kwanzaa

Biscuits are what take us into the kitchen today to cook: fat, flaky mounds of quick bread, golden brown, with a significant crumb. Composed of flour, baking powder, fat and a liquid, then baked in a hot oven, they are an excellent sop for sorghum syrup, molasses or honey. They are marvelous layered with country ham or smothered in white sausage gravy, with eggs, with grits. Biscuits are easy to make. (A food processor makes easy work of this recipe. If you're looking to buy one, check out <a href="http://thesweethome.com/reviews/the-best-food-processor/">this guide from our colleagues at The Sweethome</a>.)

All-Purpose Biscuits

all-purpose flour,

baking powder

sugar

salt

cold, unsalted butter,

milk

Preheat oven to 425. Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Transfer to a food processor. Cut butter into pats and add to flour, then pulse 5 or 6 times until the mixture resembles rough crumbs. (Alternatively, cut butter into flour in the mixing bowl using a fork or a pastry cutter.) Return dough to bowl, add milk and stir with a fork until it forms a rough ball.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and pat it down into a rough rectangle, about an inch thick. Fold it over and gently pat it down again. Repeat. Cover the dough loosely with a kitchen towel and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.

Gently pat out the dough some more, so that the rectangle is roughly 10 inches by 6 inches. Cut dough into biscuits using a floured glass or biscuit cutter. Do not twist cutter when cutting; this crimps the edges of the biscuit and impedes its rise.

Place biscuits on a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Here is one of the most popular recipes The Times has ever published, courtesy of Jim Lahey, owner of Sullivan Street Bakery. It requires no kneading. It uses no special ingredients, equipment or techniques. And it takes very little effort — only time. You will need 24 hours to create the bread, but much of this is unattended waiting, a slow fermentation of the dough that results in a perfect loaf. (We've updated the recipe to reflect <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/06/dining/06mini.html">changes Mark Bittman made</a> to the recipe in 2006 after publishing and receiving reader feedback. The original recipe called for 3 cups flour; we've adjusted it to call for 3 1/3 cups/430 grams flour.)

No-Knead Bread

all-purpose or bread flour,

instant yeast

Cornmeal bran,

In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons/390 milliliters water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Mark Bittman demonstrates how to make no-knead bread.

Maple syrup and oatmeal are usually relegated to the breakfast table, but here they create a crowd-pleasing tart. Creamy maple pudding would be lovely on its own, but truly shines nestled into a cookielike oatmeal crust. Top it with a dollop of whipped cream laced with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Maple Tart With Oatmeal Cookie Crust

160 grams old-fashioned rolled oats

all-purpose flour

55 grams packed light brown sugar

unsalted butter (3/4 stick), melted

maple syrup

420 milliliters whole milk

heavy cream

cornstarch

unsalted butter,

confectioners’ sugar

cinnamon

nutmeg

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl of a food processor, combine oats, flour, brown sugar and salt, and pulse until oats are coarsely chopped. Add butter and pulse until evenly moistened.

Transfer mixture into a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press crumbs evenly into bottom and up sides of the pan. Set pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is fragrant, set and edges are golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Set on a rack to cool completely.

In a medium saucepan, bring maple syrup to a simmer over medium heat. Cook maple syrup until it has reduced to 1/2 cup/120 milliliters, about 8 minutes. Set aside.

Set a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl. In a separate medium bowl or a 4-cup glass measuring cup, whisk together milk, cream and egg yolks. Add cornstarch to a medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk mixture until smooth. Add maple syrup and whisk to combine. Cook mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it has thickened and just come up to a low boil, about 6 to 7 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for another minute. Pour custard through sieve, using whisk to scrape it through. Discard any solids. Whisk in butter until fully combined with no solid bits remaining. Transfer mixture to prepared crust. Let cool slightly, then cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 4 hours.

Beat heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in cinnamon and nutmeg until evenly distributed.

Before slicing, remove pan rim from tart by carefully setting tart on top of a 28-ounce can (or something roughly the same size) and transfer tart to a serving platter. To serve, top slices with whipped cream.

Sticky, spicy and full of cranberries, this gingerbread is perfect for the holidays. The recipe has been designed to make ahead, and will taste as good 2 days after baking as it does on the same day. (It will keep for 4 to 5 days.) To store it, wrap it well, stick it in the fridge and then bring to room temperature before serving. Whipped cream or crème fraîche, spiked with a little bourbon if you like, is nice on the side.

Sticky Cranberry Gingerbread

cranberries

granulated sugar

unsalted butter

dark brown sugar

120 milliliters whole milk

60 milliliters molasses

ground ginger

kosher salt

baking soda

black pepper

eggs,

14 grams grated fresh ginger (from 1-inch piece)

Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9-inch square or round baking pan with parchment.

