Night + Market chef Kris Yenbamroong’s famous pad Thai uses only ingredients you’d find at pretty much any grocery store—not because it’s easier, but because that's just how his grandma does it. It’s so good and simple (the cook time is ... 3 minutes), nothing will stop you from having it for dinner tonight. He writes, "Here are my pad Thai ground rules: Some chefs like to keep the toppings separate. I don’t. I toss in the green onions and bean sprouts right after turning off the heat so they are incorporated but remain crunchy. The roasted chiles and crushed peanuts are arranged next to the noodles for easy mixing access, along with a lime wedge to squeeze on top. This arrangement makes it easier to scarf down a plate once it hits the table, which is the best way to eat pad Thai.

Reprinted with permission from Mark Bittman's Dinner for Everyone| New Window. As for riffing, Bittman says, "With the gingery noodle salad, cutting the vegetables in thin strips and then flash-cooking them is the key technique for ultimate twirling. So go ahead and use carrots, Asian greens, or other sturdy vegetables the same way."

As Nancy Harmon Jenkins wrote about this pesto pasta in the New York Times in 1997, "The most elegant pasta dish that Italian cooks have ever invented is astonishingly simple to make, especially now that pesto is made with a food processor instead of a mortar and pestle." (Although Jenkins would also like us to try pesto made by hand just once, to experience the silky texture.) In this traditional pesto pasta from the Liguria region of Italy, all of the vegetables cook along with the pasta in one pot. This shortcut is both faster than cooking the vegetables separately and makes the pasta taste better, too, as the noodles absorb some of the flavor from the vegetables as they cook. This is commonly done in Italy with all kinds of vegetables, especially greens, including tenerumi (the young leaves of a Sicilian squash) and frequently broccoli rabe. The vegetables may cook slightly differently each time you make this dish, but that’s part of the beauty of it. Rely on your gut and your own personal tastes—if you like your green beans very crisp (or they’re looking very thin and tender), add them a bit later, and so forth.

Unlike your average weekend lasagna layering project, this recipe is all cooked in one pan—quick tomato sauce, pasta, and all. And it all happens very fast, thanks to frozen ravioli, the only pasta that has the layers of cheese tucked right inside. Note that every brand of ravioli is a little bit different, so it's a good idea to taste and season as you go.

This is a salad I could eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for days at a time before remembering other foods exist—and I'm not just saying that because it comes from another Ella. Said Other Ella (Mills, of Deliciously Ella fame) recommends adding a sliced spicy red pepper at the end before serving, which really takes this to the next level.

Pudding is truly in my top 3 favorite desserts—and while making it homemade requires more work than a box of the instant variety, it’s still so simple. You likely have everything you need on hand to make one, and this salty butterscotch version is truly top notch. Traditional butterscotch is made by boiling brown sugar, butter, and cream together to form a thick sauce that is caramel-adjacent, but fanatics will agree it’s in a class all its own.

Brazilian Limeade, or Limonada Suiça, which translates to "Swiss Lemonade" in Portuguese, is a blended limeade popular throughout Brazil and increasingly enjoyed in the rest of Latin America and the United States. The drink's origins are debated: some attribute its name to the popular "Swiss" brand of condensed milk used in early recipes, while others credit its creation to Brazil's Swiss immigrant community.

This sandwich is great for wrapping up and bringing on the go, and makes for a delicious lunch or picnic dinner. Here I layer a baguette with sun-dried tomato pesto, grilled halloumi cheese, marinated grilled eggplant, and lots of baby arugula. Although a baguette tastes best and makes it easy to make 4 sandwiches (or 2) at once, you can swap the bread with a soft Italian sub or focaccia if desired.

Egg foo young is quietly receding into the realm of the nostalgic. Once a ubiquitous staple, the dish is now harder and harder to find in American Chinese restaurants. Yet, despite its somewhat faded glory, egg foo young holds potent allure and a couple of important lessons in texture, culinary resourcefulness, and building delicious sauces.

This Frozen Malted Latte was inspired by the many frappuccinos and coffee coolattas most of us used to drink with our friends at the mall after school in the 2000’s. It’s the perfect hot summer drink that comes together in 10 minutes (maybe not even) and can either be a morning boost or a mid-day pick-me-up. I added homemade vanilla syrup and malted milk powder to give it a nutty and caramelized flavor.

You’ll want to stash a few bananas in the freezer ahead of time for this delicious smoothie that tastes like a healthier version of a salted caramel milkshake. Dates, peanut butter, cinnamon, and salt help bring out that salted caramel flavor and Planet Oat Unsweetened Original Oatmilk makes it creamy without a drop of dairy.

I've always half-joked that baking terrifies me, so I only share recipes I can nail effortlessly. This clafoutis is one of those—a go-to you can use with any fruit. It's a simple French baked custard, traditionally made with cherries, but any stone fruit or berries work. Think of it as a Dutch baby's cousin. Almond extract and toasted, sliced almonds pair perfectly with the fruit, and fresh tarragon adds a lovely licorice note. Like most of my baking recipes, it's more of a flexible technique than a strict formula—feel free to adapt it!

This French yogurt cake is so simple, cookbook author Dorie Greenspan explains in Baking: From My Home to Yours, that in France it’s typically measured by scooping up flour, sugar, and oil right in the yogurt container. But yogurt comes in different sizes in the United States, so Dorie worked out a version of the recipe that could be re-created worldwide, either by weight or with measuring cups and spoons.

I didn’t always love my blender. Years ago, my esteem for blender drinks was so low that an early draft of my book, Drink What You Want, contained a disclaimer that the book wouldn't even discuss them. I thought that drinks made in this way—with tons of ice and a relatively high proportion of sweetness (and fun)—weren’t serious enough for a cocktail book written by a decade-long veteran of NYC’s craft cocktail scene.

This is my version of a delicious salad one of the vendors at the Pound Ridge Farmers Market sold a few years ago.

Coconut butter is a creamy spread made from pureed coconut flesh, offering a rich, slightly sweet flavor and smooth texture. It's perfect for baking, smoothies, or spreading on toast, and is naturally dairy-free and vegan.