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Perfect? Pshaw. Just Cook It.

These days, many cookbooks trade mostly in vibes. They promise access to a life and a dinner table that’s a little bit glossier, a little bit fresher, a little bit more stylish than most dinner tables that most of us have ever sat at. But do they solve real-world problems? Not often enough. But it wasn’t always so.

Corn, Me, and ChatGPT

You’re never too much of an “expert” to learn a new cooking trick. Here’s Mark’s new corn hack—and a totally improvised dinner.

Our Amazing Method for “Reverse-Risotto”

Farro is better than pasta in salads, just as creamy as rice in risotto, and lighter than meat in soups. Here’s how to make easy, delicious, and summery whole grains a reality, using our tried-and-true technique.

Ice, Ice, Baby

There’s so much room for play in the world of granita, which makes it especially endearing during summer. Here, you’ll find less traditional ways to add a cold treat into the mix of enlivening summer meals—in other words, things that will leave you feeling less weighed down, more spruced up.

Summer Jewels: Respect Your Strawberries

Please, stop cutting the tops off your strawberries. Here’s what to do instead, plus more tips and tricks to employ when you’ve got your hands on summer’s favorite fruit.

Dinner Tonight, Dinner Tomorrow: Round One

Sure, leftovers are great for the next day’s lunch. But what if tonight’s meal ended up as tomorrow’s supper—yet in a totally new, unexpected way? Welcome to Dinner Tonight, Dinner Tomorrow, a series that we hope you find as useful as we do.

Marky B’s Lunch for Two

Chopped salad​ is a staple, because it can include literally any vegetable that you can eat raw, and that is interesting. Taking the extra time to chop the greens and vegetables is always worth it, because dressing and ingredients become evenly distributed, and everything is much easier to eat. I rarely make salad any other way.

Three Chinese-ish Ways to Cook With Green Asparagus

When it comes to cooking asparagus, there are two basics worth returning to often: a quick blanch—白灼 (baizhuo)—or a stir-fry. Both methods let asparagus shine for what it is. Here, a buttery stir-fry with shrimp and douchi, a punchy salad, and a fried rice.

Three Lush Ways to Savor Tinned Fish at Home

It’s continuing to show up on more and more restaurant menus, and it’s hard not to wonder: Is the upcharge worth it? Sometimes, yes—but there are endless easy ways to enjoy it at home that go beyond appetizers and small bites.

Overconfidence, the Bread Baking Edition

I knew from some off-road experimenting that I could make a double batch of Bittman Bread and divide it into enough for my little on-farm market table. A whole public market, though? When should I start? How much starter would I need? How much should I make? I had to figure out what was possible.

So. Leeking. Good.

The only use for leeks that most people know about is leek vinaigrette. As pleasant a dish as this is—and as much as it screams “spring”—it’s among the most innocuous ways to present what is the subtlest and in a way least forgiving member of the allium family. My favorite simple ways to cook leeks also make quick work of cleaning: cut them up and wash them in a colander: fast, easy, effective. 

Cooking in Your Sleep

We did a deep dive—so you don’t have to—into overnight oats, and came up with four brand new, super-flavorful recipes that you’ll be happy to have hot or cold.

Braised and Glazed Radishes, Turnips, or other Root Vegetables - The Bittman Project

Darling, You’re Radishing!

If your thinking about radishes has been limited to the usual clichés—slice and put into a salad, make into a rose and use as a garnish—we can help expand your thinking a bit.

A Bold and Fiery Sichuan Classic

Yibin Burning Noodles, or Yíbīn Ránmiàn, is a bolder and louder cousin of Dandan noodles, and it’s a joyfully punchy dish that’s equally satisfying with meat or without.

The Heart of the Matter

I’ve got the best artichoke story—or among the saddest, perhaps—of anyone you know. Or at least of anyone you know who has eaten artichokes. Plus, the glorious follow-up.

Are You Peckish?

An excerpt and recipes from the just released ​Peckish: Suggestions for the Sophisticated Snacker​, by food writer—and a former Team Bittman employee, one of the OGs!—Suzanne Lenzer.

Stay Stalked

Bright and crunchy breakfasts, childhood snacks-turned-grown-up-salads, and braised side dishes or entrées for when you’re tired of roasted vegetables: When you treat celery well, the favor is always returned.

Fear of Frying

The biggest disincentive to fry is that most people don’t practice: They don’t learn to get good at it. Once that happens, you can fry almost anything and the results are phenomenal.

Pooja Bavishi, Queen of Heavenly Ice Cream

Pooja Bavishi is the founder of Malai, an ice cream company that employs flavors highlighting the culture and traditions that she grew up with. She talks to us about how she comes up with flavor combos; what she’s the most proud of, culinarily; and one of the concoctions she came up with that will never see the light of day.

Homemade Noodles in Five Minutes

I accidentally made too much dumpling dough, so I rolled out the extra, sliced it into ragged strips with a pizza cutter, and boiled them. I gave some to my kid and ate the rest with soy sauce, sesame oil, and black vinegar. They were strangely great.