Simple Cooking

This Paloma recipe is a refreshing tequila cocktail with grapefruit soda, brightened with a quick squeeze of fresh lime and grapefruit.

This impressive-looking Basque cheesecake, which is baked high and fast and gets a caramelized, nearly burnt top, can be made in a hurry.

Calling something the “world’s best cake” is quite a statement, but it’s not something taken lightly by Norwegians.

The best tsukune, or Japanese chicken meatballs, are nicely caramelized, well seasoned, and juicy—and served straight off the grill.

Bold cranberry mingles with bittersweet Cynar in this bitter and bubbly variation on the spritz cocktail.

Delicately apricotty, this easy spritz can be made with or without Aperol. 

Every café in Sweden has a version of kladdkaka, a luscious, under-baked chocolate cake.

One of the most famous cakes in Sweden, Prinsesstårta is known for its showstopping layers of sponge cake, pastry cream, and raspberry jam.

Enjoy this coffee cocktail as a pick-me-up, a low-alcohol refresher, or on either end of a big meal.

The classic Aperol spritz recipe on the back of the Aperol bottle calls for three parts Prosecco (or other sparkling wine), two parts Aperol, and a splash of soda. The concoction is fizzy and vibrantly orange in flavor, softly sweet and just a tiny bit bitter—perfect for sipping before dinner as an aperitivo. Earlier versions of the spritz used Select, which some tasters find more complex, or Campari, which is quite a bit more bitter and bracing. But you can spritz with whatever bittersweet liqu.…

Jessie Sheehan's easy 3-minute chocolate mug cake is rich, tender, and moist, with a soft center reminiscent of a molten lava cake.

This New York-meets-Scandi-style treat combines cheesecake with plump cloudberries.

Step away from the oven—this flan is cooked on the stovetop.

This refreshing sherry and watermelon cocktail gets a spicy kick from ginger kombucha.

This beet-tahini dip starts off sweet, then gets a little spicy.

Not to be mistaken for baba ghanoush, this eggplant and tahini dip leans on spices rather than citrus for its flavor.

This Swiss chard–based dip is not only visually stunning but also has the perfect balance of earthy, sweet, and acidic flavor.

A classic Southern cake, after winning first prize at the county fair in Columbus, Georgia, Lane Cake also earned the name “Prize Cake.” 

This cake has been a favorite since 1965, when a girl won a baking competition with her grandmother’s secret family recipe.