In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together cranberries, granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Stir the cranberries over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and cranberries form a sauce that is syrupy and bubbling thickly, about 10 minutes. Aim to have about half  the cranberries broken down, with the remainder more or less whole.

In a separate saucepan, stir together the butter, brown sugar, milk, maple syrup and molasses over medium heat. Bring it to just barely a simmer and then remove it from the heat. Do not let it come to a boil, or the mixture may curdle.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda and black pepper. Beat in the butter-maple syrup mixture and then beat in the eggs. Stir in the ginger.

Scrape the batter into the pan. Drop fat dollops of cranberry sauce onto the surface of the cake batter. Drag a long, slender knife through the batter in a swirly design, as if you are marbling a cake. Transfer the cake to the oven and bake it until the top is firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire baking rack and let the cake cool completely before eating it.

The sweetness of the oven-blasted pumpkin, together with the salty intensity of the feta, the bitterness of the radicchio and the sour, subtle heat of the red onion, is a model of harmonious simplicity.

Roast Pumpkin, Radicchio And Feta Salad

vegetable oil

red onion,

limes

pine nuts

peanut oil or olive oil

pumpkinseed oil

feta cheese, broken into bite-sized pieces

(about 6 ounces) radicchio cut into bite-size pieces

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Rub pumpkin with vegetable oil, and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until just tender all the way through, about 45 minutes. Remove, cool, cover, and refrigerate until needed. (May be done a day ahead.)

In a small bowl, combine onion with lime juice, and steep for 15 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, toss pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium heat until lightly browned; remove from heat, and set aside.

Add peanut oil and pumpkinseed oil to onion mixture, and mix well. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, feta, radicchio, onion mixture and half the pine nuts. Mix everything gently by hand, and turn out onto a large plate or wide shallow bowl. Garnish with remaining pine nuts, and serve.

Delicious on its own or as the base for a stuffing, this rich, moist cornbread is inspired by a Basque recipe that's been altered to resemble American cornbread. The pumpkin flavor is very subtle, and honey provides a hint of sweetness.

Pumpkin Cornbread

pumpkin

extra virgin olive oil

honey,

eggs

yellow cornmeal

Heat the oven to 400 degrees, and place inside a 9-inch cast iron skillet or a 2-quart baking dish.

Whisk together the pumpkin purée, milk, olive oil, honey and eggs.

Place the cornmeal in a large bowl, and sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix together. Do not overwork.

Remove the baking dish or pan from the oven, and add the butter. When it has melted completely, brush the sides of the pan with a pastry brush; tip the excess melted butter into the batter, and quickly mix it in. Scrape the batter into the hot pan, and return it to the oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before serving.

There’s nothing better than a warm Parker House roll, except maybe one with a salty, seedy everything-bagel topping. While there are a million subtle variations of the classic roll, this recipe keeps the shape simple (just basic rounds) for the most buttery, fluffiest results. You can purchase everything-bagel seasoning in the spice section of some supermarkets, but it’s also easy to make your own.

Everything Parker House Rolls

237 milliliters whole milk

dry milk powder

yeast powder

sesame seeds

poppy seeds

garlic flakes

onion

(3/4 stick) melted unsalted butter,

Prepare the rolls: In a medium pot, heat the milk and 4 tablespoons butter over medium until the mixture is just warm to the touch (about 95 degrees) and the butter is melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, combine the flour, milk powder, sugar, yeast and salt with 1 egg and the warmed milk mixture. Mix on low for 3 minutes, then increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough is smooth, about 3 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours. The dough may not double in size, but it should be noticeably puffy.

Divide the dough into 12 even pieces (about 71 grams each). Gently round into balls: Cup your hand and fingers around a piece of dough then roll it on your work surface until it forms a tight ball. Repeat with the remaining pieces.

In a lightly greased 9-by-13-inch pan, arrange the balls in three rows of four. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until noticeably puffy, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the everything-bagel seasoning: Toss together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic, dried onion and kosher salt.

In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg. Brush the surface of each roll with the beaten egg and sprinkle each generously with everything-bagel seasoning (about 2 teaspoons per roll).

Bake the rolls for 10 minutes, then brush the surface of the rolls generously with the melted butter. Bake until the rolls are evenly golden-brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Brush the baked rolls generously with the remaining melted butter. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Store leftover rolls at room temperature in a resealable plastic bag. (See tip for reheating instructions).

