It’s Cookie Week, haven’t you heard? We just published seven new cookie recipes with videos on New York Times Cooking, and there are many more from years past on our YouTube channel, in case you want to revisit Eric Kim’s frosted sugar cookies or Vaughn Vreeland’s eggnog snickerdoodles.

It’s also the moment for potato latkes and the other delicacies of Hanukkah. I personally feel that latkes can make an excellent dinner themselves if they’re properly adorned; I top mine with a schmear of sour cream and a piece of smoked salmon, though no one would be mad about a little caviar or a poached egg. If you’re looking for a meatier main course, Melissa Clark’s paprika chicken below would do nicely.

1. Sheet-Pan Paprika Chicken With Tomatoes and Parmesan

This deeply savory, weeknight-friendly sheet-pan chicken is worth buying a new jar of sweet paprika for, especially if you can’t remember when you got the one in your spice drawer (for those Fourth of July deviled eggs several summers ago?).The fresher the spices, the more intensely flavorful the dish. This one is as pretty as it is complex, with a mix of colorful cherry tomatoes and peppers that soften and absorb all the chicken juices as they roast. Serve it with something to catch the saucy tomatoes: Crusty bread, polenta or couscous all work well.

By Melissa Clark

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts (breasts, drumsticks, thighs or a mix)
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, plus more for serving
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon Espelette pepper or smoked hot paprika (pimentón)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes (preferably different colors), halved
• 1 poblano chile or 1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 cup thinly sliced sweet bell peppers (red, yellow or orange)
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, for serving
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Season chicken all over with salt, and place it on a rimmed baking sheet.

2. In a small bowl, stir together olive oil, vinegar, garlic, paprika, Espelette and oregano. Pour over chicken, tossing to coat.

3. Add tomatoes, poblano and sweet peppers to baking sheet, spread vegetables around the chicken. Season vegetables lightly with salt and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Sprinkle Parmesan all over chicken and vegetables.

4. Roast until chicken is golden, crisp and cooked through, 25 to 35 minutes. Stir the vegetables halfway through cooking but don’t disturb the chicken. If white meat is done before dark meat, remove it as it finishes cooking.

5. Transfer chicken to plates. Stir vegetables around in pan, scraping up all the delicious browned bits from the bottom and sides of pan, and stir in the parsley and black pepper to taste. Taste and add salt if needed, and a drizzle of vinegar if you like. Spoon vegetables over the chicken to serve.

2. Baked Salmon and Dill Rice

Fragrant dill rice is a natural accompaniment to salmon, and a complete meal of the two is made easy here by baking them together in one dish. Add fresh or dried dill to basmati rice, which is eventually topped with salmon covered in a tangy, sweet and spicy paste of mayo, lemon zest, honey and dried chile flakes. To ensure the rice is perfectly fluffy without overcooking the fish, the grains are baked until most of the water is absorbed before the salmon is added over the top.

By Naz Deravian

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups white basmati rice, rinsed and drained
• Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
• 4 ounces fresh dill, tough stems removed and finely chopped (about 1 cup), or 1/3 cup dried, plus more for serving
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 large lemon, zested (about 1 teaspoon)
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
• 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (1 inch thick at their thickest parts), skin on or off

Preparation

1. Place an oven rack in the center position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a kettle or a small saucepan, bring 2 3/4 cups water to a boil.

2. To a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, add the olive oil and spread it around the pan. Add the rice, 1 teaspoon salt and the dill, and stir to combine. Spread the rice evenly across the pan. Add the boiling water, stir and cover tightly with foil. Place in the oven and bake until most of the water has been absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the garlic, lemon zest, mayonnaise, honey, turmeric and red-pepper flakes. Season both sides of the salmon fillets well with salt (about 1 1/2 teaspoons total) and pepper. Spread the mayonnaise paste on top (or flesh side) of the salmon fillets.

4. Remove the pan from the oven and very carefully lift the foil. Place the salmon fillets on top of the rice, paste side up, reseal and place back in the oven. Bake until the rice is fluffy and the salmon is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with more fresh dill and red-pepper flakes.

3. Sesame-Brown Butter Udon Noodles

This weeknight meal is silky, slurpable and so quick to pull off. It follows the tradition of wafu or Japanese-style pasta, and combines brown butter, udon and spinach, but the classic combination of savory sauce, chewy noodle and green vegetable allows plenty of room for improvisation. Instead of soy sauce, you can add umami with Parmesan, miso, seaweed or mushrooms. Instead of black pepper for heat, grab ginger or chile flakes, oil or paste. For more protein, boil eggs or shelled edamame in the water before the udon, or add tinned mackerel or fresh yuba along with the sesame seeds. Udon noodles, found fresh, frozen or shelf-stable, are singularly bouncy and thick; if you can’t find them, use the thinner, dried style that resembles linguine.

By Ali Slagle

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• Salt
• 14 to 16 ounces udon, preferably thick fresh, frozen or shelf-stable noodles
• 1 pound baby spinach or coarsely chopped or torn mature spinach
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, plus more for serving
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, plus more as needed
• Pinch of sugar
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, plus more for serving

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package directions until just tender. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then add the spinach and press to submerge. (It will continue cooking later.) Drain the noodles and spinach, shaking to get rid of any excess water.

2. Set the pot over medium heat. Add 5 tablespoons butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until the foam subsides, the milk solids turn golden-brown and it smells nutty and toasty, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the black pepper and stir until fragrant. Add 1/4 cup pasta water, plus the noodles and spinach, soy sauce and sugar, and toss until the sauce is thickened and silky. Add pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce clings to the noodles.

3. Remove from heat, add the sesame seeds and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter until melted. Season to taste with more soy sauce and black pepper (if mild) and sugar (if too salty). Serve with more sesame seeds on top.

4. Winter Squash and Wild Mushroom Curry

This is comfort food, Indian-style, adapted from a recipe by Madhur Jaffrey. It’s also vegan, and perfect for a fall evening. Use a mixture of cultivated mushrooms; they come in all shapes and sizes. Look for royal trumpets, a large, meaty type of oyster mushroom; shiitakes, and small portobellos. Use some wild mushrooms too, if you can, like golden chanterelles, lobster or hen of the woods. You can make this as spicy as you wish, but be sure to include some cayenne and green chile, to complement and play off the creamy coconut milk sauce. Serve with basmati rice, rice noodles or mashed potatoes.

Recipe from Madhur Jaffrey

Adapted by David Tanis

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 10 ounces butternut or other winter squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 or 2 small green chiles, such as jalapeño or serrano
• 3 medium shallots or 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• Handful of fresh or frozen curry leaves (optional)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• Pinch of ground cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 pound mushrooms, preferably a mix of cultivated and wild, trimmed and sliced 1/8-inch thick
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Preparation

1. In a wide skillet, heat oil over medium-high. When hot, add squash cubes in one layer. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes, letting cubes brown slightly, then flip and cook for 2 minutes more. Use a slotted spoon to lift squash out, and set aside.

2. Cut a lengthwise slit in each chile to open it, but leave whole. (This helps the chiles heat the sauce without making it too spicy.)

3. Add shallots, salt lightly and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves, if using, and let sizzle for 30 seconds, then add garlic, coriander, cayenne, turmeric and chiles. Stir well and cook for 30 seconds more.

4. Add mushrooms, season with salt and toss to coat. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

5. Return squash cubes to skillet, stir in coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Lower heat to medium and simmer for another 5 minutes. If mixture looks dry, thin with a little water. Taste and season with salt.

6. Before serving, stir in lime juice. Transfer to a warm serving dish and garnish with cilantro.

5. Chickpea Stew With Orzo and Mustard Greens

A complex and colorful chickpea stew, this is rich with vegetables, olive oil and Parmesan cheese. You can vary the vegetables to use what you’ve got. Here, I keep to the basics, adding carrots for sweetness, fennel or celery for depth, cherry tomatoes for looks. Tender greens, wilted into the bubbling mixture at the end, are optional, but they do add a bright, almost herbal note. I particularly love using baby mustard greens, which are pleasantly peppery. But spinach, arugula and kale work well, too.

By Melissa Clark

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 small fennel bulb or 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Pinch of red-pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary (optional)
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (or water)
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup roughly chopped cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat or regular orzo
• 1 quart loosely packed baby mustard greens or spinach (about 5 ounces)
• Salt and black pepper
• Chopped scallions, for garnish (optional)
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more as needed

Preparation

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the carrots, fennel or celery, and onion. Cook until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, red-pepper flakes and rosemary, if using, and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour in the broth, if using, or water, along with another 2 cups water, and bring to a boil.

2. Once the mixture is boiling, add the chickpeas, tomatoes and orzo. Reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer 10 minutes, or until the orzo is tender. Uncover and stir in the greens, letting them simmer until soft, about 2 minutes.

