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This recipe for mini jam tarts is simple, and makes for pretty presentation, especially if you use different flavors of jam.

Introduction

I do love a good jam tart, and these are an attempt to recreate a store-bought version that I couldn’t get enough of when I lived in Paris. Though they are a simple recipe, they are impressive to look at and make a pretty presentation, especially if you use different flavors (and colors) of jam. Note that you can make the pastry the day before.

This recipe calls for Sweet Shortcrust Pastry, which can be found here. 

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This might be the easiest apple pie recipe out there. No need for a special plate either, just make it all in a skillet!

Introduction

Why This Recipe Works

 

Who says a pie needs to bake in a special plate—or even have a bottom crust? While we have a recipe for traditional deep-dish apple-packed pie worthy of a blue ribbon (see page 28), we wanted to expand the definition of perfect apple pie: It can come in a skillet, and it can be just about the easiest pie you can make. Unlike the filling for a double-crust pie, which needs to be juicy enough to flatter the fresh fruit but tight enough to keep the crust from becoming soggy, the filling for a skillet apple pie can be saucy. Apple cider provided resonant apple flavor and, when thickened with cornstarch, it yielded a juicy filling with just the right body. We used ⅓ cup of maple syrup to further sweeten the filling, and it complemented the natural sweetness of the apples without being cloying. Working in a heavy skillet allowed us to sauté the apples just long enough to caramelize them before we transferred the dough-topped pie to the oven for 20 minutes, where the crust developed a lovely deep brown hue. Cutting the dough into six pieces prior to baking allowed the crust to develop multiple crisp, flaky edges that contrasted with the saucy, caramelized, and tender apples. Use a combination of sweet, crisp apples such as Golden Delicious and firm, tart apples such as Cortland or Empire.

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Make this savoury meat pie recipe as a snack or starter. The seasoned beef within a curried pastry crust makes a great treat.

Introduction

Cooked meat or fish enclosed in a thin pastry crust is an adaptation of a colonial dish—British pasties—turned into everyday food that is served throughout the African diaspora. In some regions, stuffed pastries are sold as a snack at street stands. The people of Cape Verde fry a peppery tuna mixture in pockets of coarse pastry dough made from sweet potato and corn flour—“pastry with the devil inside.” In Jamaica, the “patty” is a rich, turmericlaced crust leavened with baking powder, and it cradles a mixture of ground meat and vegetables. Latin Americans trace their love of fillings made of beef, raisins, and olives to a combination that originated with the Moors, as Sandra A. Gutierrez explained in Empanadas: The Hand-Held Pies of Latin America. To heighten the island experience, I have also slipped in a little jerk chicken or pork.

During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, enslaved and free pastry chefs mastered the art of baking with dough, David S. Shields explained in Southern Provisions: The Creation and Revival of a Cuisine, especially the puff pastry that cradled savory mixtures such as creamed oysters, sweetbreads, or crab (called patties), and hot meat pies of all kinds.

When the soul cooks of the 1960s adopted hand-held meat pies into their repertoires, the names became Americanized. Inez Yeargan Kaiser called them hamburger turnovers in Soul Food Cookery, a collection of “wellseasoned, savory dishes” she believed would “bridge the gap in our society,” enable readers to “understand the cultural backgrounds of all people,” and provide a “channel for better communication.” The year was 1968, and she was using her education in home economics to heal racial disturbances by developing appreciation for “Negro” cooking.

Serving these tender little packets rekindles that hope. Today, recipes for samosas, samusas, empanadas, meat pies, and zamboosies turn up frequently in black cookbooks, a casual reminder of our international heritage. I adapted this recipe from Eric Copage’s curried lamb samosas. He enveloped the spicy filling in wonton wrappers (another nod toward the global pantry). My version maintains the ancestral character of the African diaspora and the Caribbean, cradling a spicy beef filling in curry-scented homemade pastry. I omitted the baking powder some cooks call for, which yields a somewhat sturdier crust, and added more fat to make my pockets flaky. Or, you may opt to use the wonton wrappers (see the Variation) and fry them until crisp.

