Adapted from The Art of Simple Food. [Photograph: Blake Royer] About the author: Blake Royer is a food writer, photographer, and filmmaker based in Chicago; he has been writing for Serious Eats since 2007. You can follow him on Twitter... More

The end result is a soup that's as fortifying as the best chicken noodle, but with a bit of kick from its sour/sweet/pungent flavor profile. With nothing but a single burner, a chicken, and a few vegetables, you can pull together a good soup in about an hour. The first key is to make extracting flavor and gelatin from the chicken bones as easy as possible. This means chopping the carcass into very fine pieces. More

As if this wasn't enough, the toddy is engagingly flexible: While most people prefer theirs with a good dose of Scotch (this is one of the few mixed drinks where a single-malt is not only appropriate but desirable), a nice Irish whiskey works well; bourbon and rye can also do a suitable job, and a toddy made with a good dark rum has a special kind of appeal. More

Perfectly ripe figs are so jewel-like on their own that they hardly need any embellishment to make a perfect dessert. But run them under the broiler with a touch of vanilla and honey, and you'll take fig perfection to a whole new level in ten minutes or less. More

A quick and soothing soup with egg whites and ground meat, flavored with cliantro and soy. A Chinese classic. More

Spicy, fresh, and aromatic, this fresh puttanesca sauce, made from fresh cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, chilies, oregano, and lemon, flavors a gorgeous stew of jumbo tomatoes. A light take on a classic that's a perfect after-work dinner for two. More

[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt] For the four weeks between January 14th and February 11th, I'm adopting a completely vegan lifestyle. Every weekday I'll be updating my progress with a diary entry and a recipe. For past posts, check here! About... More

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As a half-Japanese kid in the '80s, I grew up eating instant ramen at least once a week, and it still holds a special place in my gut. That said, my tastes have changed and expanded considerably over the years, and sometimes that little flavoring packet just isn't enough. As such, I've spent a lot of time devising ways to upgrade my ramen in cheap, easy ways. Ghetto gourmet, if you will. More

I found the recipe in Lourdes Castro's Simply Mexican—it turned out to be one of the tastiest dishes I've made in weeks. The smoky charred chiles were the perfect vessel for the filling, adding just enough spice to make your lips tingle. Instead of heavy and fatty, the corn adds natural sweetness to balance out the dairy. All told, if you're looking for an intro chile relleno recipe, this is an excellent place to start. More

Shrimp toast, already one of the greatest gifts to the world's taste buds, receives a perhaps unnecessary, but much appreciated, additional boost from chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo (of Animal) at their new L.A. seafood-centric Son of a Gun. The two dudes take the classic shrimp toast and sandwichize it, slapping gorgeous hunks of tender shrimp between slices of crackly, buttery grilled toast. More

[Flickr: svanes] After a beautifully written introduction by Ruth Reichl, Gourmet Today starts out, as most good things do, with cocktails. Cocktails are a great way to start a meal and as it turns out, to start a book too.... More

But don't for one moment confuse these with a savory breakfast biscuit--they very much maintain the structure, taste, and crumb of a cookie. These simultaneously sweet, salty, and citrusy cookies won't be for everyone, but they certainly are an intriguing link in the bacon-baked good puzzle. More