Despite its quick 28 days, February had no shortage of delicious meals. Over the last month, our community embraced seasonal eats inspired by everything from Valentine’s Day to Mardi Gras, along with modern updates to comforting classics—bourbon-braised leeks, chicken and dumplings, and flaky, buttery hand pies, to name a few. In no particular order, here are our top recipes from February 2023.
1. Miso & Butternut Squash Pasta
You’d never guess that this silky-smooth, luxurious pasta sauce is made from just squash (roasted until caramelized and fork-tender), garlic, pasta water, and miso. Most of the cook time is also hands-off, meaning it’s the ideal pasta recipe for kitchen multitaskers.
2. Jaggery & Cream Cheese Hand Pies
Consider these hand pies Chetna Makan’s elevated twist on a certain toaster pastry that you may remember from childhood. Rather than the typical berry filling, however, she stuffs these pies with a mixture of cashews and almonds, sweetened with jaggery, an unrefined sugar commonly used across Southeast Asia and Africa.
3. Win Son’s Bacon, Egg & Cheese Scallion Pancake
Win Son Bakery is known for making some of Brooklyn’s best breakfast sandwiches, like its bacon, egg and cheese served on a flaky, house-made scallion pancake. So, in honor of Win Son’s debut cookbook, we published the recipe. Need we say more?
4. Make-Ahead BLT Potato Skins
These potato skins, topped with the familiar flavors of a BLT, are great for Game Day—but they’re also perfect for any occasion in need of a make-ahead app. Catch us serving them at everything from birthday parties, to movie nights, to your average weeknight dinner.
5. Bourbon-Braised Leeks With Pistachios
Humble leeks, with their oniony, allium flavor, are transformed after bourbon and citrus are added to the mix. “Braising the leeks in bourbon adds nutty, sweet notes, while zippy orange juice imbues the leeks with citrusy pep,” said Food Editor Emily Ziemski. Serve them on their own, or pair with a roast chicken for a showstopping feast.
6. Sausage Po’ Boy With Spicy Remoulade Sauce
These po’ boys from Nini Nguyen feature Zatarain’s Andouille Smoked Sausage, giving the sandwich a smoky, snappy base. Generous amounts of lettuce, tomato, pickles, and spicy remoulade round out the New Orleans staple.
7. Dark Phoenix Cocktail
In this cocktail, recipe developer John deBary “wanted to capture the feeling [he] had watching the Dark Phoenix saga unfold on the Saturday-morning X-Men The Animated Series,” which he achieved through layering syrup and soda water, resulting in a “similar color gradient to the animated pseudo-deity.” It’s also a wildly delicious drink, featuring his saffron- and black tea-infused “ultragrenadine” syrup.
8. Chocolate-Porcini Truffles
These rich, creamy chocolate truffles are balanced by just a touch of porcini powder. The mushrooms provide earthy depth, rounding out the chocolate flavor, while a hint of strawberry powder makes the whole thing pop.
9. Coconut-Roasted Cod With Anchovy Salsa Macha
In this Sweet Heat recipe, Rick Martínez roasts delicate, flaky cod in coconut milk spiced with orange rind and allspice berries. A savory salsa macha, bolstered with anchovies, along with fresh orange segments and herbs completes this impressive-yet-simple main.
10. One-Pot Chicken & Dumplings
Chicken and dumplings may just be the ultimate comfort food, especially when it only takes one bowl and one pot to throw together. Using store-bought rotisserie chicken is key—it’s a time-saving trick that allows this dish to be ready to eat in about 45 minutes flat.
What’s your favorite February recipe? Let us know in the comments.