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This Sister Pie classic is the ultimate pie experience. With the flaky crust, tart fruit and crumble topping, what's not to love?

Introduction

Asking me which pie is my favorite is like asking me if I’d rather dance to New Order or Mariah Carey—it’s impossible to choose. But if I had to pick just one pie, it’d be this Sister Pie classic, because it lives up to my formula of what creates the ultimate pie experience: flaky, all-butter crust meets the tartest fruit in season plus a buttery, brown sugar crumble topping. It features tart Michigan cranberries in two ways: first we cook them down into a compote and then we mix in more cranberries, sugar, and spice. The whole darn thing is topped with the aforementioned crumble, and we’re in (best pie) business.

We use cranberries from Cheboygan, Michigan. They’re sold in 12-ounce bags at most supermarkets during the fall and winter season. It also may be possible to find unbagged cranberries at your local farmers’ market or grocery store. While rinsing, be sure to sort the cranberries as well and remove any that appear mushy or dark. The first two components of this recipe—the compote and the crumble—can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make the pie.

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This recipe for hot “prawn curry”, a dish found on the beaches of Goa can be easily prepared in your Instant Pot.

Introduction

This is the hot “prawn curry,” as it is called here, found on the beaches of Goa. It is very simple to prepare, and is delicious eaten with rice. Normally, several teaspoons of a very red but milder chili powder would be used here. I have suggested less and used paprika to add to the color.

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Thanks to the pressure cooker, this delicious gnocchi bolognese recipe is ready to eat in less than half an hour!

Introduction

The gnocchi and the Bolognese in this recipe are made in one pot, which means one less pan to clean! And the meat sauce tastes like it was simmering for hours on the stove, but, thanks to the pressure cooker, it’s ready in less than 30 minutes. A speedy sensation! This dish is a favorite of my husband, Tommy. He loves it topped with fresh basil and plenty of freshly grated Pecorino Romano.

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Try making this white bean recipe in your Instant Pot for a comforting dish with a kick of garlic.

Introduction

This white bean dish isn’t shy when it comes to garlic. It’s used in the pot along with the simmering beans, and also fried in olive oil as a crunchy, pungent garnish. As a contrast, the broccoli rabe and red onion get very sweet when you sauté them slowly until they are browned and caramelized. Alongside the soft, mild white beans, it’s a satisfying and comforting dish with a garlicky kick.

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These sweet-and-sour glazed ribs are tender and intensely flavored—and pretty much impossible to stop eating once you start.

Introduction

These gingery sweet-and-sour glazed ribs are tender and intensely flavored—and pretty much impossible to stop eating once you start. The sauce also works well on spareribs if you’d like to substitute those here. Just reduce the cooking time by a few minutes on the pressure setting, or as much as an hour if using the slow cooker setting.

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Try Melissa Clark's recipe for beef pho in your Instant Pot. With tender meat and aromatics it makes for a hearty, warming soup.

Introduction

In a traditional Vietnamese pho, dense cuts of beef and bones are simmered for hours into a fragrant broth, rich with aromatics including star anise, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. For serving, the tender meat is sliced and added back to the broth, along with rice noodles and a whole host of garnishes—herbs, bean sprouts, and tangy fresh lime. It’s a hearty, warming soup that’s also fresh and crunchy.

This simplified version calls for premade broth that’s briefly pressure-cooked with the aromatics—a quicker way to add their flavor. And instead of the long-simmered beef, thin slices of raw steak are added to the hot broth, which cooks it on contact (raw steak is sometimes added to traditional pho, too, along with the stewed beef).

Make sure to slice the beef very thinly and to have the broth piping hot when the two meet; otherwise, the steak might not cook properly. Freezing the meat for an hour or so before slicing helps you get extra-thin slivers. Or, ask your butcher to slice it for you.