Hello Reader,

Look, I’m not saying this recipe will change your life…but I’m also not not saying that. It’s the one I keep coming back to, the one I dream about, the one I may or may not have spooned straight from the jar at midnight. (Don’t judge. It was research.)

My #1 May Recipe: Easy Rhubarb Jam

Yup. Just rhubarb, sugar, lemon, and a little culinary magic. It’s sweet-tart, gloriously old-fashioned, and so simple it practically makes itself. Slather it on toast, swirl it into yogurt, eat it off the spoon like the jam goblin you are—I won’t tell.

But don’t stop there. I’ve included a few more gems below to keep your tastebuds on their toes this spring.

​Easy Rhubarb Jam​

Easy rhubarb jam is exactly that. Easy. Made from just rhubarb, sugar, lemon, water, and a little stirring, it makes simple, pretty, and perfect preserves that taste just like old-fashioned rhubarb jam. No prior canning experience required. Here's how to make it at home.

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​Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough​

This eggless chocolate chip cookie dough tastes just like Toll House chocolate chip cookie dough except it's specifically made without eggs. But it boasts exactly the same flavor and mouthfeel as the real deal. Safe for children and anyone else a little leery of raw eggs.

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​Chocolate Muffins​

These easy chocolate muffins, made with flour, sugar, cocoa, eggs, oil, and vanilla, have a not-too-sweet but intense cocoa flavor. For those of us with more adult chocolate cravings.

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​Pan Seared Scallops​

The secret to these pan-seared scallops in butter is to cook them in a hot skillet with ripplingly-hot oil and occasionally baste them with butter. That's it. Simple, quick, and impressive. Twenty minutes from fridge to table.

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​Barbecued Beef Back Ribs​

These barbecued beef back ribs are easy to make. They're coated with a homemade spice rub and slowly grilled to perfection.

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​Sweet Pickle Relish​

This sweet pickle relish, made with cucumbers, sugar, onion, salt, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and cider vinegar, is perfect for hamburgers and hot dogs and potato salad, and anything else. So long, store bought.

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​Easy Marinated Chicken Skewers​

These chicken kebabs are a cinch to throw together. Whip up a flavorful honey, soy, and chile marinade, let the pieces of chicken thigh soak up all that flavor, and then quickly grill or broil.

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​New York Times' Chocolate Chip Cookies​

Say hello to the recipe that started an Internet craze and made bakers rethink how to make cookies. This originally appeared in an article I wrote for the New York Times on July 9, 2008. What makes them so damn special is the dough is refrigerated for 36 hours for a more complex flavor and greater variation in texture. Sea salt is the finishing touch.

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​Pastrami Burgers With Russian Dressing​

These pastrami burgers with Russian dressing are a jazzed-up version of the classic cheeseburger with the addition of chopped pastrami to the patty and a spicy Russian dressing that stands in for ketchup and mayo.

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​Kung Pao Chicken With Peanuts​

This Kung Pao chicken is an easy, authentic Chinese dish made with crisp chicken breast, peanuts, and chile peppers in a sauce made from soy sauce, black vinegar, and sesame oil.

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