3. Add more water if you want the mixture to be more souplike, and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with chopped scallions (if desired), grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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For the members of New York’s Aleppan Jewish community, the tinier the meat- or cheese-filled pastry, the better the cook.

At Hanukkah, which this year begins Thursday evening, they take as much pride in their distinctive tradition of using two candles rather than one to light the menorah — representing both the miracle of light and the welcome they received from Syrians after fleeing the Inquisition — as they do in those small meat- or cheese-filled pastries.

Rachel Harary Gindi, 92, who was born into this close-knit community, based in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, remembers her mother gathering with her friends to make sambousek, served at holidays. Gindi especially adored the ones filled with cheese, reserved for Sunday evenings when her family traditionally ate a dairy meal.

“You couldn’t order them from anywhere,” she said at a recent sambousek-making session at her apartment, which overlooks the Century City neighborhood of Los Angeles. So the only way to get them was to make them yourself.

In 1941, Gindi’s family moved to New Orleans. “It was pure culture shock for me,” she said. “Until then, I ate everything at home. I didn’t even know what French fries were.”

But still, they maintained their a connection to the past, traveling to Bradley Beach, New Jersey, every summer where the community gathered. It was there, at age 16, where she met her husband, Jack. They married and moved to Los Angeles the next year.

Because she was so young when she married, Gindi really learned to cook from watching her mother-in-law, who was born in Aleppo, Syria.

“She was an old-fashioned cook,” Gindi said. “I was just a kid when I got married and helped my mother but really didn’t learn.”

The dishes her mother-in-law passed on included kibbe hamdeh, a sour salt soup with potatoes, carrots and tiny meatballs, and edja patate, a potato pancake flavored with allspice. (If they didn’t learn from their mothers, many Syrian Jewish cooks in the mid-20th century followed recipes from Grace Sasson, another member of the Brooklyn Aleppan Jewish community. She gave her address in her self-published book so that people could write to her with questions.)

Sambousek, which means “triangle” in Persian, were popular from Spanish Andalusia to India during the Middle Ages.

Food historian Nawal Nasrallah believes sambousek was one of the dishes that traveled eastward to India from the 10th century. Four recipes even appear in a 13th-century Aleppan cookbook, “Al-Wusla Ila al-Habib fi Wasf al-Tayyibat wa al-Teeb,” according to Poopa Dweck’s magnificent “Aromas of Aleppo: The Legendary Cuisine of Syrian Jews.”

All these years later, cheese sambousek has remained a staple of Gindi’s dairy meals, even during Hanukkah, though she’s made some changes: Miller’s Muenster cheese (the only kosher one available, other than processed American) gave way to shredded mozzarella and kashkaval once they came on the kosher market. About 50 years ago, her dough came to include only flour, first out of necessity (she couldn’t find the traditional semolina), then preference.

Although there are more modern ways to make these flaky pastries, Gindi still uses a memorial Yahrzeit glass to cut the dough, which she pinches closed with her thumb and second finger, fluting the edge like scallop shells. And they are tiny, just a couple of bites apiece.

Cheese sambousek was naturally one of the first recipes Gindi taught Mercedes Borda, her housekeeper of 39 years, ready in the freezer or just baked for the eager appetites of the Gindi children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

In her kitchen, Gindi watched as Borda pinched the dough, but when she veered from custom, pressing the tines of a fork into the dough, the way she learned to make empanadas in her native Bolivia, Gindi got out of her chair and took over.

Traditions in the Syrian community die hard.

Recipe from Rachel Harary Gindi

Adapted by Joan Nathan

These crescent-shaped pocket pastries from Rachel Harary Gindi, a home cook living in Los Angeles are popular in one form or another throughout the Middle East and India. Cooks will find, of course, many variations from all over. This Syrian Jewish version from Aleppo creates the dough using flour and smeed, a fine semolina often also used in Middle Eastern cookies, which is not essential but adds a pleasing texture to the tongue. Some Syrian Jews add several kinds of cheese including feta to the cheese mix. Make this dish your own, as this recipe does with the use of nigella seeds. Topping the sambousek with sesame seeds or (nontraditional) nigella seeds adds a slight complexity to the taste of this mild, homey snack. Though you could certainly brush the tops of the sambousek with water and sprinkle with the seeds, for efficiency you can do as Poopa Dweck, author of “Aromas of Aleppo: The Legendary Cuisine of Syrian Jews” (Ecco, 2007), instructed: “Dip the dough ball or formed sambousek into sesame seeds before baking. The seeds will stick onto the dough.”

Yield: About 48 pastries

Total time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients

• 2 cups/256 grams unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
• 1 cup/180 grams fine semolina
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
• 1 cup/227 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), diced then brought to room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 8 ounces/227 grams Muenster, mozzarella or kashkaval cheese, grated
• 6 tablespoons/57 grams sesame or nigella seeds, or both

Preparation

1. To make the dough, in a large bowl, use your hands to mix together the flour, semolina and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Add the diced butter, toss to coat in the dry ingredients, then mix it in with your fingertips until thoroughly combined. Add 1/4 cup lukewarm water and mix to make a soft but not sticky dough, adding another 1 to 4 tablespoons of water if needed (or enough that the dough cleans the bowl). Cover the dough with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let it rest while you prepare the filling.

2. To prepare the filling, beat the egg in a medium bowl, then mix in the cheese and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and divide the dough into 4 pieces, then leave 3 of the pieces covered in the damp towel or wrapped in plastic.

4. Sprinkle the rolling surface lightly with flour and roll out one piece of dough until about 1/8-inch thick, rubbing the rolling pin with flour if needed to prevent sticking. Using a 2 1/2-inch-wide cookie cutter or glass, cut out about 9 rounds of dough. Reroll the scraps to make as many rounds as possible, ideally about 3 more rounds (12 rounds total from the one piece of dough).

5. Cover the cut rounds with a damp towel. Working with one round at a time, put 1 packed teaspoon of cheese filling gingerly in the center of each round, gently pressing the cheese into the dough then folding the dough into a half-moon shape. Then use your finger and thumb to seal the rounded edge. (You can also flute it, folding to seal as you would fold an empanada.) Place the filled sambousek about 1/2 inch apart on 2 parchment paper-lined sheet pans and cover with a damp towel.

6. Repeat with the remaining 3 pieces of dough, forming about 48 sambousek, making sure the dough and sambousek stay covered so they don’t dry out.

7. Once you’ve formed all your sambousek, set the seeds in a small bowl and set each sambousek in the seeds, pressing to coat one side. Return them to the baking sheet, seed side up, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden brown.

8. Serve immediately. (You can also form and freeze the sambousek before baking, then bake them directly from frozen, increasing the cook time by 5 or so minutes.)

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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The Yiddish word tsimmes, or tzimmes, means to make a big fuss over something. It’s also the name of an Ashkenazi dish of sweet potatoes, carrots, dried fruit and sometimes flanken or brisket, traditionally served at Jewish holidays.

You’d think, with a name like tsimmes, it must be a fussy dish, needing chopping, peeling and praying over to get right.

But the tsimmes I grew up with were simple vegetable side dishes, a pretty mix of orange-hued roots dotted with dark prunes and glistening with honey, baked until plush and velvety. Sure, there was some peeling and chopping, but next to frying latkes, pinching kreplach and rolling matzo balls, a pan of tsimmes was the one fuss-free part of the holiday preparation.

With that ease in mind, I created this tsimmes as a convenient holiday showpiece. Since Hanukkah is approaching, I wanted a one-pot dish that was festive enough for a holiday meal, yet easy enough to leave time to make latkes.

Tsimmes recipes vary greatly, but the version I grew up with included honey and orange juice to nudge the natural sweetness of the root vegetables and dried fruit. For this main-course version, I decided to nix the honey and use only orange juice, which reduces during simmering to a vibrant, tangy glaze.

I also substituted dates for the usual prunes, though almost any dried fruit will do. Dried cherries and cranberries add pops of color, while dried apricots blend in with the roots for a chewy-sweet surprise in every bite.

Tsimmes can veer into sweet-enough-for-dessert territory, which would cloy as a main. So another tweak was to add cumin and coriander to the cinnamon and ginger that typically spice the dish, because I wanted those earthy, musky flavors to ground it to the savory side.

Lastly, I added chicken to make the dish substantial enough to anchor the meal. Because root vegetables need to simmer for 45 minutes or longer to turn silky and plush, dark meat chicken is a better partner than breasts. Bone-in thighs will work, though the skin becomes limp after all that simmering. I call for boneless thighs because they get wonderfully soft and tender as they bubble away beneath the roots.

This tsimmes is such a simple, cozy main dish that the only fuss will be made over, not by, the cook who serves it.

