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.
Johnisha L., Recipe Tester
A list of all the recipes Johnisha L. has tested.
Johnisha became enamored with food and cooking as a powerful means to bridge cultural divides. As a biracial kid growing up in the 1980s, she enjoyed eating the soul foods of both her Eastern European Jewish mother and her Catholic African American father. She also loved to partake in the cuisines of her closest friends’ families, fellow tester Karima Barrow’s Trinidadian father introduced her to delicacies such as pelau and goat roti.
Johnisha graduated from Johnson & Wales University with a degree in pastry arts, and worked at both a farmstand bakery and a seasonally focused restaurant. She has also managed a community-based culinary cooking program focused on the foodways of the African diaspora. Although she currently works as a grant writer for social justice oriented nonprofits, she still treasures her time experimenting in the kitchen. And whenever she plans visits to new places, one of the first things she investigates is where to find the best meals and pastries.
Crab Cake Burger
Fresh crab necessitates only Old Bay and very little in way of other ingredients. That’s exactly what you’ll find here.
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.
Cowboy Caviar Salad
Eating healthy was never so easy—or mingled so nicely with tortilla chips and beer.
Crispy Chicken Schnitzel with Panko
Chicken schnitzel takes a twirl through the Mediterranean for an easy, healthyish weeknight meal.
Pasta with Pancetta & Brussels Sprouts
Creamy pasta. Crispy pancetta. Pan-fried Brussels sprouts. Garlicky bread crumbs. All jumbled together to create a spectacular meal.
Cheesy Beef and Caramelized Onion Quesadillas
If you didn’t already have a reason to keep a stash of caramelized onions in your fridge, now you do. These cheesy quesadillas are going to be on repeat. Swear.
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!
Broccolini with Tahini Sauce
Boiled broccolini just got a whole lot more interesting thanks to a tahini, garlic, and lemon sauce.
Orecchiette with Chickpeas, Turmeric, and Greens
Meatless Mondays, or any night, just got a new superstar. Pasta e ceci forms the base but what sets it apart are the unexpected additions.
Garlic, Chile, and Cumin Roast Chicken
Chicken pieces marinated in a smoky, chile-infused paste makes for a perfectly spiced, divinely delish dinner. And the leftovers are incredible, too.
Shells with Ricotta and Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce
An easier way to make pasta–without all that time spent stuffing shells. Lemon ricotta gets pasta and sauce heaped on top, in a glorious version of an old favorite.
Lemon Salmon Piccata
Salmon piccata for 2 is a recipe for love–the love of good food, natch. A pan sauce of white wine, lemon, and capers provides the perfect finishing touch.
Spaghetti Bolognese
Often the first sauce we think of when we think of pasta–Bolognese is a rich, meaty, tomatoey sauce that is as comforting as it is satiating.
Tomato Soup with Chickpeas and Spinach
So satisfyingly subtle and sweet and smoky and spicy, it’ll forever banish canned Campbell’s tomato soup from your thoughts.
Apple Cider Caramels
The 8th wonder of the world? These insanely satiating caramels are made simply with apple cider, sugar, and spice.
Sheet Pan Taco Bake
Taco meets casserole in this clever and crowd-pleasing approach to perfectly seasoned tacos.
Merguez-Style Meatballs
Little flavor bombs made from harissa-spiced lamb that are perfect on their own but also scrummy tucked into a pita or slathered with hummus.
Chicken with Orange, Cream, and Tarragon
A gorgeous upgrade to orange chicken. Creamy, flavored with tarragon, and exceptionally tasty. It’s fancy without being difficult.
Peach, Burrata, and Basil Salad
Peachy keen takes on new meaning with this little stunner of a starter or, if you’re like us and have a hard time restraining yourself, your entire dinner. Summer personified.