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Double-Crusted Imeretian Khachapuri (Imeruli Khachapuri)

The Imereti region’s simple, comforting khachapuri is the most popular in Georgia: double-crusted, dinner-plate-size, and oozing with tangy, curdy cheese bound with beaten egg. It’s such a culinary cornerstone that economists track the price of its ingredients as an inflation indicator in what’s known as the “Khachapuri Index.” A blend of mozzarella, feta, and ricotta approximates the Imeruli cheese used in the motherland. Short on time? Use good store-bought puff pastry. — Meriko Gubeladze and Benjamin Kemper

By Holly Haines Published October 21, 2026

Bean Bread (Lobiani)

Buttery, peppery beans fill this hearty bread, found everywhere in Georgia, from gas stations to guesthouses to white-tablecloth restaurants. Before New World beans arrived, it was made with mashed gray peas. The dish hails from Racha, a highland region in the northwest known for its smoky lori ham. Locals often enrich their lobiani with ham drippings—a flavor you can approximate with Black Forest or another smoked ham. Onions, though not strictly traditional, lend a gentle sweetness. For the classic, pared-down version, skip the onions and stir the butter straight into the mashed beans. — Meriko Gubeladze and Benjamin Kemper

By Holly Haines Published October 21, 2026

Pan-Fried Cheesy Corn Cakes (Chvishtari)

Chvishtari, the richer, cheesier cousin of mchadi, are pan-fried corn cakes that ooze with tangy, stretchy cheese. They’re the kind of hefty mountain fare you crave after a long hike in Svaneti, the dish’s highland homeland. Before maize reached Georgia in the 17th century, chvishtari were made with petvi, an heirloom green millet still used by some families today. Serve these golden cakes alongside pkhali and other West Georgian specialties such as kharcho, cauliflower in walnut sauce, ajika-rubbed rib, or chicken stewed with pomegranate. Feel free to experiment with other cheeses, particularly smoked ones, or fry the cakes in erbo (clarified butter), the Svans’ traditional cooking fat. — Meriko Gubeladze

By Holly Haines Published October 21, 2026

Stewed Cranberry Beans with Fenugreek and Cilantro (Lobio)

On chilly days when the wind whips down from the High Caucasus, nothing satisfies like a steaming bowl of lobio. Georgia’s signature pot of beans—redolent of cilantro, fried onions, and blue fenugreek—comes in a warmed clay urn accompanied by pickled peppers, squeaky-salty sulguni cheese (available at Eastern European groceries), and mchadi for dipping. Many Georgians say the best lobio is made in the highlands of Racha, where locals flavor the beans with the region’s traditional smoked ham. If that sounds like your kind of thing, add a smoked ham hock to the beans in step 2 or fold in 1 cup of chopped smoked ham along with the onions in step 4. Contrary to popular belief, salting beans as they soak makes for more even seasoning. – Meriko Gubeladze and Benjamin Kemper

By Holly Haines Published October 21, 2026

On Our Minds and Carts: Understanding Ultraprocessed Food

How to use that bag of flaxseed meal sitting in your cabinet, two sweets to make this weekend, and more from our favorite chocolate maker.

By The Editors Published October 16, 2026

Ming-Na Wen’s 12345 Spareribs

This dish never fails to be everyone’s favorite. My mom always said that the only difficult part of making these ribs is finding the balance between sweet and savory. During some kitchen experimenting one day, she discovered a nifty, easy-to-remember way to make the mix for the sauce. If you can count to five, then you can make this! Ready? Get your tablespoon out: 1 cooking wine, 2 soy sauce, 3 vinegar, 4 sugar, 5 water. Easy, right?

Mom was so excited when she cracked the code. I don’t think she realized this might be the first dish where she actually measured the ingredients! How very un-Chinese of her! But finally, it was the perfect savory-sweetness every time. She’s never been stingy with sharing her recipes, so she shared it with her friends and me, and now, it seems, you! I’ll tell her you said thank you. – Ming-Na Wen

By Kate Bittman Published October 14, 2026

Deepest, Darkest, Fudgiest Flourless Chocolate Brownies

There are fudgy brownies, and then there are these: extra fudgy, supremely chocolaty, and so dark they’re almost black. This is an indulgent, adult brownie, with no flour to mute the darkest chocolate flavor (and so, as a bonus, it satisfies our gluten-free friends). Flourless brownies can taste like undercooked batter, however. To create a baked good, not a confection, we add just 3 tablespoons of cornstarch; it binds the ingredients, resulting in brownies with a melt-in-your-mouth center and a crispy, chewy edge. For dark chocolate flavor with dimension, we include a mix of chocolate—bittersweet, unsweetened, and a generous 1/4 cup of black cocoa powder that makes our brownies deeper and darker than your average. The cocoa powder also works, along with the cornstarch, to prevent our brownies from being pasty or wet. Finally, we achieve a shiny, sleek, obsidian-like finish with an unadulteratedly chocolate water ganache, made from bittersweet chocolate and more black cocoa powder, that gently drips down the sides.

