This piece originally appeared in SAVEUR’s Fall/Winter 2025 issue. See more stories from Issue 205.

In Turkey, when you’ve ­gotten yourself into a bind, you say “ayvayi ­yedim”—“I ate the quince.” Anyone who’s ever bitten into this fruit raw needs no further explanation: Uncooked, it’s gustatory punishment, all sandpapery tannins and face-squinching pucker.

But with patience comes transformation. As quince cooks, its flesh turns from wan white to a rich, glistening garnet. The kitchen fills with scents akin to roses and baked apples. What was hard and astringent turns lush, spoonable, and gumdrop-like—ready for desserts, jams, stews, or to be savored on its own.

People have revered the quince since antiquity, prescribing it as medicine, celebrating it in art and literature, and feasting on it like fruit from the gods. Early American cookbooks, such as Amelia Simmons’ American Cookery (1796) and Miss Beecher’s Domestic Receipt-Book (1846) featured it in dozens of jams and desserts. Yet today, few Americans could pick one out of a lineup.

So when I spotted a pile of the rare ­yellow orbs last fall, a dinner party was in order. I chose an Ottolenghi recipe: hollowed out and stuffed with lamb. The first hurdle? Removing the fuzz (horticulturalists, with a straight face, call this “pubescence”), which clung to my peeler like dryer lint. Cutting the fruit sent my knife—and nearly my fingers—flying. By the time the quince finally softened, the meat had overcooked into jerky. I texted my guests: Vibe switch. Pizza.

I swore off the fruit until I met Barbara Ghazarian, author of Simply Quince. “We think of it as exotic,” she told me, “but it came to the Colonies with the Puritans and was more popular than the apple.”

Long before that, quince reigned from Ancient Persia to Al-Andalus. “People used it against fevers and made a kind of sap—an ancestor of cough syrup,” said food historian Ken Albala. In myth and scripture, it may have been the golden “apple” that sparked the Trojan War or the true forbidden fruit in Eden.

The Romans carried quince across Europe and to England, where it morphed into “marmelet.” This orange-less paste, similar to Spanish membrillo, was the original marmalade (named for the Portuguese “marmelo,” or quince).

Thanks to its high pectin content, quince was once widely used to thicken preserves. But with the rise of commercial pectin in the early 20th century, its utility faded. Besides, as Albala pointed out, “People can’t be bothered to cook their fruit.” The ready-to-eat apple ­outpaced its fussier cousin long ago.

Yet in some places, quince endures. In Iran, it stars in jams, stews, and sharbats and is “associated with love and fertility,” according to Persian American chef Farideh Sadeghin. In Argentina, it sweetens pastafrola; in the Armenian diaspora, it becomes dolma; and in the Balkans, syrupy slices accompany coffee or brandy.

The most surprising preparation might come from Chile, where the fruit is salted, fork-pricked, and bashed until—miraculously—it becomes ­edible raw. This membrillo “machucado” is a fitting metaphor for the fruit itself: stubborn, expectation-defying, and—in the end—revelatory. Maybe eating the quince isn’t so bad after all.

Recipes

Lamb-Stuffed Quince Dolmas

Get the recipe >

Khoresh-E Beh (Chicken and Quince Stew)

Get the recipe >

Quince Frangipane Tart

Get the recipe >

Membrillo

Get the recipe >

Spiced Quince Sharbat

Get the recipe >

The post Why Quince, the World’s Most Stubborn Fruit, Deserves a Spot on Your Table appeared first on Saveur.

A riff on French pear and frangipane tart, this dessert starts with soft, sunset-pink quince cooked in vanilla-scented syrup. The dough, fruit, and frangipane can be made up to three days ahead, but the tart is best enjoyed a few hours after baking.

Quince season runs from late summer through autumn, so check with your local orchard or farmers market for harvest dates. Stored unwashed in a cool, dark place, the fruit will keep for up to three months. If you can’t find fresh quince nearby, you can order it online from Kalamala Persian Grocery, Melissa’s Produce, or Frog Hollow Farm.

Featured in “Why Quince, the World’s Most Stubborn Fruit, Deserves a Spot on Your Table” by Benjamin Kemper in the Fall/Winter 2025 issue. See more recipes and stories from Issue 205.

The post Quince Frangipane Tart appeared first on Saveur.

Chances are, you know someone in Mallorca right now. You’ve seen their posts—paella lunches at harborside restaurants, ensaïmadas dunked in café con leche, and afternoon swims at beaches that are quite literally the goat. 

The largest of the Balearic Islands, set between Menorca and Ibiza, Mallorca is in the midst of a transformation reminiscent of Ibiza decades ago. Travelers from all over—especially Americans—are suddenly flocking here. They’re not alone: Acclaimed chefs are relocating to the island to open ambitious farm-to-table restaurants, once-quiet calas (cove beaches) now brim with sunseekers, and a wave of design-forward hotels is pushing the island’s style to unprecedented heights. Yet unlike Ibiza and other Mediterranean hot spots, it doesn’t feel overrun—for now. 

