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Chris Morocco head shot - Epicurious

Chris Morocco

Food Director

Chris Morocco began his publishing career producing photo shoots at the celebrated fashion capital Vogue while harboring secret ambitions to work in the Gourmet Test Kitchen. After graduating from the French Culinary Institute, Chris made his way to Bon Appétit, where he started as a kitchen assistant. From there, he moved on to stints at Real Simple and Food & Wine before returning to Condé Nast, where he now oversees the recipe production for Epicurious and Bon Appétit. Chris is constantly dreaming of food content and contemplating the next big food fashion. Known for his technical demeanor, he believes you should first take a big whiff of anything you plan to eat, and that coffee and long walks can solve most problems. You can watch him in action in his YouTube series for BA. Chris currently lives in Philadelphia with his family—if you see him out and about, please say “hi.”

Vegan Caesar Salad

Nutritional yeast, silken tofu, and capers mimic the anchovies and egg yolks in a classic Caesar. Genius!

Tofu Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes made of...tofu! This would also make a killer taco filling.

Cheesy Monkey Bread

So. Much. Cheese.

Butter Spritz Cookies

You can create a variety of shapes and colors with a cookie press. We love OXO’s cookie press for this recipe since it has sturdy metal plates and all the parts unscrew easily for cleaning.

Butterballs

Feel free to sub in an equal amount of another liquor, such as bourbon, for this cookies recipe, or omit completely if you’re serving these to kiddos.

Pignoli Cookies

There is just no getting around the fact that almond paste is indispensable for these meringue-like cookies; it transforms their flavor and helps them brown evenly. Some brands sell in a tube; others will be in a can in the baking aisle. Using the tube is ideal since the canned might be looser, but either works for this recipe.

Anise Cookies

We found that a couple cracks across the tops of these cookies were worth it in this recipe to ensure they are as light and moist as possible, but resting the portioned dough for the full hour helps minimize getting too many.

Hermit Slices

To ensure these don’t break, use a couple of layers of parchment paper or foil in the baking dish and make sure they’re completely cooled before removing them.

Buckwheat Banana Cake with Espresso Yogurt

Earthy, nutrient-rich whole grain flours add personality to this breakfast- or dessert-ready banana loaf.

Kabocha Squash Pilaf with Coconut

When you peel the kabocha squash for this recipe, use a vegetable peeler—not a knife. (Better to dull a $4 tool than your best kitchen blade.)

Glazed Vegetables

Take a breather from roasting. Our stovetop method for this glazed vegetables recipe yields glossy, tender results and works on basically any firm veg.

Alt-Grain Porridge With Kimchi and Jammy Eggs

Kimchi gives this porridge recipe a spicy twist, while the 6-minute egg keeps it hearty and perfect for breakfast.

Steak Tostadas With Cashew Salsa

A sheet-pan salsa and quick-cooking tostadas make this multi-component meal easy to pull off.

Alt-Grain Porridge With Sausages and Grapes

For this porridge recipe, pulsing long-cooking spelt, wheat berries, or barley in a blender yields a tasty base for a hearty, savory supper.

Squash and Pork Stir-Fry

Treat this recipe as COOK90 nextover inspiration: instead of steaming squash, use whatever cooked leftover vegetables you have on hand for the flavorful stir-fry.

Kung Pao Cauliflower

Searing the cauliflower in this recipe before marinating softens the cauliflower, which opens up the florets and creates more surface area for the marinade to stick to. If you marinate it raw, it will burn before becoming tender.

Buckwheat Banana Cake With Yogurt-Espresso Frosting

Earthy, nutrient-rich whole grain flours give this classic banana loaf cake recipe some added personality.

Kabocha Squash and Scallion Tempura

Kabocha squash is a tempura classic, but acorn squash works well too. The honey and crushed red pepper flakes, albeit untraditional, add a spicy-sweet dimension to the dish. 

Weeknight Mapo Tofu with Ground Pork

Spicy, mouth-tingling, porky: Those are the words you’ll be using to describe this tofu recipe.

Alt-Grain Porridge with Garlicky Greens

Garlic and collard greens make a healthy addition to this porridge recipe, but you can use any leftover greens you have on hand.