Ferrero Rocher Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
Last winter, I found myself staring at a box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates that had been gifted during the holidays, their golden wrappers catching the kitchen light like tiny treasures. …
Almond Mascarpone Danish Pastries
The first time I encountered a proper Danish pastry wasn’t in Copenhagen, but in my grandmother’s cluttered kitchen on a snow-dusted February morning. She stood at her worn wooden counter, …
Salmon Salad with Asian Ginger Sesame Dressing
The first time I tasted this combination, I was sitting at a tiny corner table in a bustling Tokyo fish market, watching vendors slice through ruby-red tuna with the precision …
Pineapple Cream Cheese Pie
The first time I tasted this pie, I was eight years old at my grandmother’s kitchen table, sticky fingers wrapped around a fork that seemed too big for my small …
Sweet Potato Cornbread Lemon Cake
Last November, I found myself staring at three perfectly roasted sweet potatoes that had been sitting on my counter for two days, their caramelized skins wrinkled like autumn leaves. My …
Mango-Coconut Smoothie
The first time I tasted a proper mango-coconut smoothie was at a tiny beachside café in Costa Rica, where the owner’s grandmother had been perfecting the recipe for decades. I …
Italian Meatball Soup
The first time I made this soup, snow was falling outside my kitchen window, and I was homesick for my grandmother’s cooking despite never having eaten this exact dish at …
White Chocolate Raspberry Dream Cake
The first time I made this cake, it was for my sister’s birthday in the middle of a February snowstorm. The kitchen windows were frosted over, but inside, the warmth …
No-Bake Turtle Mini Cheesecakes
The first time I encountered turtle candy was at my grandmother’s house during a particularly humid July afternoon. She kept an old glass bowl on her coffee table filled with …
Sweet Alabama Pecan Bread
The first time I tasted authentic Alabama pecan bread, I was standing in my great-aunt Ruby’s kitchen, watching her weathered hands fold toasted pecans into golden batter with the kind …