With so much vying for your attention, especially in choosing where to stay, let the food guide you to the perfect hideaway. 

Can Ferrereta

Carrer de Can Ferrereta, 12, Santanyí
+34 971 90 59 05

In the honey-stoned town of Santanyí, peeking above the almond groves, this converted 17th-century mansion has 32 rooms—half of them suites. Southeastern Mallorca was never known for luxury, but since this five-star property opened a few years ago, the area (with its white-sand Es Trenc beach and the untamed beauty of Mondragó Natural Park) has been getting a second look. Some of that buzz is due to Ocre, the on-site restaurant that draws guests and locals alike with its menu of revamped regional specialties hinging on ingredients from the nearby mercat. A meal might start with a classic Mallorquín canapé of spreadable sobrassada sausage drizzled with honey over country bread, then continue with a creamy corn risotto brightened with citrus and dotted with confit cherry tomatoes. 

Hotel Corazón

Carretera de Deià, Km. 56, 7, Sóller
+34 633 16 07 52

For travelers who get the ick from surging crowds, there is Corazón, a bohemian 15-room design hotel tucked between the tourist hubs of Deià and Sóller. Inaugurated in 2023, the property has an all-women culinary team and its own farmer-in-residence, Emma Phillips (formerly of L.A.’s Flamingo Estate), who works closely with the chef to channel the bounty of the on-site gardens straight into the all-day restaurant. The phrase “farm to table” may be cliché nowadays, but here it’s in full force—in dishes like shredded kale salad with fennel and roasted dates, or meltingly soft red peppers with anchovies, walnuts, and sourdough from the nearby Forn de Barri bakery.  

La Residencia, A Belmond Hotel

Carrer son Canals, Deià
+34 971 63 90 11

A leisurely teatime in the midst of the Tramuntana mountains beneath palms, cypresses, and fig trees is already a joy, but it feels like a once-in-a-lifetime treat with La Residencia’s homemade herbal tea made with leaves of the property’s olive trees, rose petals, lavender, and chamomile. All of this is presented in custom tableware bearing designs by the famous Catalan painter Joan Miró. That sense of place continues at El Olivo, the tasting-menu restaurant inside an old olive mill. There, you can spring for an oil tasting before sitting back for a meal (plant based or omnivorous) of bites like char-grilled mackerel with sherried bean consommé or lemon crémant with honey ice cream and almond dukkah—and choose from more than 470 wine references.

El Llorenç Parc de la Mar

Plaça de Llorenç Villalonga, 4, Palma
+34 971 67 77 70

While Mallorca’s beaches and rural corners seem to get all the attention, the capital, Palma, is a must-visit for travelers who appreciate history, nightlife, great food, or any combination of the three. El Llorenç, an urban hotel just steps from the stunning Gothic cathedral and tree-lined Passeig des Born, offers an unstuffy vibe with an infinity pool, smartly decorated rooms with balconies overlooking the sea, and a rooftop restaurant, Urbà, serving light bites like oysters, tartares, and carpaccio. On the ground floor, the Michelin-starred Dins Santi Taura provides a more sedate experience with its “Origins” tasting menu, inspired by age-old Balearic recipes—think red spiny lobster and stuffed snails.

Hotel El Vicenç de la Mar

Carrer de Cala Molins, 6, Cala Sant Vicenç
+34 871 11 03 92

Private beaches are illegal in Spain, but at El Vicenç—especially in the off season when crowds thin—you’ll feel like you have one at Cala Molins, just steps from the property’s front door. Whether you choose to unwind at the hotel, moving between the warm Mediterranean surf and the beachy minimalist rooms, or explore beyond, this modern 35-room property in the tranquil northwest offers a solid home base. The best rooms look out over the sea and the rugged peaks of Cavall Bernat—a view shared by the rooftop restaurant, where local meats star in dishes like suckling porc negre and pastry stuffed with guinea fowl in almond sauce.

Zoëtry Mallorca

Camí de Sa Torre, Km. 8, 7, Llucmajor
+34 910 30 58 23

Zoëtry Mallorca is a culinary microcosm—a self-contained world of on-site gardens, proprietary vineyards, a private neo-Gothic chapel, and even a 15th-century windmill. What it lacks in immediate beach access (Cala Pi is about a 20-minute drive), it more than compensates for with manicured grounds, a pool that could have been lifted from a film set, and exceptional dining. Mornings bring handmade local cheeses, artisan charcuterie, and à la carte Benedicts, while evenings at the Michelin-starred Andreu Genestra restaurant deliver playful yet refined plates—think Mallorcan-style eel Wellington or a green pea coulant crowned with petals from the garden.

The post 6 Phenomenal Food-Focused Hotels in Mallorca appeared first on Saveur.

