I credit Nancy Silverton with my recent decision that an oozing patty of crisp goat cheese is a completely acceptable dinner. Especially when you lay it on a bed of green lentils sauteed in garlic and fresh spinach leaves. French green lentils—which hold their shape well when cooked, resisting mushiness—are a high-protein healthy component that help counteract the decadence. More

[Photograph: Ben Fink] Chocolate Turtles are some of the sweetest Valentine's Day candy out there. I mean, who can resist little blobs of caramel, chocolate, and nut that resemble adorable reptiles? With a few basic candy making techniques from Chocolates... More

When the lovely apple-packed and cinnamon-scented muffins emerged from my oven, I was struck by their pliant texture. They had a resilience that made every muffin come out of the tin in a bouncy little round. More

My wife and I spent the last week moving across the country in a big yellow truck from Brooklyn to Bucktown, Chicago, and along the way we relied on the kindness of friends and relatives for meals and places to... More

I've become a little obsessed with the dried pasta brand Rustichella d'Abruzzo. Though it costs two to three times more than normal brands, it makes every pasta dish I attempt taste better. Pasta sauces impractically cling to its rough, delicious... More

Editor's note: On Thursdays, Babbo pastry chef Gina DePalma checks in with Seriously Italian. After a stint in Rome, she's back in the States, channeling her inner Italian spirit via recipes and intel on delicious Italian eats. Take it away, Gina! Any serious student of Italian cuisine understands the relationship that Italians have with leafy greens. I can’t remember an evening meal, with my family or when I lived in Italy, without a pile of garlicky greens on the side; it could be dandelion, swiss chard, escarole, chicory, or my very favorite, spinach. Spinach in Italy is beautiful: deep green, with an almost velvety appearance, and a distinctive, mineral-rich flavor. It only needs a minimalist approach to make it completely... More

Flaky, buttery chocolate croissants take the form of muffins, and are flavored like cinnamon buns, replete with crunchy toasted walnuts, cinnamon sugar, and, of course, the requisite frosting, made rich and tangy with a dollop of crème fraîche. More

All summer long when I'm baking like a Thanksgiving turkey in the New York City heat, I'm praying for fall--for my birthday, for the turkey to roast instead of me, for the crisp air blowing the season's crisp leaves. From... More

Editor's note: On Thursdays, Babbo pastry chef Gina DePalma checks in with Seriously Italian. After a stint in Rome, she's back in the States, channeling her inner Italian spirit via recipes and intel on delicious Italian eats. Take it away,... More

Photograph from truth82 on Flickr I've saved Joy Manning and Tara Mataraza Desmond's gnocchi with lamb ragu for Friday, because I think it'll make a great weekend project. Properly-made gnocchi are a joy both to roll and to eat, and... More

Photograph from jslander on Flickr In Scharffen Berger's The Essence of Chocolate, this mascarpone-and-chocolate-stuffed French toast is described as an "upgraded" version of the classic breakfast dish. It's much simpler than other stuffed French toast recipes, which call for making... More

Most of the recipes I see for winter squash use it in casseroles and puréed soups, but when I picked one up recently I was looking for something simpler--something that would showcase the ingredient all on its own. I was... More

Editor's note: Philadelphia food writers Joy Manning and Tara Mataraza Desmond drop by each week with Meat Lite, which celebrates meat in moderation. Meat Lite was inspired by the book coauthored by the two, Almost Meatless, due out in spring.... More