Cookbooks

This fermented-soybean stew is the quintessential representation of Korean jang. The soft tofu, the dashi, and the sweetness of the vegetables work together to mellow the intensity of the doenjang so that your palate can discern the different facets of flavor.

These sweet, crunchy Korean fried chicken wings will stay crispy for hours. Covered and refrigerated, they will even stay audibly crispy until the next day.

Gochujang gives pork belly a nice kick and a deep, complex flavor in this sweet-and-spicy sandwich inspired by Korean jeyuk bokkeum.

This coconut rice recipe appears in Leela Punyaratabandhu's cookbook, Bangkok, as part of a meal that includes green papaya salad, sweet shredded beef, and chicken red curry.

Use refined coconut oil for a vegan pie crust that's flaky without a noticeable coconut flavor.

The truth is, there’s a time and a place for whole-wheat pasta. Its nutty, earthy flavor isn’t the best match with a light tomato sauce, but it works quite well with bolder ingredients like capers and anchovies, which can stand up to the pasta’s wholesomeness. Hearty vegetables pair well, too. Here, broccoli is cooked down and transformed into an extra-chunky, extra savory sauce. For even more texture, grated cheese is swapped for toasted bread crumbs. In Italy, they’re known as pan grattato, or “grated bread,” as peasants once used them as a cheese replacement on their pasta because they couldn’t afford the real deal. Nowadays both are easily within reach, but the crunch they add here makes it easy to leave the Parmesan behind.

This versatile dashi has earthiness, depth, and is full of glutamates from shiitake mushrooms, dashima seaweed, and dried anchovies.

While it is not uncommon to find ginger blended into limeades, lemonades, and fresh sugarcane juice in India, it also pairs nicely with tamarind. Serve cold and give it a good stir before drinking.    This recipe is made with tamarind pulp, which contains large seeds that you will need to remove. Avoid the temptation to use concentrates. They’re more convenient because they don’t have seeds, but they don’t taste nearly as fresh.

Unlike a strongly acidic lemonade or limeade, this sumac syrup is tart but mild. The saffron and cardamom are pounded to release their color and flavors into the hot syrup.

What’s better than a brownie? A brownie with a layer of peanut butter cookie, that’s what.

If you haven’t tried eggplant with butter before, this will be a revelation. It is delicious and silky and makes for the best starter or sharing dish. Add some fresh herbs too, if you have them.

There are many variations of Gobernadores, but they typically include shrimp, mild chiles, and cheese. Here, chef David Castro Hussong adds bacon, which gives the dish a surf-and-turf feeling.

This recipe shines for its simplicity. However, in order for it to be spectacular, the quality of the three ingredients really matters.

In this recipe, summer produce gets stuffed with spiced ground lamb and cooked in an oniony tomato sauce. Top it off with crispy garlic, herbs, and yogurt.

This zesty dish sits between a stew and a soup and is flavored with garlic, cumin, chile flakes, and tons of fresh herbs. Serve it with rice or crusty bread for a hearty, comforting dinner.

Bisibelabath is kitcheree’s spicier cousin. The name means “hot lentil rice,” so consider yourself warned—this is a spicy dish of vegetables, rice, and lentils straight out of South India. I like to serve it with raita to cool things off.

I suggest this in place of your usual mimosa.

Strawberries, rosé, Aperol, and mild carbonation yield a refreshing, barely sweet tipple. 

I dubbed this aperitif the Nurse thanks to its restorative quality for a hangover I woke up with after visiting Noilly Prat’s production facility in Marseillan, France in 2015.

Grated cassava takes the place of flour in this classic Filipino cake, which soaks up the rich coconut milk, and lends a sweet, nutty flavor and a sticky, chewy texture.