The scene is like something from Agatha Christie’s Poirot novels: In the golden glow of morning, a crowd gathers to board the huffing, gleaming train. Porters in starched white livery lead travelers to sleeping chambers outfitted with carved wood furniture and goose-down quilts. Then, with everyone snug in their cabins, a sharp whistle blows. The coach trundles off into the vast, scenic wilderness. 

Is it 1924 or 2024? With a sudden proliferation of old-world-style rail itineraries, your guess is as good as ours. Slow travel is back, and by rail, you can skip the usual headaches of traffic and crowds in exchange for sweeping vistas, well-kept accommodations, and—increasingly—exceptional cuisine with a palpable sense of place. For an escape that’s as much about the journey as it is about the destination, consider these luxe locomotives.

Eastern & Oriental Express Wild Malaysia

3 nights • Key sights: Singapore, Taman Negara National Park, Penang 

Departing from Singapore, this Belmond train is a blast from the past with wood-paneled carriages, gilded design accents, and a dining car with crisp tablecloths and glimmering crystal. As you ride through the misty jungle, you’ll pause at a national park (to learn about endangered Malayan tigers) and savor dishes that wink to the locations en route, such as Penang duck curry or beef cheeks with Sarawak peppercorns. 

Napa Valley Wine Train Legacy Experience

6 hours • Key sights: Charles Krug Winery, V. Sattui Winery

On this popular route, wine tasting in an open-air carriage is followed by a four-course menu featuring California products such as Skyhill chèvre and Guittard Chocolate—all served in a 1915 Pullman dining car. Wine flights at the formidable Charles Krug and V. Sattui wineries round out the itinerary, which snakes through sun-soaked vineyards and farmland. 

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Rovos Rail African Trilogy

15 nights • Key sights: Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, Fish River Canyon, Kalahari Desert

There may be no better way to absorb the varied scenery of southern Africa than this leisurely route that weaves from the eastern coast of South Africa up to Namibia. Desert drives, safaris, and boma dinners—think ostrich filet, grilled kingklip, and koeksisters (honeyed fried dough) served alfresco at candlelit tables—are all part of the experience.

La Dolce Vita Orient Express

2 nights • Key sights: Rome, Matera, Palena

The UNESCO-preserved cave dwellings of Matera, the star stop on this train, make you feel like you’re in a history documentary (just with way more gelato). On-board culinary offerings include everything from Sicilian brioche at breakfast to a lively aperitivo in the lounge (where you can try your hand at the Italian game of scopa). A stop-off in Palena allows for more enchanting sightseeing and castle-hopping.

Palace On Wheels – The Royal Train Journey

7 nights • Key sights: Delhi, Udaipur, Agra

Rajasthan, the “Land of Kings,” boasts such a wealth of monuments and landscapes that it’s best taken in by train. Sightseeing stops—say, an elephant ride in Jaipur or a boat excursion in Udaipur—complement the over-the-top train, which sparkles with colorful fabrics, Christmas lights, and royal-themed decorations. Though there are European-style dishes, more intriguing are the freshly made Indian stews, breads, and desserts, including from-scratch ice creams.

JR East Tohuku Emotion

4 hours • Key sights: Hachinohe, Sanriku Coast, Kuji

State-run rail companies and fine dining rarely go hand in hand—except when it comes to Japan’s Tohuku Emotion, which chugs along the coast of northeastern Honshu. The train makes no stops but offers views of monuments such as the Kabushima Shrine, a breeding ground for black-tailed gulls. The menu changes quarterly, which might mean sea urchin-cauliflower cream one month and smoked Aomori scallops the next.

The post 6 Life-Changing Train Trips to Take This Year appeared first on Saveur.

LGBTQ bars have had a tough run lately. Shuttering in concerning numbers, many have been struggling with soaring rents and an increasingly challenging business model (not to mention dating apps, which make it easy to flirt from the couch). But happily, and against all odds, many of our go-to LGBTQ spaces are still standing—thriving, even. What’s more, they need your business more than ever in light of discriminatory anti-transgender legislation and distressing Don’t Say Gay laws. To that end, here’s a pared-down list of our favorite queer bars, restaurants, and clubs in major cities across America. Drop in for a drag show, catch a late-night DJ set, or simply pull up a stool at the bar. No matter your gender or orientation, you’re in for a good time.  

The Stonewall Inn, New York City

“We really are like the gay Church,” said co-owner Kurt Kelly. Mecca for America’s gay liberation movement, Stonewall is the site where a dayslong protest for LGBTQ rights ensued in 1969 after police violently raided the establishment. In 2019, an estimated 5 million people made the pilgrimage to Greenwich Village to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the pivotal event. Today, Stonewall is more than its brick-and-mortar location; behind the scenes, the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative is taking the “Stonewall Inn legacy to the most marginalized in our community and in the toughest places to still be LGBTQ+,” said Stacy Lentz, Stonewall’s co-owner and CEO of the nonprofit.    

