Saveur

Photo: Doaa Elkady • Food Styling: Thu Buser • Props: Bowls by Jono Pandolfi Maryland crab soup typically comes in two forms: a rich, creamy style and a brothy, vegetable-packed version. But the real pro move is to mix them together for what Marylanders often call half-and-half soup. This recipe takes the best of that approach by combining the two soups into one for something that’s creamy and substantial but still loaded with vegetables to lighten it up. It’s the best of both worlds. If the res

Photo: Matt Taylor-Gross • Food Styling: Ben Weiner A combination of chopped fruit and nuts, charoset is one of the symbolic foods on the Passover Seder plate. This recipe is influenced by Ashkenazi and Sephardic traditions and is a version of the one chef and food stylist Ben Weiner made growing up. It builds flavor at every step: Gently toasting the walnuts and caramelizing the honey bring depth, while grape juice (kosher wine also works great) and apple cider vinegar supply a touch of acidity

Astrology tells us who we are; cheese tells us what we crave. For this edible horoscope, we’re bringing the two together, matching each astrological sign with its Wisconsin Cheese personality—with a little dairy-backed divination for the season ahead. Grab a wedge of something you love and see what the stars (and curds) have in store. Aries (March 21–April 19) Alex Testere Brunkow Cheese Jalapeño Brun-uusto Like mellow and toasty Finnish juustoleipä, Aries is firm and resolute. Add i

Photo: Matt Taylor-Gross • Food Styling: Ben Weiner Celery and red onion add crunch to this whitefish salad enriched with mayonnaise, sour cream, and a hard-boiled egg, while fresh dill and lemon brighten the salty, smoky fish. Serve it as a spread for matzo, or on a toasted bagel half topped with tomato and onion slices. This recipe is adapted from the now-closed Wolfie Cohen’s Rascal House, a beloved Jewish deli and local institution in Sunny Isles, Florida. Featured in “The Sandwich and th

Stephanie Monohan This is Amused Bouche, SAVEUR’s food questionnaire that explores the culinary curiosities of some of our favorite people. This interview series will dive deep into their food routines, including dinner party strategies, cherished cookbooks, and the memorable bites they’d hop on a flight for. Padma Lakshmi’s food memories are a kaleidoscope of colors, flavors, and textures. Throughout her travels for her decades-long television career—Top Chef, Taste the Nation, and her lates

Photo: Doaa Elkady • Food Styling: Thu Buser In this classic Iranian dish, fluffy basmati rice is layered with tender, buttery fava beans and grassy fresh dill, then steamed until a golden, crisp layer known as tahdig, meaning “bottom of the pot” in Farsi, forms. Brewed saffron water is also splashed between the layers for extra flavor and fragrance. Baghali polo is commonly served alongside braised lamb or a whole fish for Nowruz, the Persian New Year celebrating the first day of spring. If fav

Photo Illustration: Russ Smith Spring cookbooks are, like their namesake season, all about showcasing fresh, vibrant flavors to ease home cooks out of a long winter. There are several first-time authors debuting on this list, taking us deep into cuisines from Ukraine all the way to Laos, along with the welcome return of several veteran authors, including legends like Anissa Helou and a 50th anniversary reissue of an Edna Lewis landmark. If you haven’t already, clear some shelf space for this sea

Doaa Elkady Whether Dona Murad is celebrating Eid al-Fitr behind the counter at Librae Bakery, the New York City shop she cofounded, or at her parents’ home thousands of miles away in Bahrain, the rhythms and rituals of the holiday—and the multiple places she belongs to—stay with her. Borders, Murad suggests, often feel more rigid than the cultures that flow across them. This fluidity exists for ordinary people, even as war restricts physical movements and threatens day-to-day life. At Librae, M

Doaa Elkady “Luqaimat are small, deep-fried dough balls soaked in date syrup, popular across the Persian Gulf and eaten during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr. Their name comes from the Arabic word luqma, meaning “a bite”—luqaimat literally translates to “little bites.” They have crispy shells and soft centers, which makes it hard to eat just one!” —Dona Murad, founder of Librae Bakery Featured in “3 Festive Eid Desserts By Way of Bahrain and New York” by Zainab Shah.