Braised Chicken Thighs With Sweet Potatoes and Dates

By Melissa Clark

This colorful meal is based on tsimmes, the classic Ashkenazi dish of sweet potatoes, carrots and dried fruit (and sometimes meat) typically served on Rosh Hashana and other Jewish holidays. This version includes boneless, skinless chicken thighs and spices, and lets everything simmer together in a Dutch oven until fragrant and silky. It’s a festive one-pot meal that’s sweet, savory and a little tangy from some orange juice used for braising.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Total time: About 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (see Tip)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), more as needed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 pounds sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick coins
• 1 cup dates or prunes, diced (or substitute other dried fruit)
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon grated or minced fresh ginger (optional)
• 1 (2-inch-long) cinnamon stick
• 1 large pinch ground cayenne or red-pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
• 1 large leek, trimmed, halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or dill

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine chicken thighs, 1 teaspoon salt, coriander, cumin and pepper, tossing well. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.

2. In another large bowl, add the sweet potato, carrot, dates or prunes, lemon zest, grated ginger if you like, cinnamon stick, cayenne and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine.

3. In a 5- to 7-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high. Add as many pieces of chicken as comfortably fit in the bottom of the pan without crowding and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken pieces to a plate as they brown. Repeat with remaining chicken, adding more oil as needed.

4. Add leeks, a pinch of salt and more olive oil to the pan if it looks dry. Sauté leeks until golden and tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

5. Place half of the chicken in 1 layer on top of the leeks. Top with half of the sweet potato mixture, spreading it out evenly over the chicken. Repeat layering with the remaining chicken and sweet potato mixture. Pour orange juice into the pan.

6. Cover pot and transfer to the oven. Braise, covered, until the chicken and vegetables are tender, for about 55 to 70 minutes, stirring the mixture after 30 minutes. Sprinkle with herbs and serve.

Tip: Because of the long braising time needed to cook the root vegetables, it can be tricky to use chicken breasts because they’re liable to overcook.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Mexico — One bite of a chile verde con papas burrito at Burritos Sarita in Ciudad Juárez has the power to shatter whatever preconceived notions you have about burritos. In it, a pillowy-soft flour tortilla, with hints of smoke from the griddle, swaddles a fragrant mix of tender potatoes, caramelized onions and fire-roasted chile verde that is coated in a salty and tangy thick crema.

From start to finish, the tin-foiled treasure is delicate and neat. Burrito renditions far from this border city tend to be overstuffed, oversized, overdressed and overblown. But here, a purist burrito, as locals call it, has only what it needs: one tortilla, one filling.

“It is our hallmark,” said Paty Covarrubias, the food truck’s general manager, of burritos’ importance to the city. She has been working for her aunt Sarita Alfaro’s business since she was 14.

“My tía taught me you have to know how to make every part of the burrito yourself,” she said. Covarrubias had been up since 3:50 a.m. preparing daily guisados, or stews, and kneading flour tortillas before opening at 8:30 a.m.

Just across the Rio Grande, this quintessential comida fronteriza — border food — is just as integral to the cultural identity of El Paso, Texas, Juárez’s sister city in the United States.

“You can count on someone eating a burrito every second of every hour of every day here,” said Steve Vasquez, the owner and burrito maker at La Colonial Tortilla Factory in El Paso. The tortillería sells as many as 800 burritos on any given morning.

No one questions that Juárez is the birthplace of burritos, though there are competing origin stories. Some attribute their creation to Juan Mendez, who sold guisados wrapped in flour tortillas from a donkey-pulled buggy — a burrito — during the Mexican Revolution. Others say they were born of the workers who took these wraps on the go and then called them burritos because they resembled the rolled blankets that sat atop donkeys in the fields. Some say they were named after children who helped women carry their shopping — endearingly nicknamed burritos — and paid with these wraps.

Both cities strive to maintain and preserve a purist burrito tradition while defining a fine burrito experience. Yet it is hard to deny that there is a friendly but deep rivalry.

Vasquez said La Colonial has throngs of customers from Juárez who cross the border primarily for his burrito de chile relleno with chile con queso. And Covarrubias said she has regulars from El Paso who seek out her burrito de chile verde con papas.

“I have always been scared to try the burritos from somewhere else because it is just not the same,” Vasquez said. “People brought us some from Juárez, and they are OK, but nothing like ours.”

Covarrubias once caught her daughters bringing home some burritos from El Paso. “You can imagine the scolding I gave them!” she said, laughing.

Despite that competitiveness, both cities can agree that the same essential elements produce a burrito worth bragging about: It must be made with a flour tortilla and an emphasis on one filling, with no gratuitous toppings, and eaten on the go.

Here’s more on the three essentials:

A Freshly Made Flour Tortilla

It is no coincidence that one of the most popular burrerías in El Paso is also a tortilla factory. At La Colonial, burritos are rolled to order with hot tortillas straight from the pressing machine. “My grandparents started making tortillas by hand,” Vasquez said, “but they couldn’t keep up with the demand, so they installed a machine a few years later.”

At Burritos Sarita, they refuse to change their artisanal process. Each morning, fresh masa, or dough, is kneaded and rolled by hand with a palote, a heavy rolling pin, and cooked in a hot griddle in the back of the open truck.

The dough ingredients are the same on both sides of the border: flour, salt, water, baking powder and fat. The water should be “as hot as your body can tolerate, so the masa won’t harden,” Covarrubias said. The baking powder ensures that the tortillas puff with a smooth texture. Without it, the tortillas can have a crinkly texture; but too much, and they become as stiff as crackers, she said.

Finally, you need some fat. In the region, the most popular options are lard, vegetable shortening and butter. Covarrubias and Vasquez opt for lard, though vegetable shortening produces great results for truly meatless burritos.

Customers know good flour tortillas, Covarrubias said. “They can taste the difference so well that even other Juárez burrería owners come to ours. I won’t out them, but they don’t mind standing in line for a burrito that is en su punto,” she said. That is, on point.

Filling That Stands on Its Own

Purist burritos tend to have a single extraordinary filling, with maybe an addition of cheese or avocado at most. A key difference between El Paso and Juárez is that north of the border you’ll find evidence of American influence with ingredients like chile con queso sauce, brisket or sausage scrambled with eggs instead of machaca or chorizo.

Still, those elements are transformed into home-style fillings that are strong in their own right. Brisket at La Colonial is cooked from scratch in an almost guisado-like fashion. Their chile con queso is spooned over a traditionally made chile relleno or onto boldly seasoned refried beans. Chicharrón en salsa, picadillo, frijoles con queso, chile relleno, chile verde con papas, chile verde and chile Colorado are all classics on both sides of the border.

Put your thumb and your middle finger together in a circle — that’s how slim purist burritos should be. If there is salsa, it is incorporated into a guisado or filling, not served over the top.

Packed and Eaten on the Go

Simplicity is crucial: no mess, no dress, no fuss and no platter. Purist burritos are light and neat and convenient to the extreme.

“I have offered electricians and plumbers, if I can make a platter for them and add more things,” Vasquez said. “But they say they love eating them on the way to work and how easy and convenient they are.” Oscar Herrera, a chef who splits time between the two cities, said the region is a key market for aluminum-foil companies thanks to the popularity of burritos on the go.

Covarrubias worries about the future of the kind of burrito she wakes up so early to make. Her adult children have said they’d consider working in a burrito truck, “but they are unwilling to dedicate the time to learn guisados right or make flour tortillas, as they can now be found in stores,” she said.

Maybe she can find some hope across the river. Vasquez’s 11-year-old daughter, Mia, has said she wants to continue her father’s work. “We’ll see,” he said with a sigh.

On both sides of the Rio Grande, the love for and dedication to the craft of making what they consider true burritos are perhaps what define the style most. Making them, Vasquez said, “has to come from the heart.”

Covarrubias echoed that sentiment. “The main ingredient is mucho amor.”

Recipe: Burritos de Chile Verde con Papas (Chile Verde Burritos With Potatoes)

By Pati Jinich

One of the most popular and traditional burritos of the El Paso-Ciudad Juárez borderlands, this chile verde burrito is referred to as a purist burrito: It has no toppings, no garnishes and no salsas or crema to drizzle on top. It is neat, clean, slim and tightly packed; its filling is intensely flavorful, but delicate in its texture and bite. Everything in it is cooked al punto, on point: The Anaheim chiles are fire-roasted to bring out their exuberance, tenderly cooked over soft heat with almost-caramelized onions and soft-to-the-bite potatoes, and then coated in creamy crema. The fact that the best renditions of this burrito are made with freshly made flour tortillas makes the experience sublime.

Yield: 8 burritos

Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 12 ounces (about 4 to 6 large) fresh Anaheim chiles (also known as California chiles), or chilaca or New Mexico chiles
• Kosher or sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 pound Yukon Gold or yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-by-1/4-inch matchsticks
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium white onion, halved and slivered
• 1 cup Mexican crema or crème fraîche (or even heavy cream, in a pinch)
• 8 large store-bought or homemade flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded asadero, quesadilla or Monterey Jack cheese

Preparation

1. Place the chiles on a baking sheet under the broiler, or directly on the grill, or right on the burner of a gas stove over medium-high heat, or on a preheated comal over medium heat. Turn them every couple minutes, for a total of about 10 minutes, until they are completely charred and blistered all over.