Round-Up Saloon, Dallas

Next time you’re in Dallas, lasso up your friends and take them to this kitsch Oak Lawn dance hall where queer culture meets line dancing and twangy country music. Thursdays are the best nights to go for the uninitiated; that’s when instructors give free lessons on, say, how to do-si-do your partner and dance the “Hoedown Throwdown.” Nobody goes for the gastronomy (the menu is basically burgers, fries, and wings)—though it helps to have something to nibble on to mitigate the dangerously generous pours.

Cheer Up Charlies, Austin

Austin’s LGBTQ residents are up in arms: It may be too late to protect three emblematic Fourth Street queer bars from the wrecking ball as they’re slated to be replaced with luxury highrises. That makes Cheer Up Charlies—which is safe, for now—all the more important to support. With a well-furnished outdoor patio, bubbly staff, and a vegan food truck always parked outside (sweet potato fries! blood orange hard cider!), this bar is our favorite spot for partying in Texas’ blissfully “weird” capital. 

Atlantic House, Provincetown, Massachusetts

The “A-House,” as locals call it, is so old that its original owner was a mounted postman who died of cholera. Opened in 1798 as a stagecoach inn, it became a hub of Bohemian life at the turn of the 20th century as artists and writers fled gritty, industrial Boston for a freer and more solitary life. As early as the 1950s, the A-House was an openly gay establishment, a badge it wears proudly to the present day.   

Big Chicks, Chicago

The first thing you notice when you walk into Big Chicks in Chicago’s Far North Side is the diverse clientele: a wonderfully motley mix representing virtually all ages, races, physiques, and gender identities. Translation? Everybody feels seen at Big Chicks. Consider starting your evening with updated diner fare at Tweet (the sister restaurant) next door, before unbuttoning your shirt and heading over to the dancefloor. 

Akbar, Los Angeles

Akbar is all “good vibes and pretty guys,” according to Los Angeles-based music and travel writer Taylor Henderson. But it nearly shuttered due to the pandemic, when it was running up debt to the tune of $10,000 per month. In a do-or-die plea for aid, the owners created a GoFundMe page that, to their surprise, met its goal within 24 hours. Such is the commitment of this cozy watering hole’s clientele, which doubles as a community space and open mic venue.

Slammers, Columbus, Ohio

Here’s a not-so-fun fact: There are only 33 lesbian bars left in the entire country. And Slammers, fortunately, is one of them. A downtown Columbus standby since 1993, this indoor-outdoor establishment serves pizza and jalapeño poppers and strong drinks against the backdrop of live performances. There’s also karaoke, darts, and pool for those who like some friendly competition. 

Jolene’s, San Francisco

A relative newcomer on the Mission District scene (est. 2018), Jolene’s is a casual queer bar whose Insta-famous neon sign says it all: “You are safe here.” At a time when lesbian bars are closing at an alarming pace, Jolene’s is bucking the trend as a non-male-centric space that doesn’t feel exclusive. The bar food punches well above its weight with dishes like craggy fried chicken served with mashed potatoes and succotash, and cheese-cloaked sliders served alongside thick-cut fries. 

Pony, Seattle

Whenever Mark Stoner wears his Pony hat in another city, he can’t believe how many people stop him to say, “I love that bar!” The owner of this Seattle institution housed in a defunct 1930s gas station loves the compliments, but to Stoner, what “feels even better” is “when marginalized people in our own LGBTQIA+ community tell me that it’s one of the only spaces where they truly feel safe and relaxed,” he said.

The post 9 Amazing American LGBTQ Bars, Clubs, and Restaurants appeared first on Saveur.

Like many Americans above a certain age, I have a soft spot for warm, creamy artichoke dip—you know, the one with the spinach and parmesan and gobs of cream cheese and mayo. But a recent trip to Morocco reminded me how well artichokes play with a whole host of other ingredients, like ras el hanout, fresh herbs, and preserved lemon. Next time you’re on appetizer duty, consider this head-turner of a dip that takes no more time than the old favorite.

Featured in “Why You Should Heart Artichokes (If You Don’t Already).”

The post Cheesy Artichoke Dip With Preserved Lemons and Harissa appeared first on Saveur.

“Girded for battle, burnished as a grenade” is how poet Pablo Neruda described the artichoke in his famous ode to the vegetable, but don’t be intimidated by its spiky appearance—with a few strategic snips and slices, this edible thistle is ready for the skillet, stockpot, grill, or oven in no time. And on nights when we don’t feel like busting out the chef’s knife and rubber gloves (lest the natural pigment blacken our fingers), we invariably reach for a bag of frozen hearts, which add texture and pizzazz to risottos, braises, and dips. Trust us, none of your kin will be the wiser.

Artichokes were prized in Ancient Rome, where nobles devoured them with gusto, and they have long thrived in the Mediterranean basin. Generations-old artichoke dishes run the gamut from scraggly carciofi alla giudia (fried Jewish-style artichokes from Italy) to soupy Spanish menestra (spring vegetable medley) and fried baby artichoke hearts dunked in Middle Eastern taratur sauce. 

