Nut-Free

Natalie Chanin is famous for her dead-simple but delicious apple crisp, which is often on the menu at the café in her Alabama Chanin store.

Listen, this dish is indulgent and makes a bit more than two responsible adults should finish in one sitting. But for crying out loud, live a little. (And anyway, the kale keeps it virtuous.)

Pretty much everyone in the South fights about who’s got the best pimiento cheese recipe. Make these if you want to put the debate to rest.

A smaller chicken (something in the two- to three-pound range) will fit in a cast-iron skillet and can go straight from oven to table.

Be on the lookout for collards with smaller, tender leaves. If using more mature bunches, cut into thin ribbons instead of tearing.

Make sure the butcher cuts the marrow bone in half for you.

Got some burned bits? Great job! The natural sugars in the root vegetables, along with the brown sugar, will caramelize, giving you a little bitterness to counter all that sweetness.

Ask your butcher for a square piece of pork belly: It’ll make for even slices and a good fat-to-meat ratio.

We stole your nonna’s ziti and took it on a self-discovery tour of Middle-Eastern flavors. Sorry—it doesn’t want to come home.

Even if you’re not a huge fan of bitter greens, don’t substitute regular lettuce here; the slightly sweet dressing will taste cloying without some sharp contrast.

Almost any fresh fruit (pears, apples, berries) can replace the figs.

Like it hot? Sub a Fresno chile for the red bell pepper for some extra kick.

One of the centerpieces of Butch Anthony’s outdoor dining room is a massive firepit-grill outfitted with vintage Dutch ovens, which were buried in embers to cook these chickens. We’ve adapted the method for a regular oven.

Use your newly skinless thighs in a braise.

The airy brittle known as honeycomb just may be our new favorite confection; mixed into butter it’s a sumptuous add to frostings and a sweet topper for biscuits.

You can stuff this slawlike salad inside your pita, or eat it on its own.

Sandwiching the puff pastry between two baking sheets ensures that the pastry rises perfectly even.

Turn this iced tea into a cocktail with a little gin.

How to pull off an elegant, effortless date night? Seafood soup. Make the broth for this rich seafood stew recipe the day before, then sear a couple pieces of fish and reheat the stew during the cocktail hour.

For the best results, use San Marzano plum and mixed heirloom cherry tomatoes if you can find 'em.

Use just one type of bean to ensure even cooking.

With some store-bought roti paratha and a pot of hot oil, Talde re-creates McDonald's classic deep-fried apple pie.

These are the beef enchiladas that the entire Bon Appétit Test Kitchen fought each other for. Let’s just say there won’t be leftovers with this recipe. 

If you can’t find guajillo chiles, use New Mexico or Californian chiles, and for moritas, try chipotle chiles in adobo.