2. Place the roasted chiles in a lidded container, close it tightly and let them sweat for at least 10 minutes. Set them under a thin stream of cold water (or in a bowl filled with water) and peel the charred skin, which should come right off. Make a slit down one side and discard the cluster of seeds and veins. Remove the stems and cut the chiles into 1-by-1/4-inch matchsticks (about the same size as the potatoes). Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it comes to a boil, add the potatoes and cook until very soft, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

4. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, translucent and barely starting to lightly brown around the edges, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the roasted chile strips and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the chile strips have softened even more. Incorporate the cooked potatoes, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are coated with the same cooked glimmer.

5. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stir in the crema and simmer until it thickens and slightly darkens, about 4 minutes. Set aside.

6. Heat a comal, griddle or nonstick skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Once it’s hot, reduce the heat to low and place a tortilla on it. Once it lightly browns on one side, about 30 seconds, flip it and top with 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Once the cheese starts melting, 30 to 45 seconds later, remove the tortilla.

7. Add a scant 1/2 cup of the chile verde and potato filling in a thick strip to one side of the tortilla. Tuck in the top and bottom, fold and roll it into a burrito. (You can also leave it untucked and just roll it.) If you’d like the tortilla to brown a bit, you can place the filled burrito on the comal for another minute or two. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, cheese and filling. Serve hot. (Though best eaten right away, you can prepare the filling ahead of time and refrigerate it in a sealed container for up to 5 days.)

Recipe: Flour Tortillas

By Pati Jinich

Homemade flour tortillas give every single store-bought one a run for its money and will elevate any burrito or quesadilla you make. The process is somewhat laborious, and it can be challenging to get them to be perfectly round, but perfection is not necessary, as you are going to roll or fold them anyway and your shapes will improve as you practice. This recipe uses vegetable shortening, which makes the tortillas accessible to vegetarians and non vegetarians alike. Taking a cue from the El Paso and Ciudad Juárez region, these tortillas de harina fronterizas are made with hot water and baking powder and the dough rests twice, the second time with the portioned dough nicely rubbed in fat. Follow these simple steps, give the dough a chance to rest and make sure the tortilla is fully cooked: When done on the outside, brown freckles appear on both sides, and it’ll be cooked through on the inside when it puffs. The results will be worth your while, as the tortillas will be soft and pillowy. Tuck any leftovers into a sealed container and enjoy the fruits of your labor for days.

Yield: 12 (9-inch) tortillas

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 455 grams (about 3 2/3 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2/3 cup/115 grams vegetable shortening (may substitute for unsalted butter or lard), plus more for coating
• 1 1/4 cups/300 milliliters hot water

Preparation

1. Using your hands (or a whisk), combine the flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl.

2. In a large bowl, beat the vegetable shortening with your hand in circular motions to warm it up and spread it in the bottom of the bowl, until it is creamed and there are no lumps, about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture and mix it with the shortening, in circular motions, wiping the bowl as you mix, until the fat is evenly distributed through the flour, for about 1 or 2 minutes.

3. Distribute the water over the mixture and mix it into the flour in a circular motion, scraping from the bottom and folding and kneading the dough, pressing it from the center out to the edges of the bowl. At first it will be very sticky and lumpy, but as you continue to knead, it will become more elastic, soft and homogenous, more light, less dense and springy to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes. Cover the bowl with a towel and let rest for 20 minutes.

4. Using your fingers, pinch off a heaping 1 1/2-inch ball of the dough. (You should have about 12 pieces, each about 70 grams.) Roll each piece into a ball and place on a baking sheet or board. Rub a bit of vegetable shortening in the palm of your hands and roll each ball of dough between your palms to coat it with the shortening. You may need to repeat adding vegetable shortening to your hands about 4 to 5 times to go over the 12 balls. Cover with a towel and let rest for 20 minutes.

5. Heat your comal, griddle, or cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-low heat for at least 5 minutes.

6. Lightly flour your work surface and your rolling pin. Roll one ball into a 9-inch tortilla. You will need to rotate the tortilla on your work surface about 5 or 6 times as you roll it out, flip and add more flour as needed. Do not get discouraged if the tortilla doesn’t make a perfect round; it takes lots of practice!

7. As soon as you are done rolling out a tortilla, using both hands, lay it on the hot comal, in a swift and determined way so it doesn’t break. After 40 to 50 seconds there should be brown freckles on the bottom side and air bubbles on top. Using a spatula and your hand, flip the tortilla over and cook for another 40 to 50 seconds, until the other side is freckled and the tortilla puffs up even more. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel and keep covered.

8. Repeat with the remaining dough and as you cook the tortillas. If you don’t eat all of them at once, let them cool then place them in a plastic bag and seal the bag. They will keep fresh, out of the refrigerator for at least 3 to 4 days. You can also store them in your refrigerator for up to a week. When ready to eat, take them out and reheat on a preheated comal, griddle or skillet over medium low heat, for a minute or so per side. (It is very important that you preheat the comal or skillet before adding the tortillas so that they don’t stick or burn.)

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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Holiday party drinks can take many forms: punch bowls, batched cocktails, a bathtub of bubbles, a tray of shots. What unifies them is a festal shared experience for guests to gather around. This year, keep the communal theme, but drop the one-drink-fits-all approach.

“To me, hosting parties is really about making everyone happy,” said Estelle Bossy, the beverage director at Le Rock in New York City. “Rather than tell everyone what I think is delicious, I like to empower people to find their own version of their favorite thing,” she added.

To maintain a through line among different drinks, you need a deeply flavorful base. Making a batch of a single base and placing it on the table, alongside a bucket of ice and a few different spirited and nonalcoholic bottles, lets drinkers choose their own holiday cheers.

One of Bossy’s favorite bases for holiday drinks is a shrub, and while early versions in the 18th century leaned closer to a concentrated punch — an intense combination of citrus, sugar, and either rum or brandy, made in advance — the modern shrub, or drinking vinegar, is more of a sweet-tart, fruit- and vinegar-based syrup.

During the holidays, she often makes cranberry shrub by combining equal weights fresh cranberries, sugar and apple cider vinegar in a food processor. She blends them to a chunky purée and combines that with equal parts filtered water before refrigerating it for 24 hours and straining. Since the shrub has plenty of acid, you don’t need to add fresh citrus to the drinks you make with it. Combine the final shrub with ginger beer or prosecco.

Another workhorse base is oleo-saccharum, which is classically made by muddling citrus peels with sugar before setting the combination aside overnight. In this flavorful base, the sugar slowly extracts the oils from the peels and the sticky-sweet mixture adds dimension and texture to drinks. “The theme here is that sugar is a great flavor extractor,” Bossy said.

While oleo-saccharum is often used to build traditional large-format punches, use it instead to create a flavorful base to make this spiced holiday punch, a modern variation served individually rather than from a flowing bowl. The prep work is done by the host in advance so that assembling can happen on demand by drinkers.

“Guests get to play bartender,” Bossy said. “They get to choose what they’re going to have. You see people making drinks for each other. There’s something very hospitable and communal about it.”

Prepare the drink’s base before the party, then combine the spice-laden slurry with citrus juice the day after it’s made. When you’re ready to serve, tuck a dish towel nearby on the table and, for guests who want to be exact, a handful of jiggers.

Still, the elements and proportions are simple and forgiving enough to eyeball. “There’s the precision that is a cocktail for a restaurant, and then there’s a looseness of having a party,” Bossy said.

To facilitate easeful drink-making all night long, write or print out the general cocktail recipes. Bossy also suggests hosts greet as many guests as possible and walk them to the drink table. “Then as more and more people arrive, I let them do the same thing for all the new arrivals,” she said.

In the case of this spiced holiday punch, guests start by choosing if they want to drink alcohol at all. If not, an ounce or so of the base can be combined with soda, tonic water and a few optional dashes of Angostura bitters. (Bitters contain a small amount of alcohol.) The final drink is bright, bubbly and lightly bitter.

If an alcoholic route is preferred, guests can mix that same ounce of base with their chosen spirit, along with bitters, soda water and sparkling wine. The addition of gin leans the drink toward the botanical, while whiskey plays nicely off the warm spices. Whichever route is taken, garnish with a citrus wheel.

For glassware, a mix is ideal: lowballs, antique crystal, teacups, wineglasses or small jars — anything you have in the house. “Not everyone gets the same glass, so people don’t get as confused as to whose glass is whose,” Bossy said. “Plus, I like that it’s a little bit mixed, and I get to see all of my beautiful things being used.”

This season, for crowd-pleasing drinks that serve every type of drinker, make a flavorful base then open your door — and bar.

