How to Cook Artichokes

Once you learn how to cook artichokes, you won't be able to get enough of them! In the spring, I make this steamed artichoke recipe on repeat.

A few years back, when I saw a fresh artichoke at the farmers market for the first time, I knew immediately that I’d be taking it home. It was so pretty, with its tightly packed petals and thick stem tinged with purple. How could I resist it? But when I got back to the house, I realized that I had one tiny problem….I had no clue how to cook artichokes. That spring, I passed off the artichoke prep to my mom, who happened to be visiting (thanks, Mom!), but since then, I’ve mastered how to cook artichokes myself. I wanted to…

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Pickled Eggs

In this pickled eggs recipe, red and yellow beets give the eggs their bright hues. I love to eat them as a snack or serve them as part of a spring brunch.

How CUTE are these pickled eggs?! They’re my new spring obsession, a grown-up substitute for the Easter eggs I dyed with my family as a kid. Back then, I colored my eggs with little bottles of food coloring, but in this pickled eggs recipe, I use natural ingredients instead. Red beets turn the eggs pink and purple, and a mix of yellow beets and turmeric creates that sunny yellow. I love keeping a jar of these pickled eggs on hand in the fridge for healthy, protein-packed snacking (though they’d be a fantastic addition to a spring brunch spread, too!). They’re…

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French Onion Soup

This easy French onion soup recipe will rival any you've had at a restaurant. Topped with crispy, cheesy baguette, it's rich, savory, and comforting.

French onion soup is one of my favorite comfort foods. For years, I hadn’t been able to find a good vegetarian version of it, because it’s traditionally made with beef broth. But since caramelized onions are what make it so flavorful, it seemed like a prime candidate for a meat-free makeover. After lots of testing (and lots of soup), I’m here to tell you that this French onion soup recipe is just as good as any made with beef stock. Swimming with velvety caramelized onions, it’s bold, savory, and delicious. To make it, I turn to my go-to ingredients for…

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Vegan Quesadilla Recipe

This vegan quesadilla recipe is fresh, flavorful, and fun! Packed with veggies like sweet potatoes and peppers, it's an easy dinner or game day snack.

When Jack’s devouring a vegan quesadilla, you know it’s good. He’s the biggest cheese lover I know, but he would happily eat 2 (erm, 3…) of these vegan quesadillas and still go back for more. While this vegan quesadilla recipe includes vegan cheese, we really love it because of the fresh veggie filling. Spicy poblanos play off caramelized roasted sweet potatoes, and diced bell peppers add a delicious crunch. Served with all the fixings, it’s super flavorful and fun. Try it for a quick and easy dinner or a healthy game day snack! Vegan Quesadilla Recipe Ingredients This vegan quesadilla…

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Chili Cheese Fries

This chili cheese fries recipe is perfect for game day! A smoky, spicy plant-based chili and oozy vegan cheese sauce cover a layer of crispy French fries.

Jack and I are SO excited to dig into a plate of these chili cheese fries this weekend. We’re not big football fans, but it wouldn’t be Super Bowl Sunday without Super Bowl snacks, right? If you’re watching the game on Sunday (or even if you’re not!), I hope you’ll try this recipe. I top a bed of crispy French fries with smoky plant-based chili and generous drizzles of vegan cheese. Yep, that’s right! These chili cheese fries are totally vegan. But more importantly, they’re tasty, satisfying, and really darn fun. What more could you want in a game day…

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Vegan Sushi

You won't miss the fish in this vegan sushi recipe! Instead, marinated beets, cucumber, and avocado create a fresh, fun, and flavorful filling.

I’ve shared vegan sushi recipes before, but earlier this winter, I thought of another idea that I just had to try. I wanted to make vegan sushi that looked like, well, not vegan sushi. I thought that if I marinated pink Chioggia beets they’d look pretty darn similar to tuna. How cute would that be?! There was just one problem: Jack hates beets. Sure, he’ll eat certain beet recipes from time to time, but that only happens when I put a dish in front of him and don’t tell him what’s in it. And in our house, vegan sushi is one thing we…

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Miso Soup

Learn how to make miso soup at home! Brimming with savory, umami flavor, this easy recipe is a delicious side dish, starter, or meal on its own.

Raise your hand if you love miso soup! Same. The cloudy broth is warming, nourishing, and deeply flavorful. On a cold, gray winter day, there’s nothing I crave more. It clears my head and warms me up from the inside out. For years, I only ate miso soup at Japanese restaurants. But after Jack and I traveled to Japan for the first time, we got curious about Japanese cooking at home. We cooked soba noodles, we made matcha, and we decided to try a miso soup recipe. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I certainly didn’t imagine the…

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35 Best Vegan Appetizers

Who says you need meat or dairy to have a good time? These easy vegan appetizers are fun and flavorful. You won't be able to get enough of them!

These easy vegan appetizers prove how fun plant-based eating can be! As I compiled this list over the weekend, I found myself itching to make each one of these vegan appetizer recipes. They’re colorful, bold, and bright, the kind of food that makes you want to reach out and try it…and then go back for another bite. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or someone who eats everything, you’re going to love these vegan appetizers! They range from creamy dips to refreshing salsas, from pretzels to spring rolls to bruschetta and beyond. Over the years, we’ve made them for parties, date nights, cookouts,…

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Steamed Dumplings

This steamed dumplings recipe is one of our favorite cooking projects! Thanks to kimchi and shiitakes, the filling is spicy, savory, and delicious.

Over the years, Jack and I have made so many steamed dumplings together. Like all our favorite cooking projects (sushi, bao buns), steamed dumplings have a simple division of tasks. I make the filling, and Jack makes the dumplings. Then, we eat! If you’re looking for a fun activity for a weekend, a date-night-in, or even New Year’s Eve, I hope you try this steamed dumplings recipe. It’s a blast to make, and it’s not at all complicated (thanks, store bought wonton wrappers!). Best of all, it’s delicious. The filling is spicy and savory, with a refreshing gingery kick. I…

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French Onion Dip

This homemade French onion dip puts the store bought kind to shame! Creamy, tangy, and packed with umami flavor, it's sure to vanish in minutes.

For me, there’s almost nothing more nostalgic than French onion dip and ridged potato chips. They take me right back to the holiday parties of my childhood, where store bought tubs of French onion dip had a permanent spot on the snack table. When my sister and I were growing up, my mom always served us healthy, homemade food, so that French onion dip was a real treat. I’d shovel down as much of it as I could, relishing every bite of the creamy dip with the salty chips. This year, I finally got around to developing my own French…

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Kohlrabi Slaw

Made with toasted hazelnuts, red onions, and apples, this easy kohlrabi slaw is crisp and refreshing. It's a light, lovely side dish for any autumn meal.

If you still have space for one more dish on your Thanksgiving menu, make this kohlrabi slaw recipe! It’s crisp and refreshing – the perfect way to balance out indulgent holiday fare like stuffing and mashed potatoes. Plus, it calls for just 10 ingredients, and it comes together in right around 15 minutes. You can chop the veggies, whisk up the dressing, and have it on the table in the time it takes to warm your dinner rolls or sweet potato casserole in the oven! The recipe comes my friend Andrea‘s new book Local Dirt: Seasonal Recipes for Eating Close to…

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A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.