No shade to the two-note schoolyard frozen treat, but lately, ice cream sandwiches have grown up. In New York City, cool-kid scoopshops, pop-ups, restaurants, and even wine bars have peppered their menus with vibrant frozen sandos redolent with spiced, floral, herbal, and savory notes to tempt those of us inclined to eat the world—brain freeze be damned. Here’s how to make a few of our favorites.

Coconut-Taro Ice Cream Sandwiches with Ritz Crackers

The vibrant, violet-colored ice cream in this sweet-and-salty recipe from SAVEUR contributing editor Jessie YuChen is dairy-free and comes together easily—no ice-cream machine required. Get the recipe >

Sweet Fried Milk Buns with Ice Cream, Peanuts, and Cilantro

Peanuts and cilantro may be surprising toppings for many ice cream lovers, but the flavor combination is popular in Taiwan’s coastal Yilan County, where night market vendors roll the ingredients in thin wheat-flour wrappers for a beloved snack called hua shen juan bing qi. At Win Son in Brooklyn, pastry chef Danielle Spencer pays homage to the famous street food with this ice cream sandwich. Get the recipe >

Ginger Matcha Ice Cream Sandwiches

The secret ingredient in these bracing, eye-catchingly green sandwiches from Noona’s owner Hannah Bae is dextrose, a grape sugar that keeps the ice cream soft and scoopable. Get the recipe >

Vanilla-Rose Ice Cream Sandwiches with Cardamom Toast

In this fork-and-knife-optional sandwich from Malai’s Pooja Bavishi, buttery cardamom toast encases a heady rose-scented cream filling that requires no churning whatsoever. Get the recipe >

Brown Butter Sugar Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

At Bad Habit Ice Cream, chef Javier Zuniga often sandwiches chewy sugar cookies with fruit-based ice creams such as roasted banana or sweet milk with a swirl of fig jam. Fake it at home by softening a quart of store-bought vanilla and folding in a ripple of your favorite preserves. Get the recipe >

Bastani Sonnati Ice Cream Sandwiches

At Eyval in Brooklyn, chef Ali Saboor’s artful hand and Persian influence shine through in this elegant sandwich that’s perfumed with saffron, rosewater, and citrus and studded with raisins. Get the recipe >

The post 6 Bold Ice Cream Sandwich Recipes to Change Things Up This Summer appeared first on Saveur.

Bastille Day puts us in the mood for dainty French hors d’oeuvres and classic bistro nibbles like warm gougères and flaky pâté en croûte. With these tried-and-true French appetizer recipes, culled from skilled home cooks and iconic old-school restaurants, you’ll be eating like a bon vivant in no time. Whether you’re looking for French appetizer recipes to enjoy in the park the afternoon of July 14th or as part of your apéritif dînatoire that evening, you can’t go wrong with these fête-friendly starters.

Jacques Pépin’s Artichokes Helen

If you love eating fresh artichokes but are intimidated by cooking with them, this easy recipe from the legendary TV host and cookbook author Jacques Pépin is a great place to start. Mounded with creamy cognac-spiked mushrooms, it makes for a truly decadent vegetarian appetizer. Get the recipe >

The Original Tapenade

If you’re a fan of les oeufs, you’ll appreciate these hard-boiled eggs filled with the O.G. tapenade (surprising additions include tuna, cognac, and English mustard in addition to the usual olives, capers, and anchovies) and served deviled-egg style. Get the recipe >

Cake d’Alsace (Bacon, Gruyère, and Caramelized Onion Loaf)

One of France’s go-to picnic snacks, this easy-to-make cake requires just a few pantry ingredients and is endlessly riffable. Get the recipe >

Carrot Crêpes

A colorful and vegetal take on the classic crêpe, these thin, alluring pancakes will impress your party guests with their subtle sweetness and sunny orange hue. Get the recipe >

Brandade

In this classic French appetizer, mashed potatoes and salt cod come together to create a creamy, pleasantly salty dip that’s best enjoyed with seasonal crudités or your favorite crackers or crusty bread. Get the recipe >

Black Olive Tapenade

A dollop of this versatile Provençal condiment gives life to everything from roast fish to morning toast. Get the recipe >

Aïoli Provençal

Enjoy this silky, French condiment alongside fresh veggies, seafood, or even frites. Get the recipe >

How to Make Baguettes

Our recipe tester (and pro baker) demystifies the simple French bread recipe for home cooks. Get the recipe >

Provençal Stuffed Squid

The late culinary eminence Lulu Peyraud would often serve these chard-stuffed squid topped with a zesty anchovy vinaigrette at the start of a meal. Get the recipe >

Duck Pâté en Croûte

Pâté is a labor of love, but it’s worth every step, especially when you bake it in flaky homemade pastry dough and top it with a flavorful gelée. Get the recipe >

Pissaladière

The powerhouse trifecta of anchovies, olives, and caramelized onions flavors this signature Provençal dish. Get the recipe >

Gougères

It’s impossible to eat just one of these irresistible French cheese puffs—so be sure to double the recipe if you’re expecting a crowd. Get the recipe >

Chicken Liver Pâté

Butter and brandy are the secret ingredients in this classic pâté. Get the recipe >

Panisses

It’s worth trying your hand at Provence’s chickpea fries known as panisses—they’re one of the best street snacks France has to offer. Get the recipe >

Potato Salad with Herring

This briny, vinegar-soaked salad that comes together in a flash is one of Daniel Boulud’s go-to first courses. Get the recipe >

Lyonnaise Salad with Sausage and Walnuts

Sausage is the pride of Lyon, and it makes a wonderful starter when sliced thin, chilled, and topped with a bright chervil vinaigrette. Get the recipe >

Coquilles St-Jacques (Gratinéed Scallops)

The word coquille St-Jacques means “scallop” in French, but in the idiom of American cooks, it’s a throwback dish of gratinéed scallops poached in white wine and served on the halfshell. Get the recipe >

Provençal Vegetable Gratin (Tian)

A tian is a type of gratin, and this Provençal version is a stunner with its colorful rows of zucchini, eggplant, and tomato. Get the recipe >

Fromage Blanc Spread (Cervelle de Canut)

Literally “silk worker’s brain,” this herbed cheese spread is named for Lyon’s 19th-century silk weavers, who often ate it for lunch. Get the recipe >

Fromage Fort

Yes, you can make a crowd-pleasing apéro spread and clean out your fridge at the same time! All you need to do is combine the mélange of cheese scraps lurking in your refrigerator with some fresh herbs and a few glugs of wine. Get the recipe >

The post Our Favorite French Appetizers and Hors d’Oeuvres for Bastille Day and Beyond appeared first on Saveur.

Japan boasts one of the world’s richest culinary cultures, historically emphasizing seasonal, vegetable-heavy ingredients. There’s also a plethora of seafood offerings, with fish prepared every way from grilled and tempura-fried to raw. Then there’s the meat: who could forget about Japanese barbecue, or yakitori? On the starch side, noodles like udon, soba, and ramen are standouts. Delicate flavors from ingredients like white miso and dashi are layered expertly throughout the cuisine, from clam chowder to chawanmushi.  We’ve rounded up our best essential Japanese recipes to try today, from traditional dishes to modern takes on classics.

