Flour

Cheesy. Crispy. Make-ahead. These slice-and-bake cheddar crackers are the easiest, tastiest way to kick off cocktail hour.

Across the country, local grain mills are changing pastries for the better.

One writer on learning to love the stuff she spit out as a kid.

The sesame balls will float to the surface before they’re done frying. Use a spider or a slotted spoon to keep them submerged until they’re golden brown and puffed up. This recipe is from Mister Jiu's in San Francisco, CA.

Quickly boiling the agave thickens it a bit; adding the strawberries while it’s still warm infuses the syrup with flavor and a pretty pink color. Blackberries or pitted cherries can be substituted if you wish!

This recipe makes 12 individual tartlets, but you could easily halve the recipe and just make 6.

Corn cake three-ways: fresh corn kernels, a little bit of cornmeal, plus crunchy Corn Flakes.

Non-AP flours lend their own flavor to baked goods. Here's how one pastry chef uses them for delicious results.

A salad where one of the main ingredients is cheese? Okay yes.

Pão de queijo, which means “cheese bread” in Portuguese, is a delightful snack from Brazil made with tapioca flour (meaning it's gluten-free) and cheese.

And we've tried a lot of alt-pastas.

The caraway is just a starting point. You can use another whole spice if you like (fennel seeds and cumin work well); keep the quantity the same.

Food director Carla Lalli Music eats whatever's on her plate—because it's her job! Here's what she eats when she's off the clock.

This chickpea flour “tofu” contains no soy but delivers a creamy-firm texture similar to tofu and is easy to pull off at home.

Burma Superstar's chickpea-based tofu is the perfect high-protein appetizer, snack, or salad-topper.

Angel food cake is so simple, but the specific ingredients and equipment matter.

Too many morning buns for your crowd? This recipe halves easily.

Holding the raw oysters in the rice-flour dredge is a genius do-ahead trick, allowing you to shuck and coat the oysters hours ahead of fry time.

Simple steamed eggplant gets a makeover when it's fried and results in a crispy outside with a soft, custardy inside.

Taro flour is making its way to the mainland... and onto your breakfast plate.

You can serve these flatbreads as is or wrapped around a filling.

Perhaps not strictly authentic, but delicious!

Medjool dates are a favorite, but they can be swapped for the Barhi or Deglet varieties.

These fry-like chickpea fritters are best enjoyed hot, when their centers still have a custardy texture.