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Making Bootleg Ice Cream in Prison

The way you enjoy ice cream in prison depends on the institution. Some prisons dangle it as an incentive, while others have ice cream shacks offering it for sale on weekends, and others don’t allow it at all. I’m at Washington Corrections Center (WCC) in Shelton, Washington, where the ice cream shack closed years ago, and for the past decade men have been making bootleg ice cream.

Cooking For One, Cheap and Delicious Edition: Latkes with Mushroom Gravy

When you consider the ingredients required to make latkes, the concept of eating a delicious, delightful, solitary meal without overspending becomes obvious. Easy, even. The amount of energy you’ll exert is minimal when you’re making a single serving. Two or three manageably-sized potatoes, a fraction of an onion, a small amount of flour, and an individual egg is essentially all it takes to put something together that feels like a treat.

Cooking for One: Chilled Soba Noodles with Jammy Egg and Veggies

I’ve been making these light and refreshing chilled soba noodles on repeat during the heatwaves in Europe. They come together in about 20 minutes and use just one pot, since the same water cooks both the noodles and the egg. It’s a streamlined dish, too: slice the vegetables while the water comes to a boil, then whisk together the dressing while the egg cooks.

Summer Fair? Summer Fare!

Go ahead and make slightly less over-the-top versions of your favorite foods from carnivals, festivals, or fairs at home. They’re great for outdoor gatherings, and they’re also delightful as snacks and treats whenever you please. Plus, the entire point of making them is to have fun.

Cooking for One: Fish Sticks

Will I ditch the good old fisherman in yellow rain gear forever? No. Those sticks are too convenient and nostalgic. But I hope the old seadog covers his ears when I say: These homemade sticks were better.

​Corn and Berries Belong Together

This is an easy-breezy, no-bake treat, but it does require a bit of planning ahead because it needs a good amount of time to chill—at least 8 hours. You can leave it chilled for up to 48 hours before the berries start to lose their integrity — a perfect make-ahead dessert.

Some of Our Favorite Summer Recipes

Here’s a little summer recipe collection — a carefully chosen group of things to make, perfect for now. There’s something for everyone here — and you should let us know what your favorite things to cook in the summer are, too.

Spicy Cheddar Bread with Gochugaru

Several years ago, a colleague developed a recipe for a spicy cheese bread, filled with little pockets of Monterey Jack cheese and lots of red pepper flakes throughout. Yeasty bread, milky cheese, and prickly spice. I loved the combination, so I set out to create my own recipe.

​Will It Waffle?

Until recently it had been a couple thousand years since I made waffles. Not anymore, baby. Over the past month or so, I’ve waged enough batter battles, suffered enough grain explosions and smashed enough sandwiches to expand my kitchen empire into bold new territory. I’m ready to share the victories.

Cooking for One: Spaghetti with Miso, Garlic, and Scallions

Looking for a complex, captivating supper? Miso makes it happen. Because tomato and anchovy-based sauces are great, but so is switching it up.

No-Knead Bread, Flatbread Style

Bake this amazing no-knead flatbread, then turn it into super-easy pizza, soup, or seasoned fresh bread crumbs.

The True Meaning of Awesomesauce

Two cousins chase down an extremely fun new condiment-mixing machine, then set out ways for you to make your own combos, sans machine.

An Unapologetically Sweet, Nostalgic Treat

I loved penuche as a child in the 1970s. When the plate came around, I’d surreptitiously take two pieces rather than the polite single piece. (At least I thought I was being surreptitious.) But as I grew older, the stuff appeared less and less frequently in my life. Time to bring it back.

Cooking For One: Dukkah-Crusted Feta & Fennel

A combination of crunchy-nutty cheese and bright salad make dinner for just you exciting.

Let’s Go, Pic-Knicks!

Plantain chips with your new favorite dip, an herby rice salad, and, of course, a tasty sandwich — whether you’re headed to the beach, the park, or just a picturesque patch of grass, look toward these recipes for this season’s best picnic spreads.

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How and When to Cook With Scissors

When Mark first suggested, a full year ago, that we do a piece on cooking with scissors, I grabbed my everyday pair, held them in front of me like a divining rod, and set out on our quest.

Cooking for One: Chicken and Rice

These days, when I make chicken and rice at home, I try my best to recreate the feeling of my back-in-the-day takeout nights. Not the exact recipes (I’d never be able to figure that out), but the feeling—a soul-warming mix of comfort, restoration, satisfaction, optimism.

Toasted Sugar? Toasted Sugar!

You could reach for demarara or brown sugar to add a deeper molasses note. Or you could splash in a glug of maple syrup for a woodsy flavor. Or … you could use toasted sugar, which brings a beautiful caramel flavor, sweet and complex with just a wink of bitterness for contrast.

Come to the Cottage (Pie)

Cottage pie is a dish for a crowded table of hungry souls. Or is it? (No. And it’s best eaten straight from the skillet.)

Neglecting Scraps? Not You!

If you still have on-the-verge broccoli bits and stems in your fridge, that’s great. Don’t forget about any stale bread, either—combined with a few other things, a balanced and delightfully textured soup could be in your future. Old potatoes are great for frying and serving with a bright, springy smoked fish dip. And quickly-“candied” carrot scraps should be the crowning jewel on your sundae.