Oyakodon (Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl)

Comfort food at its finest, this dish incorporates the rich flavors of homemade dashi with tender chicken, onions, and soft-cooked eggs over rice. It’s a staple dish at Rintaro, chef Sylvan Mishima Brackett’s San Francisco izakaya. Get the recipe >

White Miso Clam Chowder

White miso adds nutty, funky notes to this clam chowder recipe from Osamu Yoshikawa, the sixth-generation owner of bean-to-bottle soy sauce company Inoue Honten in Nara, Japan. Combined with fragrant dashi, it creates a rich, umami-filled take on a typical New England-style dish. Get the recipe >

Leftover Green Tea Leaf Salad

After green tea leaves have been steeped, Junichi Uekubo, a seventh-generation tea farmer in Nara, Japan, uses them in his version of ohitashi, a blanched-greens dish often made with spinach. Serve the subtly bitter leaves over steamed rice drizzled with mayonnaise for a simple meal. Get the recipe >

Inarizushi (Rice-Filled Tofu Pockets)

Deep-fried bean curd pouches are simmered in a sweet-savory dashi-soy sauce broth before they’re stuffed with tangy vinegared rice in this beloved Japanese comfort dish. Nara, Japan-based tofu maker Masahiro Kondo, who helms the food company Miki Tofu, suggests making his inarizushi recipe for a filling snack or component in a lunchtime bento box. Get the recipe >

Summer-Vegetable Tempura

Give shishito peppers, eggplants, and kabocha squash the tempura treatment, then turn green beans and corn into lacy fritters known as kakiage. Get the recipe >

Tentsuyu (Tempura Dipping Broth)

A dip in this traditional dashi-based broth is the only seasoning tempura needs. Get the recipe >

Dashi-Maki Tamago (Japanese Rolled Omelet)

This Japanese egg dish can be served on its own with grated radish and soy sauce, sliced and incorporated into sushi, or as a sweet bite at the end of a meal. Kimiko Barber, author of “Cook Japanese at Home,” uses a traditional square tamago pan to make this Tokyo-style rolled omelet, which is often sweetened with mirin, a Japanese sweet rice wine. Dashi-maki tamago can be served on its own with grated radish and soy sauce, sliced and incorporated into sushi, or as a sweet bite at the end of a meal. Get the recipe >

Home-Style Chicken Ramen

The broth is a relatively simple but deeply flavored chicken base layered with fresh ramen noodles, poached chicken breast, soft soy eggs, and a delicate fennel oil. Get the recipe >

Hanetsuki Gyoza (Dumplings with “Wings”)

Gyoza bound with crispy, lacy “wings” is a memorable start to an at-home Japanese izakaya feast. Filled with savory pork and cabbage, the gyoza are pan-fried with a cornstarch slurry until they’re bound together with a golden brown crust. Get the recipe >

Omurice (​​Japanese Omelet Fried Rice)

Omurice combines Japanese fried rice, French omelet-making, and American ketchup, gravy, or demi-glace. It’s one of the most popular dishes that falls into the category of yōshoku—literally “Western food”—a subset of Japanese cooking that originated at the turn of the 20th century, when Western ingredients and cooking techniques became fashionable. Get the recipe >

Natto Gohan

Natto gohan—sticky, stringy fermented soybeans served over rice with different garnishes—is a common breakfast for many Japanese. The dish is often topped with scallion and raw egg yolks, though well grated nagaimo (mountain yam), katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), and tsukemono (a type of Japanese pickles) are popular and equally delicious adornments. Get the recipe >

Sweet Potatoes with Miso Butter and Chives

Shockingly simple but packed with flavor, sweet potatoes are boiled or roasted then thickly slathered with a butter emulsified with bold red miso and chives. Get the recipe >

Chagayu (Tea Porridge)

Tea porridge is the perfect use for leftover rice. Simmer the cooked grains in brewed green tea for an earthy, toasty dish. Serve with flavorful side dishes like kyurizuke (pickled cucumbers), umeboshi (bracingly acidic pickled plums), and kombu tsukudani (seaweed simmered with sake and mirin). Get the recipe >

Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)

Onigiri are either warm rice balls stuffed with items like umboshi (pickled plums) and salmon, then wrapped in nori, or they are rice balls seasoned with blends like red shiso powder and black sesame seeds, and shaped into balls, triangles, or cylinders.  Get the recipe >

Tega No Karaage (Fried Chicken Wings)

To achieve a crispy crust on his Japanese fried chicken, Sylvan Mishima Brackett, chef-owner of San Francisco izakaya Rintaro, uses potato starch before the meat is coated in sweet-salty soy-and-mirin sauce. Get the recipe >

Tsukune (Japanese Chicken Meatballs)

Dressed with a sweet-and-salty glaze, this yakitori favorite is the ideal pairing for cold beer. Get the recipe >

Soba Salad with Lemon-Miso Vinaigrette

Fresh soba noodles are tossed gently with a salad of greens, like arugula, endive, and chicory, plus herbs such as dill. Combined with lemon it’s a bright, refreshing noodle dish for a hot day. Get the recipe >

Chawanmushi (Japanese Egg Custard)

A versatile hero of the Japanese kitchen, chawanmushi is the dish for all meals and all kitchens: a simple savory egg custard that’s easier to make than an omelet and just as customizable. Get the recipe >

The post 18 Essential Japanese Recipes to Cook Right Now appeared first on Saveur.

“Girded for battle, burnished as a grenade” is how poet Pablo Neruda described the artichoke in his famous ode to the vegetable, but don’t be intimidated by its spiky appearance—with a few strategic snips and slices, this edible thistle is ready for the skillet, stockpot, grill, or oven in no time. And on nights when we don’t feel like busting out the chef’s knife and rubber gloves (lest the natural pigment blacken our fingers), we invariably reach for a bag of frozen hearts, which add texture and pizzazz to risottos, braises, and dips. Trust us, none of your kin will be the wiser.

Artichokes were prized in Ancient Rome, where nobles devoured them with gusto, and they have long thrived in the Mediterranean basin. Generations-old artichoke dishes run the gamut from scraggly carciofi alla giudia (fried Jewish-style artichokes from Italy) to soupy Spanish menestra (spring vegetable medley) and fried baby artichoke hearts dunked in Middle Eastern taratur sauce. 

Today some 50 types of artichoke grow worldwide, the most prolific of which is the globe, a hardy, mellow-tasting variety whose peak season runs from March to May.  Globes are available year round in many sizes—choose small ones for salads and frying and large ones for stuffing and steaming—but you can have even more fun with heirloom artichokes like chianti, poivrade, or fiesole. Whichever is available to you, seek out buds with tight, compact leaves and as little browning as possible. 

The artichoke recipes that follow—our favorites, hailing from near and far—celebrate spring, the perfect time, according to Neruda, to “undress this delight [and] munch the peaceful paste of its green heart.”

