Snack

An alternative to working with lye is to dip pretzels in a simmering baked baking soda solution, which will give you a result that is close to the dark, burnished crust that lye imparts. If you prefer to avoid working with lye, or just don’t have time to source it, use this method.

This is the quintessential fall cupcake. Prepare the apple cider just as if you were going to drink it, boiled with plenty of whole cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.

You can use any kind of nuts for this recipe—almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, and Brazil nuts are all delicious.

Onigiri is a quintessential Japanese food: made by moms for breakfast, lunch boxes, and picnics. It is the ideal handheld food (the nori wrapper keeps the sticky rice from getting all over your hand).

Yes, you read that correctly! You will have this comforting cookie in just 2 minutes. Like any cookie, it will harden as it cools, however, if you want a warm, soft-centre cookie eat it immediately. Or feel free to wait 5 minutes until the edges crisp a little. I think it’s incredible served with a scoop of non-dairy vanilla ice cream.

We usually rail against kitchen tools that do only one thing and take up precious drawer space, but cherry pitters earn their keep as far as we are concerned.

Keeping the garlic whole and removing once it has added enough flavor will keep the flavor more mild, but if you want more of a punch, grate it before adding and leave it in.

Grilling the onions and half of the tomatoes adds smoky depth and sweetness to this riff on pico de gallo.

Store-bought tomatillo salsa provides a shortcut to spicy and flavorful guacamole.

Don’t be afraid to let the food processor run the full 2 minutes. It’s one of the keys to super-smooth, aerated hummus.

Watching frozen bananas transform into ice cream—no sugar or dairy necessary—is like magic.

These little cakes remind me of a more sophisticated, stripped-back cupcake. Full of flavor with a dense but chewy crumb, it's like frangipane meets fairy cake. Beautifully simple to make, the biggest pitfall is not greasing your tins properly. If you don't have non-stick muffin tins or friand tins, make sure you butter them to death or you'll have eight fabulous cakes that you can’t get out of the tins.

This British recipe calls for “digestive biscuits,” but graham crackers will work just as well to infuse chocolate-filled vanilla cupcakes and toasted ‘mallow topping with that classic campfire flavor.

Large jagged sheets of chicharrón, or pork crackling, can be found at any Mexico City market. Homemade chicharrón is wonderful with pico de gallo, any salsa, guacamole, or cooked in green sauce and served in a taco when soft.

Iced tea with tapioca pearls that are sucked from a large straw are perhaps Taiwan’s most famous culinary export.