Traditional falafel relies on dried chickpeas soaked overnight, ground raw, and fried hot and fast. When time doesn’t allow for soaking, canned chickpeas can still deliver satisfying falafel if the recipe is adjusted for their higher moisture and softer structure.
Category: Eat
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Sheet Pan Chicken Al Pastor
There’s something deeply satisfying about bringing a dish like al pastor into your own kitchen, especially when you can recreate its bold, layered flavor without needing a vertical spit or your own taco truck. This sheet pan chicken al pastor is built for exactly that: big, vibrant flavor with a process that actually fits into real life. It’s equally at home tucked into tacos, wrapped into burritos, or piled into a bowl.
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Lemon-Tarragon Shrimp Scampi with Orzo
This recipe came from the April 2025 issue of Food and Wine, a particularly good issue for fast weeknight meals. We’ve made this one so many times now!
When you’re just starting out as a home bartender, it’s tempting to pour everything into the same tumbler or wine glass. And while the liquid itself is what matters most, the glass you choose plays a surprisingly big role in how a cocktail looks, tastes, and feels. The right glass isn’t just about aesthetics. It helps showcase the drink’s aroma, maintain its temperature, and even influence how you sip it.
In this guide, I’ll explore the most common types of cocktail glasses, what they look like, the drinks they’re best for, and even some fun back stories. Along the way, I’ll share practical advice for home bartenders who may be working with limited space or budget.
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How to Make a Classic Manhattan Cocktail
There’s something about a Manhattan that never goes out of style. It’s bold but refined, balanced yet bracing. It’s as at home at a refined bar as it is served with a smash burger. Whether you’re pouring one to end a long day or serving them up to impress dinner guests, this classic three-ingredient cocktail brings warmth and polish in equal measure.
When your garden hands you a bounty of tomatoes, zucchini, and herbs—grill a swordfish.
There’s something deeply satisfying about a summer dinner that pulls straight from your garden or farmers market haul. This recipe does just that: thick, meaty swordfish steaks meet a medley of roasted tomatoes, zucchini, and okra, all tossed with herbs and piled over a simple lemony quinoa. It’s bright, savory, and easy enough for a weeknight but elegant enough for company.
This version features purple bumble bee and sungold tomatoes from my garden—both packed with sweet acidity and incredible color—but any cherry tomatoes will work beautifully. The candle fire okra (also from my garden) adds a striking visual touch and a light, crisp texture that even okra skeptics can get behind.
There’s something deeply satisfying about pulling a homemade pizza from a blistering hot oven, especially when it’s topped with ingredients from your own garden. This Margherita pizza is what summer cooking is all about—simple, rustic, and wildly flavorful. I used fresh San Marzano tomatoes, just picked, for the sauce. If you’ve never made your own pizza sauce with sun-ripened tomatoes, you’re in for a treat.
Of course, you don’t have to have a tomato garden to make this work. Canned San Marzanos are a fine (and frankly, excellent) option—just don’t skip the step where you crush them by hand or with a quick pulse in a food processor. More on that below.
Summer tomatoes don’t need much help to shine, but when you’ve got fresh halibut and a few ears of sweet corn lying around, it’s hard not to get inspired. This recipe is one of those perfect August dinners: light but satisfying, simple enough for a weeknight, and impressive enough to serve when someone brings wine over. The corn gets a little charred in a skillet (or on the grill if you’re already out there), and the heirloom tomatoes bring that juicy acidity that balances everything out. The brown rice pilaf? It’s upgraded with lime zest, scallions, and toasted pepitas for a subtle nutty crunch that plays well with the salsa and fish.
I ran across this amazing stonefruit salad in the July 2025 issue of Food & Wine, which used plums for the salad, but I’ve made it now many times with plums, plumcots, and peaches and it’s amazing.
Featuring Elderflower Tonic and Rangpur Lime Gin
Few cocktails are as effortlessly elegant—or as endlessly customizable—as the Gin and Tonic. Its simple foundation of gin, tonic water, and a wedge of citrus belies its incredible versatility. But every once in a while, the right combination of ingredients elevates the ordinary into the extraordinary.
That’s exactly what happens when you bring together Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic and Tanqueray Rangpur Lime Gin. The elderflower adds a delicate floral sweetness, while the Rangpur lime lends a zesty citrus backbone that’s brighter than your standard London Dry. The result? A gin and tonic that feels like late spring in a glass.