Pasta recipes

Danish Mayor's Braid (Borgmeister Krans): a braided ring of Danish pastry filled with almond paste, baked golden with sliced almonds and crystallized sugar on top. A holiday-table showstopper.

Thai green bean jungle curry with red curry paste, chicken broth, and bamboo shoots. No coconut milk, just a clean, spicy broth that infuses the beans with curry flavor. Served over rice.

Briny anchovy paste and chopped green olives swirled into tangy sour cream for a salty, umami-packed dip that disappears fast at parties.

Falafel sandwiches with split pea and chickpea flour fritters stuffed into pita pockets with tomatoes, onions, pickles, and your choice of homemade hummus or tahini sauce. A vegan Middle Eastern lunch.

Stuffed mushroom caps filled with a Mediterranean eggplant and tomato mixture brightened with garlic, basil and parsley. A make-ahead vegetarian appetizer you can serve warm or at room temperature.

Mapo tofu is a Sichuan classic: silky tofu simmered with ground pork, black bean garlic sauce, and red chili paste, ladled over steamed white rice.

Kinome-ae is a classic Japanese dish pairing dashi-simmered bamboo shoots with a vivid green miso dressing colored with spinach paste. Finished with fragrant sansho pepper powder.

Jeff's favorite pizza sauce: a thick, concentrated pizza sauce made with plum tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, and parmesan. Freezer-friendly and ready for homemade pizza night.

Crab and avocado salad: sweet crab meat tossed in a zesty picante-mayo dressing with green olives, piled into ripe avocado halves. A no-cook, 20-minute Tex-Mex lunch or appetizer that looks far fancier than it is.

Meaty one-pot goulash with sausage, ground beef, tomatoes, and 10 cups of shredded cabbage simmered in a spicy chili-tomato sauce. Dinner on the table in 30 minutes.

Aubergine or Eggplant dip Serve with warm Pita or Lebanese bread

Thick, paprika-rich vegetarian goulash with red kidney beans, mushrooms, red peppers, and potatoes. Miso adds savory depth to this hearty one-pot stew. Serve over rice or noodles.

Fiery Thai chili fish sauce (nam pla prik) with serrano chiles, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, and roasted chili paste. A no-cook condiment that livens up everything it touches.

Vegan lentil carrot burgers with mashed lentils, tomato paste, and bread crumbs pan-fried until golden. A simple, egg-free plant-based patty ready in 25 minutes.

Pearl barley simmers in chicken stock with carrots, turmeric, and lime juice, then gets finished with sour cream in this Persian-inspired soup that's both hearty and surprisingly bright.

A decadent coffee cake made with delicious strawberries and slivered almonds.