Artichoke Bruschetta with Capers and Cherry Tomatoes

Katie Reicher, executive chef of Greens restaurant in San Francisco, brings us this Italian American-inspired artichoke bruschetta that comes together in 12 minutes. Get the recipe >

Jacques Pépin’s Artichokes Helen

Cream, tarragon, and brandied mushrooms lend old-school French flavor to these dainty artichokes perfected by the culinary legend. Get the recipe >

Turkish Braised Artichokes with Peas and Candied Lemon

“Artichokes have a special place at the table of Istanbulites,” says Gamze Ineceli, an Istanbul-based researcher and expert in Anatolian food studies. Her classic zeytinyağlı enginar (braised artichokes) with peas and candied lemon is a family favorite perfected over generations. Get the recipe >

Artichoke Risotto with Capocollo and Pecorino

At Masseria Moroseta in Puglia, rice bubbles away in a purée of vegetable stock and braised artichokes before getting crowned with capocollo, pecorino, and more artichoke hearts. Get the recipe >

Grilled Artichokes

Don’t be fooled by the singed edges—these artichokes are tender, and beguilingly smoky, through and through. Get the recipe >

Raw Artichoke Salad with Parmesan and Mint

Faintly bitter baby artichoke hearts, thinly sliced with a mandoline, are tossed with mint and nutty Parmesan in this delicate salad. Get the recipe >

Artichokes with Lemon Za’atar Dipping Sauce

Refreshingly tart and herbaceous, this recipe can be a DIY (dip it yourself) appetizer or elegant plated first course—whichever suits your mood. Get the recipe >

Roasted Artichokes

It doesn’t get more classic than these pull-apart artichokes braised with white wine and a dozen cloves of garlic. Get the recipe >

Fried Artichoke Hearts with Taratur Sauce

We fell in love with these artichokes blanketed in taratur (garlicky tahini sauce) at a mom-and-pop restaurant in Damascus, and have been whipping them up on the regular ever since. Get the recipe >

Pasta Shells with Artichoke-Clam Sauce

In this aromatic dish, based on one from Marseille restaurant Le Grain de Sel, shell-shape pasta is dressed in a light tomato and clam sauce with artichoke hearts. Get the recipe >

Spring Vegetable Stew

Any gently simmered mixture of vegetables is truly greater than the sum of its parts. It’s important to cut the ingredients to the proper size and cook them sequentially, starting with the ones that need longer cooking. Get the recipe >

Menestra de Verduras

Spanish menestra is not your grandmother’s peas-and-carrots vegetable medley—it’s studded with crisp nubbins of jamón and stars breaded and fried artichoke hearts. Get the recipe >

Seared Halibut with Artichokes à la Barigoule

Soft, gently braised artichokes pepped up with fresh lemon juice round out this restaurant-worthy (yet low-effort) French main. Get the recipe >

The post 13 Artichoke Recipes That Get to the Heart of Spring appeared first on Saveur.

We throw away far too much food: up to 40 percent of what we produce for human consumption in United States ends up in landfills. Nearly one-third of the food produced for human consumption is wasted each year. That’s enough to feed 2 billion people—double the number of undernourished people around the world! And while the battle against food waste isn’t limited to a holiday, we’re taking this Earth Day to provide some actionable—and tasty—ways to confront the problem.

Here’s the thing: Food waste takes many forms. It’s left to rot in the fields, bruised and ugly produce is discarded for purely cosmetic reasons, grocery stores carry too much inventory…sadly, the list goes on. But we’re guilty at home, too—and we’re not just talking about that bag of spinach left to get soggy in the fridge. We eat beet, carrot, and radish roots, but not the greens. We have an orange for breakfast and mindlessly toss the skin in the trash. But those discarded bits could be the secret weapon in your next favorite recipe. Chopping a bunch of carrots for a roast? Make carrot-top pesto. Stuck with a bunch of bruised bananas? We have a silky banana-chocolate pudding for that. That pile of citrus peels? Candy the lot of them and add to cookies, cakes, or cocktails. Even duck skin and leftover bacon fat deserve a place on the sustainable table. Here are some of our best recipes to reduce food waste at home, so you can celebrate Earth Day with delectable (and environmentally friendly) results.

1. Don’t discard your sourdough discard.

Kick off Earth Day with a zero-waste breakfast: Leftover sourdough starter lends ordinary waffles a boost of flavor and a a crisp-yet-airy texture. Get the recipe >

2. Save that liquid gold (aka leftover bacon fat) for baking and frying.

Use rich and smoky bacon fat to add flavor to vegetable or egg dishes, like this classic French meal of baked, cream-soaked toast and eggs. Get the recipe >

3. Give bruised or lightly shriveled vegetables a second act by roasting.

Roasting tomatoes, whether they’re sweet beefsteaks or burst-in-your-mouth cherry tomatoes, results in an irresistible bouquet of flavors and textures, even if you start with produce that’s past its prime. Get the recipe >

4. Smash leftover cheese into a punchy French spread.

Meaning “strong cheese” in French, fromage fort is a classic way to use up all the leftover ends and mismatched scraps of cheese in your fridge. In cookbook author Julia Turshen’s version, a little butter and a few splashes of wine round out the salty cheeses and help them become spreadable enough for topping toast or crackers. Get the recipe >

5. Crisp duck (or chicken!) skin in its own fat for added crunch.

There’s a place for meat on the sustainable table too. This Earth Day, be mindful of using the whole animal. Cornmeal is the centerpiece of this polenta-like savory porridge, drizzled with rendered duck fat and topped with crispy fried bits of duck skin. Get the recipe >

6. Don’t ditch the greens.

While many recipes call for only the white and light green portion of the leek, the deep green tops are perfectly delicious. When buying leeks for this dish, cookbook author Amy Thielen says to look for specimens that have all or most of their dark green tops still attached. Get the recipe >

7. Blitz feathery carrot tops into a fragrant pesto.

“I’ve become known for doing nose-to-tail pig cooking, so this is kind of top-to-tail vegetable cooking,” says New York City chef April Bloomfield of her pan-roasted carrots with carrot-top pesto, shaved carrot salad, and creamy burrata. Get the recipe >

8. Simmer citrus peels in sugar syrup.

Add candied citrus peels to retro desserts like fruitcake, or use as a sparkling garnish for cookies, cakes, and cocktails. Get the recipe >

9. Pickle your trimmings.

When cooking vegetables, every last scrap and stem can be useful, so don’t toss trimmings like radish greens and kale stalks. Chef Joshua McFadden of Ava Gene’s in Portland, Oregon pickles radish tops with vinegar, garlic, and chiles for a simple and flavorful condiment. Get the recipe >

10. Purée bruised fruit for an icy sweet treat.

Bruised peaches are just as sweet and juicy as the pristine ones—make the most of them in an easy summer ice cream. Get the recipe >

The post Don’t Throw That Out! 10 Delicious Recipes to Prevent Kitchen Waste appeared first on Saveur.

Passover is a celebration that recalls the Jews’ enslavement in Egypt and subsequent exodus into freedom. The Passover Seder—an elaborate meal dominated by symbols and rituals—also poses challenges, particularly to us bakers who are asked to forego so many ingredients taken for granted throughout the rest of the year. In addition to flour and yeast, nothing can be used during Passover that contains barley, wheat, rye, oats, or spelt. These grains are considered chametz, leavened foods that are forbidden during the holiday. 

This interruption of day-to-day baking gives us pause, a time for reflection and gratitude. Today, many products and alternative flours are available that meet kosher-for-Passover guidelines, providing dessert options well beyond those embraced by our grandmothers. (Do note, however, that these products cannot always be used interchangeably; for best results, always match recipes with flours for which they are intended.) 

Food memories and cherished family recipes play an integral role in any Passover celebration, linking multiple generations to those who came before. The homemade Passover desserts of my childhood made a lengthy Seder bearable. My grandmothers followed Ashkenazic practices mirroring their ancestors’ ties to Central and Eastern Europe. They relied on a number of trusted cookbooks and recipe pamphlets created in tandem with various advertising campaigns of the times. The combination of old and new recipes kept traditions alive while also Americanizing our grandmothers’ kitchens. 

Maxwell House Coffee published a Haggadah in 1932, making it free with a purchase of their coffee. Other companies quickly capitalized on the Jewish holiday, publishing recipe pamphlets highlighting their products. Among them Borden’s Farm Products, whose slim Passover Cook Book from 1940 is one to which I still refer. Based on the faded spatters and smudges, “Borcas Eingemacht” and “Chremslach” have clearly been the best-loved recipes in the book.  

