Melissa Clark's favorite part of the chicken is the drumstick, because it's juicy and easy to brown. She likes using only drumsticks in this mustardy stew -thickened with tangy crème fraîche-so that all the meat cooks at the same rate.

When chef April Bloomfield tried a classic version of vinegar chicken in Lyon, she wished it was tangier. So, back home, she adds a hefty amount of Banyuls wine vinegar to the sauce. "I love the way the vinegar froths up when you add it to the pan," says Bloomfield, who finishes the chicken in the sauce to infuse it with extra flavor.

Laab salads are a regular ingredient in many Thai diets, particularly as most Thai meals are made up of a mixture of dishes including a soup, a salad, a meat dish and a vegetable dish. Laabs fall into the "sep" category of Thai food which are characterised by sour and spicy flavours.

My dear friend Greg's Greek olive oil and authentic sauces @ http://www.kalditastes.com/

Adapted from "Dolce Italiano: Desserts From the Babbo Kitchen," by Gina DePalma (W. W. Norton, 2007) Time: 2 hours plus 1 hour's chilling 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 cup instant or fine polenta Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced 1 large egg plus 3 large egg yolks 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3 cups (12-ounce bag) fresh cranberries, picked over 1.

Paula Wolfert first caught my attention in the car one day, it must have been 5 or 6 years ago -- I heard her on NPR talking about finding and preserving recipes. I confess I was a bit of a late bloomer when it comes to Paula's body of work.

user rating: Small Semolina Griddle Breads 3 forks dietary considerations Vegetarian yield: Makes twelve 5-inch rounds 1. In a mixing bowl, combine the pasta flour and semolina. Add the stick of melted butter and rub the mixture together with your hands until sandy. Mix in the sugar and salt.

Our favourite former River Cafe cook conjures a fragrant taste of summer We have been keeping our bee hives near the lavender patch this year. I really hope they realise that such tempting and fragrant flowers are at their disposal. However, they probably fly for miles to get at the lime trees instead. The lavender came out really early this season, like everything, but I know it will keep flowering longer than all the other plants. Its finest uses are as a soothing herbal remedy but I love it for the intense fragrance and hazy colour. Bees, lavender and summer holidays are synonymous to me. One of the first things I remember baking as a child were lavender biscuits. These are basically shortbread as they're sandy and crumbly and made with lots of butter, but I didn't want them to be great slabs of biscuit, more a dainty thing to put in your mouth. Just crushing the flowers in your fingers makes you realise how intense the oils it produces is, so use them sparingly, and I find a little added fennel seed brings out a lovely flavour. You could eat them any time, but a cup of tea or a scoop of ice-cream goes particularly well. Lavender shortbread Makes about 18 mini biscuits Ingredients 75g unsalted butter, at room temperature 25g caster sugar a pinch of salt 60g plain flour (I use '00' fine-milled) 25g rice flour 1tsp lavender flowers, crushed in a pestle and mortar ½tsp fennel seeds, crushed icing sugar, for dusting Heat the oven to 150C. In a mixing bowl, or with an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until soft. Crush the lavender flowers with the fennel seeds. Sift in the flours and salt and add the crushed flower and seed. Bring together to make a dough. It may be a little crumbly but the main thing is not to overwork it too much. Wrap the dough in film and rest in the fridge for about 20mins. Roll out the dough to about 1cm thick and cut out shapes with little cutters. Bake for about 20 minute

I've been hearing about my friend Lanha's madeleine recipe for years now - no exaggeration. Madeleines are her go-to cookie - she makes them for parties, she makes them as gifts, she makes them when people stop by her house to visit, she makes them when the wind changes direction.

I've been hearing about my friend Lanha's madeleine recipe for years now - no exaggeration. Madeleines are her go-to cookie - she makes them for parties, she makes them as gifts, she makes them when people stop by her house to visit, she makes them when the wind changes direction.