I’ll never forget the first time I made these; I went out with a friend to his small “vineyard”—he had a few wild grapevines growing in his backyard—and we picked the leaves and painstakingly cut the heavy veins from all of them, then blanched them and began. I’ve never eaten better, though canned or bottled grape leaves make the process much easier. Unlike most stuffed vegetables, grape leaves are usually served cold. However, they can be served hot, just after cooking, topped with Avgolemono (page 596) or simply some yogurt thinned with a little water and warmed with a tablespoon or two of minced garlic and some salt and pepper. Other vegetables you can prepare this way: cabbage leaves (see page 445).
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.