Jennifer V., Recipe Tester

A list of all the recipes Jennifer V. has tested.

An oval platter topped with spaghetti with raw tomatoes and a couple of spoons on the side.

Spaghetti with Raw Tomatoes

Summer at its simplest, not to mention its most splendid. Five minutes of effort yield a meal that rivals round-trip tickets to Italy.

A piece of miso cod in a skillet with an orange napkin next to it.

Miso Cod

This five-ingredient fix, a restaurant classic as well as a simple weeknight dinner, will have you practicing your acceptance speech for the best dinner ever.

Four pieces of Judy Hesser's oven-fried chicken in a oval glass baking dish on top of a linen cloth.

Judy Hesser’s Oven-Fried Chicken

Mind-bogglingly crisp oven-fried chicken. And it’s sooo easy. Just shake, shake, shake chicken thighs in a bag of seasoned flour and bake unattended for a little while.

A green bowl filled with sautéed bacon, mushrooms, and lentils with a whole piece of bacon on top.

Sautéed Bacon, Mushrooms, and Lentils

It may seem criminal to bathe the walloping nutrition of lentils and mushrooms in anything but wholesomeness, but there’s something to be said for quality of life. Hello, bacon!

A black velvet cocktail in a flute with a napkin and cork in the background.

Black Velvet Cocktail

There’s a reason this effervescent mingling of stout and Champagne contains the word “velvet.” It’s sooooo smooth and subtly sophisticated. Sip for yourself.

Several cut cinnamon pecan blondies on a white platter.

Cinnamon Pecan Blondies

Chewy, buttery, and teeming with toffee flavor, these are a sophisticated take on those made-from-a-box blondies you scarfed down with your carton of milk in the school cafeteria.

A rimmed baking sheet with fish in parchment and a fish spatula resting beside it.

Fish in Parchment

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

Two plates with burrata topped with asparagus, pine nuts, raisins, and prosciutto.

Burrata Cheese with Asparagus

A ridiculously rich, unthinkably creamy kin to mozzarella, burrata brings understated bling to every little thing. Prepare to swoon.

A pile of fancy fish sticks on a piece of parchment with a dollop of ketchup beside them.

Fancy Fish Sticks

We believe in feeding kids real foods. But when you think about it, how much more real does it get than fish and bread crumbs?

A cranberry margarita in a short glass with a skewer or sugared cranberries and orange zest across the top.

Cranberry Margarita

Because sometimes on Thanksgiving, you need something a little stronger than wine. Especially this year. We know we will. *hic*

A southside cocktail on a napkin on a silver tray with a potato chip and sprig of mint beside it.

Southside Cocktail

Mint. Muddled. Mine. When we’ve got this gin-based mojito on our minds, those are about the only words we can muster. Well, maybe add “More.”

A glass of Vietnamese iced coffee, made with layers of sweetened condensed milk, coffee, and ice cubes with a coffee drip over it.

Vietnamese Iced Coffee ~ Ca Phe Sua Da

A simple, satiating, summery Vietnamese tradition known as ca phe sua da, this seductive classic is simply coffee, ice, and sweet, sweet, sweetened condensed milk. Here’s how to succumb at home.

A trussed classic roast chicken on a rack, set inside a skillet.

Classic Roast Chicken

Succulent. Crisp-skinned. Simple. If that’s what you seek in a roast hen, your search stops with this ooh- and aah-inducing technique.

A layer of parmesan twists on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Parmesan Twists

There’s lots to love about these crowd-pleasing twists. How they look. How they taste. How they come together with ease. (Need we go on…?)

A white bowl filled with spinach and arugula risotto on a grey linen napkin.

Spinach and Arugula Risotto

This risotto, straight from Rome, gets its flavor and color from spinach, arugula, and parsley. Its smoothness is a product of butter, cream, and cheese.

A pitcher of Pimm's cup, with a half-filled glass and a vase of flowers on either side of it.

Pimm’s Cup for Wimbledon

A sprightly summer cocktail, this vibrant variant on a Pimm’s Cup is a wham bam grand slam of booze, orange, lemon, cucumber, mint, and lemon-lime soda.

A sheet pan with an onion thyme tart on it, covered with cooked onions, thyme on a puff pastry crust

Onion Thyme Tart

“Delicate.” “Flaky.” “Perfect.” “I could not stop eating it!” That’s what folks are saying about this hors d’oeuvre that’s a cinch to make—and devour.

Three glass jars partially filled with pesto Genovese.

Pesto Genovese

A spoon-it-straight-from-the-jar-and-slather-it-on-everything sauce with the taste of tradition, the seduction of sophistication.