A simple Japanese-inspired vegan salad that can be assembled in under 15 minutes. Great for potlucks.

A tutorial on the basics you need to craft dozens of classic cocktails at home (less than you might think!)

Chlodnik is a cold Polish soup made with beets, buttermilk, radishes, cucumber and more... a delicious alternative if you're bored with gazpacho!

Buttermilk-sweet corn ice cream is excellent paired with a fresh berry sauce, or berry pie or cobbler.

Authentic Breton buckwheat crêpes with ham, egg & cheese, made for me by a French houseguest. His recipe uses beer in the batter instead of milk.

Chorizo & potatoes in a garlicky, sherry-spiked broth, and some thoughts on "having time" to cook during the week.

Buckwheat galettes (crêpes) are one of the easiest types of French food to make, and can be filled with just about anything you have on hand. These have a creamy leek and ham filling, with some leftover asparagus thrown in for good measure.

Steak & Mushroom Pie (aka "pudding") with Stout- made for the April Daring Bakers challenge.

If you've never made Vietnamese food, this is an easy and delicious recipe to start with. Based on a duck & cabbage salad at a restaurant I go to, but you can make it with chicken for weeknight fare.

The dark color of this rich soup comes from deeply caramelized onions. The unexpected flavor of cumin adds another layer of flavor.

Bacon-wrapped venison meatloaf with a tangy brown sugar-ketchup glaze (recipe gives instructions for beef as well)

Acorn squash with an Indian spice blend, and a review of Modern Spice by Monica Bhide

Caldo Tlalpeño- brothy chicken, chickpea & chipotle soup garnished with avocado.

Madhur Jaffrey's Aloo Gosht, a curry dish from northern India & Pakistan. You can make this with lamb but I used goat which is more traditional.

This is an easy sorbet recipe that is vegan and doesn't require making a custard base.

Tarte Flambée, a sort of "pizza" with bacon, onions and crème fraîche, is a traditional dish in Alsace, where my relatives are from. It can be made in the oven or on the grill. I posted a recipe along with photos from my trip to Alsace.

What to do with lemon curd? Make this simple dessert of crêpes filled with lemon curd & toasted coconut (I also made lemon meringue tarts with a graham crust)

Think you hate cabbage? This slow-braised, melt-in-your-mouth cabbage may change your mind. And at 25¢ a serving, it's a recession-friendly addition to any holiday spread.

Don't let cold weather freak you out- just make some of this Beef & Freekeh Soup! A delicious slow-simmered soup from the Middle East with cardamom and cinnamon. More info on freekeh can be found on my blog.

Artisanal washed-rind cheese from Dancing Goat Creamery, where we recently took a cheesemaking class

Chocolate-covered mallow cookies, S'mores style (Daring Bakers July)

Pan-fried, pork-stuffed tofu squares on a bed of tomato sauce (recipe from "Into the Vietnamese Kitchen")

I made a few pounds of chicken bratwurst for my dad as a birthday gift- it was fun, and not as difficult as I thought!

Mediterranean chickpea salad- inspired by balela but with extra veggies for good measure