Some of our greatest cooking moments of the year were fueled by mantou, canned tuna, and chile crisp.
This past year at TASTE brought us more cooking inspiration than we could have dreamed of. Even as our favorite restaurants started opening back up and we started cautiously venturing back out into the world, the temptation was always there to just stay in and tackle a new cooking project.
Shayne Chammavanijakul, the founder of Dill Magazine, sold us on the cloudlike wonders of mantou—a luxury that’s available to anyone with some flour, yeast, and a steamer basket. Writer Carlos Matias taught us that, contrary to the urban legends of childhood lunchrooms, you actually can mix together orange juice and milk without it curdling. And you should! And Christian Reynoso showed us that we’ve been underestimating the power of pinto beans all along.
This collection brings together some of our favorite moments in a year of cooking. As you start to think about your own cooking goals, dreams, and resolutions for waltzing into the new year, we hope that these TASTE recipes will put some pep in your step (and some pepperoni in your salad). – Anna Hezel
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Don’t Sleep on Pinto Beans
Amid a deluge of coronas and borlottis, the bean boom has left one of the creamiest, most versatile legumes behind.
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Give Your Spaghetti the Gift of Chile Crisp
Fold it into peanut pesto, swirl it into lemon and butter, or spoon it onto butternut squash puree.
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Got Milk? Make Salsa.
With avocados, tomato, and chiles, it’s the all-purpose salsa you never knew you needed.
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The Pliable Comforts of Agua de Jamaica
Hibiscus can be sweetened, spiced up, and cooled down for a choose-your-own-adventure tea.
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A Bun That Can Be Anything, Go Anywhere
Soft, light, and faintly sweet, mantou are perfect for filling with savory pork belly or just snacking on straight from the steamer.
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Tuna, Uncanned and Caramelized
A childhood trick involving a splash of fish sauce and a sprinkle of sugar turns those dollar store cans into something transcendent.
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The Godfather Sandwich Is Everything and Nothing
How the iconic movie inspired a mainstay on deli menus around the East Coast.
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Pepperoni Crumbs > Bacon Bits
In a new cookbook, the chefs behind Don Angie share a very Italian American trick for giving your salad a crunchy, salty upgrade.
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Morir Soñando Is Better Than a Cranked AC
The frothy orange drink is what summer dreams are made of.
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Don’t Overthink Your Shrimp and Grits
Our Cook In Residence, Amethyst Ganaway, makes the case for doubling down on the seafood, and keeping the rest simple.
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Just Wing It With Furikake and Potato Starch
The key to a better chicken wing starts with a starchy coating and ends with a dusting of seaweed.
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The Shortcut to Clam Opulence
Conventional wisdom says that fresher is better, but when it comes to umami-packed brine and easy volume, canned clams have the edge.
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Quick Confit, Big Payoff
Give your thinly sliced leeks and lemons the low-and-slow treatment to spruce up your roast chickens, sandwich spreads, and dressings.
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Mornings Are Better With Milk Jam
An aromatic spread brings together cardamom pods with burnt orange zest for a creamy, bittersweet brightness.