Cindi Kruth, Recipe Tester

Quick bread. Tea cake. Spice bread. Whatever you call it, this recipe has pedigree–and you don’t need to know its geneology to know this. One taste tells all.

These shatteringly crisp, undeniably sophisticated potato ruffles—chips, if you will—have no ridges. Nor do they need them. They’re intoxicatingly lovely just as they are.

Ripe pears and sweet-tart dried cranberries are the stars of this fruit crumble. The topping is an old-fashioned mix of oatmeal, brown sugar, and butter.

For this recipe, hens are topped with breadcrumbs seasoned with vinegar, parsley, scallion, anchovies, capers, garlic, and thyme. An elegant dinner.

Fresh popovers, flavored with ground hazelnuts and zesty herbs, are a Thanksgiving must. These popovers are easy because the batter is made ahead then baked right before dinner.

This cauliflower gratin recipe from Dorie Greenspan is French comfort food, yet it wouldn’t be out of place on a distinctly American Thanksgiving table.

A most gratifying use for a gangly gourd, this silken butternut squash soup all but defines autumn.

Forget the pan when you make this tart. The edges of the tart crust are folded around sweet caramelized onions, smoky bacon, and rich goat cheese.

This tapa of fried goat cheese with onion confit combines two iconic Spanish ingredients into a tantalizing small bite that’s all sweetness and tang.

Flaunting an always-stunning, goes-with-anything white, this coconut cake glams up dinner parties, bridal showers, weddings, birthdays, and Tuesday nights.

Chickpeas as you’ve never experienced them. Just stir together a citrus and yogurt dressing and toss with chickpeas and spinach. Quick, easy, hearty, and ideal for summer.

Some things are so simple as to seem almost plain—until you taste them. Hollandaise is one such perfectly simple staple.

With its layers of textures and colors, this soupy stewy concoction is far more enticing than the name would have you believe.

An ardent pea shoot aficionado divulges her favorite bling come spring–a simple, sprightly salad that flaunts the sweeter side of these cute, curly shoots.

Hold the mouth-searing heat, but keep the flavor with these marinated chicken wings. Plum, hoisin, and soy sauce provide sweet and spicy Asian flavors.

Man does not live by hot sauce alone. That’s why this authentic Burmese hot sauce also has notes of tart and sweet.

We could blather on and on about this surprising (and stealthy healthy) riff on a Southern classic that everyone is swearing is the best cornbread they’ve ever had.

A French tradition born of necessity that, over the years, has been transformed into something that seems far, far more indulgent than putting to use leftovers.

“Where have you been all my life?” That’s a common refrain we’re hearing from those who’ve tasted these breakfast all-in-ones.

Drama. Intrigue. Aroma. Ease. These, too, can be part of your weeknight routine with this simple, surprising tactic to cooking fish.