Fruit

Silky and comforting yet light and spring-y, this tortellini and spinach soup is the perfect winter-to-spring meal.

Make the most of vitamin C-son.

Creamy butterscotch pudding, chocolate ganache, and a speculoos cookie crust join forces to create our ideal winter dessert.

Scones full of the textures and flavors of a granola bar—a hint of sweetness comes from copious dried fruit and a sprinkle of raw sugar.

Naturally sweet sorghum flour becomes caramelly when combined with butter and brown sugar in these cookies that, per their name, cause uncontrollable urges for more cookies.

The classic blueberry muffin gets a makeover with nutty, whole-grain spelt flour in the batter and the crispy streusel topping.

With plenty of protein, a double punch of acid from citrus and vinegar, and a garlicky chili oil, this salad is made for dinner.

Don't throw those empty shells away!

A warm ruby red mulled wine packed with enough cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger to make the whole house smell like the holidays.

Blanching the citrus peel in several changes of boiling water removes bitterness while still leaving plenty of bright flavor behind.

This mix of hardy greens, pickled fennel, and spicy coconut vinaigrette brings a lightness to decadent meals.

The holiday cocktail that takes you straight to the beach (and isn’t that where you want to be anyway?).

The high notes of these umami-laden noodles from Lara Lee, the author of Coconut and Sambal, are caramelized shiitake mushrooms.

In this refreshing Thanksgiving salad, half the kale gets crisped up in the oven like chips while the rest is tossed with a gingery soy-tahini dressing.

Hibiscus is used in drinks throughout the African diaspora but most notably in Jamaica. Inspired by sorrel—a festive Caribbean punch—this sauce is sweet, tangy, earthy, and the perfect complement to the peppery profile of Jamaican jerk. Rum, allspice, and fresh ginger add a level of warmth and richness of flavor that is the signature of Caribbean cuisine. Serve with Jerk Turkey Sheperd’s Pie. 

Tart and sweet individual cranberry pies from Amanda Mack of Crust by Mack in Baltimore.

This tahdig is dressed up with cranberries and woody herbs for a Thanksgiving-y, festive feel.

Ginger and orange juice give this raita a holiday feel. Treat it like cranberry sauce–it goes with everything.

This refreshing drink Sohla El-Waylly often uses to break fast during Ramadan gives all kinds of holiday vibes.

Move aside, succulents.

In the fall, crisp peak-season pears or apples are an undeniably delicious way to enjoy this refreshing fruit salad with a nutty Salvadoran seasoning.

A simple and refreshing Trinidadian chow made with pineapple or mango.

The interplay between the fish sauce, chiles, and sweet juicy fruits makes this a simple but refreshing dish.

These recipes are an ode to Mazatlán, my time there alone, and my wonderful neighbor who cared for me through food.