Weeknight Kitchen

Though I use hot sausages here, you can use any kind of fresh Italian-seasoned sausage you prefer. Chicken or turkey sausages would lighten this dish up a bit, but take care not to overcook them: they dry out faster than pork sausages. Leftovers work well in a frittata or as a sandwich filling.

If you need a stunner for Thanksgiving dinner, here’s your recipe, which is modeled on the traditions of coastal Veracruz. It results in a moist, juicy bird, with an irresistible adobo marinade and a to-die-for stuffing. The turkey is marinated for a day (or two) in a pineapple and orange adobo sauce. The adobo is poured over the turkey before it goes into the oven, so it caramelizes as it thickens and seasons the bird even more. The sweet and tart flavors in the adobo harmonize with those in the stuffing, which is made with a soft bread and a colorful mix of ingredients that include cashews, tomatoes, and chorizo.

The addition of balsamic vinegar comes straight from my friend Meg Fish’s table. She ladled up big bowls of soup topped with four or five drips of the tangy, sweet liquid, and I’ve never gone back.

Dried chorizo adds big flavor to this fifteen- minute meal. It’s packed with garlic and paprika and renders stunning—calling Bob Ross fans—burnt sienna–colored oil in which you cook the shrimp. Toss with more garlic, parsley, and some crushed croutons (though a handful of salty cracker crumbs would work, too), and dinner’s done

I firmly believe that pasta is one of the love languages of the world. I’m going out on a very long limb here and saying this may be my favorite recipe in the book. (But don’t quote me after I’ve had a few miso chocolate chip cookies. I’ve got a thing for miso, okay?!) This. Carbonara. Is. Everything. It’s melt-in-your-mouth, ultra-umami creaminess in every tender bite. This is what you NEED to make if you’re trying to impress someone. It requires less time to make than it will take you to get yourself primped for the date. I can’t wait to hear how your night goes after this one.

I love okonomiyaki—large Japanese cabbage cakes made in a skillet and then cut into wedges to serve. But trust me, flipping one of those babies is not bare minimum. Instead, I make smaller cakes; they cook more quickly and are much (much!) easier to turn. Use a cast-iron skillet here if you have one.

Tomato noodle soup is the kind of simple comfort food that all little kids love. In fact, I ate it every week growing up, and I still look to it when I want something that’s easy on the stomach. The soup is usually made with chicken stock, but I use vegetable broth instead. I may be the only person to add crema to the dish. It’s not traditional at all, but I love the creaminess. It gives the soup a richness that reminds me of curry

Carrots, avocado, and sprouts may sound too standard to deserve your attention, but I assure you, this salad satisfies. It’s really the dukkah that does the trick— bright, spicy, salty, and a little sweet—it gives this salad a complex, savory depth.

Andrea DeMaio, our marketing director, inherited this recipe from her maman, Phyllis. It really shines in the fall, especially when made with local apples, but Andrea’s family asks Phyllis to make it year-round, every time they gather together. And Andrea brings it to all our staff potlucks—everyone loves the unique curry vinaigrette, and the salad is vegan, so no one is ever left out.