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
Stuffed Poblanos With Beans and Greens
Plopped on a creamy tomato sauce, these peppers are a repeat-worthy one-dish dinner.
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Make-Ahead Stuffing Means One Less Thing to Worry About on Thanksgiving
Free up oven space and thank yourself later.
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You Need This XXL Tubular Pasta
It’s a shape so giant, you can even use it as an eco-friendly straw.
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Aleppo-Chicken and Broccolini Grain Bowls
For the fastest grain bowl, use bulgur—which steams in just 10 minutes—as the base for sheet-pan chicken thighs and roasted broccolini.
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Citrus-Butter Scallops With Tiny Pasta
Citrus and fennel play very nicely together, particularly with seared scallops and mini, al dente pasta.
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Cheesy Pork and Tomatillo Skillet
Teamed up with chips, this dip is the most popular snack in town. Or be like us and call it dinner.
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Nuoc Cham Gazpacho
Refreshing gazpacho gets the salty-spicy nuoc cham treatment in this twist on the warm weather soup. Sesame oil provides nutty balance and helps curb the heat.
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Panini Alla Norma
Thanks to a tricked-out mayo spread (garlic, capers, oregano, and chili flakes—whew!), this pressed sandwich is as flavor-packed as it is easy to make.
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Tomatoes and Feta With Chickpeas
All of the hallmarks of a sheet-pan dinner (quick! simple! very few dishes to do!), plus big slabs of warm, melty feta.
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Scallops and Chorizo in Tomato Sauce
Need proof that salty cured pork and delicate shellfish are a match made in heaven? This vibrant and cozy 20-minute, one-skillet weeknight dinner.
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Chicken Cutlets With Burst-Tomato Sauce
Warm and fragrant, this sauce is a versatile use for a surplus of cherry tomatoes. Spoon any leftovers over pork chops, grain bowls, or cheese and crackers.
Recipes
Cherry Lemonade Beach Pie
Custardy Atlantic Beach Pie meets a favorite fruity drink in this easy-breezy dessert.
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Peach Tart? Good. Chili Crisp Peach Tart? Even Better
You’ve already made a peach dessert. Now try this cheesy, savory stunner.
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We've Got a Marinade for Every Summer Scenario
From speedy, lemony scallops to all-day mojo pork.
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Bulgogi Tofu Burgers
These vegetarian burgers will steal the show at any cookout thanks to a blender marinade inspired by the Korean BBQ favorite.
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Grilled Mojo Pork Shoulder Steaks and Plantains
If you’ve only had pork shoulder when braised until shredded, this fresh, summery recipe shows you what else the cut can do.
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Steakhouse Salad With Balsamic and Blue Cheese
You may be tempted to eat this tangy steak all by itself, but the payoff of building it into a salad with funky blue cheese and juicy tomatoes is well worth it.
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Mustardy Grilled Cabbage and Kielbasa
This simple dinner of grilled sausage and cabbage gets added heft from small potatoes that go fork-tender in a foil packet in just under half an hour.
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Lemony Grilled Scallops and Blistered Long Beans
Delicate scallops need only a brief marinade before a short stint on the grill, meaning you can have this summery slam dunk on the table in 35 minutes.