Kendra Vaculin
Contributor
Originally from the San Francisco East Bay, Kendra has worked in food media (Epicurious, Eater, Food52) and test kitchens (Blue Apron) across New York City since 2014, as a writer, recipe developer, food stylist, and producer. She was Bon Appétit's Test Kitchen Editor until 2025, where she thought a lot about what you should make for dinner, developing recipes for her monthly column Speedy Does It and overseeing the Dinner Is Served section of the print magazine. Outside of weeknight cooking, she loves back-pocket desserts, produce-centric picnic food, and stuff to make for a party. She likes ice cream more than vegetables, but it's much closer than you'd think.
Recipes
Avocado and Bulgur Salad
This is the love child of a grain bowl and arugula salad—with charred scallions, avocado, and thinly sliced jalapeño for smokiness, richness, and heat.
Recipes
Dark Chocolate-Espresso Ice Pops
A grown-up take on classic fudge pops, thanks to a pinch of instant espresso powder.
Recipes
Mango-Sumac Yogurt Semifreddo
This cold, creamy, scoopable dessert features a ribbon of sumac-spiced mango and finely chopped dark chocolate.
Recipes
Strawberry-Pretzel Ice Cream Pie
This pie celebrates strawberries three ways: with a layer of jam, store-bought ice cream, and a tumble of fresh berries.
Recipes
Ginger-Lime No-Bake Cheesecake Bars
Layers of gingersnap crust, tangy cheesecake, and tart lime curd make these freezer treats a warm-weather crowd-pleaser.
Recipes
Plum–Black Pepper Yogurt Semifreddo
Swirls of sweet, jammy plum make their way into every bite of this easy no-churn frozen dessert.
Recipes
Raspberry-Cardamom Yogurt Semifreddo
No ice cream maker required to whip up this fruity, fancy-feeling frozen dessert.
Recipes
Juiciest Grilled Chicken Breast With Citrus Marinade
This easy grilled chicken recipe is a fast track to weeknight dinner, with a built-in marinade that’s made entirely with inexpensive ingredients you may already have in your pantry.
Cooking
Why Frozen Produce Will Always Be the Real MVP of Weeknight Cooking
Having a freezer stocked with berries, greens, and peas has saved my butt in the kitchen more times than I can count (with no compromise on flavor).
Recipes
Bloody Mary Salmorejo
A cousin to gazpacho, salmorejo gets its velvety texture from the inclusion of bread in the mix with summer’s best tomatoes.
Recipes
Grilled Italian Sausage With Fennel Salad
A few skewers and a hot grill turn this short list of ingredients (Italian sausage! fresh fennel! olives!) into a quick, punchy meal.
Recipes
Apricot Tart With Whiskey-Pecan Frangipane
Celebrate the brief (but wondrous!) apricot season with this simple frangipane tart—both the crust and filling come together in a food processor.
Recipes
Sizzling Pork and Eggplant Hiyayakko
By topping shingled silken tofu with a savory stir-fry of pork and eggplant, you get the perfect marriage of hot and cold.
Restaurants
One of New York’s Most Surprising Desserts Is a Baseball-Sized Cream Puff
Sorry to all other cream puffs.
Cooking
Make California Pizza Kitchen’s Famous BBQ Pizza—Any Time You Want
Turns out, barbecue chicken is completely fungi-ble
Recipes
BBQ Mushroom Pizza
Our (semi-homemade, vegetarian) homage to California Pizza Kitchen's best pie.
Best Of
The Best Pasta Bowls Work For More Than Just Pasta
Salads, brothy beans, and rice bowls—we’re looking at you.
Recipes
Sweet and Salty Rice Cake “Popcorn”
Whether you don't eat corn or just want a change from your usual popcorn routine, these toasty, seasoned rice cakes make for the ultimate snack.
Recipes
Spiced Creamy White Beans and Greens
Smashed white beans bring so much creaminess, you don’t even need dairy.
Recipes
Tempeh Crumbles With Coconut Rice
Crumbled tempeh is crispy. But crumbled tempeh with roasted peanuts and chili crisp is magnificently crispy.