A favorite of my maternal grandmother Dorothy, borcas eingemacht (Russian-style beet preserves) is traditional in eastern Ashkenazic households. A ruby-colored sweet enjoyed by the spoonful alongside a “gleyzele tay,” (Yiddush for “glass of tea”), the jam-like confection is made from sliced or grated beets, honey, and vinegar. Commonly part of Passover preparations, when the tradition was brought to America, lemon juice replaced vinegar and different families added their own spins on the slow-cooked preserves. Eingemachts can even be cooked down beyond the jam stage, resulting in more of a candy texture. Over the years, commercially prepared kosher-for-Passover versions became available, and for many, the homemade tradition faded. 

My father’s mother, Minnie, never fretted over the health ramifications of using a dozen eggs in a single sponge cake, or of feeding several pints of heavy cream to the Sunbeam mixer as she whipped up the filling for her Passover schaum torte. Minnie also had in her repertoire a recipe for sweet fritters known as chremslach. Made from crumbled matzo, eggs, dried fruit, and almonds, chremslach are common among many cultures and recipes date as far back as the Roman Empire. It’s the Ashkenazi Jews, however, who are credited with incorporating this treat into their Passover tradition. One of the earliest recorded recipes for Pesach chremslach can be found in Esther Levy’s Jewish Cookery Book on Principles of Economy Adapted for Jewish Housekeepers (1871), considered the first Jewish cookbook published in America. 

For me, adaptation is an important part of the Passover tradition too; I like to swap out Mama Minnie’s dried fruit for seasonal fresh rhubarb. The crispy fritter can serve as dessert at the conclusion of the Seder or for breakfast the next morning, with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt and fresh berries—or a side of Dorothy’s earthy, crimson eingemacht.

The Passover holiday spans eight days, offering plenty of time for experimentation in the kitchen. When preparing your menu, be mindful of the varying degrees of observance amongst your Seder guests. The orthodox union provides a list of permissible Passover products here. Fresh fruit, chewy macaroons, and a tray piled high with matzo brittle should satisfy even the most devout celebrants’ cravings. For more tempting options, check out these recipes from our archives.

Rhubarb Chremslach with Beet Preserves

A fresh take on tradition: matzo fritters, spring rhubarb, and sweet beets create a memorable dessert or brunch. Get the recipe >

Eli Zabar’s Chocolate Caramel Matzo Ice Cream

As the owner of several iconic markets in New York City, Eli Zabar is always on the lookout for other smart uses for his products. “My motto has always been “waste not, want not,≈and I firmly believe that just about everything I make can become even more delicious in its “second” life,” he says. Enter this knockout Passover dessert recipe that marries homemade vanilla ice cream with store-bought matzo. Get the recipe >

Zabaglione Pavlova with Pineapple and Black Pepper

Zabaglione and tropical fruit gild the lily of this ethereal meringue cake. For observant guests, feel free to swap out the Marsala for a kosher wine. Get the recipe >

Poached Pears

Fernet Branca, a bitter, aromatic spirit, is made from more than 40 herbs and spices, among them myrrh, rhubarb, chamomile, cardamom, saffron, and parsley. Technically not kosher for Passover, the liquor is grape-, not grain-based, making it appropriate for those less strict with kosher laws. Get the recipe >

The Best Flourless Chocolate Cake

If you like, feel free to substitute a Passover brandy for the coffee in this rich, flourless chocolate dessert from the legendary Zuni Café. Get the recipe >

Roasted Strawberry-Rhubarb Tart with Mascarpone Cream

The true harbingers of spring, strawberries and rhubarb shine in a crunchy tart shell with a rich layer of mascarpone cream. Get the recipe >

Flourless Pistachio Cakes with Rosewater

Forsaking the flour, these petite cakes are enhanced with the addition of pistachios and rosewater, then gussied up with rose petals. Stored in an airtight container, these elegant bites hint at spring while sweetening Passover’s eight-day holiday. Get the recipe >

Coconut “Macaroonies”

Coconut flour and white chocolate update the traditional coconut macaroon. Get the recipe >

Chocolate Sorbet

Vegan and dairy-free, this rich sorbet has an intensity of flavor to satisfy the most serious of chocolate hankerings. Get the recipe >

Dark Chocolate Matzo Brittle

While we adore the combination of dark chocolate and pistachios in this crisp brittle, you can tailor the recipe by swapping in white or milk chocolate, or finishing with different add-ins like sliced almonds or dried cranberries. Get the recipe >

Flourless Chocolate Soufflé (Soufflé au Chocolat)

A decadent-yet-airy dessert for any night of the Passover week, this small-batch recipe is ideal for a more intimate gathering. Get the recipe >

Double Chocolate Macaroons

In these luscious cookies from cookbook author Leah Koenig, the traditional shredded coconut macaroon gets hit with a double dose of chocolate: cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate chips. Get the recipe >

The post Our Favorite Passover Dessert Recipes Offer a Chance to Pause, Reflect—and Try Out New Ingredients appeared first on Saveur.

While the Cubano sandwich has long been popular stateside, it’s far from the only Cuban food that deserves your attention. Heck, it’s not even the only Cuban sandwich that deserves your attention; exhibit A: the eggy, sugar-dusted medianoche (a Cubano-Monte Cristo hybrid). In this roundup of our best Cuban recipes, we bring you all of our test-kitchen favorites from over the years, from rich, saucy ropa vieja to crumbly guava cookies to 10-minute mojo sauce. So put on some rumba, muddle yourself a mojito, and get cooking.

Medianoche Sandwich

A medianoche (literally “middle of the night”) is the kind of sandwich you eat after hours of partying in Miami’s Cuban dance clubs. With roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, and pickles, it’s almost identical to a Cuban sandwich—save for the bread: a sweet, eggy loaf similar to challah. Get the recipe >

Cuban Picadillo

This exceptional recipe for the flavor-packed sauté of ground beef, olives, capers, and spices is on the table in 30 minutes. Get the recipe >

Pernil Asado con Mojo

Pork shoulder is marinated in citrusy mojo sauce and roasted to juicy, crackling perfection in this celebratory, head-turning centerpiece. Get the recipe >

Fricasé de Pollo (Cuban-Style Chicken Stew)

Nitza Villapol, the legendary Cuban cook and author, taught generations of islanders and exiles to make this hearty chicken stew. It draws flavor from alcaparrado, a mix of pimento-stuffed olives and capers, and sweetness from raisins. Get the recipe >

Pescado en Escabeche

In Cuba, escabeche (vinegar-marinated food) is synonymous with sawfish, appreciated for its firm, white flesh. The fried sawfish steaks often come in a large earthenware cazuela topped with an olive oil-and-vinegar pickling sauce. Here’s how Maricel E. Presilla, author of Gran Cocina Latina: The Food of Latin America, makes the dish. Get the recipe >

Torticas de Morón

According to Manny Rodríguez, the award-winning blogger who brought us this recipe, “I’ve never met a Cuban that doesn’t like torticas de Morón. I make my version with cream cheese and guava and a little sprinkle of sea salt on top that makes it very unauthentic, but yummy.” Get the recipe >

Agua de Jamaica

Agua de jamaica owes its deep pink color and tart, perfumy flavor to the flower of a common garden plant: hibiscus. Called jamaica (pronounced ha-MY-kuh) in Spanish, the shrub thrives in subtropical climates and makes this drink subtly sweet. Get the recipe >

