Rebekah Peppler

You're going to want to make this every single week.

Love, cheese, bread, tying scarves, protesting — the French seem to have it all down to an enticing and enviable science. Now add day-drinking to that list. Having a drink en terrasse or outside at a café or bar is a near daily activity in France (no matter the weather), and the secret to doing so in daylight hours without stumbling home before the sun sets and the dinner bell rings lies in the aperitif.

“Vous venez espionner les francais enfait.” This translates as, “You’ve actually come to spy on the French!” Turns out, when you ask your French friends to tell you what’s in their refrigerators, they think you’ve come to Paris to spy on them. They will also all tell you the same seven things. Before I get to the list of essentials, a little backstory.

When planning my most recent trip to India, I focused on where to eat, what to eat, and how to eat as much of it as possible. Just as importantly, though, I wanted to be cognizant of local customs, tips, and tricks. Enter Carishma Mehta — Delhi resident, organic farm owner, and intrepid eater.

Earlier this year, I traded the frigid New York-Paris grind for a tiny beach hut in Goa. Situated on the Arabian Sea, midway down India’s southwest coast, the former Portuguese enclave is known for its miles of beaches and (for lack of a better word) enthusiastic full-moon parties.

When you plan a trip to a country as vast and varied as India, there are unlimited routes to take. Stay up north and explore the “Golden Triangle” (Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur); spend time in a tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh; escape to an ashram in Pune — the options are endless.

Whenever you’re traveling somewhere new, local customs can be daunting (and sometimes go completely over your head without your knowledge). India, with its awesome breadth of color, noise, and exuberance, can be especially overwhelming at times. This list offers a general rundown of some things to know before you go. By all means, I see this as a starting-off point — feel free to add more in the comments below. Happy trails!

Whenever I start planning a trip, my focus is on food, which makes sense: Besides eating to live, I write about and style food for a living. Most of the time the planning centers around what I’ll be eating while traveling, but preparing for any trip also means mindfully leaving space to carry treats to bring home.

Vegan and gluten- and nut-free, these tasty no-bake bars are the perfect on-the-go breakfast or snack. Breakfast is a pretty big deal at my house. I wake up and immediately start thinking about the first thing I get to eat for the day (if it hasn’t already been planned out at dinner the night before). In the mornings I can be found running out the door before the sun rises, so things like baked eggs, French toast, and pumpkin pancakes are impossible options.

Does your heart skip a beat at the thought of cinnamon French toast with a side of bacon? This weekend, skip the middle man with this creamy, gooey, crunchy and just-slightly-savory casserole. It practically begs to be front and center at your next brunch. Diced pancetta, bacon’s slightly sweeter Italian cousin, is the undercover star of this dish.

They say the sense of smell is the biggest memory trigger, but I have to argue that the sense of taste is right up there. I present you with this evidence: the 1998 Super Bowl, my parent’s living room, an oversized cheese head (yes, a hat constructed of foam cheese), and a bowl of steaming chili, heaped with a generous dusting of sharp Wisconsin cheddar.

Blinis, a classic Russian treat, are traditionally topped with sour cream and caviar. This sweet version substitutes poppy seeds for caviar and adds a bit of lemon for a touch of sweet flavor.In their most classic state, blinis are made with yeast and buckwheat flour and served alongside a good vodka.This yeast-free version eliminates the rising time by substituting chemical leaveners and balances out the heavy and, at times overwhelming, flavor of buckwheat by cutting it with all-purpose flour.

Bread. One of the most fundamental yet soul satisfying foods known to man. Then why is it so darn intimidating? Bread baking isn’t something I do very often. It’s not for the want of it, honestly who wouldn’t want the warm scent of freshly-baked bread wafting through the house? It’s the time it takes, the kneading and proofing and, quite frankly, the fear of failure. Bread baking is kind of scary isn’t it?

Jonesing for a showstopping dessert this Valentines that doesn’t involve chocolate or intricate preparation? This rosy-hued, layered dessert has you covered.The brilliant red juice of blood oranges takes on a gloriously pink hue when crafted into a thick, sweet curd for this delightfully simple yet elegant Valentine’s dessert. Best of all, it comes together quickly, leaving all the more time to spend with those you love.

Send your valentine off with a sweet start to the day with these cranberry-orange muffins.One of my favorite ways to show love, whether to friends, family or a special someone is through the kitchen. Whether it’s a special dinner in, a favorite cookie – still warm out of the oven – or these muffins surreptitiously tucked into a work bag, ensuring a sweet surprise in the morning, it’s the edible gifts that wins hearts – and stomachs.

Perfect for afternoon tea, after dinner dessert or a quick pick me up, these meringue sandwich cookies are pop-in-your-mouth delicious.Packed with sweet, nutty cashews, these light and airy cookies are crisp, chewy and naturally gluten free. When sandwiched together with the lusciously tart black cherry jam they transform into a fabulous treat for any occasion. Feel free to substitute with any of your favorite gluten free jams.

This dessert soup is fragrant, light-bodied and just a touch sweet. Stunning enough to end a dinner party, we think it’s a perfectly wonderful weeknight indulgence.January is a month many of us, resolutions or not, look to lighter dishes to replace the holiday indulgences of the past few weeks. But that doesn’t mean we have to give up any sweet finales to our meals. This dessert soup features the sweet perfume of plums, tempered with a touch of cinnamon and lemon.

In our house, the holidays don’t officially begin until the piping tips come out. We love to put them to good use and create slew of beautifully decorated cookies that rival those fancy cutouts found in stores this time of year. All that’s needed are a batch of baked and cooled cutout cookies, royal icing and our seven steps to a beautifully decorated cookie.Seven steps to a beautifully decorated cookie:1.

