1. French fries: Air fryers can produce crispy and delicious fries using a fraction of the oil used in traditional deep frying.
2. Chicken wings: Cook evenly in an air fryer, resulting in crispy skin and tender, juicy meat.
3. Breaded fish and seafood: Foods like breaded shrimp, fish fillets, and calamari can be cooked to a crispy, golden-brown finish.
4. Vegetables: Cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and zucchini can be cooked quickly and easily in an air fryer, with a crispy exterior and tender interior.
5. Mozzarella sticks: Cooked in an air fryer, these cheese-filled snacks have a crispy outside and gooey inside without the greasiness of deep frying.
6. Sweet potato fries: Similar to French fries, sweet potato fries can be cooked to a crispy finish with minimal oil.
7. Jalapeno poppers: The air fryer’s circulating heat cooks the jalapeno poppers evenly, giving them a crunchy exterior and melty cheese inside.
8. Onion rings: Air fryers can create crunchy, golden onion rings that are much healthier than their deep-fried counterparts.
9. Empanadas and pastries: Foods like empanadas, samosas, and other stuffed pastries can be cooked to a crisp, flaky texture in an air fryer.
10. Nuggets and tenders: Chicken nuggets and tenders are ideal for cooking in an air fryer, giving them a crispy coating without excess oil.

When using an air fryer, it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cooking times and temperatures. In general, you should shake or flip the food halfway through the cooking process to ensure even cooking and browning, but some air fryers have rotating baskets that remove the need for this.

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Roasting usually involves higher temperatures, and results in a browned exterior and tender interior. Roasting oven temperatures are usually between 400°F and 450°F (200°C to 230°C). The exact temperature used can depend on the type of food being roasted and the desired outcome (e.g. crispy skin on a chicken or a tender roast beef). For example, root vegetables may be roasted at a lower temperature for a longer period of time, while meats may be roasted at a higher temperature for a shorter period of time to achieve a browned exterior and a juicy interior.

Common foods that are roasted include:

• Meat (beef, pork, lamb, chicken)
• Vegetables (potatoes, carrots, parsnips, bell peppers)
• Nuts (almonds, pecans, hazelnuts)
• Seafood (salmon, shrimp, scallops)
• Whole chickens or turkeys
• Game meats (venison, quail)
• Root vegetables (beets, turnips, rutabaga)
• Garlic bulbs
• Coffee beans.

Baking is often done at lower temperatures, and results in a fully cooked product that may be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Common baking temperatures range from 350°F to 425°F (175°C to 220°C). The exact temperature depends on the type of food being baked and the desired outcome. For example, cookies are typically baked at 375°F (190°C), while cakes are usually baked at 350°F (175°C). Bread is often baked at 425°F (220°C) to achieve a crispy crust. Some recipes, like casseroles, may start at a higher temperature to brown the top and then be finished at a lower temperature to ensure even cooking.

Common foods that are baked include:

• Bread (loaves, rolls, pastries)
• Cakes (vanilla, chocolate, carrot)
• Pies (apple, pumpkin, pecan)
• Cookies (chocolate chip, sugar, oatmeal)
• Pasta dishes (lasagna, macaroni and cheese, ziti)
• Casseroles (chicken, vegetable, pasta)
• Pizzas
• Quiches
• Fruit desserts (cobbler, crumble, tart)
• Muffins (blueberry, chocolate, banana).

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Our community of food enthusiasts generously shared their expertise and support as we worked to fulfill our mission and commitment to culinary excellence in 2022. Our online community reminded us daily of the value of civility and fellowship in a chaotic world.

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Make the two dressings ahead of time. The great thing about these is the recipes leave extra for later meals. For example, I made a creamy shrimp salad with poached shrimp and the Goddess dressing.  My youngest kiddo likes to dip veggies in it and also uses it for a sandwich spread.

The pickled daikon, which is optional for the salad, needs to be made a day or two in advance. I fell in love with this daikon when my son brought home some Korean fried chicken, which had pickled daikon on the side.  I get my daikon from a nearby large Asian market. As with the dressings, I always make extra so I have some on hand for later meals during the week.

The recipe for smoked salmon salad and avocado toast serves two, but is easily multiplied.

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Start with the basic yolks mashed with a little Dijon mustard and bought mayonnaise, and then pick a main additive. Think minced shrimp, tuna, gorgonzola cheese, mashed avocado and minced jalapeño, deviled ham (double deviled), minced crispy bacon, smoked salmon, pimento cheese.

Then coordinate spices, herbs and garnishes accordingly.

Perhaps a section of fresh fig and a piece of walnut with the gorgonzola.
Or crushed blue taco chips on the avocado. A tiny triangle of Swiss cheese and a strip of gherkin with the ham. A tiny slice of a tiny tomato and a shard of romaine lettuce with the bacon (for a BLT deviled egg). Salmon roe on the smoked salmon, or a diamond of pimento on the pimento cheese. Minced parsley or cilantro, snipped chives, shredded basil, sweet, hot or smoked paprika, a sprinkle of “Everything But the Bagel®,” Jane’s Crazy® salt — you get the idea, run with it.

The deviled part may go back to Ancient Rome, but in the late 18 th and early 19 th century.  “Deviled” food items usually implied that they were made with spicy (as in hot) ingredients. If they were ‘hot as hell’ well then the devil must be involved. The association with the devil was firmly embedded in the mind of the consumer when Underwood trademarked the little pitchfork wielding, pointy-tailed devil for their Underwood Deviled Ham® in 1870.

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Editor’s note: If you’d like to offer a choice of dipping sauces, Nuoc Cham is another great dipping sauce for Vietnamese summer rolls.

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A meal for the new year is Nishime. Japanese simmered chicken and vegetables is a popular dish. It is an osechi. This means seasonal food, served especially during the New Year’s season in Japan. Traditionally, shops or supermarkets are closed during new year holidays. Therefore mothers cook dishes to last about a week. Osechi includes different kinds of dishes. These are collectively called osechi dishes.

Each osechi has a meaning, The ingredients in this meal for the new year include simmered shrimp for long life, as well as simmered black beans that mean work well. And so on.

Nishime is a dish of  simmered chicken and vegetables. Nishime is a standard meal for the new year. It is for when we meet on the New Year’s Day. Nishime also has a meaning. It means strong relationship among family members. It has many decorations, so it looks gorgeous.

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