This week’s recipes from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen

This week, Food editor Russ Parsons shares the secret to perfect rice pilaf. It’s all in the technique:

“I’ve been cooking rice for more than 30 years and just now discovered I’ve been doing it all wrong.

“My epiphany came — as have so many others lately — from cookbook writer Yotam Ottolenghi. I was grilling some spiny lobsters from Pearson’s Port in Newport Beach and found a recipe for pilaf with saffron, dates and almonds in one of his columns in the British newspaper the Guardian that sounded like it might be the perfect accompaniment.

“And then I read it. The technique was something I’d never seen before. It seemed so crazy I really had to try it.

Russ shares the technique, along with steps to making the perfect pilaf. Don’t worry, he also shares recipes!

This week’s recipes include:

• Saffron, date and almond rice
• Müceddere (rice pilaf with chickpeas, lentils and browned onions)
• Euro Pane’s spice pear cake

When you try one of this week’s recipes or any L.A. Times recipe, let us know! Upload a photo to the “Our Recipes, Your Kitchen” gallery to share your take on the recipe and tell us about yourself. Your photo will be posted online on our L.A. Times Food page.

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You can find Noelle Carter on Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Pinterest. Email Noelle at noelle.carter@latimes.com.