December cooking can be a mix of extravagant projects and low-lift favorites. We are on the hunt for wow-worthy holiday cookies and cocktails, dressed up for a month of entertaining, but there are plenty of cozy weeknight dinners in between. In this weekly digest, our staff shares the recipes we cook for fun—outside the office. Check back here every Friday for more highlights.
December 2
A New Classic Cookie
I’ve made many chocolate chip cookies in my life, classic Toll House included. But Zaynab Issa’s Chewy Date and Dark Chocolate Cookies are my all-time favorite. The recipe is simple but the end result is, to quote an on-point review, “OMG.” Not only do you get cookies with perfectly crispy edges and chewy centers but there’s also a wonderful balance of sweet and savory thanks to olive oil and tahini (Butter? I hardly know her.). Do not skip on the flaky sea salt before baking—it’s the difference between a great cookie and an OMG cookie. —Esra Erol, senior social media manager
Creamy, Pickle-y Potato Soup
You don’t have to know me well to know that I have a deep freezer specifically for soup. Dozens of pints of soup. Because you can never have too much. My most recent batch was our food editor Shilpa Uskokovic’s Perfectly Creamy Potato Soup. Never in my life has a potato soup appealed to me, which became a problem when my CSA sent potatoes every single week for months. This recipe changed me. With pickled peppers, scallions, and dill on top, it’s exactly what I want on a cold day. And it makes a great bring-to-work lunch too. —Emma Laperruque, senior cooking editor
Riffable, Reliable Salmon
I always return to this salmon recipe when I need a quick and easy dinner. It’s delicious as is, with rice or flatbread, but it’s also infinitely riffable. This week, I swapped the harissa for a couple tablespoons of chili powder and the lemons for limes. Then I stuffed the resulting fish into charred tortillas with a quick kale slaw and crumbled feta cheese. —Joe Sevier, SEO editor
Sticky-Sweet Tofu
I’ve made this crispy, maple-soy glazed tofu every week for the better part of two years. Paired with white rice and a roasted veg (last night, broccoli), it’s a 30-minute meal that yields enough for lunch tomorrow. If, like me, you only have the patience to drain tofu for approximately five minutes, toss the cubes in a tablespoon of cornstarch before frying to help them crisp up. —Zoe Denenberg, associate SEO editor
Weeknight-Friendly Miso Pasta
I’m a sucker for weekday pasta, and I just know that this one from Zaynab Issa will end up in my regular rotation. Buttery, slightly browned onions get an umami boost from miso, and without being saccharine, the sauce is thick and sweet. My chives sadly had already gone bad before I could use them for this, but I didn’t miss them; an extra twist of fresh black pepper broke up the beige well-enough. —Serena Dai, editorial director
