Food Network Magazine

This week, after a few too many drinks at CUESA's Farmers Market Cocktails Night, I heeded the cries coming from my stomach and headed over to Gott's Roadside.

I decided to opt for a burger without the beef, and I've been dreaming about it ever since. The perfect veggie burger has a charred exterior, a meaty texture, and a fresh quality to it that keeps it satisfying yet light.

Inspired by Gott's, I'm making my own mushroom-topped meatless patties, a combination of beans, breadcrumbs, and walnuts — plus a few secret ingredients. Want to get in on the recipe? Then read more.

Chances are, if you celebrate Good Friday, you'll be enjoying fish for dinner tonight. Thus, I've found the perfect recipe for you. It's a healthful but elegant preparation of arctic char with a satisfying portion of mushrooms and arugula on the side. Lots of fresh herbs and red wine vinegar season the simple and scrumptious dish. It's sophisticated enough for entertaining, but so quick and uncomplicated you won't break a sweat. Want the recipe?

Whether you are hosting a late lunch or early dinner, this year, I have the perfect Easter menu. It's a somewhat classic spread that starts with crisp toasts slathered in shrimp butter. Since Easter is a celebration of rebirth, no meal is complete without Spring's most beloved vegetable: asparagus. Roast it, then serve on top of a bed of seasonal lettuces. For the main course nothing says Easter like a baked ham. Instead of the traditional honey-glazed version, delight guests with a savory sweet pineapple-mustard glazed ham. Pair with creamy scalloped potatoes made with creme fraiche and you've got a spectacular dinner sure to please even the pickiest of in-laws. Want the recipes? Please keep reading.

I said it before, and I'll say it again. One can never have too much corned beef — especially if that corned beef is almost laughably easy to make in the slow cooker, and you can use the leftovers for craveworthy corned beef and fontina grilled cheeses. Yet as good as the corned beef is alone and in a toasted sandwich, I think I've found its best application yet: as the costar of corned-beef-and-cabbage pizza.

I began by making a basic pizza dough from scratch, then I loaded it with crisp slivers of potato, savory corned beef, sweet cabbage, and three types of cheese, for a sensory trip that was exotic, yet familiar at the same time. Trust me, this pizza wound up being my bona fide pot o' gold at the end of the corned beef rainbow! For the easy recipe, read more.

With Spring just around the corner, I can't help but crave green dishes like this orzo salad chock full of spinach and crunchy vegetables. Thanks to a light and lemony vinaigrette and a dose of protein from broiled shrimp, it's a healthy and hearty meal. Although many people think of salad as a side dish, this one is so filling and flavorful it stands alone. Get the uncomplicated recipe after the break.

After discovering a ridiculous inventory of grains, pastas, and sauces while cleaning out my pantry, I've decided to focus on cooking whatever's already on hand at home.

Tonight, I plan to use leftover canned Italian plum tomatoes, chopped salami, and spinach ravioli to create a straightforward Italian dinner.
Hoping to make it a meatless Monday? Then simply omit the cured meat. Either way, with a chunky, bright sauce and just-grated cheese, the result will taste just as good as any restaurant special. Get the recipe now.

Party and I have been really obsessed with crockpots lately. I thought we'd prepared just about every kind of meat dish there is (beef chili, Cuban chicken, short ribs, you name it) — until I came across a corned beef and cabbage recipe. It was so hands-off, I was convinced it would be too good to be true.

The result wasn't too good to be true, but it was admittedly way too easy. If you can chop vegetables and place them with meat in a bowl, then you can make a St. Patrick's Day spread of meltingly tender corned beef, braised cabbage, and root vegetables. Consider it your veritable pot o' gold — just remember not to peek! For the recipe, read more.

There are a few bright spots in every Winter, namely the following, in no particular order: snow sports, the Super Bowl, hot cocktails, and Girl Scout cookie season. But sadly, my attempts to track down cookies this year have been in vain, as I haven't seen so much as a single Daisy, Brownie, or Junior anywhere in the Bay Area.

To remedy the situation, I took matters into my own hands with a homemade variation of the Caramel DeLite, or Samoa, the Girl Scout cookie to end all other Girl Scout cookies.

This version, if I must say, is even better than the original. It starts out with a tartlet base of brown sugar, chocolate, butter, and toasted coconut, then gets the royal treatment with a scoop of coconut ice cream, dulce de leche, and more toasted coconut. The only drawback? They'll be gone in seconds. For the recipe, keep reading.

When PartySugar wrote about heading straight to the store after a Barefoot Contessa episode, I couldn't help but laugh and think of a recent instance when the same thing happened to me. Sometimes, all it takes is a momentary glance at a picture, and I develop a sudden, pressing need for a particular dish.

Said craving occurred most recently when I was flipping through an old magazine, and happened upon a 15-minute recipe for oven-toasted egg, pâté, and gruyère sandwiches. No more than 16 minutes later, it seemed, I was enjoying the crunch of a broiled baguette melded with the earthiness of Marcel et Henri pâté and a runny fried egg. Currently lusting after the same? Then get the recipe when you keep reading.

For supper this evening, make friends with another penne dish that's not all carbs and cheese. This one calls for the exotic yet accessible leafy green known as escarole, which lends a mild bitterness, a resilient crunch, and a bright flavor to the pasta.

With whole-grain pasta and hearty, filling chickpeas, there's no need to bring meat into this meal at all, which is good for your wallet, your waistline, and your carbon footprint. Wishing it were dinnertime already? For the recipe, read more.