Spiced Holiday Punch for Everyone

By Rebekah Peppler

Start with a spiced, citrus base, made with lemon peels muddled with brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, star anise, black peppercorns and tea leaves. Then, make a holiday drink your way. If you choose to spike it, reach for a favorite spirited bottle. Gin leans your drink refreshingly botanical, while whiskey feels a bit boozier and plays nicely off the base’s warming spices. If you want to make a nonalcoholic drink, simply add soda water, tonic and, if you like, a few dashes of Angostura bitters. (Note that, while the bitters lend a nice layer of flavor and depth, they do contain a small amount of alcohol, so if you’re abstaining just leave them out.) The point here is to make a drink you want to drink — and for your friend, partner, cousin or parent to make the drink they want to drink.

Yield: About 10 (5-ounce) nonalcoholic or spirited drinks

Total time: 1 hour, plus overnight resting

Ingredients

For the Spiced Holiday Punch Base:

• 6 to 8 lemons
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
• 4 whole cloves
• 4 whole allspice berries
• 2 whole star anise
• 2 whole cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons loose-leaf oolong, black or green tea leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice

For the Spirited Spiced Holiday Punch:

• Ice
• 1 ounce Spiced Holiday Punch Base
• 1 ounce spirit, such as bourbon, rye, cognac or gin
• 3 to 4 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 ounce club soda, chilled
• 2 ounces dry sparkling wine, chilled
• Lemon or orange wheels or a cinnamon stick, or both, for garnish
• For Nonalcoholic Spiced Holiday Punch:
• Ice
• 1 ounce Spiced Holiday Punch Base
• 3 to 4 dashes Angostura bitters (optional; see Tip)
• 2 ounces soda water, chilled
• 2 ounces dry tonic water, chilled
• Lemon or orange wheels or a cinnamon stick, or both, for garnish

Preparation

1. Make the punch base: Using a peeler, peel 4 of the lemons and place the peels in a medium bowl. Reserve the peeled lemons. Add the sugar and salt to the peels and use a muddler or the end of a rolling pin to work them into the peels until the peels start to turn slightly translucent, about 2 minutes.

2. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high. When the pan is hot, add the cloves, allspice berries, star anise, cinnamon sticks and peppercorns. Heat, shaking the pan often, until the spices are fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Watch carefully so the spices do not burn. Add the spices directly to the lemon peel mixture, along with the tea leaves, and muddle for another minute, crushing the spices and tea leaves into the peel mixture, then set aside at room temperature for 8 hours and up to 24.

3. The next day, add 1/4 cup hot water to the citrus mixture, stir gently to dissolve the sugar and set aside to steep for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, juice the reserved lemons. (You should have about 3/4 cup lemon juice; you may need to juice 1 or 2 of the remaining lemons.) Add the fresh lemon and orange juices to the spice-sugar mixture, then strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the solids. (You should have a scant 1 1/4 cups.) Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make your drinks. (The base can be stored, in the refrigerator, for up to 1 month.)

4. For a Spirited Spiced Holiday Punch, fill a lowball glass with ice, and add 1 ounce Spiced Holiday Punch Base, 1 ounce spirit and 3 to 4 dashes Angostura bitters. Stir gently to combine. Top with 1 ounce soda water and 2 ounces sparkling wine. Finish with a citrus wheel or cinnamon stick, or both.

5. For a Nonalcoholic Spiced Holiday Punch, fill a lowball glass with ice, and 1 ounce Spiced Holiday Punch Base and, if using, 3 to 4 dashes Angostura bitters. Top with 2 ounces soda water and 2 ounces tonic water. Stir gently to combine and finish with a citrus wheel or cinnamon stick, or both.

Tip: Most bitters have a small amount of alcohol and, while very diluted, make sure whomever you’re making a drink for is OK with this addition, or skip entirely.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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Are you still sandwiching, stewing and Hot Pocket-ing turkey? The leftovers that became effortless dinners for days are pretty much gone (and I truly cannot eat anything else with that roasted bird).

But it’s nice to be back in the kitchen, right? All you have to make now is a simple meal for yourself and maybe the others you normally feed. After Thanksgiving’s creamy richness and slow bakes, it’s refreshing to chase sharp, tangy, hot flavors in fast dishes.

These meals feel as bright as the sparkling lights strung everywhere and come together quickly enough to leave time for writing cards, sending gifts and baking all the cookies.

1. Soba Noodles With Ginger Broth and Crunchy Ginger

This noodle dish celebrates the pungent, spicy notes of ginger by both infusing it in stock to create a warming broth and frying it with shallots and panko to create crunchy ginger crumbs you’ll want to sprinkle onto everything: eggs, rice or even a savory porridge. Feel free to double the amount of the ginger crumbs, if you like; they’ll keep in an airtight jar at room temperature for up to one week. Serve these noodles with your protein of choice — tofu, fish, leftover roast chicken — or any cooked vegetable for a complete meal.

By Yotam Ottolenghi

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the Toppings:

• 6 tablespoons/90 milliliters olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons red-pepper (chile) flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger (about 30 grams), peeled and finely chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
• 1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup/20 grams panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon white and black sesame seeds
• Kosher salt

For the Broth:

• 2 1/4 cups/500 milliliters chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 1 (4-inch) piece fresh ginger (about 65 grams), peeled and roughly chopped (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 small head of garlic, halved crosswise

For the Noodles:

• 7 to 9 ounces/about 200 grams dried soba noodles
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/3 cup/10 grams roughly chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)

Preparation

1. First, prepare the toppings: Add 4 tablespoons oil to a large skillet and heat gently over medium. Place the red-pepper (chile) flakes and paprika into a small heatproof bowl. Once the oil is quite hot but not smoking, pour it over the spices. Set aside to infuse as you make the ginger crumbs.

2. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the same skillet and heat over medium-high. Once hot, turn the heat back down to medium and add the ginger and shallot. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until nicely browned and starting to crisp. Add the panko, sesame seeds and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook for 4 to 6 minutes more, stirring often, until nicely toasted. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, make the broth: Add all the broth ingredients plus 3/4 cup/200 milliliters water and 1 teaspoon salt to a medium lidded saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover once simmering, turn the heat down to low and cook for 25 minutes. Drain through a sieve set over a bowl, discarding the solids, and return the broth to the saucepan along with another 1 1/4 cups/300 milliliters hot water. Keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.

4. Prepare the noodles: Boil them in a pot or saucepan according to package instructions, or for 5 minutes in plenty of boiling water. Drain well and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Return the drained noodles to the pot or saucepan and toss with the lime juice, soy sauce and cilantro (coriander).

5. Divide the warm broth across four bowls, then use a fork to twist and gather the noodles and nest them artfully in the bowls. Top with a spoonful of the ginger crumbs and the chile oil, serving the remaining alongside.

2. Roasted Fish and Broccolini With Tamarind and Black Pepper

A single skillet is all you need for this delicious, convenient and comforting weeknight meal. With its caramel-like tang and pleasant pucker, tamarind enlivens the marinade for fish fillets in this simple baked fish recipe. Rich with coconut milk and infused with garlic, ginger and freshly ground black pepper, the quick marinade glazes the fish and bathes the vegetables. Broccolini is used here, but cauliflower, Brussels sprouts or hearty leafy greens such as chard, turnip or beet greens can be substituted. This sauce is versatile and pairs well with most fish, so go with the fillets that look freshest at the market.

By Yewande Komolafe

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 35 minutes, plus marinating

Ingredients

• 4 fish fillets (6 ounces each), such as snapper, haddock, cod, striped bass, fluke, sablefish or salmon, skin on or off
• Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
• 1/4 cup store-bought tamarind purée or 1 tablespoon tamarind paste (See Tip)
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, scrubbed and finely grated
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut cream or coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 bunch scallions, trimmed
• 1 pound Broccolini (2 to 3 bunches), cut into 3-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Steamed grains, such as rice or fonio, for serving
• 1 lime, sliced into wedges, for serving

Preparation

1. Season both sides of the fish lightly with salt and black pepper. In a large bowl, combine the tamarind purée, molasses, ginger, garlic, coconut cream, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Thinly slice 2 scallions and add to the marinade. Cut the remaining scallions into 1-inch pieces and set aside. Add the fish to the marinade and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 12 hours.

2. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large (12-inch) oven-safe skillet, combine the Broccolini and chopped scallions. Toss with 1 tablespoon oil and season lightly with salt and black pepper. Spread in an even layer, then place the fish right on top of the vegetables and pour any leftover marinade over the fish.

3. Roast until the fish is opaque but the center is not cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness of the fish. The fish should not flake easily with a fork. Remove the pan from the oven and heat the broiler to high. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of oil over the fish.

4. Move the pan to the broiler and finish cooking, rotating the pan once, until the fish is tender and flakes easily and the Broccolini is just tender and beginning to brown in spots, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the broiler and sprinkle the fish with chopped cilantro.

