Snack

The trick of making an espresso extract to add to the dough is a good one to know. If you want to use it for other things—a spoonful is good in brownies, chocolate sauces or even in chocolate chip cookies—make more than you need now and keep it in the refrigerator, where it will be fine for months. Of course these are good with coffee and coffee drinks, but they’re surprisingly nice with milk and not at all bad with cognac.

Takes the fear out of frying with a foolproof explanation and a universally loved snack as your reward.

Who doesn’t love banana bread? This one is just sweet enough, with fabulous crunch if you add walnuts and coconut, as I always do. There’s no better solution for over-the-hill bananas, and the batter comes together in less than 10 minutes. I’ve been making this recipe — created by my late dear friend Sherry — for almost fifty years; it’s incredibly reliable.

Set out a plate of these sweetly spiced cookies and watch them vanish fast.

I’m sort of a snob when it comes to trying new recipes. I just seem to like my old tried and true ones best, and it takes a lot for something new to grab my attention. I had to have the recipe for this dip after I tried it on Super Bowl Sunday 2006. Garth is a die-hard Steelers fan, so it was an exciting day. Everybody always brings something for the party, and this was my friend Kim’s contribution. Being a good southern girl, I love anything with black-eyed peas in it, but for you folks who are right now turning up your noses at the idea of eating black-eyed peas, all I can say is just try it. In fact, maybe I should name it something else for those skeptics. How about Pea Dippy?

An earthy-yet-light spread that's great with crudité or on sandwiches and toast.

Make these gluten-free quinoa and sweet potato "muffins" ahead for a quick breakfast or energizing mid-day snack.

Most kids today only know pre-popped or microwave popcorn. For more flavor and the much-deserved anticipation, there is nothing like the stovetop method. For best results use a heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid and a good handle.

A bright tangle of shredded Brussels sprouts, raisins, and pine nuts tops silky ricotta in this snappy, satisfying toast.

This vegetarian version of the classic appetizer uses soy sauce, smoked paprika, and smoked almonds to pack so much savory flavor that no one will miss the traditional bacon. Use Gorgonzola dolce if you prefer a more mild blue cheese flavor.

These tender, flavor-packed meatballs are the perfect Thanksgiving party snack, but—for what it’s worth—they'd also make an excellent meatball sub.

Adding ground pistachios creates a substantial dough that complements the leeks for these galettes.

Chewy cookie lovers: these are for you.

Every October as kids, we loved to go pumpkin picking and buy fresh pumpkins. Our grandmother would take the pumpkin flesh and bake it in the oven with a little cinnamon and sugar, and then we’d stick it in the blender, puree it, and use it for baking. We’d bake pumpkin bread, pumpkin cake, and pumpkin pie, and we would also roast the pumpkin seeds in the oven. Really, she used every single part of that pumpkin! The thing we loved the most was our grandmother’s pumpkin cake. It was more of a cake-bread hybrid: very dense and savory yet sweet. It smelled amazing coming out of the oven. We would sometimes just eat it without any icing, hot from the oven. We’d burn our tongues because we wouldn’t even wait for it to cool!

Chips and dip: classic, and every culture has its take. There's hummus and pita, tortilla chips and guac, British chips and tartar sauce... From time to time, we’ll run an Indian take on chips and dip using crunchy papadums (thin and crispy lentil crackers) with a cold, creamy version of dal (stewed beans and lentils). The trick is to keep the dal super light so it doesn’t snap the papadums.

I love the taste and color of sweet potatoes and yams. They are packed with vitamins and minerals and are delicious to boot! This bread is sweet enough for dessert and savory enough for dinner.

Use prosciutto if Serrano is unavailable, and make sure the relish is nice and acidic to stand up to the richness of the ham and eggs. This recipe is from Morcilla, one of Bon Appétit's Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.