The first time I smashed a tiny pillow of glutenous dough across the tines of a fork, I felt silly and overjoyed and wondered what the hell I had signed up for.

My grandmother didn’t invent these pancakes, but to us (her grandchildren), they are her. The ritual of making pancakes turns breakfast into a continuous, joyous loop of making and waiting and eating in the kitchen.

Forged in early kitchens across Southeast Louisiana, gumbo is as storied and diverse as the Cajun and Creole people who created it. My grandparents made it every New Year’s Eve and for me, it has become synonymous with my birthday!

Lasagna is a team sport. It may as well have 400 steps, but the point is participation and celebration. Everybody wins because, well, it’s a really good party and probably the best lasagna you’ll ever make.

It’s stew-ier than a soup, and soupier than a stew. Caramelized onion, poblano, garlic, and anchovy form a slightly spicy, savory base for this quick stew (made even quicker with canned beans).

Thin slices of mildly spicy radish hide between delicate bittersweet grapefruit, arugula, and lush mint. Once you get the hang of balancing texture and flavor, almost anything can become a great salad.

Inspired by the impossibly thinly shredded cabbage traditionally served with Japanese tonkatsu (pork cutlets), this slaw incorporates deeply savory soy sauce, nori, tahini, and rice vinegar with pistachio.

There is nothing barbecue about these shrimp - no grill, no charcoal, and no smoke. They turn a bright orange-pink at the last minute as they soak up an intense lemon, garlic, chili broth.

Potato salad cannot deny its European origins by way of Germany (hello mustard and vinegar-y pickles). Lemon and Greek yogurt lighten this up a bit as do generous amounts of green onion and dill.

Somewhere between a nut butter and a Caesar dressing - this glossy girl transforms salads, roasts, and pasta into tangy, savory knockouts.

Ample olive oil, salt, and high heat will make any vegetable tell its secrets, i.e. incredible flavor, color, and complexity. Beet and radish are no exception.

This versatile, middle-Eastern staple is something I have worked at perfecting for a very long time. The secret is in the lid of your food processor …

This salad is addictive - double the recipe. I promise you will be glad you did. Simple fresh ingredients are key to making this delicious summertime specialty.

Raw, young sweet corn is so delicious and worth the time to cut from the cob. Acidity and bite from pepperoncini and lime make a balanced summer treat.

Nothing warms up a cold night like homemade hot chocolate with a healthy dose of Bourbon.

It’s essentially a giant pancake, baked on top of plums and salted caramel, with a healthy shot of bourbon. It was an experiment, it was delicious, and I’m not mad about it.

Granny Smith never looked so good! Whatever you want to call it (pie, tart, galette, etc.), her sweet-tartness is balanced with tahini and soy.

When pie becomes a full meal, it is heart-breakingly beautiful and feels like a hug from your grandmother. Save this for the weekend or make it ahead.

Anything worth eating tastes better in a pie crust. Why not breakfast? Quiche relies on a rich onion jam that tastes so good it might never see the bottom of a pie crust.

Anyone can make a beautiful, sturdy, flaky crust and feel like a Michelin-star chef (at least until the pie is gone or your friends leave).