Simmer

You can either freeze this, akin to a semifreddo, which is my preference, or simply chill it in the refrigerator, which will, of course, give it a softer finish.

This vegetarian pozole relies on meaty mushrooms and hearty hominy to become a filling, soul-nourishing meal-in-a-bowl.

For dense hand-pulled noodles, you’re going to want the sauce to be saltier and spicier, balancing out the thick wheat noodles with extra aromatics for depth of flavor.

Frequently used to stuff soup dumplings, this rich stock is sliceable when cold. As it's heated, the stock will become soupy.

Making noodles by hand is a fulfilling cooking project. The results are perfectly chewy noodles, even with ragged edges and imperfect lines.

This luscious drink gives hot chocolate a run for its money. Really caramelizing the sugar keeps the drink from tasting cloyingly sweet. Add a glug of good rum or skip it as desired.

No new drink of the twenty-first century has gone further in terms of fame than this complex, spicy, smoky turn on a Whiskey Sour. 

Pizza meets eggs in purgatory in this one-skillet stovetop meal which is punchy from tomatoes, creamy from starchy orzo and melty mozzarella, and ready in under an hour.

In this cocktail, Riesling (Marrero favors dry Rieslings from the Finger Lakes or Alsace) adds brightness to a mix of fresh apple cider and bourbon. Blending dried figs with honey syrup gives you a sweetener that’s full of earthy, nutty notes, and a small amount of floral liqueur gives the tart, refreshing drink a subtle luscious quality.

This festive, refreshing cocktail balances bittersweet Campari with tart, unsweetened 100% cranberry juice. The drink’s tartness and bitterness awakens the palate for whatever you’ve got cooking.

These date balls, which I make each year for Diwali, are nutty and fudgy—without any chocolate. In years when the celebrations for Diwali and Thanksgiving are close together, I like to make a double batch to add to our Thanksgiving spread. They fit right in. 

These beans cook with a combination of herbs, alliums, and chiles—and salt is added right from the start. No pre-soaking means this just might be the easiest pot of beans you'll ever make.

This aromatic rice pudding is flavored with cinnamon and cardamom, and gets a topping of pistachios and edible flowers.

This creamy, frozen Indian dessert gets its flavor from finely ground pistachios and a pinch of floral, earthy saffron.

These pistachio- and almond-studded sweets are made with semolina and ghee. Eat the halva hot and soft out of the frying pan, or press it into a cake tin and cut it into squares.

When I was growing up in India, the arrival of the red carrots in winter was always the food highlight for my family. This is not a quick dessert, but it is exceptionally delicious.

While pimento cheese is perfect as is as a spread, it also makes a pretty darn good queso-like dip. This particular version is smooth and velvety and has a kick of smoke and heat thanks to chipotle in adobo sauce—even pimento purists will find it delicious.

The thought of making homemade caramel sauce is daunting for many cooks, but there’s no reason to be intimidated. It’s simple to prepare and, start to finish, takes only 15 to 20 minutes, after which you have a luscious, full-bodied sauce to drizzle on apple and peach pies, use in and on cream pies, and top off pie à la mode. No fancy equipment needed: just a 3-quart stainless steel saucepan and a candy thermometer.

My classic salted caramel, enriched with butter and a touch of cream for a thick, smooth sauce, is perfect as a pie topping, or served alongside à la mode slices.

This one-skillet dinner gets deep oniony flavor from lots of leeks cooked down to jammy tenderness.