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
Sun-Dried-Tomato Romesco Pasta
When you’re short on time, skip the canned tomatoes and reach for ultra-concentrated sun-dried ones, which can be blitzed straight into sauce.
Recipes
Chickpea Pancake With Pea Salad
With a little help from a bag of chickpea flour, you can turn any vegetables in the fridge into an impressive meal.
Recipes
Chocolate-Filled Toasted Coconut Macaroons
Extra-toasty coconut and a chocolate surprise set these cookies apart from your average macaroon.
Editors' Picks
Acid League's Fancy Vinegars Break Me Out of Any Cooking Rut
Acid League vinegars bring big league flavor.
Restaurants
I Bought This Restaurant’s Bathroom Candle—While I Was in Their Bathroom
Sometimes you just know.
Cooking
When I Want Falafel But Don’t Want to Fry, I Bake a Falafel Cake
My lazy shortcut turned into a go-to weeknight meal.
Recipes
Big Baked Falafel Cake With Cucumber Salad
No need to fight over the last falafel—this sliceable one is big enough for everyone.
Cooking
How to Light Your Dessert On Fire Without Singeing Your Eyebrows
Booze + flames = a total spectacle.
Recipes
Classic Bananas Foster
Our method for lighting this retro New Orleans dessert on fire delivers maximum drama with none of the danger.
Cooking
This One Addition Makes French Toast Way More Flavorful
Jam in your French toast > jam on your French toast.
Recipes
Mustardy Sausage and Halloumi Stir-Fry
This meaty, cheesy one-skillet dinner boasts big beer hall energy.
Recipes
Raspberry-Tahini Thumbprint Cookies
Like PB&J if you made it a cookie and replaced the PB with T.
Recipes
Skillet Cheesesteak With Broccoli Rabe
Is there a better way to eat steak than under a melty layer of pepper Jack with lemony broccoli rabe? We think not!
Recipes
Spiced Chicken and Dates With Endive
Is this a salad you can eat with your hands? Or lettuce cups you can eat with a fork and knife? Either way this easy dinner is packed with flavor and ready in 30 minutes flat.
Recipes
Green Chile Shrimp Scampi With Spaghetti
All the buttery, garlicky pleasure of shrimp scampi with a sizzle of chile heat.
Recipes
Baked Eggs and Greens in Harissa Tomato Sauce
Saucy, spicy baked eggs you can eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Cooking
The Supremely Lazy-But-Resourceful Way to Make Crispy Rice
On my table, it’s crispy rice or no rice at all.
Recipes
Baked Rigatoni With Red Peppers and Green Olives
Build a sauce bulked up with jarred red peppers and green olives, then toss it with pasta and lots of mozzarella cheese that goes crisp on top and cheesy-pully in the middle in the oven.
Recipes
One-Pot Spiced Shrimp and Rice
Truly a one-pot wonder, this dish is homey, comforting, and weeknight-friendly (thanks to the minimal cleanup). Rinse your rice until the water runs clear before adding to keep the grains from going clumpy or gummy in the pot.