Doaa Elkady “There’s something about Eid al-Fitr that calls for chocolate—something indulgent to pass around with coffee after a long morning of visits. These brownies are my nod to the sweets we grew up with. The tahini deepens the flavor of the chocolate rather than overpowering it, and the halva (or, as it’s known in Bahrain, rahash) melts throughout. This is the kind of tray you set out knowing it won’t last long. The brownies are rich, nostalgic, and just a little bit celebratory—the way Ei

Doaa Elkady “Muhalabia is the Middle East’s most beloved milk pudding—a silky, delicate custard that’s been part of dessert tables for generations. Traditionally flavored with rose water and orange blossom, it carries that unmistakable taste of nostalgia. I’ve taken this childhood classic and reimagined it through a rich, caramelized burnt Basque cheesecake. Serve it sliced with crushed pistachios and dried edible rose petals.” —Dona Murad, founder of Librae Bakery Featured in “3 Festive Eid

Photo: Doaa Elkady • Food Styling Thu Buser If you’ve spent time in South Florida, you’ve likely come across stone crabs. Bright orange claws gleam in glass cases at local fish markets and in heaps on restaurant tables—pre-cracked and ready for picking—at many seafood eateries. These crustaceans are unique; they’re a protected species with limited seasonal availability, and only one claw is harvested from each critter before being tossed back into the sea to regenerate their appendages and live

Photo: Matt Taylor-Gross • Food Styling: Ben Weiner • Props: Dinnerware by Jono Pandolfi Traditionally served on Good Friday to mark the end of Lent, these sweet yeasted rolls are fragrant with allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg and are finished with a white icing cross. They’re also dotted with dried currants and candied citrus peels and brushed with marmalade for a glossy sheen. Hot cross buns are best served warm, freshly glazed and iced. Makes

Photo: Doaa Elkady • Food Styling: Thu Buser Grape leaves are stuffed with a beef, herb, and rice mixture in this slightly sweet version of Iranian dolmeh adapted from SAVEUR contributing editor Farideh Sadeghin’s dad. Feel free to make this recipe ahead, as the grape leaves taste best chilled and keep well in the fridge. Makes: About 30 Time: 2 hours

Photo: Matt Taylor-Gross • Food Styling: Ben Weiner You can tailor this recipe for crisp, kosher brittle by using white, milk, or dark chocolate, or adding sliced almonds or dried cranberries. Makes: About 2 pounds Time: 1 hour Ingredients

Matt Taylor-Gross A luxurious whole fish preparation flavored with tangy tamarind and fragrant barberries, this festive dish is perfect for Nowruz, the Persian New Year. Find barberries in well-stocked Middle Eastern grocery stores or online. Featured in “Whole Fish and Herby Eggs Are the Stars of My Nowruz Table.” Makes: 4 Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Photo: Matt Taylor-Gross • Food Styling: Ben Weiner Also known as lambropsomo, tsoureki is a sweet, brioche-like Greek Easter bread that’s braided and shaped into a circle or two long loaves. It’s typically perfumed with mahlepi, the seeds of Mediterranean wild cherries, and adorned with red-dyed eggs, which signify spring and new life, while the deep crimson hue represents the blood of Christ. The Lenten fast is traditionally broken with tsoureki, magiritsa (a lamb soup finished with avgolemono

Photo: Matt Taylor-Gross • Food Styling: Ben Weiner This rendition of magiritsa—the lamb soup eaten to break the fast of the Greek Orthodox Great Lent—uses lamb shanks and shoulder instead of the classic offal. The original dish was invented as a way to use up the heart, liver, lungs, and intestines that were removed from the lamb roasted for the Easter Sunday feast. Lettuce and rice lend a wonderful texture to the soup, while scallions and dill add brightness. A swirl of avgolemono (egg and lem

Photo: Matt Taylor-Gross • Food Styling: Ben Weiner For this luscious dessert from cookbook author Leah Koenig, the traditional coconut macaroon gets a double dose of chocolate: cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate chips. These chewy, decadent treats are also gluten-free and perfect for Passover. Makes: About 2 dozen Time: 40 minutes Ingredients

Matt Taylor-Gross Green herbs are highly prized in Iranian cooking. At Nowruz, the Persian New Year, they become the focus of dishes like this frittata known as kuku sabzi. This version from chef and cookbook author Louisa Shafia is loaded with cilantro and parsley, plus toasted walnuts and dried rose petals. You can serve it warm or at room temperature; it’s great both ways.  Featured in “Whole Fish and Herby Eggs Are the Stars of My Nowruz Table.”