Make Ahead

Earthy and rich without being heavy or filling, this creamy vegetable dip is just the thing to whet the appetite without ruining it before a big holiday meal.

Nutty caraway adds a pop of flavor to this sweet combination of apples, beets, and carrots.

When I traveled to Sicily, I must have eaten no fewer than ten versions of eggplant caponata, and I never got sick of it! I also learned about the agrodolce—or sweet and sour—flavor profile that's so predominant in this dish, and in lots of Sicilian cuisine. My version of caponata is really flexible—serve it with crostini as a make-ahead appetizer, or even as a side dish. The addition of the briny capers, anchovies, and acidic vinegar help cure the eggplant and other veggies, so this dish only gets better in a tightly sealed container in the fridge, where it will last for up to a week.

Appalachian apple stack cake is communal cooking at its finest. Originally, each layer was baked at home by individual cooks, likely in cast-iron skillets, then brought together and assembled for church suppers and gatherings. Instead of the spongy cakes we're used to today, these layers are more like cookies—firmer, so they slowly soften beneath liberal applications of apple butter and cooked apples. This recipe stays mostly true to those principles. Instead of individually baking the layers one skillet at a time, though, use a cake pan to trace a pattern on parchment paper and trim circles of rolled dough to fit it. Bake two layers simultaneously (more if you have a convection oven). The edges of the cake layers won't be as perfectly neat as if you'd baked them in skillets or cake pans, but that's all right. This is a rustic cake.

This pizza dough recipe can be made with storebought active dry yeast or fresh yeast. It makes enough for two 12-inch pizzas. For the best flavor and texture, be sure to stash the the dough in your refrigerator for at least 24 and up to 48 hours before using.

If you don't have both spices, it's okay to omit one or the other.

Almost any fresh fruit (pears, apples, berries) can replace the figs.

The low oven temp and long bake time allow these nuts to take on rich flavor without burning.

Sandwiching the puff pastry between two baking sheets ensures that the pastry rises perfectly even.

Whole wheat flour gives this brown sugar–oat topping a nutty flavor that perfectly complements the sweet-tart apples beneath.

Pretty much everyone in the South fights about who's got the best pimiento cheese recipe. Make these if you want to put the debate to rest.

Make sure the cake pan you're using is at least 2" deep; the batter will rise to the very top while baking and will overflow in a shallow pan.

The gooey toffee sauce is both absorbed by the cake and served on the side. For a glossy, polished presentation, brush the still-warm cake with a clean pastry brush after it comes out of the pan, which will remove some of the excess syrup.

If quinces are unavailable or you want a shortcut, purchase quince paste at a specialty shop and heat it slowly to create a syrup, then simply spoon it over the custards.

You don't have to use a vegan chocolate to make this decadent tart—any bittersweet baking bar will be great. But if you want to go dairy-free, be sure to read the label.

This indulgent vegetarian dish makes enough for two with seconds for each (trust us, you’re going to want seconds).

Neither long simmering nor heat-canned, this vibrant, lightly spiced jam couldn't be simpler to prepare. Red-fleshed plums lend a gorgeous garnet color, but any variety works well.

This egg-less pasta dough—perfect for hand made shapes, like orrechiette, cavatelli and pici—quickly comes together in the food processer. For an even easier approach, use a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and let the machine do all the kneading.