Pfeffernüsse are not only fun to say (feh-fer-noose) but a fabulous treat to add to the holiday cookie platter.Translated from German pfeffernüsse means “pepper nuts,” which is – aptly – a good part of what these traditional Christmas cookies consist of. We took the original and made it a bit more contemporary by adding lemon zest, dropping a few spices (although we did keep in a dash of black pepper for nostalgia’s sake) and amping up the nutmeg flavor.

What do you get when you combine meatballs, fresh pasta and loads of cheese? The best comfort food/one-dish-meal/entertaining dish to come out of the oven.It’s comfort week in The Kitchn and we’re in love with the combination of meatballs, four cheeses, and fresh herbs to create a decadent lasagna complete with crispy edges and a gooey center.

What happens when you combine the flavors of roasted cranberries with fragrant cloves and rich brown sugar with clementines? A festive homemade gift to inspire the cocktail lover in your life.These holiday inspired cocktail mixers are fun, flavorful, a bit unexpected and begging for a chance to toast salud! with loved ones. The technique to make them is simple and can be easily adapted to personal taste by swapping out any of the spices, citrus and fruits.

Yes, we took a whole piece of leftover Thanksgiving pie and tossed it in a blender. The result is, quite possibly, the easiest, most delicious incarnation of leftovers ever.If you’re lucky enough to have a few slices of extra Thanksgiving pie (or have strategically tucked a piece…or two…in the back of the fridge) these shakes are a delightfully simple way to indulge your leftover sweet cravings.

Need a last minute Thanksgiving appetizer? These bruschetta are the perfect finger food and, best of all, they’re light enough that they won’t spoil any appetites for the big meal.Fresh and bright with lemon, earthy with fresh thyme and just a tad sweet from the drizzle of honey, these bruschetta are the perfect hors d’oeuvre before a big meal.

Need something sweet to send along with the plethora of Thanksgiving leftovers? Look no further. These delightful free-form lollipops are infused with Thanksgiving-inspired flavors and studded with pecans and cranberries. Best of all they require no special molds — or even lollipop sticks for that matter!We used leftover summer Popsicle sticks and a heatproof measuring cup to – carefully – construct these edible favors in no time.

Apple cider infused caramel provides all the flavor of a traditional Thanksgiving apple pie but lends itself to delightful new presentation when drizzled atop ice cream and finished with a crumble crust.Whenever I order a slice of apple à la mode, I hope for a unabashedly hefty scoop of ice cream to accompany my chosen sweet.

Looking for something sweet to spark your holiday season appetite?Around this time of year we start thinking about silken pies, decadent cakes and cookies formed into whimsical shapes. These warmly spiced molasses cutouts don’t disappoint those familiar holiday cravings.

More stew then soup, this meal-in-a-bowl is hearty, thick and impossibly satisfying. If November could be nestled into a bowl, this recipe would be it. Packed with comforting roast chicken, thickened with cannellini beans and starchy thyme-roasted potatoes, this hefty stew’s true star is the hearty, uber-nutritious winter green swirled into it: kale.

Flush with the flavors of autumn these cookies get a dose of warmth from the combination of cinnamon, browned butter and candied walnuts.I’ll admit it, I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin pie. I make it, of course, for those I love on Thanksgiving, I even take a few obligatory bites (although my heart – and fork – is with the gooey, decadent pecan pies out there).

Miniature Forelle pears are sweet, luscious and almost too adorable to eat. We especially love them layered into this dense cake, scented with the warm notes of cardamom and bright lemon zest.To start, we sliced the petite, seasonal pears lengthwise to maintain their petite pear shape. After a toss in a bit of cognac, lemon juice, sugar and vanilla we fanned them between layers of fragrant, buttery cake and let the oven work its magic.

Butternut squash, apple cider, sage, brown sugar and… Worcestershire sauce? This recipe is chock-full of classic fall flavors but an off-the-cuff dash (or two) of an under-used pantry staple really lets them shine. Nothing says fall in our house more than a batch of soup on the stove top, bubbling away, emitting smells that prompt neighbors to drop by, noses tinged just the barest of pink.

Cat got your tongue? You’ll be happy it did when you taste these whimsically-named French butter cookies. While Langues de Chat, or “Cats’ Tongues,” garner their name from their long, flat shape, their flavor is melt-on-your-tongue delicious. Our variation calls for finely ground pistachios and lemon zest, amping up the flavor but keeping the traditional – and delectable – crisp on the outside, soft on the inside texture.

The best, and perhaps only, reason to ask: “What’s this green stuff on my ice cream?”Shiso, a Japanese herb similar to mint, is an unlikely, but perfectly suited pairing to rich coconut ice cream. Muddling the leaves with sugar creates bright green, sweet-herbal granules perfect for sprinkling atop creamy, slightly-nutty coconut ice cream…or licking straight off the spoon.

Sweet, tart and in-season-right-now concord grapes blend splendidly with sugar-cane based cachaça.There are so many great ways to say cheers — proost (Dutch), Sláinte (Scottish), Kanpai (Japanese) — this weekend we’re taking the Brazilian route and toasting Saúde with this seasonal take on the traditional Caipirinha.

Sure you’ve heard of banana bread before, but what about plantain bread?We love banana bread as much as anyone else but every once and a while it’s fun to change it up. This variation, using plantains and macadamia nuts, is rich, satisfying and just sweet enough for a quick breakfast or a snack on the go.

A few chops with a chef’s knife, a drizzle of olive oil and a plop of plump Italian cheese is all you need for this delectably simple heirloom tomato salad.Crafted in less time then it takes to walk to the farmer’s market and back, this salad highlights the distinct, and innately delicious, flavors of heirloom tomatoes.