Of all the sublime dishes that chef Nancy Oakes prepared during the 1997 Workshop, it is her warm gingerbread cake that has entrenched itself at Cakebread Cellars. The San Francisco chef says that the basic recipe is her grandmother’s, although Chef Oakes sometimes dresses it up with a ginger syrup. Brian serves it often in the fall, sometimes with a scoop of honey ice cream or just a dollop of softly whipped cream. As dark as milk chocolate, this fabulous cake is moist, spicy, and not overly sweet. Don’t worry if it sinks a bit in the center as it cools. Once it is cut, no one will notice.
This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.
The silky French vanilla sauce that goes with everything.
Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.
An extra-silky filling (no water bath needed!) and a smooth sour cream topping make this the ultimate cheesecake.
This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.
Crispy tots topped with savory-sweet sauce, mayonnaise, furikake, scallion, and katsuobushi.