Gail Rueckl, Recipe Tester

A list of all the recipes Gail Rueckl has tested.

Oliebollen, or Dutch doughnuts, in a wire basket, covered with powdered sugar on a white tablecloth.

Oliebollen ~ Dutch Doughnuts

Nothing’s better than warm oliebollen, or Dutch doughnuts, thanks to their crisp nooks and crannies and their pillowy centers hidden beneath a dusting of confectioners’ sugar.

A platter of ribs covered with Texas-style barbecue sauce, and a glass of extra sauce on the side.

Texas-Style Barbecue Sauce

Ridiculously easy to make yet complex as heck in taste. Slightly sweet with only a hint of heat. Kid-tested and adult-approved.

Two smoked spareribs and a knife on a slab of stone

Smoked Spare Ribs

Authentic barbecue joint flavor from your own backyard. No smoker required. Actually, no smoking experience required, either.

A metal wok with a serving of char kway teow and a wooden spoon resting inside.

Char Kway Teow

Street food at its finest. This is the real deal, straight from Malaysia by way of this recipe and your local Asian grocery store.

Two spoons with homemade harissa on them on a cracked enamel surface.

Homemade Harissa

In the words of one of our recipe testers, “If this sauce is what Moroccan food is all about, then I’m all in.” Us, too.

A cast-iron skillet filled with a cooked sweet potato cornbread with two pats of butter on top and a dish of butter pats beside it.

Sweet Potato Cornbread

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.

Korean chicken wings piled around a white container of dipping sauce.

Korean Chicken Wings

Know that elusive balance of ridiculously crisp skin yet tender meat and a dipping sauce that’s sorta sweet but with some heat? Most wings fail miserably to achieve that. These nail it.

Homemade maple-espresso bacon on a cutting board on a stone slab.

Homemade Maple-Espresso Bacon

A richly porky, nicely salted, slightly peppery, pleasantly sweet taste with a lingering maple syrup flavor. That’s what you can expect from this crazy easy homemade bacon.

A bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin with a few slices cut from the end and a knife resting beside.

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Easy. Economical. On the table in 45 minutes. And essentially pork wrapped in more pork and roasted until crisp outside and juicily tender inside. Comfort food for when you need it.

Six coffee-crusted grilled pork chops on a speckled platter.

Coffee Crusted Grilled Pork Chops

“Wow!” “Off-the-charts good!” “Divine.” “Amazingly juicy and tender.” “A definite keeper.” That’s what we’re hearing about these subtly and beguilingly spiced chops.

Two bowls of North Carolina clam chowder with a torn slice of bread, two empty bowls, and several spoons beside them.

North Carolina Clam Chowder

No, not New England clam chowder. North Carolina clam chowder. It’s a brothier, clammier, lighter chowder that lets the clamminess come through. No complaints here.

An oval plate with four pieces of Southern fried chicken wings.

Southern Fried Chicken Wings

Perfectly battered. Nicely seasoned. And easy as heck. That’s how we like our fried chicken wings, thank you very much. This recipe delivers all that.

A black pot filled with chunks of beef Raj curry, topped with cilantro, nearby is roti Indian bread

British Beef Raj Curry

All the complexity of classic beef curry that you slowly tended all day…but in just an hour. You’re welcome.

Prosecco being added to a Prosecco and Aperol cocktail, with two partially filled glasses behind it.

Prosecco and Aperol Cocktail

Bitter. Sweet. Floral. Herbal. Citrusy. Elegant. Classic. Fizzy. Magical in all ways. That’s what folks are saying about this lovely little cocktail. Cin cin.

Shaved root vegetable salad in a grey bowl with a fork and spoon resting inside.

Shaved Root Vegetable Salad

Elegant evidence that salad need not be reserved for warmer months. A stunner of a salad in which humble root vegetables are elevated with peppery greens, fried pancetta, and Parmesan.

A muffin tin filled with cooked Thanksgiving leftovers muffins.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Muffins

Holiday leftovers put to magnificent use! Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy are layered in muffin tins to transform your day-after-Thankgiving-clean-out-your-fridge experience. Leftover cranberry sauce on the side optional.

A plate of roasted delicata squash salad with red onion, feta cheese, avocado, and mint

Roasted Delicata Squash Salad

A stunner of a salad that’s essentially a kaleidoscope of ingredients that tastes far more naughty than you’d expect from something so healthy.