The Littlest Pears
Take all the time you need to pick yourself a peck of pears. You’ll make up for it in the speedy baking and no-fuss serving.
Old Friends
Pit-stops at three favorite restaurants prove you can go back and move forward at the same time. You just have to have the right chefs in charge.
APEM
Alex Saneski is an ice cream chef whose work is so distinctive that, like the dough of the tippy-top pizzaiolo, you can taste Saneski’s ice creams, sorbets and gelatos blindfolded and pick them out of a crowd.
Holy Smokes!
What do you do with an XL-size ham hock smoked by Pulaski Meat in Linden? Add it to beans for a hearty stew and, while you’re at it, throw in a smoked baby-back rib just for fun.
Ray’s Roadside Kitchen
It’s a lot about country-style comfort foods at a new eatery in New Egypt from a champ in the barbecue world who takes pride in place.
Bosphorus
Modest in every way except for its skillful executions of Turkish fare, a small storefront in a college town is run by a couple laser-focused on serving dishes both authentic and sincere. Exhibit A: Magnificent homemade manti.
Sue’s New Beans
In a new iteration of a useful, inspiring column, a longtime cooking teacher takes on the challenge of turning doggie-bag Asian-style string beans into a company-worthy dinner. Meet our food-upcycling wiz, Sue Sell Bernstein.
Turban Squash
Using a little oven magic, a lesser-known, colorful and comely hybrid of the Hubbard and acorn can be both dinner and a centerpiece.
Café Paris
Come for the galettes, linger for no reason at all, finish with a sweet crepe. While the menu needs lightening of its excesses in order to allow for better control in the kitchen, there’s something to be said for time at the table in a classic café.
Sagami
What becomes a legend? Adam revisits a pioneer to see if its sushi and cooked fare still duel for supremacy – and its atmosphere remains placid and service warmly serene.
Tomatillos
The intriguing fruit that looks like a small green tomato covered with a flimsy papery shield does much more than shine in a classic salsa verde. Ella experiments with a recipe that puts the citrusy-sour ingredient in a different starring role.
Power to the Pumpkin
Get to the heart – or, rather, the guts – of the matter and follow Ella’s lead: Cook more pumpkins this month than you decorate. You’ll find it’s fun to carve them, but even better to fashion into dinner.