This lightly sweet cornbread has a crunchy, buttery crust, which comes from baking it in a hot skillet. If you have a cast-iron pan, this is the time to use it. The heavy, heat-retaining material will give you the darkest color (which equals the most flavor). But any large ovenproof skillet will work. And if you don’t have a skillet big enough to hold all the batter, you can either halve the recipe or bake the cornbread in 9-by-13-inch pan. (Brown the butter first in a saucepan.) Your bread won’t have the same dark crust, but the moist crumb flavored with brown butter and maple syrup is ample recompense.

Brown Butter Skillet Cornbread

120 ml maple syrup

530 ml buttermilk

yellow cornmeal, fine or medium-coarse grind

whole wheat flour

Heat oven to 375 degrees. On the stovetop, in a 11- or 12-inch skillet (ovenproof and preferably cast iron), melt the butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan to lightly coat sides and bottom, until the foam subsides and the butter turns a deep nut brown. (Watch carefully to see that it does not burn.)

Pour brown butter into a large bowl. (Do not wipe out the pan.) Whisk the maple syrup into the butter, then whisk in buttermilk. The mixture should be cool to the touch; if not, let cool before whisking in the eggs. Then whisk in the cornmeal, flours, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

If the skillet is no longer hot (cast iron retains heat longer than other metals), reheat it briefly on the stove for a few minutes. Scrape batter back into it. Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into it emerges clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in the skillet for 10 minutes before slicing.

Melissa Clark bakes tender, flavorful cornbread in a cast-iron pan.

The country bread from Tartine Bakery in San Francisco has reached cult status among passionate bakers, and deservedly so. Based on traditional principles, Mr. Robertson has developed a way to get a tangy, open crumb encased in a blistered, rugged crust in a home kitchen, from a starter you create yourself. It is a bit of project — from start to finish, it takes about two weeks — but well worth the effort. (If you already have active starter ready to go, then the process shortens to two days.) So know that you have to be patient, and that the nature of bread baking at home is unpredictable. The level of activity of your starter, the humidity in your kitchen, the temperature during the rises, the time you allow for each step — all of these elements affect the bread and any change can impact your final loaf. But that final loaf is a wonder, the holy grail for the serious home baker.

Tartine’s Country Bread

white-bread flour

whole-wheat flour

leaven

whole-wheat flour,

fine sea salt

rice flour

Make the starter: Combine 1,000 grams white-bread flour with 1,000 grams whole-wheat flour. Put 100 grams of warm water (about 80 degrees) in a small jar or container and add 100 grams of the flour mix. Use your fingers to mix until thoroughly combined and the mixture is the consistency of thick batter. Cover with a towel and let sit at room temperature until mixture begins to bubble and puff, 2 to 3 days.

When starter begins to show signs of activity, begin regular feedings. Keep the starter at room temperature, and at the same time each day discard 80 percent of the starter and feed remaining starter with equal parts warm water and white-wheat flour mix (50 grams of each is fine). When starter begins to rise and fall predictably and takes on a slightly sour smell, it’s ready; this should take about 1 week.(Reserve remaining flour mix for leaven.)

Make the leaven: The night before baking, discard all but 1 tablespoon of the mature starter. Mix the remaining starter with 200 grams of warm water and stir with your hand to disperse. Add 200 grams of the white-wheat flour mix and combine well. Cover with a towel and let rest at room temperature for 12 hours or until aerated and puffed in appearance. To test for readiness, drop a tablespoon of leaven into a bowl of room-temperature water; if it floats it’s ready to use. If it doesn’t, allow more time to ferment.

Make the dough: In a large bowl, combine 200 grams of leaven with 700 grams of warm water and stir to disperse. (Reserve remaining leaven for future loaves; see note below.)

Add 900 grams of white-bread flour and 100 grams of whole-wheat flour to bowl and use your hands to mix until no traces of dry flour remain. The dough will be sticky and ragged. Cover bowl with a towel and let dough rest for 25 to 40 minutes at room temperature.

Add 20 grams fine sea salt and 50 grams warm water. Use hands to integrate salt and water into dough thoroughly. The dough will begin to pull apart, but continue mixing; it will come back together.

Cover dough with a towel and transfer to a warm environment, 75 to 80 degrees ideally (like near a window in a sunny room, or inside a turned-off oven). Let dough rise for 30 minutes. Fold dough by dipping hand in water, taking hold of the underside of the dough at one quadrant and stretching it up over the rest of the dough. Repeat this action 3 more times, rotating bowl a quarter turn for each fold. Do this every half-hour for 2 1/2 hours more (3 hours total). The dough should be billowy and increase in volume 20 to 30 percent. If not, continue to let rise and fold for up to an hour more.