Cuban Mojo Sauce

Mojo is a fragrant garlic-and-herb sauce that adds zest and spice to many Cuban dishes. It can be used as a marinade for pork, beef, or seafood, or passed tableside as a condiment. Unlike Canary Island mojos, which rely on chiles and vinegar, Cuban mojo gets its signature tartness from bitter orange juice. Get the recipe >

Casquitos de Guayaba

Green guavas simmer in vanilla sugar to make this silky, crimson treat that tastes wonderful with a dollop of queso fresco. Get the recipe >

Ropa Vieja

Saucy shredded beef, olives, and capers make this dish one of our favorite Cuban braises. Get the recipe >

Hemingway Special

At Floridita bar, this daiquiri tart with fresh grapefruit and lime juices was a regular order of author Ernest Hemingway. Get the recipe >

Adobo Chicken Under a Brick

With lemon, oregano, and cumin, the Cuban-inspired marinade for this whole roast bird is a welcome shock to the tastebuds. Get the recipe >

Cuban Sandwich

This sumptuous grilled sandwich—a crusty roll filled with roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, and pickles—originated in Cuba but has caught on throughout the U.S. Also known as a Cubano, it’s a great way to use up leftover pernil asado con mojo. Get the recipe >

Elena Ruz Sandwich

Commonly served for merienda (afternoon tea) in Cuba, this sandwich of turkey, jam, and cream cheese on a roll is sweet and savory all in one. Get the recipe >

Mojito

Making a textbook-perfect mojito, Cuba’s signature minty rum cocktail, is easy—if you follow these simple instructions. Get the recipe >

The post Our 15 Best Cuban Recipes appeared first on Saveur.

Everybody loves tapas—those flavorful Spanish morsels that can be as simple as a handful of olives or as involved as gambas al ajillo (chile-garlic shrimp). But there’s far more to Spain’s culinary canon than sangría-soaked cocktail fare. From hearty mountain stews to crisp-bottomed rice to sleeper-hit soups like Andalusian salmorejo, these are the best Spanish recipes from our archive.

Smoky Pork Rib Stew with Potatoes and Pimentón

​​One of Spain’s great unsung comfort foods is patatas con costillas, the brick-red pork rib stew that marries pork ribs, potatoes, and smoky pimentón (Spanish paprika). Served with crusty bread, it makes a simple, hearty braise. Get the recipe >

Gazpacho Andaluz

Gazpacho andaluz, the popular chilled soup that hails from Andalusia, Spain, is a zesty blend of tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar that takes on a velvety texture thanks to the addition of bread. In Spain, it’s generally puréed to a smoothie texture (this recipe falls in that camp), while in the United States, a chunkier version that came into vogue in the 1990s remains more common. Top the soup with minced hard-boiled egg and cured Spanish ham, or keep things vegan and sprinkle over an extra handful of crunchy chopped veggies. Get the recipe >

Catalan-Style Rabbit Stew with Sherry, Mushrooms, and Almonds

In Spanish cuisine, borracho (“drunken”) indicates that a dish contains alcohol. In this rabbit stew recipe, chunks of tender rabbit bubble away in a homestyle Catalan sauce made with sherry, mushrooms, and a “picada” of ground almonds. Get the recipe >

Torrijas (Spanish “French” Toast)

Though traditionally deep-fried in olive oil, torrijas—Spain’s quintessential Holy Week dessert that falls somewhere between French toast and bread pudding—are subtler and less greasy when baked, as this knockout recipe from Madrid’s Panem bakery goes to show. Get the recipe >

Salmorejo

Gazpacho’s more decadent cousin, salmorejo is heady with extra-virgin olive oil and velvety thanks to the addition of bread. Chopped hard-boiled egg and jamón are the traditional toppings.  Get the recipe >

Classic Gildas

Named after Rita Hayworth’s bold, spicy character in the eponymous 1946 film, the Gilda quickly became a classic Basque pintxo. Served on the counters of bars and taverns throughout the region, pintxos are finger foods often pierced with a skewer (pintxo means “spike” in Basque), with infinite combinations of flavors like chorizo and Manchego cheese, tuna-stuffed peppers, or garlicky mushrooms. Get the recipe >

Albóndigas a la Jardinera (Stewed Spanish Meatballs with Vegetables)

Meatballs in Spain are often made with veal, gently browned, and finished in a light gravy, making for supremely tender and juicy morsels to enjoy with rice or bread. This recipe for “gardener’s meatballs” works well with ground veal, pork, or a combination. Get the recipe >

Ajoblanco

Pungent raw garlic shines in this bracing, no-cook Spanish soup of garlic, bread, and puréed almonds. The dish, one of Spain’s oldest cold soups (which include gazpacho and salmorejo), dates to the eighth century. Fresh grapes, a traditional garnish for the dish, add a touch of sweetness. Get the recipe >

Baked Spanish Rice with Chorizo, Chickpeas, and Raisins

Paella gets so much attention that it eclipses Spain’s other, equally worthy, rice dishes—like this one-pot arroz al horno, or baked rice with chickpeas. The dish is primo Valencian comfort food, and it has pleasing Moorish undertones (saffron! cinnamon! dried fruit!)—a reminder that Arabs brought rice to the Iberian Peninsula in the 7th century.  Get the recipe >

Atún con Tomate (Tuna and Tomato Stew)

Spain’s signature tuna dish starts with good “tomate frito,” the silky Spanish mother sauce of plum tomatoes, onions, and enough fruity olive oil to turn it bright red-orange. Into the puréed tomate go hunks of ocean-fresh tuna, which poach to flaky perfection in a matter of minutes. And as they say in Spain, ya está.  Get the recipe >

El Quijote Sangría

At El Quijote, one of America’s most legendary Spanish restaurants, A few drops of store-bought balsamic reduction and a splash of cinnamon syrup enhance the sweetness, body, and complexity of the classic iced cocktail. Get the recipe >

Spanish Almond Chicken with Saffron-Wine Sauce

Chicken in almond sauce is an Andalusian stew that, when done right, evokes the heady flavors of Moorish Spain: saffron, garlic, oregano, parsley. Our favorite version adds white wine for depth and sherry vinegar for tang—and is made in a single pot. Get the recipe >

Tortilla Española

Spaniards love getting into armchair debates over where to find the best tortilla, and what should go in it. Our staff favorite comes from Syklar restaurant in Madrid and produces a stunning, hubcap-sized omelet made of waxy potatoes fried until melty-soft in Andalusian olive oil.  Get the recipe >

Asturian-Style Veal Fillets with Cabrales Sauce, Fruit, and Chestnuts

Cabrales is a dry, crumbly, intense blue cheese from the northern Spanish region of Asturias. It melts into a pungent sauce for veal cutlets in this classic old-school recipe. Get the recipe >

Catalan Braised Pork Ribs with Chestnuts

Joan Roca, chef of the three-Michelin-star Celler de Can Roca in Girona and one of Spain’s most revered culinary figures, grew up on simple Catalan comfort food prepared by his mother, Montserrat. This saucy braise of pork ribs and chestnuts was one of his favorite childhood dishes. Get the recipe >

Venison Civet

Venison is the star stewing ingredient in the Pyrenees during deer hunting season, which runs from September to February. The abundance of red wine and the long marination time tame the lean meat’s faint gaminess. Ladle the stew over mashed potatoes enriched with olive oil or serve with roasted vegetables for a cozy cold-weather meal. Get the recipe >

