Cooking with kids requires about double the time and triple the patience that cooking alone or with another adult demands. So when I do cook with my kids, I try to seek out recipes that are tasty, nutritious, and very simple. This “tomato candy” pasta makes the mark on all three accounts. Inspired by Michelle Obama’s new (and adorable) cooking show, this is my version of the recipe depicted in the first episode.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, millions more are facing food insecurity and hunger. I am dedicating March 2021 as a March Against Hunger. Thank you for joining me in this cause!

I really love citrus desserts, but I am also a known chocoholic, so this pie is the perfect middle ground. It has my favorite all-butter pie crust, a rich layer of dark chocolate ganache, a tangy Meyer lemon custard filling, whips of sweet meringue, and sliced candied lemons for an added touch of whimsy.

I will not pretend that my king cake babka is even close to traditional, but I can affirm that they’re insanely delicious. I’ve taken the same butter enriched yeast dough recipe I use for my chocolate babka and replaced the cocoa filling with a cinnamon pecan swirl. The babkas are drizzled in syrup and then dressed up for the party with the traditional frosting and king cake color guard.

Molten chocolate lava cake is my favorite cake of all. It’s basically a very rich, dark chocolate cake with ganache, but flipped inside out and served gooey warm. It’s completely irresistible.

There is nothing more impressive, or delicious, than the way, in spite of gravity, a soufflé floats over the top of its ramekin. It’s as if the chocolate has an enchanted cap that levitates softly up of its own accord. A true magic show.

If you have never had mole before, you are in for a real treat. The sauce is rich with spiced Mexican chocolate blended with pasilla chiles and kicks of cumin and orange. The sauce is usually smothered over shredded chicken and enjoyed in tacos, but here I’ve encased the chicken mole in a cornmeal pastry for out of this world empanadas.

These little peanut butter cups are an adorable gift for any holiday really, but wrapped in pink foil and a cute little bag, they’re a perfect way to express love in February. Best of all they are delicious and SUPER easy to make.

One of my most requested recipes, these cookies have a very classic comfort to them: tender on the inside, crunchy on the outside, and loaded with sweet toasted almonds and melty chocolate, these are everybody’s favorite cookie.

These little macaron footballs are my very American spin off of the French classic. I’ve included all the best tips I’ve found, and while the cookies are a process, they’re not anything to be afraid of. Plus they’re oh so cute and tasty for any game day fete!

This dish is so rich it carries an elegance that belies the simplicity of the recipe. The pie emerges glassy smooth and then cracks in cooling to reveal the fudgy core; it’s the epitome of beautiful imperfection. Topped with a tart raspberry coulis, I can’t imagine a more fitting Valentine’s Day dessert, whether for a couple or for a family.

These waffles are fluffy and rich with buttermilk and the slight tang of the starter. They’re also nutty, not too sweet, and ultimately just fun to eat. They don’t take very much work or time, but they are much tastier than waffles from a boxed mix. And the best part is that you can make a big batch of fresh waffles and FREEZE them for later!

Thick, chewy, rich, full-bodied, addictive, decadent, and crackly are all good words for double chocolate cookies. If a brownie married a cookie and had a baby, these cookies would be that baby. They have all the beautiful flavors and the chewy mouth feel of a brownie, but with the shape, thickness, and durability of a cookie. So of course they’re perfect for dunking. If you’re looking for the best chocolate cookies in the world, look no further.

While nutrition may have become the largest looming thread in our collective discourse on wellness, it is not the only, or even the most important, narrative in dissemination. There are a plethora of stories and histories about food, and unless we attend to, investigate, and consider the deeply complex narratives informing our food choices, we cannot get to a truly well and nourished place.

Besides being super easy and tasty, these energy bites are also packed with nutrients. Salted cashews offer a plant based protein punch; cherries and dates are loaded with fiber and vitamins; and dark chocolate is high in antioxidants.

This soup is possibly my favorite of all time. It’s loaded with veggies, crammed with flavor, and has all the nutrients you need in one delicious bowl. The herb blend is earthy and warming, and the combination of lentils, sweet potatoes, and spinach makes for such a satisfying meal. Even if you are a carnivore, you will not miss the meat.

These cookies are humble and sophisticated all at once. They’re simple to put together and require no fancy equipment or much mixing. Yet the unique method results in a walnut and raisin infused butter that pervades the entire cookie with a subtle, nutty richness unlike any other.

This drink is just for fun. It makes you feel like you’re on vacation by a sapphire pool, or on a white sanded beach, or in a lazy hammock. Everybody needs a little vacation, and this one comes with very little expense or effort.

These all American berries are super easy and so cute that even picky eaters won’t be able to resist. They’re perfect as a snack, pancake topping, or light dessert for all your patriotic 4th of July, election day, or inauguration parties. Best of all they’re healthy and delicious.

Few recipes are as widely loved and cherished as chicken soup. Growing up, my grandmother and mother made this soup - with it’s rich clear broth and large chunks of sweet carrots - whenever we were run down or fighting a bug. Now chicken soup is about as close to a feeling of home as I can envision.