Today some 50 types of artichoke grow worldwide, the most prolific of which is the globe, a hardy, mellow-tasting variety whose peak season runs from March to May.  Globes are available year round in many sizes—choose small ones for salads and frying and large ones for stuffing and steaming—but you can have even more fun with heirloom artichokes like chianti, poivrade, or fiesole. Whichever is available to you, seek out buds with tight, compact leaves and as little browning as possible. 

The artichoke recipes that follow—our favorites, hailing from near and far—celebrate spring, the perfect time, according to Neruda, to “undress this delight [and] munch the peaceful paste of its green heart.”

Artichoke Bruschetta with Capers and Cherry Tomatoes

Katie Reicher, executive chef of Greens restaurant in San Francisco, brings us this Italian American-inspired artichoke bruschetta that comes together in 12 minutes. Get the recipe >

Jacques Pépin’s Artichokes Helen

Cream, tarragon, and brandied mushrooms lend old-school French flavor to these dainty artichokes perfected by the culinary legend. Get the recipe >

Turkish Braised Artichokes with Peas and Candied Lemon

“Artichokes have a special place at the table of Istanbulites,” says Gamze Ineceli, an Istanbul-based researcher and expert in Anatolian food studies. Her classic zeytinyağlı enginar (braised artichokes) with peas and candied lemon is a family favorite perfected over generations. Get the recipe >

Artichoke Risotto with Capocollo and Pecorino

At Masseria Moroseta in Puglia, rice bubbles away in a purée of vegetable stock and braised artichokes before getting crowned with capocollo, pecorino, and more artichoke hearts. Get the recipe >

Grilled Artichokes

Don’t be fooled by the singed edges—these artichokes are tender, and beguilingly smoky, through and through. Get the recipe >

Raw Artichoke Salad with Parmesan and Mint

Faintly bitter baby artichoke hearts, thinly sliced with a mandoline, are tossed with mint and nutty Parmesan in this delicate salad. Get the recipe >

Artichokes with Lemon Za’atar Dipping Sauce

Refreshingly tart and herbaceous, this recipe can be a DIY (dip it yourself) appetizer or elegant plated first course—whichever suits your mood. Get the recipe >

Roasted Artichokes

It doesn’t get more classic than these pull-apart artichokes braised with white wine and a dozen cloves of garlic. Get the recipe >

Fried Artichoke Hearts with Taratur Sauce

We fell in love with these artichokes blanketed in taratur (garlicky tahini sauce) at a mom-and-pop restaurant in Damascus, and have been whipping them up on the regular ever since. Get the recipe >

Pasta Shells with Artichoke-Clam Sauce

In this aromatic dish, based on one from Marseille restaurant Le Grain de Sel, shell-shape pasta is dressed in a light tomato and clam sauce with artichoke hearts. Get the recipe >

Spring Vegetable Stew

Any gently simmered mixture of vegetables is truly greater than the sum of its parts. It’s important to cut the ingredients to the proper size and cook them sequentially, starting with the ones that need longer cooking. Get the recipe >

Menestra de Verduras

Spanish menestra is not your grandmother’s peas-and-carrots vegetable medley—it’s studded with crisp nubbins of jamón and stars breaded and fried artichoke hearts. Get the recipe >

Seared Halibut with Artichokes à la Barigoule

Soft, gently braised artichokes pepped up with fresh lemon juice round out this restaurant-worthy (yet low-effort) French main. Get the recipe >

The post 13 Artichoke Recipes That Get to the Heart of Spring appeared first on Saveur.

“Here is a great big old bad artichoke—and some people are terribly afraid of it.” That’s how Julia Child opened her artichoke episode of “The French Chef,” which aired in 1964. Sixty years later, that statement rings as true as ever. 

And who could blame the fearful among us? Artichokes are prickly enough to draw blood, tough enough to dull a knife, full of what Julia calls “fuzzy hairy business,” and often expensive enough to make any budget-conscious cook balk. What’s more, peeling the vegetable with bare hands can leave palms and fingernails a ghoulish brown for days, thanks to a phytochemical called cynarin that stains the skin. 

But here’s the thing: despite all that, they’re worth the hassle. Whether they come fried and scraggly (“Jewish-style” in Italy), braised in olive oil until spoon-soft (like Turkish zeytinyağlı enginar), whizzed into a cheesy dip (à la Land of the Free), or gratinéed with cheese and mushrooms (as is popular in France), artichokes are as phenomenally delicious as they are versatile. And they can even be fun to cook with—you just have to know your way around them.

Being a good shopper is step one. “Choose artichokes as you would flowers,” wrote Judy Rogers in the hallowed Zuni Cafe Cookbook. “Look for perfect ‘blooms’ with unblemished ‘petals.’” The comparison checks out because an artichoke is, in fact, a thistle that we eat at the bud stage. 

