101 Cookbooks

Cooking polenta in modern times doesn’t have much in common with the way it was prepared for centuries in the regions that now make up Northern Italy. Polenta was traditionally cooked on a grand scale in copper cauldrons over open fire. There was a lot of stirring, ladling, and creative, resourceful uses of leftovers. Historically it was considered one of the humblest foods a...

Knowing how to roast vegetables well is a power move. It’s a single technique that can be deployed across an impressive range of vegetables turning them into platters of food that is simple, unfussy, and just plain good.

You can use this basic technique for a wide range of vegetables – potatoes, beets, broccoli, ...

I know a lot of people make vegetable pot pies with store-bought puff pastry, but over the years I’ve come to believe a homemade pie crust is, by far, the superior way to go. It makes the whole pot pie endeavor worth it. These pies are rustic and creamy, often lovingly constructed. A great pie crust lends butter-kissed backbone and structure. A flaky, decadent counterpoint to...

I roast vegetables constantly. In part because of how easy it is, but also because I love how the technique makes everything super tender, golden, and crisp-edged. My go-to move is a quick toss with olive oil, salt, and often some nutritional yeast. Other times I go for something a bit more special, like today’s recipe. These are the kind of roasted potatoes to bake ...