Original Recipes

Mouth-puckeringly tart, slightly sweet, cool, and creamy, the mango lassi is a natural pairing with spicy Indian dishes as its dairy base quells fiery bursts of heat. Thankfully, like its smoothie kin, it's a simple recipe to master and, likewise, worth considering beyond the dinner table.

Thinner than a typical smoothie (thanks to a healthy dose of milk), a lassi isn't an exact analogue per se but ticks many of the same boxes. For those only familiar with it as Indian-restaurant fare, it might seem like an odd choice for breakfast, but I bet once you try your hand at the easy recipe, you'll want to enjoy it morning, noon, and night.

Concocting an elaborate cocktail can be almost as fun as sipping and savoring it, but when temperatures blaze, dead-simple is the way to go. Case in point: this tangy, tamarind-spiked dark and stormy, which despite its exotic upgrade manages to clock in at a mere four ingredients, no shaker needed.

The only (debatable) downside? Its alcohol content is knocked down a notch by the addition of tamarind drinking vinegar — a "problem" easily alleviated by swapping alcoholic ginger beer for a boozier kick. On the flip side, when made with classic ginger beer, the lighter tipple is more day-drinking friendly than its full-strength classic forebearer.

Keep reading for the refreshing recipe.

A recent food fixation in the form of a simple tartine, composed of hearty whole-wheat toast slathered with creamy hummus, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh pea shoots, inspired today's creation. This fast and easy option saw me through breakfasts, snack hours, and lunches aplenty but wasn't exactly the sort of food one would serve to company. How, I mused, could I transform this satisfying snack into an elegant appetizer?

A simple swap of a seeded baguette for sandwich bread makes these diminutive bites visually enticing, bite-size, and party-friendly. Chances are, I won't abandon this perfect storm of creamy, crisp, and candy-sweet sun-dried tomatoes in its large-scale iteration any time soon, but I will embrace its entertaining-friendly turn in addition. Get the easy recipe, and follow suit.

Who doesn't love Pop Rocks, the faddish candy of the 1980s? When Molecule-R sent us Popping Sugar ($4 for 2.8 ounces), I knew I had to sprinkle it over some sort of confection.

Popping Sugar is a neutral-tasting, carbonated sugar that reacts with liquid to release carbon dioxide bubbles, which causes all that snapping and sizzling inside your mouth. For my first experiment, I was inspired by Chuao to start with chocolate bark because it's relatively easy to make and an oh-so-fun way to experience the electrifying sugar juxtaposed with the melting chocolate.

The ingredients are simple: just chocolate and the Popping Sugar. Temper the chocolate; spread it on a nonstick mat, cover it in the Popping Sugar, and let the chocolate set before snapping it into the bite-size bark pieces.

Bring it to parties, and let the grin-inducing cracking begin. Keep reading for the recipe.

I'm all for tacos consisting of crispy corn tortilla shells, ground beef, and cheddar cheese. This Tex-Mex favorite — inspired by the beef tacos I grew up on — may be a far cry from saucy carnitas and queso fresco, but that doesn't mean there's not room in the taco world for them to coexist!

The best part of the recipe? You'll be able to get these tacos on the table before you have time to say "giddyup." Just prep all the ingredients, and let diners customize and stuff their tacos to their liking at the table.

I made these in the style they're served at some of my favorite Tex-Mex restaurants — stuffed over the brim with lettuce and tomatoes. Care for more flavor? Add in some guacamole or salsa. I've even been known to drizzle (or more like drown) queso dip over these bad boys.

Forks will be required to scoop up the falling fillings, y'all. Get ready to dig into these Tex-Mex tacos.

Miss out on Spring break? Not to worry: mango, avocado, pineapple, and a few splashes of milk are all you need to go on a miniature tropical getaway.

Why, you might ask, should you add avocado to the smoothie? Don't skip out on it: the fruit imparts a pleasant green hue on the drink, plus it contributes to the overall thickness and mouthfeel of the smoothie, since avocados are naturally high in fat. It won't really affect the flavor, though: this smoothie is all about the mighty sweet mango and mouth-puckering pineapple.

I prefer my smoothies on the thicker side, but keep blending it with more milk until you reach your desired consistency. I like to pop my smoothie in the freezer for 10 minutes or so to really chill it up.

Keep reading for the recipe.