You know when you’re in the height of summer and you’re coming back home after a long day of fun? You can see a bit of haze in the sky from the heat, and you just plop on your couch exhausted but full of bliss? My favorite kind of feeling! I tried to recreate that blissful “just gonna plop on the couch after a hot, fun day” vibe with this drink. It’s a slow sipper, so take your time and enjoy.

This twist on New York City bartender Joaquín Simó’s Naked & Famous stays true to the classic formula, with just two main adjustments. The first is Hibiscus-Infused Mezcal instead of standard mezcal, and the second is Bénédictine to replace the yellow, Chartreuse. The latter is, for all intents and purposes, a like-for-like swap—I just dial back the volume as Bénédictine is a touch sweeter than yellow Chartreuse. The infused mezcal adds tannins to the cocktail, which helps maintain its structure and balance, and it deepens the drink’s reddish-pink hue, adding to its visual appeal. For agave spirit lovers, this is one hell of a welcome drink, and a relatively straight forward one to whip up, at that.

Taste a glass of bona fide rosé and a glass of this cider side by side, and I honestly think you’d be hard-pressed to tell which one was the real deal. This fizzy pink cider is satisfyingly crisp and dry, but with a sweet fruitiness from the strawberries that lingers after each sip. Make it sparkling or still (just leave out the corn sugar at bottling), and serve it well chilled.

Sometimes survival is the name of the breakfast game. As much as we love the convenience of instant oatmeal packets, we find them lacking in flavor and texture. That’s why we came up with this baked version, which can be prepped the night before and baked off in the morning for a hearty, warm breakfast. We’ve included three kid-requested, mom-approved versions: the original, which truly tastes like banana bread in oatmeal form, and two variations. There is a double-chocolate variation and another inspired by peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which does double-duty as a great after-school snack.

As much as I love traditional buttermilk pancakes, let’s be honest, they’re pretty basic. When I was thinking about how I could give this morning staple a little bit of a Middle Eastern zhuzh, my mind went to basbousa, a syrupy, orange-blossom-water-soaked Egyptian semolina cake. The end result is a piping-hot stack of flapjacks that magically bridge something very familiar with a breakfast or brunch that’s much more exciting.

If you’re going to make one recipe from this book, make it this one! Well, actually, make them all, but definitely include this one. It. Is. Divine. It may seem simple, and it most definitely is, but it is mighty. The crisp bounce of the gnocchi replaces the bread traditionally used in Spanish “pan con tomate” and takes it from a light lunch to a more substantial meal. Good-quality tomatoes are essential here, as well as generous seasoning, as that’s where most of the flavor comes from.

There is something so comforting about a bowl of chili. It’s also one of my favorite batch-prep meals, with the flavor only getting better over time. Dump everything into a big pot or a slow cooker and let it do its thing! You can rest easy knowing that beans have your back: they’re one of the most cost-effective and nutrient-dense protein sources, packed with soluble fiber (known for its blood-sugar-balancing properties and cholesterol-lowering potential), B vitamins for energy metabolism, and minerals such as iron, zinc, and magnesium. I love the slightly sweet addition of roasted
sweet potato, but feel free to skip this step if you want to speed things up!

In my world, everyone deserves a spritz, whether they drink alcohol or not. This is why I set out to reconstruct some of my favorite flavors (and the bright hue) of Aperol—minus the Aperol. The beloved aperitif has a distinctly bitter flavor, with notes of rhubarb, gentian (a bitter and herbal flavor), and other botanicals. Here, I achieve the balance with a tart rhubarb shrub, some fresh orange juice, bittersweet homemade cranberry syrup, and the slightly peppery quinine flavor of tonic water.

I’m not afraid to admit that I have a slight obsession with coconut.
Anything and everything coconut I will eat, drink and probably marry. This coconut drink reminds me of enjoying a few sunny days by the beach, no cares in the world other than falling asleep under an umbrella. Is there anything more chill than that? Don’t think so!