American

If you only have an 8½x4½" pan, there’s no need to go out and get a new one. Simply hold back about 1¾ cups batter for later—it makes a mean waffle!

At Rioja, in Denver, half of the bacon is replaced with ground fatback, a step that makes this excellent burger even better.

These cookies are both vegan and gluten-free, but you’d never know it. You can find most of these ingredients in health food stores, well-stocked specialty grocers, and online.

Yes, you can use regular oranges, but don’t you just love the color you get from blood oranges?!

Any type of lentil will work in this weeknight soup. Or, substitute a couple cans of cannellini beans in their place.

Two different types of apples give you a mix of textures and an ideal sweet-tart filling. If you’re looking to streamline, use one or the other (Pink Ladies are less sour).

A decent amount of béchamel keeps this tomato-less lasagna moist as it cools.

For extra texture, trick out your cake with rainbow or chocolate sprinkles, chopped candies, or your favorite cereal.

It may not seem like very much filling, but these handheld pastries deliver the perfect filling-to-crust ratio (and if you overstuff the dough, they’ll be impossible to seal).

Using frozen strawberries ensures a consistent sweetness and vibrant red color.

You can use any flavor jam or jelly you like; substitute roasted salted peanuts to play up the salty-sweet angle.

For the neatest, cleanest edges, freeze the brownies for 15 minutes so they’re nice and firm before cutting, and dip your knife in hot water between each slice.

Room temperature cream cheese and butter are key to a smooth frosting (cold ingredients will form hard beads). Take them both out of the refrigerator three hours ahead of time.

Make sure to get your whisk into the bottom edge of the pan as you prepare the custard so that the mixture cooks evenly.

Despite the egg along the seal, and the crimps for extra insurance, the fruit juices will run; that’s what the parchment paper is there for.

You can crisp the shallots and hard-boil the eggs a day ahead, but wait until closer to serving time to make the yolk filling.

The decidedly grown-up flavor of buckwheat—tannic, earthy, nutty—pairs nicely with chocolate and is tempered by sugar. Store unused flour in the freezer, as it can turn quickly.

There are two kinds of hash browns: The chunky, floury, vaguely brown but not crisp kind, and the lacy, crunchy, shredded version here. Guess which one we prefer? This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

This reader requested recipe is from the April 2003 issue (pictured above).

If you don't have a large pastry tip, simply cut off the tip of the pastry bag and pipe through the opening. The finished pies might not be quite as perfect, but they'll still taste good.

To make addictively crispy chicken skin for this cobb salad recipe, turn it often in the skillet, until it looks like bacon.

For years, Asheville has been craft beer nirvana. Now, thanks to homegrown and new-to-town chefs, it’s the food that’s leading the way.

Cold butter is critical for flaky doughs, as the super tender crust of this pie proves. 

Broiling the brisket gives it a nice crisp top layer, but you can skip this step and it will still be delicious. Braising the meat with beer in the slow cooker, however? Absolutely necessary.