Confort

This fiery, minimalist salsa proves that even humble kitchen staples — like garlic powder and fresh jalapeños — can surprise you Simmered until tender, then mashed by hand or blended to a coarse purée, the chiles become the perfect backdrop for garlic powder, which deepens as it sits, taking on a warm, almost toasty edge you’d never get from raw garlic A short fermentation (if you let it) softens the salsa’s heat and introduces a subtle, tangy complexity (see Tip)

Inspired by traditional South Asian malai chicken, a warmly spiced, yogurt-marinated dish that’s usually tandoor-grilled or served as a creamy curry, this sheet-pan meal comes together in under an hour Here, the cream, or malai, is added just before serving, combining with lemon juice and water to create a silky, tangy sauce The yogurt marinade acts as a powerful tenderizer for the chicken, so  even a quick rest will enhance the flavors (if you have time for an overnight marinade, all the better)

Julia Turshen, the author of the cookbook “Small Victories” (Chronicle Books, 2016), cracked the code on turkey meatballs: Ricotta adds milky creaminess and acts as a binder Taking her lead, the first two steps of this recipe produce all-purpose turkey meatballs that are light in texture and rich in flavor, and the final step of basting the meatballs with an herb-and-garlic-infused butter turns them into a weekday luxury Eat with mashed or roasted potatoes or other root vegetables, polenta, whole grains, or a mustardy salad

When dining out or ordering in, a vegetarian pad Thai can be hard to come by, as fish sauce is often used to attain the signature salty, savory flavors of this popular dish While the complex umami of fish sauce can be difficult to replicate, this combination of lime juice, soy sauce, maple syrup, miso and tamarind creates a comparable sauce that effectively delivers pad Thai’s balance of sour, sweet and salty notes The seasoning sauce keeps well, too, so it can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days

You don’t need a thermometer to know when these chicken thighs are done You just need your ears In this recipe, chicken thighs are slow seared using a technique from the chef Paul Bertolli called “bottom-up cooking” where the chicken cooks almost entirely on the skin side over moderate heat, resulting in shatteringly crisp skin

Fans of garlic noodles and soy sauce noodles rejoice: Here is a new, weeknight-friendly noodle dish for your repertoire A staple Cantonese ingredient, thick and fragrant hoisin sauce is often used as a glaze for meat, but also serves as a robust, sweet and salty seasoning for these noodles The garlic is bloomed briefly in oil, which tames its pungency and unlocks a rich, nutty flavor

The key to achieving the signature sweet-smoky-salty flavor of Indonesian stir-fried noodles is to let the noodles cook, undisturbed, over high heat until you see small wisps of smoke Javanese sweet soy sauce, also known as kecap manis, can be very sweet, so giving it a good cook will bring just enough of a bitter edge to its sweetness If you’re making this dish for a crowd, don’t prepare more than two servings at a time, otherwise the noodles will crowd the pan and not brown properly, and you won’t get that smoky wok hei flavor

In this weeknight recipe, perfectly browned chicken breasts are smothered in a creamy spinach sauce that comes together with ease, all in one skillet The highlight of this recipe is the buttery white-wine sauce, which is enriched and thickened with a secret ingredient: cream cheese The sauce nicely coats the wilted spinach, though you can use sun-dried tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms or canned artichokes instead of, or in addition to, the spinach.  A side of mashed or roasted potatoes would round out this dish well, but some crusty bread to sop up every last bit is a must.

In this cozy, easy dinner, store-bought gnocchi, broccoli and little meatballs (made by pinching pieces of Italian sausage) roast together on a sheet pan When everything comes out of the oven bronzed and crisp, sprinkle it with Parmesan and stir: The heat from the sheet pan will help the cheese gloss the gnocchi Some lemon juice lightens the mix; for a little heat to balance the richness, use hot Italian sausage or a sprinkling of crushed red pepper.

This classic carrot cake recipe is not overly spiced, and it has texture from the grated carrots, shredded coconut, chopped nuts and raisins. Discover more ideas for the big day at NYT Cooking.

Lu rou fan—braised minced pork belly over rice—is a comforting and deeply flavorful Taiwanese classic. Traditionally, lu rou fan requires hours of simmering; this recipe from bestselling cookbook author Clarissa Wei reimagines it for a pressure cooker, making it possible to have dinner ready in half the time.

Baking fish and chips is not only easier and less messy than frying, but it also has the distinct advantage of allowing you to cook both fish and potatoes at the same time in your oven The key to getting the crunchiest fries is to cut them thin (leave the skin on for extra flavor) and spread them out in one layer onto a preheated sheet pan to jump-start the crisping (If you want to save a few minutes, start the potatoes in the oven while you prepare the fish.) We’ve paired this dish with a piquant horseradish tartar sauce, but ketchup works well, too, particularly for the grade-school set.