5. Serve the fish and Broccolini over steamed grains, such as rice or fonio. Tip the pan juices over the fish and serve with lime wedges for squeezing.

Tips: Tamarind can be purchased as a purée or paste and varies in degrees of concentration. Taste store-bought tamarind before use to determine how acidic it is and how much to use in the marinade. Tamarind pods or pulp can also be purchased to make the purée at home. All options are available online or at African, Caribbean or Asian grocery stores.

3. Jerk Chicken Meatballs With BBQ-Pineapple Glaze

This recipe takes the deep flavor of jerk chicken and turns it into easy meatballs. The jerk seasoning paste does double duty here, adding both spices and moisture, so don’t reach for dry jerk seasoning. Whether served alone as an appetizer, over rice, or even tucked in a sandwich, these meatballs are perfectly salty, sweet and spicy.

By Millie Peartree

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

• Neutral oil
• 1 pound ground chicken or turkey
• 1 small yellow or red onion, finely diced
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons Jamaican jerk seasoning paste, such as Grace or Walkerswood
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or cilantro leaves
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the Glaze:

• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 packed cup light or dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• Pinch of red-pepper flakes
• Pinch of kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• White rice, for serving

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and very lightly coat it with oil.

2. Prepare the meatballs: In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, onion, egg, breadcrumbs, jerk seasoning paste, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat. Using lightly wet hands, form the mixture into 12 meatballs, each a bit larger than a golf ball, and space them out on the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. (Alternatively, you can fry them in a nonstick pan coated in oil over medium heat for about 4 to 5 minutes per side.)

3. While the meatballs cook, prepare the glaze: Whisk the pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion powder, red-pepper flakes and salt together in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until it reduces enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 to 15 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water. Slowly whisk into the sauce, increase the heat to medium and stir until you reach the desired consistency. (Sauce should look like a thicker gravy.) Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

5. Add the meatballs to the sauce and stir until coated. Cook over medium-low heat for 2 minutes, until the meatballs are evenly glazed and deepen slightly in color. Serve hot on their own or over rice.

4. Warm Roasted Carrot and Barley Salad

There is something very exciting about transforming a simple bunch of carrots into a deeply flavorful and satisfying weeknight meal. Carrots are given a lot of love here: Leaving the skin on adds texture, slicing them into thin batons ensures that they cook quickly and evenly, and drizzling them with honey right out of the oven amplifies their natural sweetness. A sprinkle of lemon zest adds brightness. Ras el hanout, a North African spice blend, means “head of the shop” in Arabic as it was often one of the best mixes a vendor had to offer. Its fragrant blend of coriander, cumin, ginger, clove and turmeric brings warmth and richness to the tahini. The perfect chew of pearl barley is so gratifying in this dish, but for even more flavor, cook your barley in stock.

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Yield: 6 servings

Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup pearled barley
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 pounds carrots, washed, trimmed and cut into 3-inch-long, a scant 1/2-inch-wide batons
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons runny honey, such as clover honey
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest (from 1/2 lemon)
• 2 cups arugula
• A handful of parsley
• 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

For the spiced tahini:

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
• 1 teaspoon ras el hanout
• 1 small garlic clove, grated

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees and place a rack on the lowest shelf. In a medium saucepan, combine barley with 4 cups water; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. If the barley hasn’t absorbed all of the water, drain off the excess.

2. Meanwhile, place the carrots on a sheet pan, drizzle with the olive oil and toss to coat, spreading into an even layer. Season with salt and pepper. Place on the bottom oven rack and roast until tender and starting to turn golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss and return to the oven for 5 to 7 minutes until completely tender.

3. While the carrots roast, make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, ras el hanout, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is smooth and has a pourable consistency.

4. When the carrots are ready, remove them from the oven, drizzle with honey and sprinkle with lemon zest. Season with a pinch of salt and toss to coat.

5. In a serving bowl, combine the carrots with the barley, arugula and parsley. Drizzle with the spiced tahini and sprinkle with almonds.

5. Pork Chops With Kale and Dates

A fat and juicy pork chop will always shine on a dinner plate, and these are especially star-worthy. For browned outsides, evenly cooked insides and fewer splatters, cook them over moderate heat and flip often. Use this method for basic pork chops, or continue with the recipe for a tangy and bittersweet tumble of kale, dates, garlic and vinegar inspired by bittersweet meat dishes like suon kho, orange beef or root beer-glazed ham. Instead of kale, use another bitter green like escarole or radicchio, but keep the dates, which contribute a sweetness far more nuanced than straight sugar. Eat with roasted potatoes, grits or on top of a thick piece of toast.

By Ali Slagle

Yield: 2 servings

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 (1- to 1 1/2-inch-thick) bone-in pork rib chops (10 to 12 ounces each), patted very dry
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil (such as grapeseed or canola)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3 fresh rosemary sprigs or sage leaves (optional)
• 6 Medjool dates, pitted and sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed very well and peeled
• 1 bunch kale, ribs removed, leaves torn
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar or Sherry vinegar

Preparation

1. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium. Season the pork chops all over with salt and pepper. Add the oil and the pork chops to the skillet. Cook, flipping every 2 minutes, until browned on the outside and the internal temperature in the thickest part is around 130 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes depending on thickness of pork chops. If your chops have a fat cap, using tongs, stack both chops on top of one another, then grab both chops together and hold upright to sear the fat caps until crisp, about 1 minute.

2. Turn off the heat, add the butter and rosemary, if using. Tilt the skillet and baste the pork by spooning the butter and drippings over the pork for about 1 minute. Transfer the pork and rosemary to a plate, leaving the drippings in the skillet.

3. Add the dates and garlic to the skillet, then pile in the kale but don’t stir. Return the skillet to medium heat and cook untouched until the dates and bottom layer of kale is charred, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add a tablespoon of water, then cook, stirring often, until the kale is dark green and slightly wilted, another minute or two. Remove from the heat, stir in the vinegar, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. To serve, discard the rosemary. Slice the pork away from the bones and thinly slice against the grain. Eat with the kale and any resting juices.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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For a cool-weather meal that feeds a crowd, consider a braise. Slow simmered and deeply flavored, it has a number of attractive qualities. For one thing, it benefits from steeping in its own juices; cooking it several hours ahead of serving, even a day before, is ideal. The flavors intensify, mature, strengthen.

The best braising cuts include beef chuck, lamb shoulder or pork shoulder. But chicken is the easiest to braise, since it takes less time to cook than red meat. Legs are best. I like both thighs and drumsticks, sometimes cooking them as a whole leg, sometimes in two pieces.

For a main, I went with a dish that approximates the Spanish chicken and potatoes in salsa brava I tasted years ago in Madrid. But I added ancho chile, traditionally used in Mexican cooking, for a different kind of heat. And I couldn’t resist adding a bit of cumin, so the result is a bit of a hybrid. Along with a splash of wine and chopped tomato, it is hearty and warming with a ruddy red sauce.

The now-closed Puerto Rican diner La Taza de Oro was a New York City classic. It fed the Chelsea neighborhood and fans from all walks of life. On a typical day, you might find police officers, hospital workers, the odd politician and any number of locals. It was always busy for lunch. I loved sitting at the counter for a solo meal.

Though I was usually there for one of the daily specials, there was an avocado salad on the menu that was wonderful in its simplicity and extremely popular. In addition to avocado, it was composed of iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced radishes and onion. There may have been a tomato slice. Drizzled with a lemony dressing, it was crisp and refreshing. With avocado season in California in full swing, I thought of that salad and was happy to make it.

Rice pudding seemed like a perfect ending for this menu. With a touch of coconut, broiled pineapple and bright red pomegranate seeds, it’s a festive dessert, best served warm. Many rice pudding recipes call for a custard, but this one just calls for simmering short-grain rice in sweetened milk. To me, it’s reminiscent of Thai coconut sticky rice. If there are leftovers, it makes a fine breakfast, too.

Recipe: Braised Chicken With Tomato and Potatoes

By David Tanis

Long-simmered to a tender, falling-off the-bone state, this braised chicken is fragrant with smoky paprika and cumin. This dish aims to be Spanish chicken in salsa brava, but the addition of ancho chiles, traditionally used in Mexican cooking, lends a bit more heat. Along with a splash of wine and chopped tomato, it is hearty and warming, with a ruddy red sauce. Make the dish a day in advance, if you can; the longer it sits in the sauce, the deeper the flavor will be.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Total time: About 2 hours

Ingredients

• 6 chicken legs (2 1/2 to 3 pounds), cut into thighs and drumsticks, at room temperature
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons ground ancho chile, or more to taste
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 pound small Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
• 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro (tender stems and leaves), for garnish

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pat chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper.

