Homemade liqueurs like triple sec are easy, mainly hands-off projects that upgrade margaritas, mimosas and other cocktails

The flavors of traditional Catalan romesco motived me to puree homegrown grilled peppers and nuts into a mild, smoky sauce

With shortcuts like canned beans and a premade sauce, this one-skillet meal comes together just as easily while cruising or front-country camping as it does at home

Fresh or frozen berries produce intensely flavored sorbet made using everyday kitchen tools

While you wait for basil season, turn the tender leaves, stems and tendrils of edible pea plants into a mild spring pesto

The residual heat of a pot of hot, drained pasta wilts peppery arugula and other spring greens until soft but not soggy

When you make tangy, creamy cultured buttermilk in your own kitchen, you master the first step of homemade cheese: activating powdered starter

This kid-approved lemon cake is easy enough that experienced middle school-aged chefs can make it on their own

Skip the excess packaging and make your own seasoned seaweed snacks at home

This freezer-based soup takes hardly any time or effort, but you can also make it from fresh ingredients

A little cranberry sauce blends quickly into homemade dressing for a palate-cleansing salad at (or after) your holiday feast

This simple homemade condiment packs so much flavor it could end up being the talk of the Thanksgiving spread

When you bake leftover rice into pudding, it puffs slightly like a souffle before setting up into a soft custard covered in a golden skin

If you cook it the right way, tofu becomes golden, crisp and the perfect addition to an appetizer, lunch or dinner

Fresh tomato and basil put the last taste of summer into an autumn macaroni and cheese, while in winter, frozen stand-ins recall sunny days