
Ruth Cousineau
Ruth Cousineau was the Test Kitchen director for Gourmet from 2006 until the magazine shut its doors in 2009. Formerly a corporate chef, then a pastry chef, Cousineau ran a restaurant in Vermont before joining the team at that venerable publication. She also developed and tested recipes for Woman’s Day, Redbook, and Family Circle. Her book, The Tomato Imperative, was a James Beard Award nominee. She resides in Vermont, where she works as a freelance chef and food consultant.
Crunchy Pecan Cookies
These six-ingredient cookies are crisp, golden, and just so happen to be gluten-free.
Grilled Leg of Lamb With Garlic and Lemon
A lemony Greek-inspired marinade brightens this crowd-pleasing (and mostly hands-off) dinner.
Creamed Corn
This old-fashioned recipe is simple and memorable; the secret is starting with fresh, juicy corn on the cob.
Fresh Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Canned pineapple can be great, but when the fresh fruit is at its ripest this classic cake is absolutely sublime.
Pear Pie With Lattice Crust
This vintage pear pie recipe from “Gourmet" was inspired by the classic 1940s film noir "Mildred Pierce." Years later, it still delivers.
Roasted Carrots
This minimalist roasted carrots recipe results in a showstopping side dish—don’t be surprised when everyone asks for more.
Old-Fashioned Crumb Cake
My dad grew up in the Bronx of the 1920s and was very fond of the yeasty crumb cakes found in many German-Jewish bakeries there. He calls the moist, tender cakes "crumb buns" and loves to eat them with a cup of coffee.
Pineapple Galette
Fresh pineapple conjures up images of sunshine, so what better way to cheer up a winter day than with a galette made with golden yellow wedges layered over buttery pastry? Today's pineapples tend to be quite sweet, so just a hint of cinnamon and sugar is all you'll need to bring out their bright flavor.
Farmhouse Cheese and Caraway Soda Bread Puddings
Consider this recipe a double whammy. Not only do you end up with a dreamy, cheesy bread pudding, but you also get the recipe for an excellent loaf of Irish soda bread. The bread is so easy to make—there's no yeast involved—don't be surprised if you find yourself baking a loaf often. It makes excellent toast.
Many Irish cheeses are now sold in our supermarkets, but you'll have good results with any sharp Cheddar. Buried in the recipe is a nifty trick: Adding a bit of Parmesan to the mixture helps amplify the flavor of the Cheddar.
Smoked Salmon Toasts with Malt Vinegar Syrup
The Irish are famous for their smoked salmon, so it's a natural for a St. Patrick's Day party. Of course, you don't have to use Irish smoked salmon for these toasts; any coldsmoked salmon will work well, but if you're feeling flush, you will be treating yourself to salmon that is supersilky in texture with a distinct smokiness that comes from spending time near smoldering hardwoods such as oak and beechwood. If topping your salmon with anything other than a gentle squeeze of lemon seems like heresy, don't knock our tangysweet malt vinegar syrup until you've tried it. You just might get hooked.
Guinness-Glazed Lamb Chops
There's no reason why you can't have your Guinness two ways at once: Enjoy as the day's beverage of choice, and while devouring one of our favorite nuggets of meat—lamb rib chops—which we bathe in an intriguing glaze made from the very same stout cooked down with coriander and black peppercorns. Be sure to look at the Cooks' Notes for more information about Guinness, the spices and the lamb chops.
Golden Colcannon Pie
Colcannon, a classic Irish combination of mashed potatoes with cabbage or kale, is standard winter fare. If that sounds, well, boring, trust us, this version is anything but that. We freshen it up by cooking the potatoes and cabbage separately, then we make it easy to serve for a party by adding an egg and baking it in a pie pan, so that you can cut it into wedges.
Potted Crab
The delicate sweetness of Alaskan king crab is front and center in this easy-to-make appetizer. The crab legs come already cooked and need only be cracked to extract the pink-flecked succulent meat.
Pink Champagne Punch
This pretty-in-pink punch is a festive and delicious way to kick-off your holiday celebration. If you prefer a punch that's less sweet, use fresh squeezed pomegranate juice instead of bottled (see Cooks' Notes).
Cranberry Chutney
When you've got a native berry that's the foundation for a must-have sauce on every Thanksgiving dinner table across the country, you can count on lots of variations. Just check the Internet. This cranberry chutney is essentially a classic sauce, jazzed up with the more vibrant flavors of pineapple juice, pepper flakes, and clove. The good news is that while it's supermarket-friendly—not hard to find ingredients—it tastes remarkably more complex and nuanced than the short ingredient list would lead you to believe. Aim to make it several days ahead so that the flavors have time to mingle and mellow.
Chocolate Espresso Sauce
Chocolate Espresso Sauce is a flavorful accompaniment to ice cream, fruit, or our favorite Bomboloni.
Bomboloni with Chocolate Espresso, Whisky Caramel, and Clementine Sauces
Bomboloni—small round Italian doughnuts—is almost as much fun to say as they are to eat. It's like a party in your mouth when you repeat the word, which you will be doing over and over between bites of these balloon-light spheres of the tenderest yeast dough. Bomboloni are the new hot item on restaurant menus these days, and you'll instantly understand why when you taste your first. It won't be your last, that's for sure, which is why we've accompanied them with three different sauces for dipping. Each is delightful on its own, but if you want to go all the way with all three, you'll find they play well together, too.
Clementine Sauce
Clementine Sauce is a flavorful accompaniment to ice cream, fruit, or our favorite Bomboloni.
Whisky Caramel Sauce
Whisky Caramel Sauce is a flavorful accompaniment to ice cream, fruit, or our favorite Bomboloni.