25 min 13 minThe Roman classic with no cream: crisp guanciale, egg yolks, pecorino and plenty of black pepper, turned silky by the heat of the pasta. Adapted from “Spaghetti alla Carbonara” in the Wikibooks Cookbook (CC BY-SA 4.0). Pork, cheese and oil set to single amounts; steps reordered to run in parallel. Photo: Luca Nebuloni, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (“Spaghetti alla carbonara (32998643591)”).
4 h 3 min 25 minSilky vanilla custard baked gently in a water bath, chilled, then finished with a layer of sugar caramelised until it cracks under the spoon. Adapted from “Crème Brûlée III” in the Wikibooks Cookbook (CC BY-SA 4.0). Doubled to 4 ramekins with vanilla as the flavouring and less sugar on top (1 tbsp per ramekin); the water bath now comes halfway up the ramekins. Photo: Syced, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (“Crème brûlée at restaurant in Zushi”).
1 h 3 min 26 minGolden onions simmered in beef stock with herbs and a splash of port, then topped with bread and Gruyère and grilled until bubbling. Vegetable stock makes a meat-free version. Adapted from “French Onion Soup” in the Wikibooks Cookbook (CC BY-SA 4.0). Scaled to 4 bowls with 1 litre of stock (the source's 1.5 litres serves 6) and added a time for cooking the onions. Photo: Ludovic Péron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (“Soupe à l'oignon”).
50 min 48 minBritain's Friday-night favourite at home: thick white fish fillets in a crisp flour-and-cornflour batter, with chunky chips, lemon, salt and malt vinegar. Adapted from “Fish and Chips” in the Wikibooks Cookbook (CC BY-SA 4.0). Potatoes, water and fish given weights; 2 litres of oil instead of 1 for safe deep-frying, and a low oven to keep the chips warm. Photo: Acabashi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (“Fish and chips at Sainsbury's Low Hall, Chingford, London”).
57 min 20 minSpain's thick potato omelette: sliced potatoes and onions cooked slowly in olive oil, then set with beaten eggs and flipped onto a plate. Good warm or at room temperature, in wedges or in a sandwich. Adapted from “Tortilla Española de Patatas” in the Wikibooks Cookbook (CC BY-SA 4.0). More potato (750 g instead of 500 g) and 8 eggs instead of 10 for a better balance; salt and pepper given amounts and the optional cucumber left out. Photo: Tamorlan, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (“Tortilla Española-2011”).
1 h 3 min 30 minThin, lacy Breton pancakes from a simple batter of flour, eggs and milk. Eat them the classic way with butter, sugar and a squeeze of lemon, or fill them with anything you like. Adapted from “Crêpes I” in the Wikibooks Cookbook (CC BY-SA 4.0). Flour corrected from 220 g to 125 g to match the source's 1 cup and give the thin batter it describes; resting time set to at least 30 minutes. Photo: Benoît Prieur, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (“Crêperie Le Bouchon Breton (La Valbonne) - crêpe au sucre (février 2023)”).
1 h 27 min 27 minA light take on the Moroccan classic: chicken dusted with turmeric and a little heat, then braised with ginger, cinnamon, green olives and lemon. Serve with couscous or bread for the sauce. Adapted from “Chicken Tagine with Lemon and Olives” in the Wikibooks Cookbook (CC BY-SA 4.0). Chicken thighs instead of breasts (breasts dry out over a long simmer), simmered 40 minutes instead of an hour; more chicken and stock to serve 4, and an optional preserved lemon. Photo: Foodista, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (“Moroccan food-Chicken tagine with preserved lemons and olives-02”).