Quail Civet

Mild, tender quail is a crowd-pleasing game bird. Available at specialty butcher stores, it cooks quickly and plays well with aromatics like garlic and herbs. The keys to this recipe’s deeply flavored sauce are the well-browned mirepoix at the start of cooking and the scant shards of dark chocolate whisked in for depth and sheen at the end. Get the recipe >

Sardines in Escabeche

Drape these sardines whole over a bed of salad greens, and let the sauce dribble through the leaves like dressing. You can also use your fingers to pull the fillets off the bones for an easy pasta or rice add-in or sandwich-stuffer. Spaniards often serve sardines in escabeche as a tapa alongside a pile of well-salted potato chips and a cold caña (half-pint). Get the recipe >

Menestra de Verduras

Menestra—Spain’s vegetable medley flavored with jamón, white wine, and abundant olive oil—will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about boiled vegetables, as this recipe goes to show. Get the recipe >

Smoky Spanish Green Beans with Garlic and Jamón

You won’t find this homestyle Spanish dish on trendy tapas menus, but there’s a reason it’s a generations-old favorite. Caramelized garlic and crisped niblets of jamón are tossed with boiled beans to make a vegetable side that’s anything but boring. Get the recipe >

One-Pot Manchego Mac and Cheese with Pimentón Breadcrumbs

It doesn’t get more satisfying than a bowl of this creamy mac and cheese made with sharp manchego and smoky Spanish paprika. Get the recipe >

The post 21 Spanish Recipes Every Cook Should Know appeared first on Saveur.

Spain gets lots of attention in the food world, but there’s plenty of room on the Iberian Peninsula for two culinary powerhouses. As Portugal becomes an increasingly popular vacation spot—welcoming a whopping 30 million visitors in 2023 (a 300 percent rise over 10 years)—the cuisine is finally getting its due. The cuisines of Portugal and Spain are similar: Both are pork heavy and rely on a bounty of fresh seafood—no surprise, given Iberia’s endless coastline. Saffron, fresh herbs, garlic, and citrus are culinary throughlines uniting the countries. But there are plenty of differences, too, such as Portugal’s national obsession with bacalhau (salt cod), penchant for soupy rice dishes, and more expansive pastry tradition.

From cod-and-potato classics to immigrant-influenced crab curry, these are our best Portuguese recipes.

Pastéis de Bacalhau (Cod Cakes)

Portugal is known for its dizzying array of salt cod dishes, but this recipe for crispy cod cakes from Pica-Pau restaurant is Lisbon on a plate. We like shaping them in advance and frying them up just as guests are arriving. Get the recipe >

Portuguese Seafood Stew

Plump, tender mussels and flaky white fish simmer in a garlicky tomato broth in this Portuguese American favorite. Riffs on caldeirada, a fish stew beloved in the Old Country, are perennially popular across seafood-loving New England. Get the recipe >

Tomato and Octopus Rice

Octopus is a popular protein throughout Portugal—served grilled, braised, boiled, and umpteen other ways—but it’s especially wonderful in rice dishes. One of the best Portuguese recipes one can eat is this cozy, tomatoey seafood rice comes to us from winemaker Joana Santiago. Get the recipe >

Bacalao a Monção (Salt Cod with Port, Onions, and Olives)

This homestyle salt cod recipe is typical to Monção e Melgaço, a subregion of Vinho Verde in Portugal’s verdant north. The richly sauced, savory fish pairs nicely with the local alvarinho wines; if you can’t find one where you are, a slatey Spanish albariño will also do the trick. Get the recipe >

Pudim Abade de Priscos (Portuguese Ham Pudding)

This lush flan-like dessert gets its mellow savory notes from a surprising ingredient: smoked presunto ham. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it! Get the recipe >

Foda à Moda de Monção

A hefty lamb roast wrapped in bacon and served with saffron rice, foda à moda de Monção is a show-stopping centerpiece hailing from northern Portugal. It’s traditionally cooked in a wood-fired oven in a “torto” terracotta pot, but a Dutch oven works just fine. Get the recipe >

Caldo Verde (Potato and Greens Soup with Chouriço)

This simple, soothing soup recipe comes to us from Lisbon resident Olivia Ferreira, who adds plenty of chouriço sausage, available online from the domestic brand Michael’s. Crusty papo secos, or Portuguese rolls, make the perfect accompaniment. Get the recipe >

Chickpea Fritters with Coconut Chutney

The menu at the tiny, brightly colored Jesus é Goês restaurant in Lisbon is filled with Goan dishes like these fritters that pop with traditional Indian spices and ingredients. The pillowy, onion-flecked bites are served with a pungent chutney made with cilantro, tamarind, chile, turmeric, and freshly grated coconut, but any sweet-and-sour dipping sauce will do in a pinch. Get the recipe >

Sopa de Tomate (Tomato Soup with Poached Eggs)

The combination of tomatoes, eggs, bacon, and chouriço works its magic in this satisfying stew best served with thick slices of country bread. Get the recipe >

Feijoada de Lulas (Squid, Bean, and Sausage Stew)

This dish from Taberna da Rua das Flores in Lisbon is a lighter, seafood-centric variation on Brazil’s gut-busting stew of black beans and meats. Get the recipe >

Braised Bass and Clams in White Wine and Cream

Reminiscent of fish chowder, this stew brings sea bass and clams together in a fragrant broth enriched with cream. The recipe is adapted from Cimas, a legendary restaurant in Estoril opened in the 1950s by a Scottish spy. Get the recipe >

Portuguese Salted Cod, Egg, and Potato Baked Casserole

Olive oil-slicked potato slices, chopped hard-boiled eggs, and flaked salt cod make this casserole one of the best Portuguese recipes we can think of—at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Get the recipe >

Porco à Alentejana (Braised Pork and Clams)

This surf-and-turf stew brings together littleneck clams and medallions of pork tenderloin in a rich wine sauce. Get the recipe >

Caranguejo e Coco (Mozambican Coconut Crab Curry)

Mozambique was a Portuguese colony for nearly five centuries. At Cantinho do Aziz in Lisbon, Khalid Aziz draws crowds with Mozambican dishes that honor his family’s heritage, like this take on a traditional crab curry. Get the recipe >

Salada de Bacalhau a Grão-de-Bico (Salt Cod, Chickpea, and Egg Salad)

Petiscos are Portuguese tapas, and this light bite from Alentejo is a bracing, vinegary toss of salt cod, chickpeas, and hard-boiled eggs. Get the recipe >

The post 15 Portuguese Recipes to Liven Up Your Meals appeared first on Saveur.

Scotch bonnet, thyme, allspice, scallions—these are the building blocks of Jamaican cuisine, whether in a rub for jerk chicken or in the juicy filling for beef patties. Our most popular Jamaican recipes, which include tried-and-true classics like ackee and saltfish and rice and peas, exemplify the breadth and vibrancy of the Caribbean island’s cooking. Grab a pair of latex gloves (for seeding those chiles!) and get chopping—you’ll want to cook your way through this flavorful list.

