Dairy Free

Chicken thighs are an inexpensive and delicious alternative to chicken breasts. This one-pan dinner is perfect for a weeknight because it's so simple to put together and cleanup is a breeze.

Before I had children, I swore up and down that I'd never be one of those parents kowtowing to the little picky eaters' preferences at mealtimes. And then I had actual children. I'm no parenting expert, but my personal studies have shown that anytime you can legitimately make a meal out of a cookie and milk, you're golden. As it happens, grown-ups won't turn these down, either. And, bonus! When made with flax "eggs" and gluten-free oats, these wholesome gems are vegan and gluten-free.

This all-purpose dressing brightens whatever it touches, like Snap Pea Salad or Greek salad. It proves that three simple ingredients can become something extra-special when they're combined in just the right proportions.

I admit that I'm hard on sugar snap peas. I get disappointed when they suck, of course, but I also get grumpy when they're anything less than perfect—unblemished, super sweet, and not a bit starchy. That's the curse of keeping high standards, I suppose: you're so rarely satisfied. When at last I do find perfect snap peas, I make this salad. I leave them raw—only the finest snap peas can be this delightful without a dunk in boiling water—and accentuate their flavor with little more than a lemony dressing and mint. If you'd like, you could add some creamy goat cheese in blobs or good old burrata alongside.

This homemade yogurt works well as a dairy-free alternative. We prefer making our own coconut milk over using canned—the flavor is much more fresh. To reuse the pressed coconut, dry it out in a low oven until no longer moist, then use in baked goods or sprinkle over yogurt.

This ingenious technique cooks the chicken in a purse with its own juices and a mix of spices. It slowly simmers the bird to a silky richness—an enticing side of chicken that we rarely see.

This was the first main-course dish to be offered at The Silver Palate shop, and the distinctive colors and flavors of the prunes, olives, and capers have kept it a favorite for years. It's good hot or at room temperature. When prepared with small drumsticks and wings, it makes a delicious appetizer. The overnight marination is essential to the moistness of the finished product: The chicken keeps and even improves over several days of refrigeration; it travels well and makes excellent picnic fare.

Here's my basic no-knead, long-fermented rustic bread, a round loaf, or boule. It's an adaptation for the home kitchen of the much larger oval filone and the football-shaped pugliese sold at the Sullivan Street Bakery. I suggest you try this before any of the variations in Chapter Three, to get the hang of it. Even if you've baked before, the process is probably nothing like what your experience would lead you to expect. For one thing, many people who bake this bread find the dough to be unusually wet. Remember that most of the water is meant to be released as steam in the covered pot, and you'll be handling the dough very little anyway. Don't feel too uptight about any of this. For example, I specify that the dough should rise at room temperature, about 72 degrees Fahrenheit. (In many of the recipes, I say to put the dough in a warm, draft-free spot—same thing.) But if that's not what you have at the moment, you'll be okay anyway. Just pay attention to the visual cues: At the end of the first rise, the dough is properly fermented when it has developed a darkened appearance and bubbles, and long, thread-like strands cling to the bowl when it's moved. After the second, briefer, rise, the loaf has risen sufficiently if it holds the impression of your fingertip when you poke it lightly, making an indentation about 1/4 inch deep. It should hold that impression. If it springs back, let it rise for another 15 minutes.