34 master recipes

Lentil salad with smoked turkey, fresh tarragon, and a tangy yogurt-Dijon dressing. A protein-packed main-dish salad that holds up beautifully for lunch the next day.

Flourless chocolate espresso torte for Passover with a full pound of chocolate, espresso, butter, and eggs. No flour or leavening needed. Dense, crackly-topped, and dusted with powdered sugar.

A kosher-for-Passover chocolate fudge torte: a flourless matzo-meal sponge layered with rich chocolate fudge frosting. Dairy-free and parve, rising on whipped egg whites instead of leavening.

A showstopping Persian jeweled rice (javaher polow) layered with saffron-glazed carrots, barberries, currants, pistachios, almonds, orange peel, and rose water. Topped with a golden tah dig crust.

Kentucky-style burgoo with three meats: stewing beef, pork shoulder, and whole chicken simmered for hours with fresh corn, lima beans, tomatoes, and potatoes.

One master cream soup recipe with a butter-flour roux and half-and-half, plus six variations: cauliflower, broccoli, cucumber, lima bean, spinach, and asparagus. Serve hot or cold.

Pit-master style Brunswick stew with smoked pulled pork, roasted chicken, okra, lima beans, and corn simmered in homemade stock. Low and slow for hours, packed with smoky, tangy heat.

Basic cooked beans in a pressure cooker: master method for transforming any dried bean into tender, flavorful beans in about an hour. No canned cans required, batch-friendly, freezer-ready.

Three-layer carrot cake with crushed pineapple, walnuts, and a tangy cream cheese frosting topped with toasted coconut. A moist, towering carrot cake for birthdays, Easter, and holiday tables.

Soft Portuguese sweet bread (massa sovada) is an enriched egg and butter loaf with a tender, slightly sweet crumb. A traditional Easter and weekend bread baked into pillowy round loaves.

Portuguese sweet bread (pao doce) made easy in the bread machine: an egg-and-butter enriched loaf with a soft, golden crumb and gentle sweetness. A breakfast and Easter classic.

Authentic Thai street-style pad thai with chewy rice noodles, shrimp, tamarind, and fish sauce. Quick wok-tossed noodles with cashews and lime in 20 minutes.

Chocolate-dipped coconut macaroon Easter eggs made with egg whites, unsweetened coconut, pecans, and brown sugar. A homemade holiday candy project.

Crescia: Italian onion focaccia from Le Marche, with slow-caramelized onions on a tender yeasted dough. Regional Easter and harvest specialty.

Eastern European poppyseed strudel with a buttery yeasted dough rolled around poppy seed filling, raisins, walnuts, and honey. The traditional makowiec for Christmas and Easter tables.

Mom's Portuguese sweet bread (massa sovada) for the bread machine, with eggs, milk, and butter for a tender, slightly sweet loaf. Three loaf sizes given. Adjust sugar for sweeter or more savory. The classic Easter and holiday bread.