These Are the Recipes Sunset Readers Made Over and Over Again in 2024

These chicken kebabs are marinated in crowd-pleasing Kung Pao flavors (don’t skip the fermented bean paste doubanjiang for the full effect). A garnish of basil and puffed rice provides a vivid finish and pleasing textural contrast.

While this dish is exceptional when using peak season tomatoes, which need virtually no cooking to maximize their inherently deep and balanced flavor, you may need to boost the flavor of off-season tomatoes with extra salt or a hit of sherry vinegar or lemon.

Spaghetti and Shrimp Scampi has become a classic combo in the line-up of American pasta dishes. The addition of spring peas adds a touch of seasonality. Finishing with a generous amount of fresh chopped herbs at the end helps cut through the richness of the pan sauce.

This is always our most popular recipe, hands down. The traditional roasted turkey is perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any large family dinner.

“Six years into serving food at [Napa’s] Ashes & Diamonds, we’re finding that we’re equally known for our focaccia as our stunning wines,” say chefs Ethan Speizer and Madison Gabor. “Originally developed as a recipe for a sourdough boule, we transitioned this recipe to focaccia, drenched in the best local olive oil and generously topped with flaky sea salt. It’s perfect with our wines.”

Speizer and Gabor describe this dish as, “A casual caviar setup giving sour-cream-and-onion vibes, utilizing tangy labneh in harmony with high-quality crème fraîche and charred spring onions. There’s truly nothing better than chips and dip with a little dollop of roe or caviar. It’s an indulgent poolside snack.”

Slightly spicy, deeply flavored, and extremely refreshing, this super simple cucumber salad is one of those dishes that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

This rich and decadent chocolate cake is perfect for any celebration.

Is there anything more Baja than a breaded and fried fish taco? Said to have originated in Ensenada in the northern part of Baja in the 1950s, the batter may have actually been inspired by Japanese immigrants in the area who fried the fish in tempura. Make chipotle crema by mixing sauce from canned chipotles in adobo into sour cream until it’s just spicy enough!

Kai Loebach spilled a bartending secret for creating a layered cocktail: The heaviest liquids always sink to the bottom, so if you’re using a thick liqueur, pour that in at the last minute after the other liquids have been mixed—then leave it alone. This drink could be made in bulk: It’s just one part simple syrup to two parts fruit juice, and roughly an ounce of spirits per serving.

Mark Klever, the former general manager at Belcampo Farms near Mt. Shasta, California, learned to make these biscuits from his grandmother. He renders his own lard from Belcampo’s free-range pigs, and he bakes up a batch for his family nearly every week, just like his family used to do.

Think of mild-flavored, juicy bok choy as an invitation to experiment in the kitchen. It’s especially good with earthy mushrooms. Thoroughly drying the bok choy before cooking ensures that you don’t end up with a watery sauce.

In this recipe we incorporate an extra step that really has impact on the visual aspect of this dish. We practice the common restaurant technique of blanching the basil and spinach for the pesto. Briefly cooking the greens in rapidly boiling water for a few seconds and shocking in ice water sets the chlorophyll and locks in the bright green color for the finished pesto.

This nubbly hummus has a citrusy tang from reddish ground sumac berries, which grow wild on bushes throughout the Mediterranean. It’s very good made with our made-from-scratch Herbed Chickpeas, but canned rinsed chickpeas will work just fine.

Warm and comforting, this chowder combines the smoky richness of black cod with hearty potatoes, tender kale, and a hint of vermouth. The addition of tomatoes and a square of kelp or kombu deepens the flavors, creating a nourishing and satisfying soup.

Try something new on the grill. You can make these kebabs up to a day ahead.

This soup is called “Sidekick” for two reasons: One, it’s a grilled cheese sandwich’s best friend, and two, it was a favorite at Sidekick Cafe–Cowgirl Creamery’s former lunch counter in San Francisco’s Ferry Building.

The success of this soup depends on really good canned tomatoes and long, slow simmering so that all the flavors meld and mingle. The recipe is adapted from one in Cowgirl Creamery Cooks.

San Francisco Bay Area chef Chris Cosentino’s take on the classic Shrimp Louie is the perfect party appetizer and captures the throwback essence of Tomales Bay restaurant Nick’s Cove. This recipe easily doubles to serve more guests.

Experience the rich umami flavors of koji-marinated pork loin, a Japanese-inspired dish that’s sure to become a favorite. The koji marinade tenderizes the pork and enhances its natural flavors. Paired with a vibrant shiso shishito chimichurri, this dish is perfect for a special occasion or a weeknight dinner.

Add an element of freshness to your table with this slightly sweet, crunchy salad, created for us by chef Ryan Pollnow. You’ll have a bit of leftover vinaigrette for your next salad.

More a savory, spicy soup than a stew, this dish is so comforting.

While traditional chimichurri is heavy on the parsley, we flipped this one on its tail using loads of fish-friendly fresh dill. Spread on crackers or toasts with your tinned fish, and save the leftover to topped grilled meats. The chimichurri will last one week refrigerated in a mason jar.

The popularity of mezcal has made margaritas mixed with this agave spirit quite popular, so much so that they have their own name—mezcalitas. This one is elevated with the addition of jamaica concentrate, a tart hibiscus drink similar to cranberry juice that lends a lovely color to the cocktail. You can easily find this on Amazon. At Baja Sur’s Casamarte restaurant, they also infuse the mezcal with rosemary, but regular mezcal works just as well at home.

Crisp vegetables, a spicy sweet dressing, and soba noodles combine to make a perfect, picnic-ready side dish.

“This is our namesake salad at the restaurant. Easy, delicious, and full of flavor,” says Ari Kolender. He’s chef at L.A.’s Southern-inflected Queen Street eatery.