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Elderflowers blossom in May or June. Do not rinse the flowers, because they’re delicate, and you’ll wash away some of the flavor.

Introduction

You don’t come across elderflowers at the markets in Paris, but one day when I was walking down the Avenue Trudaine, I spotted a huge elderflower tree in the traffic median! It’s illegal to forage in Paris, so I resisted picking them. But I couldn’t resist taking a sniff, and found the ones that managed to flourish between the several lanes of diesel-fueled cars and motorcycles differed from the “all of summer” fragrance the flowers usually have.

A few days later, I was at a friend’s house outside of town for a barbecue and noticed a spindly, flower-laden tree leaning against their house. “Ah . . . bon? Les sureaux?” they said when I asked if they were, indeed, elderflowers, before I sprinted over to get a closer look. Once my suspicions were confirmed, they gave me carte blanche (and a few big bags), and told me to pick away.

Elderflowers blossom in May or June. Do not rinse the flowers, because they’re delicate, and you’ll wash away some of the flavor. Any bits of debris or bugs should be gently picked or brushed off. To remove the flowers from the stems, run your fingers down the flower heads over a bowl; they’ll easily drop off.

Google / Social Description

f black bean brownies could be a thing—and believe me, they are a thing—then why not red bean brownies?

Introduction

If black bean brownies could be a thing—and believe me, they are a thing—then why not red bean brownies, based on the little adzuki (aka azuki) beans that are so beloved across Asia for their versatility in sweets? I started with a pretty killer gluten-free recipe from Dana Shultz’s Minimalist Baker site and set to tinkering. In went the adzuki beans, out went the black. In went aquafaba—the liquid from a can of chickpeas, not the adzukis, because the flavor is milder—and out went a flax egg. In went a little chickpea flour for extra structure. The master stroke, based on a suggestion from my friend and cookbook author Tess “The Blender Girl” Masters: rose water, which takes these from everyday-American-take-to-work good to special-occasion-Middle-Eastern great. They’re very fudgy and dense on the inside, a little chewy on the outside—and easy enough to make whenever you want.

Google / Social Description

I love pudding. I was the kid that ate those tin cans of milk chocolate Nestlé pudding in my lunchbox almost every day.

Introduction

I love pudding. I was the kid that ate those tin cans of milk chocolate Nestlé pudding in my lunchbox almost every day. Then I went to Paris with my mom when I was 14, and I tasted pastries filled with pastry cream (real vanilla pudding) for the first time. I was in heaven. At 17, after moving away from home to Toronto, I tasted pastéis de nata (baked custard tarts) from a local Portuguese bakery around the corner, and they blew my mind. Then I went to chef school and learned how to make pastry cream (or real pudding, as I like to call it), and it still rocks my world. Not to mention, it’s a great way to use up egg and milk staples.

Google / Social Description

This hibiscus pineapple punch is the perfect refreshment for any gathering.

Google / Social Description

I love this sandwich for the way the melted mozzarella oozes over the warm vegetables.

Introduction

I love this sandwich for the way the melted mozzarella oozes over the warm vegetables, and you get a good crunch of the bread when you take your first bite. If you don’t have a panini press and you’re using a grill pan, make sure you use a spatula to press down on the sandwich heavily and often throughout the process.

Google / Social Description

This soup is one my sisters and I all remember as a favorite when we were growing up.

Introduction

This soup is one my sisters and I all remember as a favorite when we were growing up. The simple ingredients combine to create great flavor. Our mother says she used cream from an elderly aunt who got it from nearby Hutterite farmers, so heavy it had to be spooned out of the jar!

Google / Social Description

Dress up this sausage potage with other fresh herbs, like finely shredded basil, chopped oregano or chopped chives.

Google / Social Description

For as long as I can remember, my grandmother always had a pot of grits on the back of her stove.

Introduction

For as long as I can remember, my grandmother always had a pot of grits on the back of her stove. Sometimes they were fresh, ready to be paired with scrambled eggs and a piece of sausage. Other times, they were from a previous day with the weird film that formed a tint over the now clumpy and dry cornmeal. I’ve never known a day without grits while I was living with her, especially for breakfast and lunch.

It is a known fact that proper grits need only milk, salt, and a pat of butter. The late Edna Lewis said, “People should really leave grits alone,” but I see good grits as a beautiful creamy vehicle that, if handled responsibly, can result in some tempting combinations. The roasted sweet potato adds a sweet and earthy element to these grits and only ups the creamy, custardy mouthfeel.

I would definitely eat these grits with shrimp smothered in a bacon gravy, fried catfish, or mushrooms simmered in a red curry. You can also enjoy them as our ancestors intended, with just a simple pat of butter.

Google / Social Description

This flan is made with creamy coconut milk, which makes the custard velvety smooth while adding a rich tropical flavour.

Introduction

If you visit any South American country, or any of the islands in the Caribbean that were colonized by Spain, you’ll be able to enjoy the ultimate custardy dessert. Flan, a silky mixture of eggs, sugar, and milk, gets baked in a bain-marie, or water bath, until it sets and picks up the flavours from the caramel underneath it. When I was growing up in Santo Domingo, every celebration, birthday, and Sunday lunch would end with a delicious flan.

This flan is made with creamy coconut milk, which makes the custard velvety smooth while adding a rich tropical flavour. Having just a few ingredients, it’s also incredibly easy to make. Serve this super-delicate dessert at your next weekend lunch and be transported straight to the Caribbean!

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These well-seasoned greens are similar to collards, which are popular in the American South.

Introduction

These well-seasoned greens are similar to collards, which are popular in the American South with their fragrant potlikker and are a reminder of the undeniably deep threads that tie together African and African American cooking. Sukuma wiki means “to stretch the week”—in other words, using these greens, which are affordable and readily available, can help stretch any meal a bit further. Greens are a staple in Kenyan cooking and in most East African cooking in general. Serve this dish with rice for a traditional, healthy, and completely vegan meal.