraWe love all manner of Indian sweets, many of which are made with milk. One of our favorite sweets is carrot halwa, an Indian dessert made with reduced milk and sugar (like dulce de leche) and shredded carrots. The Brazilian and Portugese pumpkin compote reminded us of that.We decided, impetuously, to experiment with adding milk (and a couple other things) to Patricia’s recipe for butternut squash compote.The results? Well, first of all, we were lucky.

A pipérade is a Basque dish made with tomatoes, peppers, Bayonne ham, and piment d’espeletteThis dish is very quick and versatile, and hearty. I think Aida Mollenkamp’s recipe here is closest to the most authentic style.

What’s going on this week over at Serious Eats? Well, there’s this bread and tomato soup, and it looks pretty mouthwatering. This and more in our weekly wrap-up of the best cooking this week at Serious Eats.• Dinner Tonight: Bread and Tomato Soup – A thrifty peasant classic – pappa al pomodoro. Uses stale bread and fresh tomatoes, a winning combination.• Apple brandy for autumn – A discussion of Calvados and other apple brandies.

We have a trustworthy method for making sweet and spicy acorn squash, but there’s one downside: it’s slow. So we perked up when we saw this alternate method from Alicia and Summer at Bread & Honey.They used a Martha Stewart recipe – such a simple formula, really – and sliced the acorn squash before baking. They dotted each slice with butter, brown sugar, salt and pepper, and then put them in the oven.

We recently linked to a gingerbread-pear cake in our daily Delicious Links, and lo and behold, we found ourselves with that very same cake in the oven a few nights later. We wanted, you see, to give you a personal opinion.I have a Thing for gingerbread. Gingerbread cookies and gingerbread men – crispy, soft, and chewy – all kinds. Gingerbread lattes, gingerbread bread pudding – mmm, sometimes.

Escarole appeared in my Mystery Box last week, setting me up for one of my favorite situations: discovering something new to work with in the kitchen. I’ve heard of escarole and have even eaten it in restaraunts, but for some reason, I’ve never been moved to cook with it. That, it appears, is about to change.Escarole is considered a endive, making it a member of the daisy family. It’s high in fiber and rich in vitamins, especially A and K.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn to cook squid, here’s a good introductory recipe. Ojingo bokum is a dish of sauteed squid and vegetables in a spicy sauce. The flavors are savory and the dish is very filling.

This is definitely one of those dishes that evolved from being home alone on a weeknight and having nothing in the fridge. Success! Who knew a handful of leftover soba noodles, the last egg in the carton, and a few condiments could make such a delicious and satisfying meal?!The best part about this meal is the fried egg, in our humble opinion. The runny yolk mixes into the sesame-coated soba noodles like a creamy sauce, adding richness and substance to the dish.