Escovitch Fish

An essential dish on festive tables across Jamaica, escovitch fish calls for topping a whole fried red snapper with lightly pickled vegetables. It’s often enjoyed with steamed rice, sliced avocado, and fried banana. The recipe comes to us from writer and activist Lelani Lewis’ debut cookbook, Code Noir: Afro-Caribbean Stories and Recipes. Get the recipe >

Rice and Peas

When chef Sarah Thompson was growing up, summer visits to her grandmother Gloria’s house were synonymous with Jamaican feasts of curried goat, brown-stew chicken, and callaloo cooked down with onions and peppers. “But it was the rice and peas that carried the whole plate for me,” says Thompson. “Fragrant rice with full stems of thyme and whole peppercorns, all dotted with little round brown peas that gave way perfectly as you bit into them.” This recipe comes close to Gloria’s original. Get the recipe >

Ital Vegan Meatballs

Whether slathered in marinara or dunked in homemade barbecue sauce, these savory plant-based bites are beloved in many Rastafari homes. Get the recipe >

Ackee and Saltfish

Ackee, Jamaica’s national fruit, was brought to the island from Africa and is in the same family as the lychee. In this quintessential Jamaican dish combining salt cod and cooked-down peppers and onions, the ackee’s mild nuttiness brings everything together. Get the recipe >

Curry Chicken

Jamaican curry chicken is a popular breakfast at Kingston cafes, but we love it as a one-pot main. It’s heady with allspice and rich with coconut milk, and the gorgeous yellow-orange color from the Jamaican curry powder pops on the plate. Get the recipe >

Scotch Bonnet Hot Sauce

Honey, coconut vinegar, and sweet fresh mango temper the peppery heat in this vibrant Caribbean condiment that’s great with grilled meats and fish. Get the recipe >

Jerk Chicken

The key to jerk chicken that tastes like it does in Jamaica is to use pimento wood and make sure your meat gets those dark, crusty edges. This recipe, adapted from Jamaican cookbook authors Michelle and Suzanne Rousseau, will teach you how it’s done step by step, whether you’re working with a grill or oven. Get the recipe >

Beef Patties

The crescent-shaped patty is the number-one fast-food item in Jamaica. Its flaky crust, made with beef suet, encloses Scotch-bonnet laced ground beef, herbs, and seasonings. Our beginner’s guide to patty-making makes the process an enjoyable afternoon project. Get the recipe >

Sorrel

Not to be confused with the tart leafy green that goes by the same name, sorrel is what Jamaicans call hibiscus. Here, the sepals of the deep pink flowers are steeped with soul-warming spices and sugar to make a heady, floral beverage. Get the recipe >

Christmas Cake

This recipe comes to us from Jamaican food writer Vaughn Stafford Gray, who adapted it from his mother Cylda’s beloved 50-year-old formula. It is award-winning, steeped in history, and beloved by the writer’s family and friends. The use of sultanas, cassis, and Jamaican fortified wine lends the cake its exceptional flavor. Get the recipe >

Jerk Chicken Wings

Traditionally grilled outdoors, these assertively spiced wings get the inside treatment in this recipe, which relies on a slow cooker or Instant Pot. We love them served hot alongside coleslaw and fried plantains. Get the recipe >

Curried Green Mangoes

Curries made with unripe or under-ripe mangoes are popular in Jamaica. This vegan and gluten-free version can be served as a condiment, side, or even the main event alongside fluffy basmati rice or warm roti. Get the recipe >

Spaghetti with Shrimp Rundown Sauce

Rundown is a coconut milk-based Jamaican stew popular throughout the Caribbean. Traditionally made with mackerel or whatever is plentiful at the fish market, the term refers to the technique of boiling down the coconut broth until it is concentrated—and the fish cooked in it is crumbly, soft, and “run down.” At Compère Lapin in New Orleans, chef Nina Compton makes this version with a stock of shrimp, crawfish, or crab shells, then uses the bisque-like sauce to dress fresh pasta. Get the recipe >

Sweet Potato Pone

This cozy Caribbean cake, which comes together in a blender, is intoxicatingly fragrant with cinnamon, ginger, and coconut. A light custard poured on top during baking adds a sweet final flourish. Get the recipe >

Jerk Pork

The trick to imbuing this recipe with as much smoky flavor as possible—without turning on the grill—is to toast the whole spices in a dry, heavy skillet until fragrant before adding them to the marinade. Get the recipe >

Fricasee Chicken

Somewhere between grilled jerk and fried chicken, this recipe shallow-fries the bird, then simmers it with caramelized aromatics until sticky and spicy-sweet. Get the recipe >

Braised Oxtail with Butter Beans

Oxtail, cut from the tail of the cow, is a notoriously tough cut of meat, but with enough time and patience, it becomes meltingly tender and flavorful. We love serving it over rice and peas, which soak up the flavorful, mahogany-dark gravy. Get the recipe >

Pepper Pot Soup

This classic vegetarian soup is made with callaloo, a spinach-like green that can be found canned or fresh in Caribbean groceries. For a kick of heat, sprinkle each serving with thinly sliced Scotch bonnet peppers. Get the recipe >

Banana Fritters with Cinnamon Sugar and Rum

Tho​​se overripe bananas languishing on your counter are perfect for making these cozy silver-dollar-size fritters that have a pleasing boozy kick. Get the recipe >

Rosemary Jerk Lamb Chops

Allspice, rosemary, and soy sauce play surprisingly well together in these lollipop-like lamb chops with gorgeous grill marks. Get the recipe >

The post Our 20 Most Popular Jamaican Recipes appeared first on Saveur.

Around the world, the celebratory dishes atop Lunar New Year feast tables are as symbolic as they are sumptuous. Long noodles signify longevity, chewy rice balls stuffed with sugary paste represent sweetness, and whole fish foreshadows abundance in the year ahead. Though often called Chinese New Year for its connection to the Chinese lunisolar calendar, Lunar New Year is a lively, joy-filled celebration across much of Asia, including Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. This year, ring in the Year of the Dragon with a spread of global dishes—from crackly chả giò and chewy tteokguk, to fluffy fa gao and flaky pineapple tarts—to usher in prosperity and good fortune in the year ahead.

Chả Giò (Fried Spring Rolls)

At just about any festive occasion in Vietnam, you can bet fried spring rolls will make an appearance on the feast table. Known regionally as chả giò or nem rán, the snack is best dipped into nước chấm, the sweet-sour Vietnamese condiment. Get the recipe >

Yu Sheng (Prosperity Toss Salad)

Break out those chopsticks for a generous platter of yu sheng, or yee sang, aka prosperity toss salad. Make the recipe chef Alex Au-Yeung serves at Phat Eatery in Katy, Texas, then gather friends and family around the table to mix the Malaysian and Singaporean staple together. The higher it’s tossed, the more blessings the new year will bring. (See Au-Yeung make the dish here.) Get the recipe >

Tteokguk (Korean Rice Cake Soup)

Cook thin oval-shaped tteok, or rice cakes, in a savory anchovy broth to make what Junghyun Park and Jungyoon Choi call “one of the most significant dishes in Korean tradition.” Eaten on the first day of the new year as a tribute to ancestors, the soothing soup showcases tteok at their toothsome best. Get the recipe >

Fried Sesame Balls with Sweet Red Bean Filling

Crispy sweet rice balls filled with red bean paste and rolled in sesame seeds are a mainstay at Chinese bakeries and dim-sum restaurants, but they’re particularly auspicious as a Lunar New Year treat—round foods symbolize not only the moon, but also family togetherness. Cookbook author Kristina Cho’s recipe delivers a satisfying bite that’s crisp and crackly on the outside, and tender and chewy on the inside. Get the recipe >

Chao Niangao (Stir-Fried Rice Cakes) 

In many cultures, rice cakes are symbolic of a prosperous new year, so all shapes and sizes show up at holiday gatherings. This enticing stir-fried version—a spin on a Shanghai classic—amps up the flavor with a dollop of doubanjiang, the Chinese fermented soybean paste. Get the recipe >

Lumpia (Fried Spring Rolls)

