Dry-aging steaks gives them a mineral, earthy flavor—not sweet, but more savory, even umami— that is highly prized among steak lovers. It’s ordinarily a many- months process in a special, humidity- and temperature- controlled chamber. Having someone else do it for you quadruples the price of the steak, but you can do it on your own tonight with this easy rub that mimics those flavors.

Chicken, wild rice, and vegetables in a creamy, savory broth. A slow-cooked classic with timeless flavor.

Von Diaz is sitting on the secret to not-at-all boring or dry pork tenderloin. In an ode to her mother, a working parent who always preferred her meats light and lean, Diaz seasons and marinates tenderloin like pernil, a Puerto Rican dish that's traditionally made with pork shoulder and roasted low and slow for several hours.

Meet my new favorite go-to weeknight dinner. It's saucy, flavorful, fresh, and it comes together in about half an hour. I developed these chicken and lettuce wraps while on Whole 30, so they fit that bill if you need 'em to. Or, feel free to swap the toppings for anything you like—crispy rice would be wonderful. So would almost any herb, pickle, or thinly sliced vegetable. Winner, winner, braised-chicken-thigh dinner.

I’m so glad swordfish is back and sustainable. I’ve loved grilling it since a long-ago event at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium where the chef simply sprinkled the fish with freshly ground white pepper and squirted fresh lime juice over. Whole Foods had harpoon-caught swordfish on special last weekend, so we had this for dinner last night. Easy-peasy!

This contest brought back memories of my days as a student living in New York. I would allow myself a budget of $1 a day for food. Sometimes that dollar would go to the hot dog vendor in front of school (that a hot dog was $1 tells you how long ago I lived in NY), other days; a pack of egg noodles, butter, salt and pepper would get me through 3 days. But there was one dish that still today costs under $1 a serving--rice porridge. There are lots of variations of this dish. Plain white rice cooked to a thick paste, eaten with pickled vegetables (congee); crushed grains of rice cooked to a stew-like consistency (jook). This is my family's favorite version--made with ground turkey or pork.

A one-dish pantry meal to usher you into fall. The bulk of this dinner comes down to canned chickpeas, canned pumpkin purée, a handful of quick-cooking pasta, and a quart of chicken broth tossed together in a pot; the rest, of course, involves simply simmering and seasoning with a few fresh ingredients. This stew is infinitely adaptable and can grow and vary according to your pantry. Swap chickpeas for another preferred bean, or pumpkin for canned squash. The dish will keep its autumnal comfort regardless of the modifications, and it will stay true to its promise for a quick meal as the weather turns cold.

Some cocktails are like air conditioning, but the paloma isn’t one of them. Rather, it makes you feel like you were born and raised in the tropics: You’ll still be hot, but you’ll revel and thrive in the heat. Many paloma recipes call for either fresh or bottled grapefruit juice, or grapefruit soda. For this version, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice mixed with finely grated zest and a little sugar develops overnight into a citrus-packed syrup that takes this cocktail from delicious to impossibly zingy, tangy, and satisfying. Be sure to factor in time for that long (but worth it) steep.

A French-inspired casserole with duck, beans, and sausage. Rich, slow-cooked comfort food perfect for special occasions.