Hetty Lui McKinnon

A beloved Hong Kong dish with approximately one billion variations, this soup—which relies heavily on fridge and pantry staples—is meant to be a little sweet and a touch sharp. 

Miso gives this take on the classic Roman pecorino-and-pepper pasta an extra savory, satisfying bite. You can make your own fresh noodles at home, or use store-bought.

Making noodles by hand is a fulfilling cooking project. The results are perfectly chewy noodles, even with ragged edges and imperfect lines.

Cabbage has emerged as the hero of weeknight pantry cooking. Inexpensive and infinitely versatile, with an impressively long shelf life, one head of cabbage goes a long way. In this recipe, half of a cabbage is bathed in a turmeric-accented coconut milk until it’s meltingly tender and sweet. 

This is a “necessity is the mother of invention” kind of recipe, born from isolation, scant ingredients, an oversupply of kimchi, and sheer hunger. Yet this unconventional one-pot approach also happens to be one of the simplest ways to prepare mac and cheese. 

Hetty McKinnon’s showstopping tater tot casserole is directly inspired by, and strikingly reminiscent of, tortilla española.

In this ramen recipe, I use miso paste in two different ways, slathering it on the squash before it roasts and mixing it into the broth, where it amplifies both the sweet and savory character of the squash. The real game changer is blending some of the roasted squash into the broth, delivering velvety, rich body. You can use other types of squash or pumpkins for this dish, but because of its robust flesh, nutty flavor, and meaty mouthfeel, Japanese kabocha is my preferred choice; butternut squash is a worthy substitute.

Charring cauliflower on the grill turns the exterior crisp and golden, while the internal flesh becomes sweet and nutty. Cutting the head into wedges first maximizes the caramelized surface.

When roasted at high temperature, humble cabbage becomes sweet and incredibly satisfying. In this recipe, the cabbage ‘steaks’ are a base for crispy chickpeas, herby croutons, and a rich and lemony garlic sauce.

This pesto is a little different—the grilled tomato base brings a sweet smokiness.

Get all the flavors of falafel with crispy roasted chickpeas, crunchy crouton-like pita chips, crisp cucumber, and a lemon-tahini dressing.