Gina M., Recipe Tester

A list of all the recipes Gina M. has tested.

A woman with purple-ish hair smiling.

Gina Medeiros is a self-taught cook, former bartender and recipe tester. Originally from Massachusetts, she now lives in Northern California and loves to combine her passions for food and travel by taking cooking classes wherever she goes.

Her earliest memories are of watching her family cook traditional Portuguese food in their tiny kitchen and wishing she was old enough to help. Gina enjoys spending time in the kitchen and may be found making Portuguese Sausage, Ham, and Cheese Bread, Red Wine Chocolate Cake, Mapo Tofu, or Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Pumpkin crunch in a glass bowl beside a glass bowl of mixed nuts and cranberries.

Pumpkin Crunch

A sweetly spiced upgrade to trail mix, this snappy little snack is perfect for autumn eating. Serve as an appetizer or just a little pick-me-up.

A pile of Korean-style BBQ ribs on a wooden board, garnished with scallions and sesame seeds with several forks on the side.

Korean-Style BBQ Ribs

Sweet, tangy, and deliciously messy. Marinate ’em, grill ’em up, stack ’em on a platter, and prepare for everyone to be astounded.

A white bowl of red wine spaghetti with shaved Parmesan and basil leaves.

Red Wine Spaghetti

This ingenious approach to spaghetti requires just your usual boxed pasta, a bottle of wine, and 30 minutes. Gorgeousness ensues.

White bowl of sliced parmesan-crusted chicken, lettuce, and red and yellow cherry tomatoes

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken

When it’s half past when you’d wanted to eat and you’re too exhausted to think, turn to this kid-friendly, adult-approved fix.

A partial slice of red wine chocolate cake on a plate with a fork resting beside the cake.

Red Wine Chocolate Cake

We’re sorta surprised you’re still reading this rather than clicking on the title given how compelling the ingredients in the title are…

Three bowls of chicken dan dan noodles with Sichuan tare.

Chicken Dan Dan Noodles

There are as many reasons to adore chicken Dan Dan noodles as there are variations on it. We’re particularly smitten with this one.

Three presunto and cheese loaves on a wooden cutting board, with one cut into several slices and knife lying beside it.

Portuguese Sausage, Ham, and Cheese Bread

A traditional bread that’s heavily punctuated with Portuguese loveliness, including chouriço, presunto, and sheep’s milk cheese. Practically a meal unto itself. And a damn satiating one at that.

Blue and white bowl filled with Muhammara, or red pepper walnut spread with a spoon in it

Muhammara ~ Red Pepper-Walnut Spread

Though not as well known stateside as hummus or baba ghanoush, this Mediterranean classic is equally enticing. Let us introduce you to its subtly smoky and sweetly tangy awesomeness.

A few tahini chocolate chip cookies on a torn piece of parchment paper.

Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

As easy as the classic Toll House recipe but a lot more memorable, these beauties boast ample chocolate chunks, a subtle nuttiness from the tahini, crackly edges, and oh so soft centers.

A brown ceramic bowl filled with mapo tofu.

Mapo Tofu

Comfort food of a different sort. The sort with a spicy, tingling, almost numbing awesomeness that we can’t seem to get enough of whatever the day of the week or time of the year.

A crock of beer cheese with a knife resting on top, and a mug of beer and piece of pretzel bun on the side.

Beer Cheese

A boozy cousin to pimento cheese, this beer cheese is essential entertaining fare during football season. And, actually, outside football season.

A white bowl of shrimp laksa soup with a small bowl of crispy fried shallots, a spoon, and a container of chopsticks on the side.

Shrimp Laksa Soup

A southeast Asian standby that comes together surprisingly simply. What results is supremely satiating.

Two coupe glasses filled with martinez cocktail and a strip of orange zest with a cocktail shaker and more orange zest in the background.

Martinez Cocktail

The Martinez cocktail is a classic mix of gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and bitters that creates a perfectly balanced and smoooooooooooooth sip.

A silver gravy boat filled with gluten-free gravy on a linen cloth.

Gluten-Free Gravy

Everyone we know who’s tried this gluten-free gravy is calling it their new “go-to” gravy, regardless of their gluten preference or tolerance. Undeniably and luxuriously rich, smooth, and silken.

A loaf of Burgundian honey spice bread on a sheet of parchment with two slices cut off.

Burgundian Honey Spice Bread

More nuanced than gingerbread and not at all like fruit cake, this French pain d’épices is unforgettably fragrant with spice and nostalgically rich with tradition.

An old-fashioned roast turkey on a platter with bunches of grapes and orange slices and a boat of gravy behind it.

Old-Fashioned Roast Turkey and Gravy

This is the real deal: a proper, old-fashioned roast turkey. Simple, straightforward, unfussy, with crisp skin and tender, juicy meat. Talk about a reason to give thanks.