Our Favorite Recipes of All Time

For you to try at home!

Food Editor at Kitchen Stories

www.instagram.com/chill_crisp/

I find myself, like many people, often scrolling endlessly through the internet in search of what to cook. Faced with so much choice, sometimes I wish someone would just give me a definitive list and order me to cook “THIS” now. Sometimes, you have to be the change you want to see in the world, so I put together this list myself. Now, I’m going to share it with you.

To make sure it was a list of greatest hits only, I asked my fellow editors, primed after hundreds of times of testing and tasting in Kitchen Stories, what their all-time favorites were. We hope these hand-picked yet approachable recipes can spark some inspiration for your next breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert！

Our all-time favorite recipes

5-ingredient creamy tomato and basil pasta

“As I mostly cook for a single household, cooking from pantry with minimal shopping is my main concern. So this pantry pasta is amazing: the only thing I need fresh is basil, which can also be skipped (I even used Thai basil once and it worked, too) and crème fraîche which keeps in the fridge longer than you’d think. It’s my emergency go-to recipe.”

– Xueci, Chinese Editor

Chinese fried rice

“Fried rice is a genius way to make use of any leftovers or odds and ends in your fridge, and make the impossible mission of reheating rice into something fun to do. I like to add frozen peas and Chinese sausage, which I usually have stocked away.”

– Xueci, Chinese Editor

Scallion oil noodles

"I love this recipe for a few key reasons, most of them having to do with the fact that I just about always have all the ingredients on hand. It’s a quick weeknight meal that I might rely on just a bit too much and, probably, will never get sick of."

– Devan, Managing Editor

No-bake brownies

“It should be said that I’ve never actually made these brownies at home, but I enjoyed them at least 3 times when they were being tested, and definitely tried to hoard slash not share them because I really, really liked them. I’d forgotten about them until now, but will definitely be making them soon, because they are deliciously rich, soft, crunchy, salty—mmm!”

– Devan, Managing Editor

Honeydew melon and matcha no-bake cheesecake

“Thinking up recipes for honey-dew in season—I had a wild idea to make a no-bake melon cheesecake (based on childhood hankering for creamy, fake-melon-tasting sweets) dusted with bitter matcha powder like a layer of moss on top (yes, I’m quite active on Pinterest). The problem was, I had no idea how a dessert-maker of limited talent, like myself, could bring this to life—so I floated the idea to our very own patisserie mastermind (have you seen her win at making dainty little Swiss rolls yet?) Johanna Reder. This marbled cheesecake is the glorious result she created—a cheesecake that defies logic: both rich and light, fruity and vegetal, not-too sweet and heavenly, yes heavenly, creamy. Sometimes dreams do come true. Sometimes, you can even eat them.”

– Ruby, Senior English Editor

French potato and green bean salad

“I love a side salad. So much so I often make side salads, plural, as the main spread. This particular recipe has become an absolute go-to for entertaining. It has THE punchiest dressing going around town—filled with sharp shallot and mustard, zingy vinegar, and bright-tasting herbs that the creamy new potatoes just soak on up. It’s also a total crowd-pleaser that I can serve up to vegan to gluten-intolerant friends and a dish that works as well a side to a bbq or an accompaniment to a lighter, co-salad. The only thing better than an awesome salad is a democratic one.”

– Ruby, Senior English Editor

Chocolate babka

“I don’t know how many slices of chocolate babka I ate in the couple of weeks it was tested and shot, but I know that it was not enough. Even the “ first draft” version of the recipe was good, and I had no problem devouring the slightly underbaked loaf that followed, still warm from the oven. Lucky for me, these imperfections during development only meant that it was to be made again (and again), in order to perfect the recipe and nail the final photo. It takes a bit of patience and time to make, but it’s not necessarily a difficult recipe. If you’re worried about the serving size, I’m almost certain it would freeze well, too (and I couldn’t imagine a lovelier surprise stashed away in the freezer than this, for when a craving strikes or for having people over.)”

– Julie, Head of Creative

Braised pork and hazelnut gremolata toasts

“One of my favorite types of food (and something I miss most from home in the U.S.) is a great deli-style sandwich. To build a good one is a skill that is underestimated in so many regards. It has to be masterfully layered, with the right ratio of bread, condiments, cured meats or fried meats, veggies or salads. To me, these toasts are the glamorous, day-to-night edition of a well-made sandwich, refined enough to pass around at dinner and cocktail parties, but down-to-earth enough to eat in daylight as leftovers for breakfast and lunch—perhaps layered between two slices of bread, with an extra schmear of mayo (if you’re low on gravy), in the form of a sandwich.”

– Julie, Head of Creative

No-bake chocolate peanut butter oat bars

“We’re all familiar with the kitchen duty at any office setup, but there was a time when I was seriously considering creating a roster to make these no-bake chocolate peanut butter oat bars, just to make sure there were ALWAYS some one hand. I usually don’t have a sweet tooth, but this combo of creamy peanut butter, dark chocolate, and flaky sea salt is just a dream come true. It’s prepared in no time with ingredients that I usually have at home anyway, so the trickiest part of this recipe is only the patiently-waiting-until-the-bars-are-set-in-the-freezer part, and the, not eat them all at once.”

– Julia, Senior German Editor

Charred broccoli salad with ranch dressing

”It means a lot to put a salad on a very best list, right? But hands down, I love this recipe and it’s now my very favorite way to prepare broccoli. I still remember when Ruby said that the broccoli just can’t be charred enough for this dish—and she’s so right! Served with a creamy dressing (for which I sub in vegan mayonnaise and cream), crunchy almonds, and thin onion rings, you can easily forget that you’re actually eating a salad.“

– Julia, Senior German Editor

Make bok choy and crispy tofu stir fry with Hanna

“I never cooked much bok choy before. However, our chef Hanna’s recipe has changed everything for me, and it ‘s vegan! I was lucky enough to be on set and got to try the dish after watching it in action! Ever since then it has been among my top 10 dinner choices, especially for weekdays as it’s quick and easy to make. I also put my own little twist on the recipe: I toss the tofu with ginger powder, garlic powder and some starch to season the tofu first, which gives it an extra kick.”

– Kristin, Editorial Partnerships Manager

Pasta with Italian sausage, fennel, and peas

“I’ve always thought Ruby should be appointed as CPO (Chief Pasta Officer)—to credit her in-depth knowledge with this subject. My favorite recipe from her oeuvre is this pasta with Italian sausage and Doppio Passo red wine. But I might have competition, given Ines from HR’s once-a-week record—that true, Ines? It’s a winner.”

– Kristin, Editorial Partnerships Manager

What’s your all-time favorite Kitchen Stories recipe? Let us know in the comments or tag us in your Instagram stories @KitchenStories_Official!

Published on April 3, 2020

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