YOU CAN’T BUY THIS INTENSELY FLAVORED STOCK anywhere; you have to make it yourself from fresh crab shells. In the Pacific Northwest there are two types of crab available, Dungeness and Alaska king crabs. We use Dungeness for its sweet crab flavor, but king crab can be substituted. We don’t recommend using Atlantic blue crabs, as they have a completely different flavor. In my house, making the stock always comes the day after a crab feast. Crab stock is a wonderful base for any fish stew, but it plays the starring role in the Crab Mac and Cheese (page 74). Without it, the cheese overwhelms the flavorful crab.
This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.
The silky French vanilla sauce that goes with everything.
Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.
An extra-silky filling (no water bath needed!) and a smooth sour cream topping make this the ultimate cheesecake.
This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.
Crispy tots topped with savory-sweet sauce, mayonnaise, furikake, scallion, and katsuobushi.