2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Brown chicken pieces in batches, about 5 minutes per side, reducing the heat as necessary to avoid scorching, then transfer to a 9-by-13-inch (or similar size) ovenproof dish.

3. Reduce the heat to medium, add onion to skillet, season with a little salt, and sauté until softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, bay leaf, chile, cumin and paprika, and stir.

4. Stir in wine and tomatoes, and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pot. Pour sauce over chicken, tuck potato halves into sauce here and there, and cover. Bake until chicken is fork-tender and potatoes are soft, about 1 hour.

5. Pour sauce into a small shallow pan and bring to a brisk simmer. Let sauce reduce and thicken slightly, about 5 minutes. Pour sauce back over chicken and potatoes. Leave in sauce for as long as possible. Just before serving, sprinkle with freshly chopped cilantro.

Recipe: Avocado, Radish and Iceberg Lettuce Salad

By David Tanis

I’ve always liked this very simple salad that was served at La Taza de Oro, a now-defunct Puerto Rican diner in New York City.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 head iceberg lettuce, leaves separated, some torn
• 3 large avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 bunch small red radishes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 small red or white onion, sliced into paper-thin rings
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Preparation

1. Arrange lettuce leaves on salad plates or a large platter.

2. Top lettuce with sliced avocado, arranged in a random pattern. Sprinkle with radishes and onions. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice and garlic with a pinch of salt. Stir in parsley, if using. Drizzle dressing over the top and serve immediately.

Recipe: Arroz con Leche With Roasted Pineapple

By David Tanis

With a touch of coconut, broiled pineapple and bright-red pomegranate seeds, this is a festive dessert. Many rice pudding recipes call for a custard, but this one just calls for simmering short-grain rice in sweetened milk — it may make you think of Thai coconut sticky rice. Serve it warm to cap a meal, and keep some for the next day. Leftovers make a fine breakfast.

Yield: About 8 servings

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups short-grain rice, such as Bomba or arborio
• 2 strips of lemon peel
• 1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), more if needed
• 4 cups whole milk or half-and-half, plus more as needed
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, more if desired
• 2 cups chopped, 1/2-inch pieces of fresh ripe pineapple
• Unsweetened coconut flakes, for garnish
• Pomegranate seeds (optional), for garnish

Preparation

1. Put rice, lemon peel, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and 2 cups milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer.

2. Continue to cook, stirring continuously, adding more milk, 1/2 cup at a time, as rice absorbs it. Rice should be cooked after 25 minutes. Stir in the light brown sugar. Cook a bit longer if you like the rice softer. The mixture should be relatively loose. Taste and add salt or sugar as needed. Pour rice into an ovenproof serving dish.

3. Top with pineapple chunks and broil until fruit is lightly browned, about 8 minutes. (Alternatively, bake the dish in a 475-degree oven for 10 minutes, until pineapple browns, or roast pineapple separately.)

4. Let cool slightly, to serve warm, or serve at room temperature. Top with coconut flakes and pomegranate seeds (if using).

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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For soup enthusiasts across America, the post-Thanksgiving turkey broth can be as sacred as the holiday meal itself. In many households, even before the dishes and the leftovers are packed away, the turkey carcass and trimmings are nestled into a pot of water for their hourslong simmer. Leftover turkey soup is a cozy way to keep Thanksgiving’s bountiful spirit going for several more meals.

This recipe leans toward the heartier, stick-to-your-ribs side of the soup spectrum. Chickpeas and farro give it a nubby texture that can be thick and stewlike, although it can also be thinner and brothier if you add more liquid.

Because there’s already so much going on in the pot, this soup can take as much or as little shredded leftover turkey as you are willing to spare from your sandwich reserve — from a couple of cups to a quart. Then again, if you run out, shredded cooked chicken works just as well.

I used pearled farro here, which softens in 20 to 30 minutes. But any grain will work as long as you modify the cooking time accordingly. White rice will be ready in 15 to 20 minutes, while brown rice or barley can take as long as an hour. Keep an eye on the liquid level, adding more water or broth as it evaporates while simmering. And lingering near the pot has the added benefit of enveloping you in a fragrant cloud of aromatics and spices.

To give the soup its robust, unforgettable flavor, I added some baharat to the pot along with the tomato paste, letting everything toast and caramelize. Baharat, a combination of cumin and bay leaves perfumed with cinnamon, cardamom and coriander, adds both sweet and musky notes, rounding and integrating all the other ingredients. Other spice mixes would work similar magic, each adding character to the soup. Use whatever you’ve already collected in your spice drawer, such as garam masala, curry powder or Cajun seasoning. Just be sure to taste as you go.

This soup has so much oomph that it doesn’t require a garnish to bring it to life. But a squeeze of lemon juice, a handful of cilantro and a dusting of Parmesan won’t hurt it either. Thanksgiving turkey soup is a rite whose only tenet is coziness.

RECIPE: Turkey, Farro and Chickpea Soup

By Melissa Clark

Filled with spices and nubby with grains and beans, this easy soup is a satisfying way to use up as much of your leftover Thanksgiving turkey as you’re willing to spare from future sandwiches. Pearled or semi-pearled farro will soften in about a half-hour, but you can use other grains here as long as you adjust the cooking time. White rice will be ready in 15 to 20 minutes, while brown rice and barley need about 45 minutes to an hour. (You might need to add a little water if the liquid level in the pot reduces too much.) And if you want to make this aromatic soup when you don’t have leftover turkey on hand, cooked chicken is a perfect substitute.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baharat (or use another fragrant spice mix, such as garam masala or curry powder)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup pearled or semi-pearled farro
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), more to taste
• 6 cups turkey or chicken broth
• 2 to 4 cups shredded cooked turkey (or use chicken)
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, more to taste
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Grated Parmesan (optional)

Preparation

1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add onion and sauté until golden at the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomato paste, baharat and cumin, and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Add the farro, carrots and salt to the mixture and stir until coated. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the farro is tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

3. Stir in turkey, chickpeas and lemon juice, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let cook for another 5 minutes or so, or until the turkey is warmed through. If the mixture seems thick, add a little water to thin it out. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice if needed. Stir in cilantro right before serving and top with grated Parmesan, if you like.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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Restaurants and customers who participate in CSAs, community supported agriculture, buy directly from area farmers and ranchers. Denver-area producers are also reaching more people through the online grocer Pinemelon, which promotes “local first,” and Spade & Spoon, a meal-in-a-box service that uses locally produced food.

Joy Rubey founded Acme Farms & Kitchen, a meal-kit service, in Washington state in 2011 after her husband quit working in architecture to take up farming. She started Spade & Spoon, a Colorado version of the business, in 2022.

“It just seemed like an uphill battle for farmers, and so I was trying to think of a way to help my husband to move more local food and help the farmers around him,” Rubey said.

Her idea was to offer meal kits using locally produced food. Acme started with about 20 producers and now works with approximately 80. Acme had reaped a total of $26 million in sales by August of this year.

In Colorado, Rubey’s goal is to move $5 million in locally sourced food during Spade & Spoon’s first two years of operation. The business is working with roughly 35 producers, a number Rubey expects to keep growing.

“I expect that we’ll see double the revenue and double the team size in the next five months” in Colorado, Rubey said.

Pinemelon, based in Denver, has seen a lot of growth since starting operations in 2022. The online grocer, which emphasizes local products, fills an average of 120 orders a day, offers more than 6,000 different items and in a typical month serves about 3,000 unique customers, said Connor Herrick, the company’s chief business development officer.

Herrick declined to disclose Pinemelon’s sales figures, but said they grew 50% year over year in October. The company plans to open a second location in Portland, Ore. Pinemelon delivers groceries daily and has three customer service representatives on duty every day to take calls.

About 35% of Pinemelon’s offerings are local, including food from farmers and ranchers, produce from the Western Slope, locally made pasta, bread, sauces, jams and frozen meal trays. The goal is to have more than 70% of the items come from local sources.

Emma Alanis, who heads the grocer’s local partnerships, said selling through Pinemelon saves producers from having to make their own deliveries.  Alanis said the delivery logistics and marketing were her biggest problems when she was farming.

Let’s make a farm

Nick Millisor said he and the other founders of Ullr’s Garden initially took on marketing and delivering the lettuce, basil and arugula they grow hydroponically in freight crates in southwest Denver. “It was like us hitting our heads against a brick wall,” he said.

Nick, his brother, Luke Millisor, and cousin, Ian Randall, now sell about 60% of their goods through Pinemelon. Their produce is delivered in refrigerated trucks. Ullr’s Garden also sells its produce through CSAs and restaurants.

Randall said trying to sell through grocery stores “is a real hurdle for local producers.”

“The grocery stores say they’ll let you in, but there’s so much red tape,” Randall said. “Pinemelon is actually doing it.”

