Easy

If you don't feel like making aioli, use prepared mayonnaise and season it with mustard and garlic.

Caramelized strawberries and crunchy almonds dress up buttermilk pancakes with plenty of spring flair for Mother’s Day.

Both guanciale and Pecorino are quite salty; Leonardo Vignoli, the chef at Da Cesare al Casaletto, recommends undersalting the pasta water to give you more control.

Okay, fine, you've never heard of baobab—but that's about to change. (Remember when no one knew how to pronounce quinoa?) You'll find the powder from the tangy superfruit stocked at the health food store.

Who says gremolata has to have parsley and lemon? No one who's tried this crunchy Thai influenced riff.

Whole, unpeeled, and roasted to surreal tenderness, shallots are shedding their "always the bridesmaid" status once and for all.

If you only have an 8 1/2x4 1/2" pan, there's no need to go out and get a new one. Simply hold back about 1 3/4 cups batter for later—it makes a mean waffle!

Quick-cooking squid is perfect for a weeknight dinner. Look for it at a reputable fish monger or in your grocer's freezer section.

Bubbling cheeses and tender spinach elevate store-bought gnocchi (look for it in the dried-pasta section).

Once a way to make use of stale tortillas (by toasting and/or frying them), tostadas are so good that it wasn't long before people simply started using fresh tortillas. After biting into these layers of flavor—crunchy, creamy, luscious—you'll see why.

This rich, spiced buttercream is perfect for chocolate or gingerbread cake. The recipe yields enough buttercream to ice a 3-layer 9-inch round cake. For cupcakes, halve the recipe.

Tart and fiery, this classic bright-green salsa shows off the flavor of tomatillos and the lovable grassy sharpness of fresh unripe chiles. Serve it with anything that would benefit from lively contrast, such as Chopped Fried-Fish Tacos .

This rich buttercream is lightened and brightened with the addition of lemon curd. The recipe yields enough buttercream to ice a 3-layer 9-inch round cake. For cupcakes, halve the recipe.

Simple syrup is an easy way to add unexpected flavors-like, well, vegetables-to your drinks. This Arugula Simple Syrup makes about 2/3 cup, which is enough for about 10 cocktails.

My favorite recipe that I've ever posted on the blog is my Four Corners lentil soup, and it remains the most frequently cooked dish in my kitchen. It is so fast and simple to make, really inexpensive, and uses ingredients that are all found in the pantry. It freezes well, too, so I often make a double batch and store some away for when I need a wholesome meal in a hurry. And why the name "Four Corners"? Besides being my favorite soup, it is also much loved by many people I know all around the world. From the busy streets of Singapore to the remote wilderness of northern Ontario, from the scorched deserts in the American Southwest to the rainy shores of Denmark, this soup really has traveled the four corners of the Earth! Highly nutritious and packed with flavor, this lentil soup is a crowd-pleaser that will warm the heart of anyone you serve it to.

A traditional highball drink that's very low in sugar, it's also incredibly popular at soda fountains sans alcohol. The lime and bitters are a great pairing with the naturally sweet coconut water.

Spring is abundant with greens of all types, both wild and cultivated. You never know what might show up at your market in any given week. It just so happened that I was able to get pepper y watercress, wild stinging nettles, and sour sorrel at the same time. I love the idea of a watercress or nettles soup, but it always leaves me wanting acid, which inevitably turns the vibrant green soup to a drab olive. Naturally sour sorrel solves this by adding brightness without acid to balance the flavor. If you have trouble finding nettles, just use more watercress, or substitute arugula, mizuna, or dandelion.

If you like something a little sweet but appreciate that the processed fat-free yogurts in the supermarket do you no good at all, then try this alternative dessert. Light, fruity and all natural—it's a mousse to soothe the senses. Go on - indulge yourself.