​This fish curry recipe is flavorful, flexible, and ready in under an hour. Built on store-bought curry paste and creamy coconut milk, it delivers a rich, aromatic broth that balances spicy, savory, and lightly sweet notes. Everything cooks in one pan, making it as practical as it is satisfying.. A mix of vegetables adds texture and brightness, while chunks of fish gently poach until tender and flaky. Use any firm, boneless white fish—such as cod, halibut, snapper, haddock, or others—and swap out the vegetables depending on your preferences. Finish your fish curry with a squeeze of lime and a handful of fresh herbs, and serve over steamed rice, noodles, or with naan to soak up the coconut broth.. What kind of fish works best in fish curry? Firm, flaky fish like cod, halibut, snapper, or haddock hold their shape in the simmering broth. Richer fish like mackerel and swordfish will work too, but bring a stronger flavor. Thinner fillets, like tilapia, can be used but tend to break apart, so stir the curry very gently if using.. Can I use frozen fish? Yes—you can add it directly from the freezer, but it’s best to cut it into large chunks first. You’ll need to simmer longer (about 5 minutes, depending on fish size), and the sauce may thin from extra moisture. If needed, cook briefly to re-thicken the curry.. How spicy is this fish curry? The heat level depends largely on the curry paste you use—brands vary quite a bit. We like Maesri, which lands around medium heat. For a milder curry, try yellow curry paste; for more kick, use green curry paste, which is generally the hottest of the three. If things get too spicy, a splash of coconut milk or squeeze of lime can help mellow things out.. What vegetables can I use? Any quick-cooking vegetable will work here. Try green beans, snap peas, mushrooms, sliced shallots, asparagus, bok choy, or whatever else you might have on hand.. Can I make this ahead? It’s best served fresh, but leftovers will keep for a day. Reheat gently so the fish stays tender.  

​For years I have collected vintage party cookbooks, relishing in the sometimes timeless and sometimes hilariously dated advice they provide to aspiring hosts. While I was writing Party Tricks, my own entry into the genre, I was haunted by a quote from the introduction to James Beard’s 1940 book Hors D’Oeuvre and Canapés.. “The cocktail party no longer means a bottle of gin, a can of sardines, and a package of potato chips from the corner grocery,” wrote Beard. Maybe this rang true in 1940, but in the 21st century, this short grocery list sounds to me like a recipe for a great party.. For less than $5, potato chips are expertly fried hors d’oeuvres that require zero vats of hot oil (no industrial HVAC systems or costume changes required). You can dress chips up, dress them down, or just frantically pour them into a bowl to buy yourself a little extra time to bake those savory puff pastry tarts, or to stir martinis for your guests. In case these weren’t enough reasons to buy this staple on repeat, here are a few of my favorite ways to improve the party with a bag of chips.. Serve them with a two-ingredient dip. Although I’m a huge devotee of a classic onion dip, I find that minimalism is sometimes better. In Party Tricks, I pair salt-and-vinegar potato chips with a bowl of crème fraîche topped with trout roe (you can garnish the whole pile with a few chives if you want). It’s a way to show off a small amount of caviar without composing a million one-bite canapés. You could swap the crème fraîche for sour cream (or BA staffer Emma Laperruque’s genius two-ingredient dressing), the trout roe for any fish eggs you have, and top it with the herb of your choice.. Invent your own dream chip flavor. That bag of all-dressed or green curry chips can be a party conversation starter, but when your local grocery store selection starts boring you, it’s time to dream up your own house flavor. Can’t find Old Bay chips outside of Maryland? Make your own! Want your potato chips to channel onion dip flavors—no dip required? Pick up a bag of store-bought chips to shower with onion powder, garlic powder, and fresh dill.. Make some chip dust. Crushed potato chips are a shortcut to texture, richness, and salt. I’m especially fond of pulverized salt and vinegar chips when I want to add acidity to a dish without including liquid. You can use them to garnish a dip (like this giardiniera number), add breading to something you’re frying (try them on chicken cutlets), or as a topping for a casserole.. Tower them high. A few years ago, Ernesto’s, a Basque restaurant on the Lower East Side, started serving a mile-high tower of alternating layers of house-made potato chips and Ibérico ham. Since then, I’ve seen chip towers pop up on cooking websites, friends’ Instagrams, and many more restaurant menus. Former BA staffer Jessie YuChen has a recipe on Epicurious where sea salt chips are drizzled with honey butter and studded with crispy sala  

​In our view, Beautiful by Drew not only produces the top budget stand mixer but also the best budget hand mixer. It features a simple design, including a comfortable grip, a sliding speed control, and a turbo boost button, yet it’s sturdily constructed and potent. In fact, the Beautiful hand mixer performed equally well as the KitchenAid Ultra Power in our tests. The primary distinction? Beautiful’s hand mixer is cheaper and comes with extra mixing attachments plus a storage case. It’s also available in stylish shades such as Cornflower Blue, Lavender, and Rose. For $35, nothing beats its beauty. What we love: The Beautiful by Drew 6-Speed Hand Mixer is a breeze to use. The handle offers a solid grip, and the classic speed-adjustment switch makes it incredibly easy to use.  

​What I loved: I’ve been doubtful about Quince’s expansions into higher-end kitchen tools (perhaps just worn out by the constant podcast ads), but these knives won me over. They glided through pork chops and tomatoes with the buttery smoothness I noted earlier, and passed the paper test both before and after slicing through stacks of meat and vegetables. At only $100, they feature a Pakkawood handle and a Damascus steel blade (which didn’t enhance the sharpness—it just looks impressive, with those distinctive wavy patterns in the metal). They’re made from Japanese steel, but in China, keeping the price down. If you’re seeking a sharp knife that appears pricier than its cost, this is an excellent choice. What I’d note: This knife is lighter and feels less robust than the top Material knife mentioned above. The handle felt light for a full-tang knife—not enough to make it unbalanced, but I preferred the overall heft and slightly better balance of the Material knife. The handle is also not as comfortable to grip as the Material’s, and it certainly lacks the ergonomic feel of the Shun. How I tested steak knives. The test on paper. To test the knife’s initial sharpness straight out of the box, I held up a piece of paper and swiftly sliced through it.  

​Cacio e pepe ranks among Rome’s most iconic pasta dishes, alongside carbonara and amatriciana. Known for its refined simplicity, the most traditional versions feature only pasta, freshly ground black pepper, and Pecorino Romano cheese. This version incorporates butter, which aids in emulsifying the sauce and allows the crushed pepper to bloom, delivering the richest flavor. We also add a touch of Parmesan to offset Pecorino’s bold, salty bite with its cozy, nutty depth. For a flawlessly silky sauce, employ some key techniques: grate the cheeses using the finest holes of a box grater (skip the Microplane), save pasta water to thin the sauce as needed, and incorporate freshly ground coarse pepper. Although tonnarelli (square-cross-section egg noodles) is the traditional choice, other long pastas such as spaghetti or bucatini also work wonderfully. Cacio e pepe tastes best when served right away, so prepare the table before beginning to cook. A basic green salad is a nice complement, and garlic bread is always appreciated. To prevent clumping: Use a box grater or high-powered blender to break down the cheeses. A Microplane yields wispy shreds that tend to clump together.