Kelli and Ariel recently hosted a dinner party inspired by The Kitchn Cookbook, and this week they've been sharing all the recipes and tips! Every party deserves a good cocktail, and for this one, we decided to make something new, inspired by the Mediterranean appetizer and dessert — both of which included pomegranate.
This complex and vibrant cocktail is perfect for one and easily adaptable for a gathering.
This recipe is as fun to assemble as it is to enjoy — there's just something wonderful about hollowing out a crusty loaf of bread and filling it with fresh, springtime goodies. If smoked salmon and capers don't suit you, feel free to substitute whatever does, like crumbled bacon, tomatoes, marinated artichokes, or fresh pesto — it's hard to go wrong with egg boats.
We’ve noticed that fish seems to intimidate many home cooks. They’re afraid of overcooking it, undercooking it, or otherwise ruining an expensive dinner. This method of cooking salmon is the place to start for a cook intimidated by fish, because the process is truly foolproof; there’s almost no way to mess it up.
When we wrote The Kitchn Cookbook, we knew we wanted to include a few popular recipes from the site. But, for the most part, we wanted to create a whole set of brand new recipes in our voice and style — a fresh bunch of good cooking for a brand new cookbook. This week we're sharing a few of those new recipes as part of our Simple Sunday Dinner Party menu.
This recipe for peppery, tangy red lentil balls in lettuce cups was a fun recipe to develop — and the idea for it came from a reader!
I was inspired to make these potato "rafts" after seeing them in an old copy of Cook's Illustrated. I love how the potatoes fuse together in the oven and become supremely crisp, tender, and garlicky. I like to use sole or halibut on top, but any firm and flaky white fish will do, like cod, haddock, or striped bass.
I have been looking so hard for a foolproof chewy cookie recipe. Mine always turned out too puffy, too crispy, too cakey, or too crunchy. I want crisp, brittle edges and that toffee-like chew in the middle. But then I found Debbie's fantastic chocolate chip cookie recipe — the best chewy cookie yet. So far it's baked up many batches of reliably chewy cookies.
The thing is, once we start getting into the hot days of summer, I don't feel so much like eating chocolate. So I cooked up something new, something a little different, with Debbie's cookie as the base. I added a swirl of coconut cream cheese in place of chips, and sparkling bits of candied lemon peel for zest. They're perfectly chewy, gooey, and full of tropical lemon and coconut.
This recipe makes enough pizza dough for two sheet pan pizzas – one ball of dough for now, and one to freeze for later. If you don’t feel like making pizza dough from scratch, store-bought dough works just fine. Or, better yet, ask your local pizza parlor to sell you a few balls of fresh dough!
These pancakes are bananas. No, I mean they are literally made from bananas. And eggs. Eggs and bananas, and that's it. I can see that look you're giving me right now, but you just have to trust. These two ingredients, whisked together and given a little skillet love, are truly something magical.
Don't believe me? Take a look at our step-by-step recipe and decide for yourself. Meanwhile, I'll be over here with the rest of these pancakes, licking my plate clean.
Here's a super quick dinner for your springtime arsenal — meaty sirloin tip steaks (sometimes called "charcoal steaks" or "knuckle steaks," depending on where you live) cook oh-so-quickly on a wire rack under the broiler, while the asparagus below soaks up all of the flavorful juices from the meat. An easy blender sauce with punchy chives and feta makes a great accompaniment.
Salad bars and the airport quick-grab kiosks have done the Spinach and Strawberry Salad a real disservice, I think. Done well — done properly — it's easy to see why this salad is such a classic. The greens are crisp and tender, and they should be slicked with just enough dressing to be interesting without overwhelming. The strawberries give a juicy burst of sweetness, the cheese adds its luxurious creaminess, and the almonds bring it home with some much-needed crunch.
This is the kind of salad that is fancy enough for a Mother's Day brunch, but also easy to whip together on a weeknight. For either scenario, and all those in between, Spinach and Strawberry Salad will serve you well.
When it comes right down to it, we are all just trying to find the best way to feed ourselves and our families. Somewhere in the middle of the frozen food aisle and foraging for our own fresh produce, the "best way" appears a bit fuzzy from time to time.
If you are trying to find a balance between convenience and homemade, cost efficiency and saving time, then start with this simple recipe for pancake mix. We might not all have the time to churn our own butter, but there are some pantry staples you should stop buying and start making yourself — this mix might just be the easiest thing you'll ever whip up.
This recipe for nutty, KIND-inspired snack bars is for those of you who prefer savory over sweet when the afternoon doldrums have you yawning. They have a smoky barbecue flavor (not too much — just enough!) with lots of crunchy, toasted nuts and seeds to get you through to dinner.
For our dinner party menu from Ina Garten's new book, Make It Ahead, we knew we needed a classic Ina dessert — something easy and relaxed, but totally showstopping. When we flipped to the page with this chocolate banana cake, we knew we'd found it.
And when Faith talked to Ina, she also got an ingenious tip for not only making this cake ahead, but making even more moist a day later.
Snap peas and mint from the farmers' market, a Meyer lemon from a friend's yard, and a couple of basic pantry ingredients – quick to prepare and speaking wholly of spring. I hesitate to call this a recipe because it's just something that came together using fresh ingredients I had on hand. But perhaps that is the best kind of recipe for this season, when the new, vibrant flavors call for simple preparations rather than long hours spent over the stove or in the oven.
This week we're sharing a make-ahead dinner party menu from Ina Garten, and in our chat with her today, she talked about how simple a make-ahead menu can be — it's all in choosing recipes that are just as good made ahead. And when it comes to a dish that exemplifies that, soup is king.
Here's a delicious soup we chose as a first course. It's hearty and filling even with no meat, and Ina has a few extra tips for ways to finish it off in a special way.
