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
Kale Salad With Pecan Vinaigrette
A Thanksgiving salad should have enough flavor and heft to hold its own, and be sturdy enough to dress ahead of time—this one checks all those boxes.
Recipes
Radicchio, Bean, and Feta Salad
The solution to legume doom: This citrusy marinated bean salad with crunchy greens and big chunks of salty feta.
Cooking
Your Next Party Deserves This Flaky, Cheesy Samosa Tart
One of the world’s greatest handheld pastries goes large format.
Cooking
For Superlative Corner Pieces, You Need a Straight-Sided Baking Pan
Happiness is a crispy edge.
Recipes
Gluten-Free Fresh Pasta
A blend of chickpea and store-bought GF flour makes for an easy homemade dough with surprising chew.
Recipes
Raspberry and Pistachio Ice Cream Icebox Cake
Layers of nutty pistachio ice cream and bright jam-flavored whipped cream make for a lovely pastel duo in this riff on a classic summer dessert.
Recipes
Peach and Butter Pecan Ice Cream Icebox Cake
A few tweaks to the standard icebox cake formula make this version stand out: jam (in this case, peach) folded into half of the whipped cream for a fruity element, Ritz crackers that go delightfully soft in the freezer but still make a case for belonging in dessert with their salty, buttery flavor, and a layer of butter pecan ice cream right through the middle.
Cooking
So You Want to Cook Swordfish
It’s meaty, versatile, and super forgiving. What are you waiting for?
Recipes
Chocolate–Peanut Butter Sheet Pan Ice Cream Sandwiches
For this easy summer dessert, you’ll use rimmed baking sheets to make a giant cookie filled with store-bought ice cream. Swap out the peanut butter for any creamy nut butter you like.
Recipes
Grilled Swordfish With Tomatoes
If you’ve never grilled fish before, this recipe, featuring forgiving swordfish, is the best place to start.
Recipes
Creamy Vegan Red Pepper Pasta With Garlic Bread Breadcrumbs
Jarred roasted red peppers, canned white beans, and a bunch of pasta water make this sauce flavorful, thick, creamy, and totally vegan.
Recipes
Homemade Brown Butter Pancake Mix
With this shelf-stable homemade pancake mix ready to go in your pantry, you’re always minutes away from an exceptional pancake breakfast.
Recipes
Smoky Spanish Potatoes and Eggs
The flavors in this dish are a combination of two tapas favorites: patatas bravas and huevos rotos. You get the best of both worlds with the runny yolks, crisped potatoes, chile-based sauce, and creamy mayo.
Recipes
Monte Cristo With Apple-Hatch Chile Jam
Monte Cristo sandwiches usually have a sweet element, like powdered sugar sifted over the top, or raspberry jam served on the side for dipping. In this version, you’ll cook green apple and canned green chiles down into a sweet and spicy compote to slather on your bread.
Recipes
Cranberry-Orange Snacking Cake
This simple snacking cake could be breakfast—or an afternoon pick-me-up. It’s a great way to put any lingering cans of cranberry sauce to good use.
Recipes
Miso-Butter Roast Chicken With Acorn Squash Panzanella
This chicken comes with a crispy, craggy bread and squash salad that has all the buttery, herby flavor of classic stuffing.
Recipes
Spiced Lentil and Caramelized Onion Baked Eggs
The secret to these stewy baked eggs is a can of lentil soup. Any basic variety of lentil soup will work—you'll dress it up with the earthy spices and caramelized onions.
Recipes
Pumpkin Dutch Baby With Pumpkin Butter
This isn’t your typical super-puffed Dutch baby; it’s creamy and custardy on the inside and airy around the edges, thanks to the inclusion of canned pumpkin purée.
Recipes
Pork Meatballs and Cucumber Salad
The trick to keeping this salad crisp? Salt, drain, and squeeze excess liquid from the cucumbers before dressing them. Add a swoosh of yogurt and juicy oven-baked meatballs to make it a flavorful, filling meal.