10 desperation recipes

A quick Thai wok-fried chicken with crispy garlic, red chillies, oyster sauce, fish sauce, tamarind, bamboo shoots, and fresh coriander. Bold flavor in 30 minutes.

Classic peanut butter cookies with crackly criss-cross tops, crisp edges and a soft chewy middle. A chilled dough builds deeper flavor and prevents spread.

Cold asparagus salad with a Chinese-style vinaigrette of rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Marinate overnight for deeper flavor, top with butter-toasted sunflower seeds.

Homemade hummus from dried chickpeas with tomato puree, garlic, lemon, cumin, and paprika. A tahini-free, tomato-tinged version with deeper bean-forward flavor.

Sun-dried tomato pesto: oil-packed sundried tomatoes blended with parmigiano-reggiano, toasted walnuts, garlic, and warm olive oil. A deeper, more savory alternative to basil pesto.

Roasted vegetable gazpacho with oven-charred tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and garlic blended with sherry vinegar and stale bread into a silky chilled soup. Deeper and smokier than traditional gazpacho.

Shaker honey almond cake bakes a spice-warmed honey-sour cream batter under a crown of almonds, then ripens 2 days for deeper flavor. Heritage New England keeping cake.

Robb's caramel pecan pie: a deeper, richer take on classic pecan pie with a cooked caramel base of brown sugar, butter, and cream poured over toasted pecans. Silky, buttery, and unforgettable.

Herb-packed chicken spaghetti sauce with oregano, basil, marjoram, and rosemary simmered in tomato paste and sauce. Make it in the microwave for a quick dinner or on the stovetop for deeper flavor.

Fresh tomato salsa with bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, and lime, brightened with red wine vinegar and chili powder. The chunky homemade salsa that beats jarred every time, served fresh or rested for deeper flavor.