There’s cornbread. And then there’s cornbread enhanced with bacon, corn, and good ol’ bacon drippings. Just as God intended, folks who’ve made it have been saying.
Chiyo Ueyama, Recipe Tester
A list of all the recipes Chiyo Ueyama has tested.
First and foremost, Chiyo Ueyama loves to eat. She grew up in a three-generation household where food was the most frequent conversation starter. Meal prep was always in progress in the small urban kitchen where written recipes were rarely seen.
Fast forward to 2008, all grown up and still thinking a lot about food, she stumbled upon Leite’s Culinaria during a random recipe search and became a recipe tester. Having no experience as a professional cook and no formal culinary education, she calls herself an “enthusiastic home cook” and embraces her small minimally equipped kitchen. Her tools for testing and reviewing recipes are her inquisitiveness and love of words. (Visit museums much? She has many years of experience writing and editing descriptions of artwork, like those labels you see in exhibition spaces.) She credits her longevity with Leite’s Culinaria to her friends who are always happy to serve as “tasters,” and are good sports when the results are less than impressive.
Some of her favorites on Leite’s Culinaria are Spiced Maple Pecan Pie with Star Anise, Moroccan Lentil Soup, Orange Olive Oil Cake, Buttermilk Drop Biscuits, Lemon and Thyme Risotto, Portuguese Mini Lemon-Orange Cakes, Masala Chai Crème Brûlée, Sheet Pan Chicken with Apples, Bacon, and Brussels Sprouts, Flaky Ribbon Pancakes, and Buttery Crab Pasta.
Sicilian-Style Roasted Cauliflower
Warmly spiced, roasted cauliflower gets drizzled with a tangy-sweet dressing, making it an irresistible, healthy (and vegan) side dish. Who loves you?
Pumpkin-Cider Soup
This pumpkin soup gets a boost from apples and a bite from a cupful of Irish cider. The soup, with its intense pumpkin flavor, makes for great fall fare.
Instant Pot Chuck Roast
Tender, flavorsome, and moreish chuck roast that’s ready in half the time. Tuck it into tacos, pile it on top of rice, devour it anyway you please.
Buttery Beef and Peanut Stir-Fry
Tender seared beef, buttery leeks, and crunchy peanuts collide to make this easy weeknight meal.
Peach and Crème Fraîche Pie
Whether you seek convention or innovation, you’ll find it in this haute yet humble peach pie, which draws on tradition yet still wields some surprises.
Apricot Tart with Frangipane
Apricot tart with frangipane. Because stone fruit season is short. So is life.
Plum Kuchen
Breakfast. Brunch. Dessert. Midnight nosh. Heck, there’s no time of day or night that we don’t welcome this classic plum kuchen.
Chocolate Wacky Cake with Chocolate Frosting
The lack of eggs, butter, and dairy gives this wacky cake its name, but there’s nothing strange about the decadent flavor it delivers.
Icebox Cake with Condensed Milk Whipped Cream
This old-fashioned classic dessert requires only 5 ingredients and 20 minutes of effort. No wonder it never goes out of style.
Easy Mixed Berry Snacking Cake
This mixed berry snacking cake comes together in one bowl and couldn’t be easier. We’ve already committed the recipe to memory.
Peach Berry Sonker
That’s right. Sonker. And it’s the simple yet unforgettable fruit dessert—sorta like pie meets cobbler—that you’ve been missing your entire life.
Steak Chimichurri
Chimichurri-induced happiness can be yours with this foolproof, fuss-free, Argentine-approved answer to what’s for dinner.
Pistachio-Lime Polenta Cake
This lime-infused polenta cake boasts a light texture and rich, buttery flavor. It’s perfect for teatime or dessert, but we won’t judge if you sneak a slice for breakfast.
Pork with Chanterelles and Apricot Jam
Pork tenderloin gets the star treatment here with a topping of buttery pan-seared mushrooms and a slightly sweet apricot and white wine sauce.
Challah Grilled Cheese with Pastrami Jam
“HELLO PASTRAMI JAM! Where have you been all of my life?!” That’s what someone shouted after experiencing this extra indulgent grilled cheese that boasts quite a few surprises.
Ukrainian Garlic Bread ~ Pampushky
These pillowy garlic bread rolls, which are slathered with garlic-parsley oil, are just one of many delights that Ukrainian cuisine has to offer.
Gorgonzola and Walnut Linguine
An indulgent pasta made with toasted walnuts, cream, mascarpone, and gorgonzola. Worthy of a special occasion but on the table in just 25 minutes. Boom.
Sweet Potato Patties
Prepare to be wowed by these crispy panko-crusted mashed sweet potato cakes. We certainly were.
One-Pan Spaghetti Puttanesca
All of the classic flavors of spaghetti puttanesca with the convenience of just one pan and barely any effort? Umm, yes, please!