Dawn Perry
Digital Food Editor, Emeritus
Dawn Perry is the author of Ready, Set, Cook; How to Make Good Food With What's on Hand and a former digital food editor at Bon Appétit. Before joining Condé Nast, she developed recipes in the kitchens of Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food, and Real Simple. She got her culinary start at Le Cordon Bleu in San Francisco and has since worked in professional kitchens and private homes on both coasts. After BA, she returned to Real Simple as food director and made stints editing for Delish and Marley Spoon before co-founding her own direct-to-consumer line of baked goods, Superkind Cookies. She once made a burger for President Barack Obama.
Recipes
3-Ingredient Pesto Fried Chicken
We like breadcrumbs here for an old-school cutlet feel, but panko would work just fine in their place.
Recipes
3-Ingredient Gingersnap Icebox Cake
Use whatever jam, marmalade, or fruit preserves you like in this crowd-pleaser.
Recipes
3-Ingredient Creamy Pumpkin Pasta
The key to balancing the richness of the cream and the sweetness of the pumpkin in this simple sauce is salty, starchy pasta water. Remember, it should taste "salty like the sea."
Recipes
3-Ingredient Cinnamon-Sugar Twists
These buttery, flaky twists have a crispy, warmly spiced glaze.
Recipes
3-Ingredient Peppermint Rocky Road Candies
To crush candies easily, minus any peppermint shrapnel, place them in a resealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin, meat mallet, or the back of a large spoon.
Recipes
Pork Chops with Mustard-Plum Relish
Other stone fruit, such as peaches, nectarines, or apricots, would also be compatible in this sweet-sour-spicy relish.
Recipes
Grilled Cauliflower Steaks and Scallions
Slicing the cauliflower into steaks from the middle helps the head stay intact as you cut.
Recipes
Grilled Tofu with Chimichurri
No offense to all the vegetarians, but the chimichurri is also pretty fantastic on your favorite steak.
Recipes
Grilled Eggplant and Lemons With Garlic Labneh
Use whatever type of eggplant looks most appealing at the market; they should be firm to the touch, with glossy skin. Small globe eggplants are easy to find, but this is also a terrific time to use long Asian types, small round white ones, or any of the cool-looking striped varieties.
Cooking
Is White Rice and Kimchi a Healthy Snack?
We know that kimchi is good for you, but what about if you serve white rice with it?
Cooking
4 Cream Cheese Sandwich Ideas (Crusts Optional)
We love a classic cream cheese sandwich. Here are 4 riffs to make happen.
Recipes
Zucchini and Rice Pancakes
Somewhere between a frittata, a fritter, and fried rice, these little pancakes are packed with protein and delicious with almost any cooked grain or leftover greens in the filling.
Recipes
Smashed Chickpeas with Pita
This easy salad has all the flavors of a falafel without the deep-frying. Add a little feta if your kid prefers.
Recipes
Pepperoni Panzanella
Panzanella salads are a great way to use up the last of that loaf of crusty bread. Change it up as summer progresses by tossing in other vegetables or herbs. Just don’t skip the tomato: It helps soften the bread.
Recipes
Tofu Summer Rolls
Imminently adaptable and riffable: Use any leftover protein or shred a rotisserie chicken in place of the tofu, and use whatever crunchy vegetables you’ve got in the produce drawer.
Recipes
Broccoli Pesto Pasta
This pesto pasta recipe gets heft (and a side of veggies) from the addition of broccoli to the purée. They won’t know it’s there unless you tell them...wink wink.
Recipes
Bacon and Egg Tortellini
Are filled pastas still good at room temperature? This tortellini recipe proves that they are; if you don’t have tortellini or ravioli on hand, use any short, ridged pasta, such as fusilli or penne rigate.