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
Grilling Cheese With Sweet Peppers and Black Lentils
Let’s be honest, this salad is a vehicle for eating crispy, melty cheese for dinner. Not just any cheese, but rich and dense grillable cheeses like bread cheese, Halloumi, or paneer. When grilled or seared, these varieties brown and crisp on the outside while becoming soft and meaty inside, without melting into a puddle.
Recipes
Broccoli and Spam Stir-Fry
In this Thai-inspired stir-fry, a quick sear gives Spam a crispy yet melt-in-your-mouth texture, and a finishing drizzle of vinaigrette balances the salty rich ham with an herbaceous lift.
Recipes
Spicy Tomato–Tuna Noodle Skillet Casserole With Aioli
This revamped tuna noodle casserole is homey, bright, and pantry-friendly. You’ll toast dry pasta in oil until golden brown before cooking it in the tomato sauce.
Recipes
All-The-Seeds Hamantaschen
These hamantaschen are filled with a celebration of seeds set in chewy-soft caramelized honey. While poppy is traditional, we threw in sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin as well for variety and crunch.