Kitchen Tools

Costco shoppers are devoted to the warehouse’s bakery department — their cheesecake is a staple on holiday tables and their rosemary Parmesan bread has made me a member for life. Last month, a new sweet treat appeared: a 4 1/2-pound peanut butter chocolate pie.

Berries and cream go together, well, like peaches and cream. One of my favorite ways to serve fresh spring berries is to mix them together, spoon into glass dessert bowls and cover with drifts of whipped cream. The essence of Seriously Simple.

This delicious frittata is loaded with a medley of colorful vegetables. Start cooking the vegetables on the stove and finish them up in the oven with the egg mixture. To serve, top with avocado slices, grape tomatoes and a touch of sriracha.

Sweet, flaky halibut is a true dinnertime luxury. Because the white fish doesn’t come cheap, I like to save it for special occasions. When I do splurge, I want the halibut to be the star. In this recipe, I simply dress pan-seared fillets with a warm lemon caper butter sauce — it’s understated elegance that tastes like a fancy restaurant meal.

The time has come to welcome our backyard patio into its delightful role as dining room. Entertaining outdoors, with smoky smells wafting from the grill, reduces the anxiety of more formal situations. Friends, sparkling aperitif in hand, relax easily into conversation around the grill.

These homemade lemon cupcakes have a delicate, moist crumb that’s infused with the bright flavor of fresh lemons. Finish these tender cakes with just enough of a perfectly (not-too) sweet lemon buttercream, and they’re ready for birthday parties, bake sales, and year-round holiday celebrations.

This much-loved Greek dish is essentially a slightly more elaborate version of baked beans. In this version from our book “Tuesday Nights Mediterranean,” which features weeknight-friendly meals from the region, we use canned butter beans for ease and speed. And since we’re using canned beans, we can keep all the cooking on the stovetop using just one pan.

This pudding is particularly light and has a great bitter depth with the addition of the fresh coffee grounds. It’s not going to replace a morning coffee habit, but it’s a fabulous addition to the breakfast in bed tradition for any coffee-loving Mama.

Feeling hungry? Here's a look at the dishes famous chefs have become known for — ones that made our mouths water, built travel itineraries around, and even dared to make at home to impress our loved ones.

Many celebrations, big and small, feature skirt steak in our household. It’ s a given that we’ ll trim and marinate a pile of skirt steak for Cinco de Mayo. The holiday celebrates the anniversary of a hard-won battle over France in Puebla, Mexico, in 1862.

Serve these meatballs alone, with your favorite pasta or on a baguette with the tomato sauce spooned over them. This recipe can also be adapted to make a meatloaf.

Here, mild-mannered Savoy cabbage leaves are sauteed in butter for an easy side dish that goes well with just about anything you’re cooking, from roasted sausage to pork chops to salmon. It’s low-effort, totally satisfying, and hits the table in under 20 minutes from start to finish.