Kendra Vaculin
Contributor
Originally from the San Francisco East Bay, Kendra has worked in food media (Epicurious, Eater, Food52) and test kitchens (Blue Apron) across New York City since 2014, as a writer, recipe developer, food stylist, and producer. She was Bon Appétit's Test Kitchen Editor until 2025, where she thought a lot about what you should make for dinner, developing recipes for her monthly column Speedy Does It and overseeing the Dinner Is Served section of the print magazine. Outside of weeknight cooking, she loves back-pocket desserts, produce-centric picnic food, and stuff to make for a party. She likes ice cream more than vegetables, but it's much closer than you'd think.
Stacked Muffuletta Salad
This towering salad—built with the components of a muffuletta sandwich like mortadella and an olive dressing—is ready for a party.
The Buttery Mushrooms That Occupy My Every Thought
I’ve worked in the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen for years. This is the recipe I always go back to.
Simplest Plum Tarts
Transform puff pastry, ripe fruit, and a slick of jam into a patisserie-chic dessert.
How Our Test Kitchen Turned an Oil Painting Into a Veggie Burger
Six contemporary artworks, six original recipes. Go behind the scenes of our most abstract assignment of the year.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars
These bright cheesecake bars feature spring’s favorite flavor duo and a Triscuit cracker crust.
Green Falafel Smash Burgers
Herby chickpea falafel gets the veggie burger treatment with harissa mayo and pickled onion.
Shrimp and Pea Pancake
Inspired by Korean pajeon, this shrimp-studded pancake features fresh snap peas as a spring-y addition.
Italian Grinder Salad
The best salad is really a deconstructed Italian sandwich, complete with an oregano and red wine vinegar dressing that tastes just like how your deli does it.
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A Carrot Wellington for Your Spring Celebrations
Sounds like the punchline to a joke about vegetarianism. Actually a showstopping main dish.
Easter Salad
With colorful radishes and jammy eggs, this is just as great for a holiday as it is for a casual spring lunch.
Sheet-Pan Pomegranate Chicken With Walnut Relish
This weeknight-friendly chicken dinner—made with pomegranate molasses and a toasted walnut relish—is inspired by the flavors of Persian fesenjan.
Cod With Chorizo, Greens, and Chickpeas
In this one-pan dinner, flaky cod is finished in a chorizo-spiked sauce, alongside wilty greens and chickpeas—some tender, some crispy.
Mar i Muntanya
The original surf-and-turf, this rustic Spanish dish combines tender seafood and beefy meatballs in a thick, savory stew.
Roasted Tofu Grain Bowls With Miso-Tahini Sauce
This vegetarian bowl is as colorful as it is hearty: brown rice and quinoa, roasted tofu and broccolini, avocado, cabbage slaw, and a turmeric-spiked dressing.
Sake-Grapefruit Fizz
This light and drinkable cocktail pairs the bittersweet flavor of grapefruit with botanical gin and sparkling sake for a bubbly finish.
A 2-Ingredient Super Sauce for Any Noodle in Your Pantry
Hoisin plus tomatillo salsa? It’s savory, tangy, and unexpectedly perfect.
Spicy Pork and Refried Bean Soup
A can of refried beans disappears into the broth of this simple soup, adding body and luscious texture, while chipotle chiles in adobo add smoky heat.
Chicken and Mushroom Stir-Fry
Chicken pieces and meaty bits of torn mushrooms beautifully team up in this deeply savory, scallion-studded, easy-to-make stir-fry.
Roasted Cauliflower Salad With Feta And Dates
Roasty, bright, sweet, and pickly, this sheet pan salad—a vegetarian main OR ample side dish—checks all the flavor boxes.