Transfer dough to a work surface and dust top with flour. Use a dough scraper to cut dough into 2 equal pieces and flip them over so floured sides are face down. Fold the cut side of each piece up onto itself so the flour on the surface remains entirely on the outside of the loaf; this will become the crust. Work dough into taut rounds. Place the dough rounds on a work surface, cover with a towel, and let rest 30 minutes.

Mix 100 grams whole-wheat flour and 100 grams rice flours. Line two 10- to 12-inch bread-proofing baskets or mixing bowls with towels. Use some of the flour mixture to generously flour towels (reserve remaining mixture).

Dust rounds with whole-wheat flour. Use a dough scraper to flip them over onto a work surface so floured sides are facing down. Take one round, and starting at the side closest to you, pull the bottom 2 corners of the dough down toward you, then fold them up into the middle third of the dough. Repeat this action on the right and left sides, pulling the edges out and folding them in over the center. Finally, lift the top corners up and fold down over previous folds. (Imagine folding a piece of paper in on itself from all 4 sides.) Roll dough over so the folded side becomes the bottom of the loaf. Shape into a smooth, taut ball. Repeat with other round.

Transfer rounds, seam-side up, to prepared baskets. Cover with a towel and return dough to the 75- to 80-degree environment for 3 to 4 hours. (Or let dough rise for 10 to 12 hours in the refrigerator. Bring back to room temperature before baking.)

About 30 minutes before baking, place a Dutch oven or lidded cast-iron pot in the oven and heat it to 500 degrees. Dust tops of dough, still in their baskets, with whole-wheat/rice-flour mixture. Very carefully remove heated pot from oven and gently turn 1 loaf into pan seam-side down. Use a lame (a baker’s blade) or razor blade to score the top of the bread a few times to allow for expansion, cover and transfer to oven. Reduce temperature to 450 degrees and cook for 20 minutes. Carefully remove lid (steam may release) and cook for 20 more minutes or until crust is a rich, golden brown color.

Transfer bread to a wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. The bottom of the loaf should sound hollow when tapped. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees, clean out pot and repeat this process with the second loaf.

Discover the ultimate comfort food with this STOVE TOP One-Dish Chicken Bake. Combine chicken, stuffing and sour cream for a delectable dish.

STOVE TOP One-Dish Chicken Bake

water

pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken

1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

(10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup

Sour Cream

Add hot water to stuffing mix; stir just until moistened.

Place chicken in 13x9-inch baking dish. Mix soup and sour cream until blended; pour over chicken. Top with stuffing.

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When you want a pumpkin dessert, but not the heft of a pie, this light and creamy make-ahead custard will do the trick. It's surprisingly simple to prepare; just combine the ingredients in a saucepan, heat, then strain through a sieve and chill for at least 3 hours. Divine.

Pumpkin Panna Cotta

gelatin

pumpkin purée

In a bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 1 cup milk and let sit for 10 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining milk, cream, sugar and salt to just before boiling. Whisk the gelatin mixture, pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg into the warmed cream. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes, then strain through a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Do not press on the solids. Pour into 5 3/4-cup ramekins and chill for at least 3 hours.

To serve, dip the base of a ramekin in hot water until the panna cotta is loose. Lay a plate on top and invert it. You may need to shake the ramekin to release the panna cotta.

A basic cookie dough recipe is at the heart of this treat, great for any occasion. A cookie press (think of a caulking machine, but with cookie dough) offers lots of versatility, whether you're looking for wreaths for the holidays or hearts for Valentine's Day. Just beat together the ingredients, and place the dough in the press just after mixing. Push the dough through onto parchment paper, decorate with colored sugars and bake. They'll add a bit of color and joy to any cookie platter.

Spritz Cookies

vanilla extract

Coarse or decorative sugar, sesame seeds or poppy seeds

Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar on medium-high until the mixture is superlight, fluffy and pale, about 5 minutes. Scrape down sides of the bowl and add in two eggs, one at a time, and vanilla extract and beat until everything is well combined, about 2 minutes.

Add in dry ingredients and beat just to blend, about a minute. Load dough into cookie press and make shapes as desired, pushing dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and spacing cookies 1 inch apart.

Beat remaining egg with 1 teaspoon water. Using a pastry brush, coat cookies with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar (pearl, sanding and colored sugars all work here), black or white sesame seeds, or poppy seeds. Bake until golden brown and baked through, 12 to 15 minutes.

