It’s impossible to talk about okra without mentioning its slime. Some people can’t get enough of the stickiness. Other don’t want anything to do with it. I tolerate it. I like the refreshing and earthy taste of okra, especially when it’s fresh from the market. But honestly, it’s not my favorite. So why the heck am I sharing an okra recipe?

Well, because this is the dish that changed my mind. It bumped okra to the top of my vegetable chart, up there with broccoli and beet.

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You can’t go through summer without making at least one batch of coleslaw. Be it for a family barbecue or a weekday dinner, this all-American salad is like a bowl of edible confetti that would brighten up any meal.

This recipe came from my sister-in-law Jillian who came to spend a few days with us last week. I made a few twists to call it my own. The result is a tangy and sweet salad perfect for the hot weather.

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It’s not even September and we are already talking apple recipes? What are you thinking, Erica?! Well, that’s what I thought until my father-in-law showed up at my house this week with a bag full of beautiful fresh-picked Granny Smith from his yard.

The good thing is that this apple dessert is not heavy and dense like an apple pie, which to me is better suited for the cooler months. This tart reminds me of the pastry I’d pick up at the neighborhood patisserie in Paris for a sweet breakfast or an afternoon snack.

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Dal is a stew made of legume that has been stripped of its outer shell common in countries such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Some recipes call for lentils, beans and of course, split peas.

I love this dish not only because it is vegetarian-friendly, but also because it features a variety of spices that add great flavor and depth to this dish.

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Which words come to mind when you think about kale? If you had asked me that question a few years back, I would have answered “bitter”, “tough” and “unruly”. The only people I knew who ate kale are those who exercised religiously and ate all the right things. You know, those healthy people we never want to become.

Then I went to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that specialized in southern cooking with some friends. Being a vegetarian, I had to pass on the barbecue ribs and fried chicken. So there I was, stuck with a hunk of corn bread and some braised kale. You should have seen the look on my face.

That turned out to be the day I changed my mind about this commonly-misunderstood vegetable. The braised kale I had was tender and sweet. Kale is sweet. Yes, you heard right. I couldn’t wait to go home and cook them myself.

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I love a good pastry for breakfast–a danish, a scone and especially a fluffy muffin. The problem is that most of the muffins sold at bakeries and coffee shops are laden with butter and sugar. After one of those for breakfast, I am lethargic and hungry by 10 a.m.

A few months of recipe-testing took me to these treats, which I think is the perfect comprise between taste and health. They are sweet, moist and wholesome like a Girl Scout.

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Ever since our Paris trip, we’ve been having a loaf of crusty baguette with almost every meal. Unfortunately, with only two people at home (be it two people who really like bread), we often have leftover bread that loses its texture and taste the next day.

During the colder seasons, I like to turn stale bread into rich and sticky bread puddings like this one. But in the summer I opt for lighter dishes like French toast (aka “pain perdu”).

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I am always amazed by how herbs and spices can transform the most ordinary ingredients into something totally special. That’s exactly the case in this roasted carrots recipe.

The carrots are tender on the inside and caramelized on the outside. They are generously flavored with smokey cumin and lemony thyme. You won’t believe that carrots can taste this good.

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