Crackly on top and fudgy yet tender in the center, this cake tastes like a complex restaurant dessert, but comes together effortlessly in one bowl Chocolate chips save you the messy step of chopping chocolate bars and deliver deep flavor along with cocoa powder If you don’t have a springform pan, a regular cake pan lined with foil all around makes it easy to lift out the delicate cake, which melts in your mouth when served warm or at room temperature

What's better than a roasted ham? A smoked, shredded ham! Take ham to new heights with this fun method and these hot thermal tips.

These garlicky, buttery noodles are perfect for when you need a stellar pantry meal lickety-split A packet of fresh or even instant ramen speeds up the meal prep and is ideal when cooking for one (see Tip) Honey and sherry vinegar round out gochujang’s deep heat into a mellowness that’s at once sweet, savory and tangy

These tender sour cream and chive biscuits have just the right amount of tang, with plenty of allium flavor from fresh chives and garlic powder.

In Trenton, New Jersey, mustard pie is a local favorite. It's exactly what it sounds like: a fantastic slice of NJ pizza with the zip and heat of spicy brown mustard spread just below the cheese. Here's how to make your own.

Originally created as a way to add flavor to roasted meats, chicken jalfrezi is a tangy, spicy stir-fried curry with origins in Bengal “Jalfrezi” translates to "hot fry," and the dish typically features meat coated in a thick tomato-based gravy — a defining characteristic of the Anglo-Indian version that became popular through British curry houses in the mid-20th century This recipe uses both Kashmiri chile powder and fresh serrano chiles to deliver its signature spicy kick.

Here is a hamburger you might find in taverns and bars, plump and juicy, with a thick char that gives way to tender, medium-rare meat It is best cooked in a heavy, cast-iron skillet slicked with oil or fat Ask a butcher for coarse-ground chuck steak, with at least a 20 percent fat content, or grind your own

This five-ingredient recipe transforms canned beans into a no-fuss, comforting meal that’s easy to whip together at the end of a long day The beans are doused in a creamy, garlic-infused sauce that’s inspired by Alfredo, and topped with crunchy garlic chips Choosing the right beans for this recipe might feel intimidating, but the most important thing to remember is texture

A Singaporean staple of moist chicken, aromatic rice, and tender bok choy, finished with chile garlic sauce and kecap manis.

Smothered in a supersavory gravy studded with pork belly, these chewy wheat noodles are South Korea’s cultural equivalent to delivery pizza in the United States Traditionally a takeout food, this variant of China’s zha jiang mian was created in Incheon, South Korea, by Chinese migrant workers around the turn of the 20th century Over the years, the dish has become sweeter and richer with pork to match Korean palates

Here's a radical notion: chicken potpie does not have to be filled with goopy white sauce, carrots and peas Traditional recipes are long on starch and richness, short on flavor This updated version is savory with chicken stock, herbs, and wine (no white sauce needed), easier to make, and still familiar

Chicken potpie, like so many other dishes, was a created as way to stretch chicken by encasing it in less expensive, more filling dough In restaurants, the dish has gone through something of a renaissance, but not many people make it at home, maybe because it seems like too much work This version is different, using a far simpler procedure

Raised as a Seventh Day Adventist and vegetarian in St Vincent and the Grenadines, the chef Rawlston Williams rarely got to eat stew chicken growing up, he said, but he did help cook this complexly flavored meal with friends — smitten even then with its scent Like many peasant dishes, Mr

In many Italian American households, Sunday means there’s red sauce simmering all day on the stove It might be called sauce, sugo or gravy, and surely every family makes it differently, but the result is always a tomato sauce rich with meat This recipe (which you can also make in a slow cooker) follows a classic route of using shreddy pork shoulder, Italian sausage and meatballs

This simple, lemon-scented olive oil cake is an elegant treat all by itself or topped with whipped cream, fruit or ice cream The olive oil contributes a pleasant fruity flavor while keeping the cake moister for longer than butter ever could Make sure your olive oil tastes delicious and fresh

A snack prized for their crunch and salt factor, chicharrones commonly involve fried pork skin You’ll find versions across Spain and Latin America where they might be crisped by methods that include deep-frying, baking or boiling This recipe uses long, 1-inch-wide pork belly strips that include the skin, fat and belly

For me, a chocolate cake is the basic unit of celebration The chocolate Guinness cake here is simple but deeply pleasurable, and has earned its place as a stand-alone treat.

This absurdly rich chocolate cake came to The Times in a 1991 article by Molly O’Neill about Ebinger’s, the legendary chain of Brooklyn bakeries that closed its doors in 1972 after 74 years in business Their wildly popular blackout cake, a three layer devil’s food cake filled with dark chocolate pudding, slathered with chocolate frosting and covered with chocolate cake crumbs, had a cult-like following in its day This recipe isn’t authentic (the Ebinger family never shared the original recipe with the public), but Ms