Teaming up with the online grocery platform has helped Ullr’s Garden reach more people. The Millisors and Randall started the company about a year and a half ago. They named it after the Norse god of skiing, winter and hunting. The name is a nod to the Millisors’ hometown of Breckenridge, which has an annual Ullr Fest.

Nick and Randall were both working in real estate and Luke was a manager of a neuroscience lab at the University of Colorado in Boulder when they shifted to agriculture. Nick began pondering the effects of climate change and how to respond in the summer of 2021. That summer, Germany was hit with intense flooding, droughts caused food shortages and 1 billion sea animals were cooked to death in the ocean during record-breaking heat in the Pacific Northwest.

The idea of growing lettuce and other greens to feed the community while using processes that consume 95% less water than traditional agriculture clicked with Nick. He didn’t have to work hard to convince Luke and Randall to join him.

“I was in academia a long time, working in research. And then Nick came to me and went, ‘I want to make a farm. I want to do a hydroponic farm.’ And I was like, “That sounds like fun,'” Luke said.

The three found a lot that was zoned industrial, commercial and agricultural. Randall said the 7,500-square-foot site had been used for cars and the trio spent thousands of dollars on cleanup and soil testing. The first winter they didn’t have running water, heat or a bathroom.

The three have learned on the go, Nick said. They are growing different kinds of lettuce as well as basil and arugula year-round in two freight crates equipped with the systems designed to grow plants. Luke’s science background has been a big help, Nick said.

Each crate can grow the equivalent of 3 to 5 acres of food, Randall said. The team plans to add more crates, likely stacking some on top of each other, to reach the goal of producing the equivalent of 40 acres.

Another goal is to also help feed communities that don’t have access to fresh produce, Nick said. The hope is to add a food stand on the site where other local producers could sell their items.

Filling the gaps

Jesse Albertini launched her new career soon after her daughter was born and about the time the coronavirus pandemic started.

“I had been working on a business plan for a really long time,” said Albertini.

She worked for several years as a chef in such restaurants as Oak and Jovanina’s Broken Italian and worked for Catering by Design. She wanted to try something else in the culinary field. In 2020, she started making pasta from local heirloom and heritage grains that are stone milled.

Albertini also makes stuffed pasta and sauces. She tries to get as many of her ingredients as she can from local farmers, ranchers and food makers. She uses freshly milled grains from Moxie Feed and Seed in Boulder.

“I’ve always enjoyed making anything where it’s taking something humble like grains and water and turning it into something delicious and hearty,” Albertini said.

She moved her pasta-making from a shop in her home to a commissary kitchen she shares with three other businesses. She named her business Sfoglina, which refers to a woman who hand-rolls pasta.

Albertini sells her different kinds of pasta online, to area restaurants, farmers markets — and now through Spade & Spoon. Rubey, the CEO and founder of Spade & Spoon, contacted her after buying her pasta at a farmers market about a year ago.

“The timing was perfect,” Albertini said. “It really helped me last winter because I have quite a few regular restaurant accounts now, but then I only had one that was every once in a while.”

Selling her goods through Spade & Spoon helped fill the gaps after farmers market season closed, Albertini said. She figures the meal-kit service generates about 20% of her business.

Rubey said customers can subscribe to the meal service or buy boxes when they want. They can get curated boxes or build their own. The meal kits are packed with local produce and recipes written by a team that works for Spade & Spoon.

“We create two to three new recipes every single week. We’ve been doing that for 12 years so we have a lot recipes,” Rubey said. “If something doesn’t have a minimum number of orders on the first time, then it’s gone.”

Albertini said she ordered some meal kits to try them out. “The recipes are delicious. The first thing I did when I started working with them was to get a bunch of boxes to make sure. I was really impressed.”

Spade & Spoon posts a menu and closes orders Thursday night.

“So Friday morning, they’ll give me what their orders are and they’ll usually pick it up Monday or Tuesday,” Albertini said.

Most of the meals provide four servings, Rubey said. Many people order three meals per week, spending $100 to $120. Those three meals will typically include food from a total of 12 to 15 local producers.

“That’s a big impact to small producers,” Rubey said.

She sees providing more avenues for local producers as a means to support small businesses, increase customers’ access to fresh food and build a more resilient food network.

“In the end, if we can build stronger regional food systems and people can do what I’m doing in multiple communities across the U.S., then we’d have a lot more food security and a lot better food being consumed and being grown,” Rubey said.

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With their fluffy crumb and butter-glossed tops, Parker House rolls didn’t need Instagram to become a viral sensation. Ever since their debut in the 1870s, at the Parker House Hotel in Boston, they’ve been the “it” rolls of the breadbasket, as splashy a contribution to the pantheon of baked goods as the Cronut was more than 100 years later.

I recently adapted the classic rolls in two ways. One version was entirely from scratch, and another, easier one used prepared pizza dough. Both recipes are superb, and each resulting batch is delightful in its own way.

The challenge for the shortcut version was getting lean pizza dough to act as if it were enriched with milk and eggs. By its nature, pizza dough wants to balloon in the oven, developing large bubbles in the crust that singe, blacken and crisp in high heat. Parker House rolls should have a finer, more cakelike crumb without the air pockets you’d expect in a pizza crust. The rolls should also be buttery, which pizza dough is inherently not.

To compensate, I incorporated the maximum amount of butter I could into the dough, adding it in three stages. I brushed some in the center of the dough while forming it into buns, slathered some on top before baking and did that again after baking. Then, to keep a crisp crust from forming after baking, I covered the pan with foil to let the rolls steam as they cooled, softening them.

They turned out remarkably tender and perfectly buttery — in half the time as the classic recipe and without having to fuss with yeast.

For the classic rolls, I tested several recipes, landing on one that mixed instant potato flakes into the dough. Adding potato — flakes, flour or mashed potatoes — to bread dough is a time-honored way to make it moist-centered and pliable.

I tweaked this basic recipe by seasoning the butter with black pepper and crunchy Demerara sugar. The seasoned butter gave a sweet-spicy complexity to the rolls, and the sugar caramelized and became candylike wherever it met the metal of the pan. (You can also use the same seasoned butter with the shortcut rolls.)

Rich but not heavy, with a nuanced flavor, this showstopper recipe produced the best Parker House rolls I’d ever had, especially when served warm from the oven.

Either of these recipes would be an excellent addition to your Thanksgiving table. If you have any left over, save them to make the best and most adorable turkey sandwiches the next day.

Recipe: Easy Parker House Rolls

By Melissa Clark

Using prepared pizza dough makes these Parker House rolls a snap to put together, and brushing them with plenty of melted butter gives them the moist interior and richness you expect. The trick to a tender texture is to cover the pan of just-baked rolls with foil, allowing them to steam and soften as they cool. This prevents the rolls from developing a crunchy crust. Be sure to leave plenty of time for rising; different brands of pizza dough will vary. To ensure the lightest rolls, wait until they are very puffy and risen before popping them in the oven. Serve these on the same day they’re baked, preferably still warm from the oven. Leftovers can be split and toasted for breakfast the next morning.

Yield: 18 rolls

Total time: 35 minutes, plus 2 hours’ rising time

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons/113 grams unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon Demerara sugar, more for sprinkling (optional)
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more for sprinkling (optional)
• All-purpose flour, for rolling dough
• 2 pounds store-bought pizza dough, thawed if frozen
• Flaky salt

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, combine butter, Demerara sugar (if using), fine sea salt and black pepper (if using), mixing with a spatula until smooth. Using a pastry brush, brush a little of the butter mixture on the sides and bottom of a 9-by-13-inch pan. Set aside.

2. On a clean, lightly floured surface, roll or pat half (or 1 pound) of the dough into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle. With a pastry brush, brush about 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture over the entire surface of the dough. Fold dough in half to make an 8-by-6-inch rectangle.

3. Using a bench knife, regular knife or pizza wheel, cut the dough into thirds lengthwise and then thirds crosswise to make 9 pieces. Place them in the buttered pan. Repeat with the remaining half of dough, using about another 2 tablespoons of the butter (you will have 18 rolls). Once all rolls have been shaped and placed in the pan, brush tops generously with about half of the remaining butter, reserving the rest for after baking.

4. Set aside in a warm place to allow the rolls to proof and rise until very puffy, about 1 to 2 hours. The dough will feel spongy to the touch. When the rolls are nearly proofed, heat oven to 450 degrees.

5. When the rolls are proofed, sprinkle tops with flaky salt, more Demerara sugar (if using) and lots of cracked black pepper (if using). Bake until firm to the touch and golden brown on top, about 17 to 25 minutes. (If the rolls seem pale and you want more color on the tops, run the pan under the broiler for 30 seconds to 2 minutes.)

6. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes, then brush the rolls with the remaining butter mixture. Cover the pan with aluminum foil (or lay a sheet-pan on top of the pan, or tuck the pan into a plastic bag) to allow the rolls to steam and soften, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe: Parker House Rolls With Black Pepper and Demerara Sugar

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