This hearty mix of wild rice, creamy white beans and aromatic vegetables (spinach, leeks, fennel and mushrooms) makes a satisfying meatless main course or a very substantial side dish for Thanksgiving — and beyond. If you want to go all out, use some exotic mushrooms such as chanterelles, maitake (hen of the woods) or black trumpet, but a basic combination of cremini and shiitake mushrooms also works perfectly.

Wild Rice And Mushroom Casserole

vegetable, mushroom or chicken broth

rice,

extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed

leeks,

fennel bulbs,

baby spinach (about 4 cups)

garlic

tomato paste

teaspoon red pepper flakes

white beans (7 cups)

lemon juice

cilantro (or basil)

parsley

panko bread crumbs

fresh rosemary, chopped

lemon zest

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Flaky sea salt,

Wild Rice and Mushroom Casserole

Taste broth; if bland, season to taste with salt. In a medium pot, bring broth to a boil over high heat. Stir in rice, lower heat, cover and simmer until just tender, about 40 minutes or according to package directions. Fluff rice with a fork, cover and let stand for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, sauté vegetables: In a large, heavy skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat. Add half the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until brown and crispy, about 8 minutes. Adjust heat as needed to prevent burning. Transfer cooked mushrooms to a plate and sprinkle lightly with salt. Repeat with remaining mushrooms and another tablespoon oil, adding more oil to the skillet if it looks dry.

In the empty skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Stir in leeks, fennel and 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, until soft but not browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in spinach, chopped garlic, tomato paste and red pepper flakes, and cook until garlic starts turning golden, another 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.

Heat oven to 400 degrees, and oil a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish.

In a blender, purée 2 cans beans with their liquid, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 grated garlic clove, and salt to taste. (If your beans are unsalted, they might need more than you’d think.)

Stir bean purée, remaining whole beans (drained), mushrooms, cilantro, parsley and cooked wild rice into skillet with vegetables. Taste and add more salt or lemon as needed; it should be well seasoned. Scrape into prepared baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, rosemary, lemon zest, remaining 2 grated garlic cloves and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir in 1/4 cup olive oil and Parmesan, if using.

Sprinkle evenly on top of casserole and bake until golden, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving, topped with flaky sea salt.

Kwanzaa gatherings continue to go strong in community centers and at home in dining rooms, as they have since 1966. The seven-day holiday of self-reflection, often an extension of Christmas or the winter solstice, culminates with the karamu, or feast. The spread leans heavily vegetarian. In Atlanta, Folami Prescott-Adams dries, seasons, fries and broils pounds of tofu. Store-bought, tomato-based barbecue sauce provides the comfort factor. She is a 40-year veteran of Kwanzaa and maintains a spreadsheet of potluck logistics for her family and guests. Alongside this vegetarian barbecue, Dr. Prescott-Adams’s buffet feeds more than 100 people, and the greatest hits include <a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020515-southern-macaroni-and-cheese">macaroni and cheese</a>, <a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014802-sorrel">red punch</a> and <a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019833-stewed-black-eyed-peas">black-eyed peas</a>.

Folami’s BBQ Tofu

tofu,

unsalted butter butter

tamari

barbecue sauce

Two and a half hours before serving, start drying out the tofu: Place the slices in a single layer between clean, dry dish towels or double layers of paper towels. Press to remove water from the tofu, and let stand for 2 hours, replacing the soaked towels once or twice, until there is very little water left in the tofu. (You can press and dry the tofu quickly, and use it immediately, but it will be less crisp.)

Heat a broiler to its highest setting. Heat a large skillet over medium and add the oil and butter, swirling to cover the bottom. Pour the tamari into a small, shallow dish. Press the tofu one last time. Quickly dip both sides of a single slice in the tamari and place it in the skillet. (Be careful as the liquid may lead to hot pops from the oil.) Repeat with the remaining tofu slices and tamari.

Cook until the tofu gets the same beautiful golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. While the tofu browns, spread half of the barbecue sauce on a small rimmed baking sheet. Transfer the tofu to the barbecue sauce on the sheet, then cover with the remaining sauce. Broil, turning once, until the sauce thickens and bubbles, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve hot.

The final days of December for African-Americans mean playing games of bid whist and spades, and cultivating joy through seasonal dishes. For Rashad Frazier and his family in Portland, Ore., Kwanzaa is all about the food, Nguzo Saba (the seven principles) and honoring members of their families who have made their lives bright. Mr. Frazier is a personal chef and an avid outdoorsman; this rub is his go-to for highlighting fresh-caught fish, which he is serving for the holiday.

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Top Tags

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Folami’s BBQ Tofu

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The most viewed kwanzaa recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine