To celebrate this Saturday’s Royal Wedding in style here in Alaska, I’ve developed a pretty little lemon loaf cake with elderflower glaze. It’s much simpler to make than an extravagant wedding cake, but it still has a touch of sophistication and a dash of whimsy.

Here is what makes this pudding magical: you don’t stir it until the very end. You leave it undisturbed on the stove for most of the cooking time. I know you’re scoffing. I know you don’t believe me. I’d be scoffing, too.

I refuse to disgrace the memory of those tamales in Tecate by even attempting to make some now. What I can offer you is a less-intimidating and inauthentic chicken tamale pie. Yes, I said inauthentic. But did I also say delicious?

As the weather warms up and the snow dwindles, making way for occasional April showers, smoothies go back on the regular rotation in our home and in homes everywhere.

Lemon meringue pie is a classic. When I say classic, I mean it’s a bit of an antique where recipes are concerned. Meringue is said to have originated in the 17th century and is still used widely today.

I only ever made one thing with my pretty little tortellini. One thing since 2011: Tortellini Soup. Over the years, that brothy bowl of soup has shown up on my dinner table and as leftovers for lunch the next day way more times than I like to admit.