Easy

"The only thing better than pimiento cheese dip? Melted pimiento cheese dip, laced with chopped pickles for a little zip." —Janet McCracken, deputy food editor

Don't use your best Champagne for this dessert—any affordable bottle of cava or Prosecco will do. The key ingredient in this machine-free sorbet is the apricots: Choose the ripest, most fragrant ones you can find.

Pineapple adds sweetness and a tropical twist to this classic cocktail. Make sure to choose a ripe one: It should be very fragrant, with no soft spots or bruises. Or use fresh precut pineapple.

"You'll find me drinking this cocktail—inspired by the best Michelada I ever had, at a dive bar in Austin—all summer long. Lime + salt + hot sauce = perfection." —Alison Roman, assistant food editor

Onion flavor is layered in this dish: The greens have a brightness to balance the bulbs' sweetness, the cooking liquid becomes a buttery sauce, and fresh chives deliver a high note to finish.

Serve spooned over roast chicken, steak, or pan-fried pork chops. And, of course, pancakes.

This satisfying salad is great alongside broiled fish, roast chicken, or a simple steak. To turn it into a vegetarian meal, fold in sliced hard-boiled eggs.

Bloomfield loves making this salad with black mint, which you'll find in spring and summer at farmers' markets.

There are all kinds of radishes available at the markets in the spring—use any shape or color that looks good to you.

Add the prosciutto at the last minute to preserve the pretty pink color.

This dish is a great way to serve eggs for a group. Take the eggs out of the oven when the whites are slightly undercooked; carryover cooking will finish them.

Creamy without being heavy, a dollop of lemony yogurt brings the dish together.

Marinated white anchovies bear little resemblance to the pungent salted brown ones packed in oil. They're plump, vinegary, tender, and addictive when paired with the crisp frisée and chewy bread in this sandwich.

"This spicy butter has a built-in garnish; it turns into a sauce as it melts over your steak, leaving the herbs on top for looks and extra flavor." —Brad Leone, test kitchen assistant

Delicious alongside the buttermilk panna cotta , these nutty shortbreads can hold their own on any cookie plate.

I use simple syrup for keeping cake layers extra moist. Plain simple syrup works perfectly well on its own, but when I have used vanilla bean pods on hand, I like to steep them into the syrup (feel free to keep them stored in the syrup indefinitely). It's an unnecessary step, for sure, but I always welcome a little extra pop of vanilla flavor in my cakes.

This is a loaf cake that my mum liked to make and it remains a firm favorite of mine. The lemon syrup poured over the freshly baked cake seeps down into the sponge and adds a special moisture to the taste. Perfect to have with a cup of tea in the afternoon.

My husband taught me how to make Yorkshire puddings, and now I am hooked. I like to make them as individual puddings, baked in a non-stick muffin tin, but you can also make one large pudding in a high-sided pan and then cut it into portions. As a child, my dad used to eat them as a sweet dessert—you follow the same recipe, but finish off by pouring warm honey over the top. Comfort food at its best.

Whether you're preparing for a casual dinner party or snacks for the office, our Spicy Soy Nut-Pretzel Mix can be made in advance and kept covered with plastic wrap for up to a day. Truth be told, we don't think it will last that long at your house—this addictive snack tends to disappear quickly!