Marcia Hassel's recipes

Most modern phyllo-based versions of strudel have tough layers of phyllo on the underside, while the sheets on top shatter before you even cut a slice. Meanwhile, fillings collapse and leak everywhere, despite the bread crumbs supposedly added to soak up liquid and prevent leaking (instead, they just make the filling taste pasty). We warmed our apples through in the microwave in order to activate an enzyme that allows them to bake until tender without collapsing, and we stirred in ultradry panko bread crumbs instead of homemade toasted crumbs since we could use less of them (thus avoiding pastiness) to soak up a comparable amount of liquid. To avoid a compressed, tough underside, we used fewer sheets of phyllo and changed the typical wrapping technique so the seam was on the top instead of on the bottom. To minimize the flyaways on top, we dusted a small amount of confectioners’ sugar between the phyllo layers so that they fused in the oven, and we sliced our strudel while it was warm.

GATHER YOUR INGREDIENTS 2  tablespoons  mayonnaise 1  tablespoon  ketchup ½  teaspoon  sweet pickle relish ½  teaspoon sugar  ½  teaspoon white vinegar  ¼  teaspoon ground black pepper Whisk all ingredients together in small bowl.

Traditionally, this dish is made by frying multiple batches of lightly battered beef in about 8 cups of oil. We simplify the recipe by replacing the batter with a coating of cornstarch and freezing the dredged pieces of beef for easier handling as well as decreasing the oil to 3 cups. Our sauce uses orange pith as well as zest to add complex bitter notes. By caramelizing the orange peel before building the sauce, we mimic the flavor of the dried tangerine peels that are typically used. GATHER YOUR INGREDIENTS 1 ½  pounds beef flap meat, trimmed 3  tablespoons  soy sauce 6  tablespoons cornstarch  10  (3-inch) strips orange peel, sliced thin lengthwise (1/4 cup), plus 1/4 cup juice (2 oranges) 3  tablespoons  molasses 2  tablespoons  dry sherry 1  tablespoon rice vinegar  1 ½  teaspoons toasted sesame oil  3  cups  vegetable oil 1  jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and sliced thin lengthwise 3  garlic cloves, mince

Most lemon tart recipes feature butter in both the crust and the filling, but here we use extra-virgin olive oil instead. It makes the crust a snap: Just mix the flour, sugar, and salt with the oil and a little water until a soft dough forms; crumble it into the tart pan; press it into the sides and bottom; and bake it right away—no rolling or chilling required. Using olive oil in the filling doesn't compromise its firmness or sliceability because the filling gets plenty of structure from the protein in the eggs. Olive oil does, however, allow lemons' acidity to come to the fore in a way that butter doesn't. That means we can use a bit less juice and still enjoy plenty of bright lemon flavor. GATHER YOUR INGREDIENTS Crust 1 ½  cups (7½ ounces)  all-purpose flour 5  tablespoons (2¼ ounces) sugar  ½  teaspoon table salt  ½  cup  extra-virgin olive oil 2  tablespoons water  Filling 1  cup (7 ounces) sugar  2  tablespoons  all