It's hard to think of a cut of meat that is more conducive to cooking for a crowd than flank steak. It's got a robust, beefy flavor and a pleasantly tender texture with a bit of good chew. It comes in large, regular shapes that make cooking, slicing, and serving easy, and they're just thin enough that they'll cook through in a matter of minutes, but just thick enough that you can still get a nice, medium-rare center.

We might be at the end of pumpkin season, but I had to squeeze in this post… These pancakes are absolutely divine, easy to make, and basically very nutritious. Okay, they’d definitely be healthier without the candied walnut topping, but this is what I call a “special occasion” or “weekend breakfast” – something you’re not going to be eating Monday through Friday.

Carnaroli rice – nicknamed ‘the caviar of rice’ – is grown in the Italian towns of Novara and Vercelli, located between Milan and Turin. Carnaroli is traditionally used for making risotto, differing from the more common Arborio rice due to its higher starch content and firmer texture. Carnaroli keeps its shape better than other types of rice in the slow cooking process, making for a more textured dish. The extra starch in the Carnaroli rice is responsible for the creaminess of the risotto, so it is important not to wash the rice grains before cooking them. In this particular dish, the chili flakes add a welcome punch to the creaminess of the rice and the onion, and the bite-size zucchini slices should remain firm while the inside is soft, hot and juicy.