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.
Recipes
Lemon-Chile Calamari Pasta
A handful of pantry staples and fresh calamari pieces make this quick weeknight dinner taste like a sunny, seaside Italian vacation—any time of year.
Recipes
Cheesy Buldak (Fire Chicken) With Rice Cakes
Bouncy rice cakes turn this spicy Korean classic into a perfect weeknight dinner.
Recipes
The Gooiest Baked Mac and Cheese
This easy, no-roux mac and cheese recipe is made almost entirely on the stovetop and then gets transferred to the oven to melt the cheesy topping.
Recipes
Festive Red Cabbage and Radicchio Salad
This monochromatic mix of radicchio, cabbage, red onion, and cold weather citrus is bright, crunchy, and fresh—just what your holiday table requires.
Recipes
Miso-Mayo Chicken Bowl
This sheet pan dinner taps savory miso mayo for richness and flavor—as a coating for roast chicken and a finishing drizzle.
Recipes
Tadka Turkey and Gravy
Thanks to its high smoke point, ghee is an ideal fat for basting your holiday turkey; pair the perfectly burnished bird with a duo of sauces for maximum flavor.
Recipes
Baked Sweet Potato Chaat
Forget regular baked potatoes—these tender sweets loaded with chaat-inspired toppings make for a bright and flavorful vegetarian main (or colorful side dish).
Recipes
Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake
This twist on burnt cheesecake integrates a can of pumpkin purée and a handful of warming spices—perfect for a holiday table or any chilly fall day.
Recipes
Kung Pao Tempeh
This plant-based twist on the classic Chinese chicken dish swaps in crisped crumbled tempeh and fresh fresno chiles.
Recipes
Pastrami Salmon With Fennel Slaw
Salmon is given the weeknight-friendly pastrami treatment with a sugar-and-spice blend that creates a smoky crust reminiscent of the cured meat.
Recipes
Pork Chops With Green Chiles and Apples
Thick chops get all dressed up in this easy-impressive dinner, ready in 30 minutes.
New York
The Best NYC Date? It’s Just a Cocktail and an Ice Cream Cone
Skip dinner—a cocktail and a scoop is a low-key combination with high-key returns.
Cooking
My Husband Begged Me to Create This Recipe for 10 Years
Mapo chili mac is just what it sounds like—a marriage of two of the best comfort foods on earth.
Recipes
Preserved Lemon and Tomato Chicken
This simple recipe pairs salty preserved lemon with sweet-bright cherry tomatoes to form a sauce you’ll spoon up until the last drop.
Recipes
Basil Fried Rice
With minimal prep time and a faster cook, this basil fried rice recipe with crispy onions, ginger, and fresh chiles should be in your weekly summer rotation.
Recipes
Grilled Arayes with Creamy Cucumber Salad
These Middle Eastern meat-stuffed pitas get their earthy, spiced flavor from baharat, a blend typically comprised of cumin, allspice, black pepper, and more.
Recipes
Garlic-Coconut Shrimp and Green Beans
Every stir-fry needs a star to keep you coming back. In this speedy shrimp recipe, it’s a crispy coconut and garlic topping you’ll want to eat by the spoonful.
Recipes
Weeknight Harissa Eggplant Parm
No coating or frying here! Toasted breadcrumbs and a blanket of melty cheese replicate the flavors and textures of eggplant parm in a fraction of the time.