Simple Cooking

In the melting pot of New Orleans culture, our Irish heritage is one of the lesser-known components. However, the Irish played a pivotal role in the history and development of this great city. Lauren's ancestors' landing here can be traced to the year 1825. Today, many Irish pubs are scattered around town, and we refer to the area where many immigrants settled as the Irish Channel. Every year, in addition to attending local St. Patrick's Day parades and festivities, we like to celebrate the Irish by making this recipe.

Blind-baking the crust is essential: It keeps it from getting soggy when the custardy filling is added.

Buttermilk lightens the traditional all-cream panna cotta base—without sacrificing lusciousness.

A nice alternative to its fermented cousin; put this on pork chops or fish.

Crunchy, toasty coconut chips transform a simple loaf cake.

Yes, you could serve these crepes before they've been caramelized in sugar, but why deprive yourself?

Affordable leg of lamb is a great way to break out of the usual beef-chicken-pork rut, especially when used in a quick-cooking but complex-tasting dish like this.

Top the most amazing beef stew with the flakiest pie crust and discover the most comforting dish you’ll eat all winter.

This recipe is a two-step process, but nothing about it is difficult. Start by cooking the beef the day before (if you also want to have it for dinner that night, just double the recipe). It's chilled overnight, becoming even more flavorful. The next day, shred the cooked corned beef and throw the hash together, then bask in your accomplishment.

Done well, this should be crunchy, fresh, spicy, sour, and a little bit funky. Taste as you go and adjust as needed.

A favorite, try this versatile crunchy peanut mixture with braised-chicken-thigh lettuce wraps.

This fiery Korean stew is my weekend detox. It's spicy, clean, and capable of reversing any damage the previous night may have caused.

Prepared curry paste speeds up this nuanced dish.

Serve this over a bed of soft polenta for catching the juices, with a simply dressed salad on the side.

We like to serve this main with couscous, rice, or grilled bread to sop up all of the shrimp's intensely flavored cooking liquid.

This versatile oil is a great way to bring heat to just about any dish.

Some parsnips can have a woody core, which you'll want to cut away before cooking.

This hits all the notes of a great slaw: creamy, tangy, and crunchy.