Crispy fried wrappers envelop a delectable pork filling in these Filipino spring rolls, a party favorite in the Philippines and among the diaspora. Chef Dale Talde serves his version with sawsawan, a vinegar-and-soy-sauce mixture laced with raw garlic and fiery chiles. Get the recipe >

Yuanxiao (Sweet Rice Balls with Nut and Sesame Seed Filling) 

Chewy dough encases a rich, earthy paste made from nuts and sesame seeds in this Chinese snack symbolizing family reunion. Families boil them to celebrate Yuanxiao Jie, also known as the Lantern Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the lunar month and marks the end of the two-week new-year festivities. Make this version from Buwei Yang Chao’s 1945 cookbook to enjoy while admiring the full moon. Get the recipe >

Fa Gao (Steamed Cupcakes)

Sometimes called prosperity cake, fa gao is a beloved Chinese Lunar New Year treat that’s extra pretty to boot. When steamed, the tops of the cakes blossom into a flower-like pattern. In this recipe from Kristina Cho, the cookbook author lets us in on her grandmother’s clever shortcut: Bisquick, which ensures perfectly split tops and a satisfyingly soft, fluffy texture. Get the recipe >

Pork and Chive Dumplings

Wrap, pleat, and boil a pot of dumplings—a symbol of wealth and prosperousness in China because of their resemblance to gold ingots—to invite good fortune in the year ahead. Pork and chives make a classic savory pairing, so fold a little extra to freeze and enjoy in the new year whenever a craving strikes. Get the recipe >

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Invite good health and longevity with steaming bowls of red-braised beef noodle soup enriched with soy sauce, ginger, and scallions. This recipe from a Taipei noodle shop calls for simmering the protein for a few hours, yielding fall-apart-tender meat. Get the recipe >

Fish Sauce-Pickled Radishes

For special occasions like the new year, Vietnamese families often pickle radishes in nước chấm rather than the usual brine. The flavorful liquid imparts a depth of flavor that cuts through the richness of opulent celebratory dishes. Get the recipe >

Pineapple Tarts

Food blogger Yi Jun Loh’s pineapple tart recipe transforms the tropical fruit into a spiced, marmalade-esque filling, then encases the jammy mixture in rich, buttery pastry. The two-bite delights—popular in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia when the Lunar New Year rolls around—are perfect for hosting, gifting, and snacking. Get the recipe >

Thit Kho (Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly with Eggs)

This hearty dish of caramelized, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly gets its irresistible savoriness from fish sauce and Coco Rico, a mild, coconut-flavored soda from Puerto Rico that’s common in Vietnamese cooking. Get the recipe >

Whole Steamed Fish with Tangerine Peel and Fennel

Bright citrus and peppery fennel enliven flaky steamed fish in this elegant banquet-table centerpiece. Follow Chinese tradition and save some leftovers for the following day as a symbol of bringing surplus into the new year. Get the recipe >

Japchae (Stir-Fried Glass Noodles)

Toss slippery sweet potato noodles with soy sauce, crunchy veg, and tender, juicy beef to make this crowd-pleasing Korean party dish. At any celebration of Seollal (as Lunar New Year is called in Korea), a heaping bowl is bound to be on the table. Get the recipe >

Chinese Lion’s Head Meatballs

Named for their impressive size, these juicy Chinese meatballs make a show-stopping addition to any festive feast. The trick to achieving their signature tender, bouncy texture? Stirring the pork mixture for at least five minutes, to thoroughly distribute fat and flavor. Get the recipe >

Spicy Beef Potstickers

Enhance ground beef with chili oil for a spicy take on a Lunar New Year classic. These pan-fried dumplings are a beaut: a flour-vinegar slurry added near the end of the frying process creates a beautifully crispy “skirt” that holds the potstickers together. Get the recipe >

Whole Grilled Fish with Vietnamese Peanut Pesto

For a whole-fish presentation with rich, nutty flavor and smoky flair, try this grilled, Vietnamese-inspired version from Houston chef Chris Shepherd. The peanut pesto smearing the fish hits all the flavor notes: umami from the fish sauce, caramelly sweetness from the brown sugar, and brightness from the lime juice. Get the recipe >

Tian Tian Chao Mian (Chinese Everyday Fried Noodles)

This stir-fried recipe calls for layering ingredients like dark soy sauce and sugar to concoct a concentrated, salty-sweet sauce that clings beautifully to noodles. Fresh mix-ins like cucumber and carrot add cheery color and satisfying crunch. Get the recipe >

Hong Shao Rou (Chinese Red-Braised Pork Belly with Eggs)

Red-braised pork belly is homestyle Chinese comfort food, with two types of soy sauce and a touch of sugar giving the beloved dish its signature glossiness and deep red-brown hue. In this version from cookbook author Fuchsia Dunlop, boiled eggs make the ideal vehicle for soaking up the savory sauce. Get the recipe >

Beef Rendang

A stick-to-your-ribs Indonesian staple, this succulent number calls for slowly simmering beef in a rich coconutty sauce seasoned with aromatic lemongrass and makrut lime leaves. Serve it alongside steamed white rice to absorb the velvety gravy. Get the recipe >

Bò Kho (Vietnamese-Style Beef Stew with Lemongrass, Ginger, and Garlic)

Tender short ribs and collagen-rich oxtail form the bedrock of this beefy, herbaceous Vietnamese stew. Fistfuls of cilantro and Thai basil enhance the dish with grassy aroma and brightness, while red onions and scallions add a peppery punch. Get the recipe >

Galbi Jjim (Braised Short Ribs)

Sohui Kim, chef of Brooklyn restaurant Gage & Tollner, weaves a thread of French technique into her Korean galbi jjim recipe: she incorporates both red wine and soy sauce into the braise for extra depth of flavor and East-meets-West oomph. Get the recipe >

Braised Winter Squash with Fermented Black Beans

Any feast full of rich fare needs some lighter options in the lineup for balance—like this flavorful, winter-friendly option from cookbook author Hannah Che. Her recipe utilizes the Chinese smother-braising technique—similar to red-braising—to soften squash to a luxuriously buttery texture. Get the recipe >

Stir-Fried Choy Sum with Garlic Sauce

It takes just five minutes to turn choy sum (or any other leafy green, like baby bok choy) into a garlicky, show-stealing side. Slightly bitter vegetables beautifully counterbalance any heartier dishes that might be on your banquet table. Get the recipe >

Nian Gao (Chinese Sticky Rice Cake) 

Steamed sweet rice dough flavored with brown sugar and almond extract makes a luck-filled Chinese Lunar New Year treat (nian gao is a homophone for “higher every year”). A sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds and an optional smattering of red dates elevates the treat to show-stopper territory. Get the recipe >

Sliced Pork Belly with Garlic Sauce

Dress tender poached pork belly with garlic, chili oil, and Taiwanese soy paste for a delicately salty-sweet dish straight from the island’s vibrant beer halls. Get the recipe >

Chinese Salt-Baked Chicken with Congee and Pickled Mustard Greens

A whole chicken represents prosperity, so make this oven-baked Hainan-style version that calls for coating a bird generously in salt—resulting in even cooking and extra-moist meat. Get the recipe >

Lo Bak Go (Pan-Fried Turnip Cake)

Rice flour and grated daikon studded with lap cheong sausages are a perennially popular dim-sum order, and they make a welcome addition to any holiday feast. Serve the crisp-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside snack with spicy hoisin sauce for a fiery kick. Get the recipe >

The post Our Best Lunar New Year Recipes for an Auspicious Feast appeared first on Saveur.