“Perfect blooms” are preferable when you’re serving artichokes raw—say, shaved on a mandoline and tossed in lemony vinaigrette—as they’re sweeter and more attractive that way. But Jacques Pépin isn’t as picky as Rogers: “I wait until artichokes are old and yellowish—then buy them on sale for about a dollar each,” the author and television personality told me over the phone. “When I’m making artichoke bottoms, those are everything I need. I just trim off the discolored leaves.” Pépin likes filling the cavities with creamed mushrooms and finishing them under the broiler.

The way to remember the difference between artichoke bottoms and hearts is that only the latter have their leaves attached. Generally speaking, the bigger the artichoke, the more fibrous and inedible its choke (that fuzzy business!) and outer leaves. That’s why tender baby artichokes, which require little to no trimming at all, are so prized—and pricey. But as James Beard points out in American Cookery, “Size makes no great difference in the quality.” Making the most of the vegetable, then, depends on how you prepare it.

Artichokes can be laborious if you’re paring dozens of them for a crowd, but they can also be effortless: Boil them whole for 20-ish minutes, squeeze some lemon juice over the top, dunk the leaves in melted butter, and call it a day. Indeed, people have been advocating a “less is more” approach since at least 1655, when a French squire named François Pierre La Varenne published a number of artichoke recipes in his Le cuisinier françois. In a departure from the exotic, spice-centric cooking of his forebears, La Varenne and his contemporaries “treated vegetables as food in their own right” and “made much use of the globe artichoke and very little of spices,” according to Food in History by Reay Tannahill.

Artichokes were something of a novelty in La Varenne’s time. In Ancient Greece, cabbage, celery, lettuce, and cardoon—the artichoke’s predecessor—were mealtime staples, but the prickly vegetable as we know it today? Surprisingly, there’s no written record of it until 1466, though science points to its domestication around the beginning of the first millennium. The artichoke cropped up in Europe relatively late, believed to be introduced to Sicily by Arab farmers. (Perhaps that’s why the Spanish “alcachofa” and Italian “carciofo” stem from the Arabic word “al kharshuf.”)

It didn’t take long for Europeans to go gangbusters for the vegetable; by the mid-1500s, they were a sensation as far north as Great Britain. In the ensuing centuries, some of the world’s most celebrated artichoke recipes would be invented: Italian carciofi alla romana, braised whole with mint, parsley, and garlic; French artichauts à la barigoule, cooked in white wine and olive oil; and Spanish alcachofas con jamón, simmered until soft and shot through with nubbins of salty ham.

But being native to the Mediterranean, the artichoke took some time to reach North America, and even longer to catch on. The first recipe for the vegetable on this side of the Atlantic appears in the 1886 Philadelphia Cook Book by writer and dietitian Sarah Tyson Rorer. Beard writes, “They were called French artichokes at the time, and no credit was given to the Italians.” That era’s veneration of all things French obfuscated that Italian Americans in California established some of the country’s first artichoke farms. We probably have those Italians to thank for the artichoke hearts on our pizza and in our salads, and for the creamy all-American artichoke dip popular at potlucks. 

Canned or frozen hearts certainly have their place (they’re perfect on bruschetta and blitzed into dip), but a fresh artichoke, prepared well, is a true wonder of spring. So, next time you see the green orbs at the market, toss one into your shopping cart. Set aside a few minutes to trim it with care, and steam it until it’s soft and sweet. Then take a page from Pablo Neruda’s “Ode to an Artichoke” and dig in: “Scale by scale / we undress / this delight / we munch / the peaceful paste / of its green heart.”

Recipes

Jacques Pépin’s Artichokes Helen

Get the recipe >

Artichoke Bruschetta with Capers and Cherry Tomatoes

Get the recipe >

Turkish Braised Artichokes with Peas and Candied Lemon

Get the recipe >

The post Why You Should Heart Artichokes (If You Don’t Already) appeared first on Saveur.

Though traditionally deep-fried in olive oil, torrijas—Spain’s quintessential Holy Week dessert that falls somewhere between French toast and bread pudding—are subtler and less greasy when baked, as this knockout recipe from Madrid’s Panem bakery goes to show. Challah or good white sandwich bread may be substituted for the brioche. If you own a kitchen torch, you can use it in lieu of the broiler in step 5 to brûlée the bread on the top and sides. Panem doesn’t top its torrijas with cinnamon sugar, but the flavor combination is so classic that it felt like heresy to exclude it completely. Torrijas will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three days, though they lose their sugary crunch after a day or so. The bread slices may be halved into rectangles in step 2 for smaller servings.

Featured in “Torrijas Are Spanish ‘French’ Toast—With a Few Tantalizing Twists,” by Benjamin Kemper.

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Despite—or perhaps because—I’m a food writer, my pantry is an absolute circus: The cupboards are crammed so tightly with oils, spices, and tins of fish that removing a single item feels like a game-ending Jenga move. 

But being a pantry packrat has its perks. After all, who doesn’t love a shelf-stable ingredient that can turn an entire meal around in minutes? That jar of marinara that saves your skin after a night out. Those dried Moroccan rose petals that transform an everyday meal into a restaurant-worthy indulgence. That punchy tikka masala mix whose eye-pleasing packaging is as inviting as its contents. 

