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.
New York
The Best NYC Date? It’s Just a Cocktail and an Ice Cream Cone
Skip dinner—a cocktail and a scoop is a low-key combination with high-key returns.
Cooking
My Husband Begged Me to Create This Recipe for 10 Years
Mapo chili mac is just what it sounds like—a marriage of two of the best comfort foods on earth.
Recipes
Grilled Arayes with Creamy Cucumber Salad
These Middle Eastern meat-stuffed pitas get their earthy, spiced flavor from baharat, a blend typically comprised of cumin, allspice, black pepper, and more.
Recipes
Basil Fried Rice
With minimal prep time and a faster cook, this basil fried rice recipe with crispy onions, ginger, and fresh chiles should be in your weekly summer rotation.
Recipes
Weeknight Harissa Eggplant Parm
No coating or frying here! Toasted breadcrumbs and a blanket of melty cheese replicate the flavors and textures of eggplant parm in a fraction of the time.
Recipes
Garlic-Coconut Shrimp and Green Beans
Every stir-fry needs a star to keep you coming back. In this speedy shrimp recipe, it’s a crispy coconut and garlic topping you’ll want to eat by the spoonful.
Recipes
Preserved Lemon and Tomato Chicken
This simple recipe pairs salty preserved lemon with sweet-bright cherry tomatoes to form a sauce you’ll spoon up until the last drop.
Recipes
Cold Soy Milk Noodles With Chili Crisp
This spin on Korean kongguksu is a lightning-fast dinner for hot nights.
Recipes
Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
Frozen hash brown patties—trimmed to fit in the bottom of a large baking dish—form a crisp-but-fluffy crust for this ample, sausage-studded casserole.
Recipes
Zucchini With Crispy Rice and Lime
Turn summer squash into a delightfully textural side dish inspired by Thai crispy rice salad—featuring a lime and fish sauce dressing and lots of fresh herbs.
Recipes
Italian Long Hots With Tahini Yogurt
Nutty, cooling tahini yogurt makes the ideal condiment counterpart to tender, glazed long hot peppers—as a side dish, toast topper, or sandwich stuffer.
Recipes
Tofu Meatballs in Burst Tomato Sauce
We paired these easy tofu meatballs with a simple, summery tomato sauce that cooks as they bake, but you can flavor them any way you like.
Recipes
Japanese Eggplant With Cashews and Chiles
Creamy roasted Japanese eggplant meets its delightfully textured match in this riff on Mexican salsa macha, made with cashews, garlic, and fresh Fresno chiles.
Recipes
Creamy Tahini Chicken Salad
A creamy tahini sauce (made with lemon juice and tangy dijon mustard) solves the problem of creating a rich and well-dressed chicken salad without the mayo.
Recipes
Grilled Peruvian Chicken With Green Sauce
A weeknight wonder, thanks to quick-cooking chicken breasts and a blender herb sauce.
Recipes
Sheet-Pan Peppers and Chickpeas With Ricotta
Sweet-sour peppers meet crispy chickpeas, torn croutons, and a creamy swoosh.
Recipes
Crab Cake Sandwiches
Store-bought picked crab meat and slaw mix make these celebratory sandwiches a breeze to prepare—just don’t skimp on the Old Bay mayo.
Recipes
Blueberry Cobbler
Eight ingredients, ten minutes of active time, one delightfully fruity summer dessert you’ll remake all season long.