Southeast Asian

All Thai curries start with a handful of aromatic ingredients (chiles, galangal, lemongrass, turmeric, etc.) pounded into a paste with a granite mortar and pestle. The paste is then stirred into soups or stews (often with coconut milk), or used as the basis of sautéed dishes. Use a mini-processor to make the curry paste if you'd like, although this incendiary stew will take on a deeper flavor if you can use a granite mortar and pestle.

This pad Thai recipe is not the dish from the neighborhood take-out joint. "It ain't made with chicken," says Ricker, whose traditional take—pleasantly funky with fish sauce and preserved radish and a touch sour from tamarind—is meant to be eaten in the evening as a stand-alone dish.

The fresh herbs in this dish— part of the gluten-free menu at Boston’s Myers + chang—add lots of flavor, so don’t even think about skimping!

This country ribs recipe with soy sauce, brown sugar, and hot chili paste hits all the key flavors: salty, sweet, spicy.

This grilled mahi-mahi recipe is spicy and sweet, thanks to chiles, ginger, and creamy coconut milk.

Expedite the cooking process by using red curry paste and store-bought peanut butter.

You'll want duck legs, not breast, for this Vietnamese duck soup recipe.