We prefer black cocoa powder in this recipe. You can substitute regular Dutch-processed cocoa powder for the black cocoa, but the brownies will not be as dark and the ganache will turn out thicker. – America’s Test Kitchen

By Kate Bittman Published October 9, 2026

Black and Pink Cookies

We drew inspiration for this gigantic chocolate-­raspberry color-blocked cookie from the iconic New York City deli favorite, the black and white. Black and white cookies first appeared in bakeries in New York in the early 20th century. They rose in popularity because of their unique soft, cake-like texture and beautiful contrasting icings. Milk enriches our glaze just enough to give it flavor, while a touch of corn syrup makes it thick enough to set on top of the cookies instead of sinking in and disappearing. Our white side becomes pink with the addition of freeze-dried raspberry powder that really ­levels up the classic with a tart, berry-forward flavor explosion, while the ­chocolate side remains classically rich and fudgy, and colored with black cocoa.

This recipe provides a little extra glaze, just in case. – America’s Test Kitchen

By Kate Bittman Published October 9, 2026

Poached Eggs with Green Chutney + Yogurt

This is my Indian-inspired twist on çılbır, the classic Turkish breakfast of poached eggs with yogurt. It features my go-to poached egg method, which I learned from Nigella Lawson during her visit to the San Francisco Chronicle test kitchen while on tour for her book At My Table. Cooking for the camera for the first time—and with a legend—was nerve-­ racking but rewarding, thanks to her brilliance. Nigella’s method involves straining the egg to remove excess liquid from the egg white, then tightening the proteins with a splash of lemon juice before cooking the egg in boiling water for a perfectly poached result. Stirring the barely simmering water right before adding the egg creates a vortex, forcing the egg whites to wrap around the yolk, cradling it, to keep it intact and compact. This phenomenon is a simplified version of the Ekman spiral in oceanography (which explains how ocean currents create a spiral effect). – Nik Sharma

By Kate Bittman Published September 23, 2026

Cultured Butter

Good, fermented butter reveals how a hint of tanginess elevates the richness of fat. Washing the butter removes buttermilk for a longer shelf life. Use skyr (Icelandic yogurt) to make the Icelandic version of this butter. – Nik Sharma

By Kate Bittman Published September 23, 2026

Sparkling Water Pancakes with Spiced Stewed Pineapple

Necessity truly is the mother of invention. During the Second World War, when essential ingredients like baking soda and powder were rationed, cooks got creative, giving rise to some of the most ingenious recipes. Take the iconic 7Up cake, a Southern favorite that my mother-in-law, Shelly Sells, bakes yearly. This clever cake was born as a work-around, using carbonated soda to add volume and lift when chemical leaveners were scarce.

Fast-forward to today, and we’re still embracing the magic of fizzy drinks in the kitchen. These sparkling water pancakes are a modern nod to that tradition. The bubbles and low pH of the sparkling water create pancakes that are so light and pillowy you’ll want to float away on them. Serve them warm topped with spiced stewed pineapple and a generous dollop of Cultured Butter. – Nik Sharma

By Kate Bittman Published September 23, 2026

On Our Minds and in Our Carts: Tomato and Saffron Spaghetti

This week: Pasta making with (3-year-old) Max, why NYC bike lanes should be recognized as part of the food system, eating (harmoniously) with your family, and grilled pecorino and honey bruschetta.