Whether you’re shopping for stocking stuffers or oh-là-là gifts for family and friends, you’ll find something for everyone in this list of pantry pinch-hitters.

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I’m not sure if it was Droosh’s loopy logo, eye-poppingly colorful tins, or mouthwatering recipes that drew me in first, but suffice it to say, these spice mixes have become a fixture in my kitchen. Founded by three cousins eager to share their family’s Indian home cooking with the world, Droosh relies on top Indian spice purveyors, which makes their blends phenomenally fragrant.

Heami Lee

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Send the whole kit and caboodle to your dumpling-loving gift recipient (which is pretty much everyone, who doesn’t love dumplings?). This gift bundle includes everything necessary for dumpling consumption, beginning with a cookbook— First Generation by Frankie Gaw—and onwards to exceptional soy sauce, white sesame oil, chili crisps, pineapple miso hot sauce, and a dumpling paddle and chopsticks, all sourced from artisans in Taiwan and packaged for Yunhai. — Ellen Fort, Senior Editor

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When I was tasked with sampling 20 cans of top-quality Spanish tuna for a conservas story (tough gig, I know), one tin edged out the rest: Don Bocarte’s wild red tuna belly. The fish is marbled with so much fat that it’s nearly spreadable, and it comes in a pretty embossed box with a sachet of flaky salt for sprinkling. I love flaking it over vinegary potato salad, or tossing it with tomatoes, onions, and a simple vinaigrette as they do in the South of Spain.

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Just saying “persimmon” feels chic—so imagine presenting someone you want to impress with this duo of organic estate-grown olive oil and Fuyu persimmon vinegar. The former hails from Ojai, California and blends columella and Noccelara del Belice olives from century-old trees, while the latter is produced using sweet California persimmons harvested during the autumnal equinox. 

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“Single-origin” isn’t a term you see often in the spice aisle, since even the world’s most prestigious spice companies aren’t, say, getting all their black pepper from a single source. But when you buy Vân Vân’s dried purple shallots or sparrow ginger, you can see the ingredients’ place of origin—down to the village—right on the package (Phan Rang and Lâm Đồng, Vietnam, respectively). All the spices and aromatics come packaged in multicolor, whimsically illustrated sleeves, and they’re well-priced at $53 for a six-spice bundle.

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Shouldn’t gifts be something the recipient might not buy for themselves? No home cook in their right mind needs three pounds of Maldon, and that’s precisely why you should purchase this unapologetically over-the-top tub for the flaky-salt fiends in your life. Depending on whom you’re giving it to, it very well may constitute a lifetime supply. Embrace the absurd!

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If you think fish sauce is an exclusively Asian ingredient, think again—the Italians of Campania have been making it for centuries according to their distinctive method. The condiment is essentially the concentrated fermented juice of anchovies caught off the Amalfi Coast, and it’s added as an umami basenote to everything from pastas to sauces to vinaigrettes. Pro tip: A few drops of colatura will take your Caesar salad and pasta aglio e olio to new heights.

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Fabada is a sight to behold: Plump, white beans measuring an inch in length swim in a brilliant orange broth that brims with hunks of chorizo, pancetta, and blood sausage. This is Spain’s answer to cassoulet—only requiring a fraction of the elbow grease. Any creamy white bean will work in a pinch, but for a gift any Spanish-food-loving cook will geek out over, it’s worth seeking out real-deal DOC fabes de La Granja. 

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A bouquet of flowers is nice to look at, but for a serious cook, a twee little jar of edible rose petals is far more useful. Plucked from Moroccan Damask roses, these ultra-fragrant, lavender-tinged petals look gorgeous on everything from tagines to biryanis to rice pudding and cheesecake. 

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For a country roughly the size of South Carolina, Georgia—at the crossroads of Asia and Europe—boasts an astonishingly varied cuisine. In the east, heading toward Azerbaijan, wine-scented stews, salty cheeses, and barbecued meats rule the table, a testament to the region’s deep-rooted traditions of winemaking and animal husbandry. Along the subtropical Black Sea coast in the west, hazelnuts, clarified butter, and cornmeal are culinary staples. And the farther west you go, the spicier the food gets, thanks to the local hand-pounded chile paste called ajika (now likely available at a supermarket near you).

To wrap your mind (and palate) around the full breadth of Georgian cuisine, give our best Georgian recipes a whirl, from spicy beef kharcho to Chechen-style rolled pasta to vegetarian stunners like pkhali and soupy spiced beans. And while you’re at it, pour out a glass of kvevri wine and repeat after us: Gaumarjos! (“To your victory!”).

Adjaruli Khachapuri

Filled with a runny egg and melted cheese—traditionally a mix of imeruli and sulguni—this recipe from the Black Sea region of Adjara is best eaten hot. Here, a blend of low-moisture mozzarella and tart, salty feta gets you close to the original. To eat the khachapuri, tear off pieces of the crust and dunk them into the well of molten cheese, egg, and butter. Get the recipe >

Megruli Khachapuri

The cheesiest khachapuri of them all comes from the western region of Samegrelo. Stuffed and topped with salty cheese, it’s stick-to-your-ribs country fare at its finest. Get the recipe >

Shila Plavi (Funeral Rice)

One of Georgia’s most comforting—yet shockingly little-known—dishes is shila plavi, a peppery Georgian lamb pilaf similar to risotto that’s traditionally served at funerals. Our favorite recipe comes to us from chef Sopo Gorgadze, who uses arborio instead of the usual long-grain rice and adds so much black pepper and caraway that their quantities look like typos. Get the recipe >

Beef Kharcho

Kharcho is a catch-all term for spicy Georgian beef stew. Though it hails from the Black Sea region of Samegrelo, today it’s a staple across many former Soviet countries. Some versions are brothy and flecked with rice, while others, like this one served at Salobie Bia in Tbilisi, are ultra-thick and all about the ground walnuts and spices. Chef Giorgi Iosava ladles his kharcho over creamy millet porridge, a soothing counterpart to the punchy, piquant stew. Get the recipe >

Zhizhig Galnash (Beefy Chechen Noodles)

Zhizhig galnash, beef and dumplings with pungent garlic sauce, is Chechnya’s national dish. We learned to make it at Nazy’s Guest House in Pankisi, a remote valley inhabited by ethnically Chechen Muslims called Kists. You don’t need any special equipment to make the pasta dough, which is surprisingly easy (and quick!) to shape. Don’t let the short ingredient list fool you—it amounts to a decadent, impressive feast. Get the recipe >

Leek Pkhali (Vegetable Dip)

You could call Tekuna Gachechiladze the pkhali queen of Tbilisi for her mouthwatering, innovative takes on Georgia’s traditional vegetable-walnut spreads. Pkhali can be made with any cooked vegetable—traditional choices include beet, spinach, carrot, and green bean—but Gachechiladze eschews those for sweet, melty leeks, which she blitzes together with walnuts, cilantro, and spices. Tahini and olives are unorthodox add-ins that today’s Georgians happily get behind. Get the recipe >

Georgian Roast Chicken With Bazhe Sauce

Bazhe is a velvety, coriander-scented walnut sauce that’s a staple of Georgian home cooking. You’ll often find it served chilled as a sidekick to cold boiled chicken, but this version (by Ninia’s Garden chef Meriko Gubeladze), sings alongside a freshly roasted bird: The heat draws out the spices’ bouquet and the walnuts’ fragrant oils. Get the recipe >

Georgian Cheese and Herb Dumplings

Khinkali are twisted knobs of dough stuffed with seasoned meat, spiced mushrooms, mashed potatoes, or—in this case—mild cheese and fresh herbs. The boiled dumplings were once exclusively mountain fare but are now widespread across Georgia. Ground black pepper is the traditional accompaniment. Get the recipe >

Sinori (Rolled Flatbread with Butter and Cheese)

A rich breakfast dish from the Adjara region, sinori is usually made by spreading flatbread generously with butter and nadughi, a fresh Georgian cheese, but Meri Makaharadze, the head of a cheesemaking co-op in Georgia, prefers the more rustic, aged shushvela (which we’ve substituted for Emmental with excellent results). Get the recipe >

Badrijani Nigvzit (Eggplant-Walnut Roll-Ups)

This classic supra starter consisting of fried eggplant slices spread with garlicky walnut paste makes a wonderful companion for wine and cocktails. Get the recipe >

Lobio (Stewed Beans with Walnuts and Spices)

This wonderfully complex bean recipe is thickened and seasoned with a paste of pounded walnuts and the dried petals and fresh leaves of the orange French marigold plant. The kick of acidity comes from tkemali, a traditional Georgian condiment made from unripe green plums, herbs, and spices. Get the recipe >

Ajapsandali (Spicy Eggplant Stew)

If you like ratatouille, you’ll love ajapsandali, a garlicky eggplant dish brimming with fistfuls of fresh herbs. Compared to Georgia’s fussier, technique-heavy recipes like satsivi (turkey cooked in walnut sauce) and khinkali (soup dumplings), ajapsandali is basically a free-for-all, a blank canvas ideally suited to recipe-averse cooks: No one is getting canceled for making ajapsandali “wrong.” So go forth, and get chopping! Get the recipe >

Khmeli Suneli

This traditional Georgian seasoning is often blended into vegetable dishes such as pkhali, spinach-and-walnut pâté garnished with pomegranate seeds, and badrijani nigvzit, garlicky eggplant roll-ups stuffed with walnut paste. But truth be told, we love its earthy, fenugreek-forward flavor on just about everything. Think of it as the curry powder of the Caucasus. Get the recipe >

Muslim Georgia: A Journey to the Hidden Kitchens of the Kists

The Walnut Whisperers of Georgia

The 17 Essential Dishes of Tbilisi—And Where to Eat Them

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