By Kate Bittman Published September 18, 2026

Bruschetta al Pecorino Grigliato e Miele (Grilled Pecorino and Honey Bruschetta)

The combination of savoury, slightly spicy and tangy pecorino cheese with the aroma of the rosemary and the sweetness of the honey on a bed of crispy, grilled sourdough bread creates a rustic and very appetising bruschetta. When pecorino melts, it becomes gooey and takes on a rich, creamy texture while its strong flavours become slightly more subtle and nutty. It’s a great addition to an antipasti board (see page 16), but it also works as a quick starter (appetiser) or even as an afternoon snack. It might not be a dish you’d often find in restaurants but it’s something you’ll see a lot of in Sardinian households. It’s a true representation of Sardinian flavours and one of the best ways to start any meal. – Francesco Mattana

By Kate Bittman Published September 18, 2026

Spaghetti al Pomodoro e Zafferano (Tomato and Saffron Spaghetti)

So many people over the years have asked me, ‘What’s your favourite pasta?’ It might be surprising, but really it’s a simple spaghetti al pomodoro! This version of this simple dish also has a touch of saffron, which adds a subtle but beautiful aroma that marries perfectly with the rest of the sauce.

The quality of the ingredients here is really important. They must be at their best if you are to get an incredible result. If you can, buy the best-quality extra virgin olive oil you can afford and bronze drawn dried pasta. As this is a summer dish, make the most of the tomatoes during or at the end of the season, when they are sweetest.

– Francesco Mattana

By Kate Bittman Published September 18, 2026

Bread Pudding

Nana always made it a point to try not to let anything go to waste, and this is exactly the kind of dessert that came from that mindset. Bread pudding is toasted bread soaked in a sweet custard that bakes into pure comfort. It is rich and soft and the kind of dessert that feels old-school in the best way. Simple ingredients, big flavor, and even better the next day. The one upgrade Nana never had? The vanilla butter sauce. It takes something already good and makes it the kind of dessert people talk about for weeks. Just a few basics, done right, and suddenly you’ve got a dessert everyone keeps going back for. — Justin Ellen

By The Editors Published September 16, 2026

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrots… in a cake? I know. When I first heard about carrot cake, I was confused too. Why would vegetables go into something sweet? Nana and I used to go back and forth about it; she swore by it, and I wasn’t convinced. But once I finally gave it a chance, I got it. (So she was right… this time.) Carrot cake is genuinely one of the best. It’s unbelievably moist, packed with warm spices, and finished with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. Every bite is soft, rich, and perfectly balanced. One bite in, and you’ll understand exactly why this cake is a classic. — Justin Ellen

By The Editors Published September 16, 2026

Chocolate Cobbler

This was a new dessert for both Nana and me, as neither of us had ever heard of chocolate cobbler. Maybe we’ve been living under a rock, but I’m glad we stepped out for this one. Here’s what makes it special, and a little magical: You make a thick chocolate batter, pour it into the pan, dust the top with a cocoa sugar mixture, and then pour hot water straight over everything. No stirring, no mixing it in. Just trust the process. As it bakes, the water sinks through the batter and creates a warm, gooey fudge sauce underneath while the top bakes into a rich, brownie-like layer. It’s part brownie, part lava cake, part ultra-moist chocolate cake, and it comes out of the oven ready to scoop straight from the pan. Every chocolate lover’s dream, and honestly one of the most impressive things you can make with almost no effort. — Justin Ellen

By The Editors Published September 16, 2026

When You Look At Your Cereal Box, What Do You See?

The FDA says companies can use fruit names and images to describe a flavor, but the Federal Trade Commission requires the advertising on a cereal box to be “truthful and not misleading.” Thus, the use of fruit in cereal names and images occasionally land the companies in trouble with regulatory agencies and consumer advocates.

By The Editors Published September 10, 2026

On Our Minds and in Our Carts: Epically Good Carrots

Plus: The poignant and lasting lessons Wendell Berry left behind, Mark on TalkShopLive, and another fantastic novel.

By The Editors Published September 5, 2026

Roasted Carrots with Garlic and Lime

Simply put, a carrot is a plant storage unit loaded with starch as an energy bank. Usually, an enzyme called amylase present inside the cells of the carrot chop up the starch to release fuel for the plant to grow (a reason why a raw carrot will eventually start to taste sweeter over time). When the carrot is roasted, the starch breaks down and releases sweet-tasting sugar molecules. The sauce is quite simple; I like the taste of raw garlic, so I don’t cook garlic with carrots. Instead, I dress the hot carrots with the flavored oil as soon as they come out of the oven, the heat helps release the aroma molecules from the garlic and lime zest, and their fragrance bumps up. The fish sauce brings the umami game. If you don’t consume fish sauce, there are vegan versions available that you can try. – Nik Sharma

By The Editors Published September 5, 2026