Easy

The glory of head-on shrimp is sucking all the sweet, briny juices out of their heads.

Relajo is the foundation of many Salvadoran dishes; this version of the spice mix has bay leaves, achiote, chiles, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds.

This herby, peppery blend is used as a seasoning for many traditional dishes from Trinidad and Tobago.

In this Trinidadian dish chopped onions, peppers, and chiles get sizzled in hot oil before they’re poured over broiled peak-season tomatoes.

A simple and refreshing Trinidadian chow made with pineapple or mango.

The interplay between the fish sauce, chiles, and sweet juicy fruits makes this a simple but refreshing dish.

The curry and ground pork reference the origins of the dish, while the brussels sprouts and leeks are a nod to the local ingredients of Georgia, from chef Parnass Savang of Talat Market.

An ultralight and puffy Thai omelet with crispy golden brown edges.

Chitra Agrawal took flavor inspiration for this simple dish from her mother’s home state of Karnataka in South India, where thuppa means “ghee” and anna means “rice” in Kannada, the local language.

Tomato slices are salted ahead and then set into a garlicky, somewhat spicy olive oil bath with Cotija, a dry-aged Mexican cheese. 

My grandma used to make a version of this dish using pork and showers of Parmesan. I have updated it to include ground chicken and miso for a lighter, late-summer dish with equally deep flavor,  but feel free to use whatever ground meat you prefer. Gently poaching the meatballs is not only faster than roasting, but means none of their flavor is lost to a baking sheet.

Pickling is an ideal way to reap the benefits of summer vegetables long after the season is gone. 

Doogh, a salty-tangy Persian yogurt drink, is the perfect antidote to a humid summer afternoon. It’s traditionally made with dried mint (and sometimes dried rose petals and/or black pepper), but this recipe employs fresh mint for a boost of bright flavor and color. This drink can be made with flat water, but club soda adds a refreshing fizzy finish.

Adobo—both a style of preparation as well as the name of a dish—is one of the most widely known foods of the Philippines, often referred to as its national dish. To make adobo, which can be wet (very saucy) or dry (crispier and less soupy), pork, chicken, tubers, vegetables, squid, lamb, shrimp, or even duck, is simmered in vinegar, often with soy sauce, black peppercorns, and bay leaves. This recipe channels the same flavors of bright vinegar and dark soy sauce, using eggplant as the base, with the addition of ground pork for extra richness.

The key to stress-free stir-frying is all in the prep work. Be sure to chop, slice, and grate everything before even thinking about turning on the stove. Top this dish with fried eggs to put it over the top, but it’s also great without them.

A quick sear gives corn kernels caramelized edges and concentrated flavor. Here, they're cooked with crisp chickpeas, then tossed with za'atar and dressed with a mixture of ginger, jalapeños, miso, and tahini. 

This one-skillet dinner gets deep oniony flavor from lots of leeks cooked down to jammy tenderness.

Top these creamy, beany enfrijoladas with a fried egg, chorizo or roasted vegetables, and queso fresco!

Chef Lucas Sin of Junzi taught us this technique for fried rice in which every single grain is coated in egg yolk and fries up perfectly distinct and chewy.

When the plantains are pan-fried, the outside caramelizes and forms a hard shell while the inside becomes soft and custardy.

This standby salsa recipe using either tomatillos or tomatoes for the base lasts five days in the fridge or up to a month if you freeze it.

Forget soaking your beans! Make like Rick Martinez and use this smart-cooking method instead. 

Cod and other whitefish shine brightest when nestled into a rich bed of aromatics and steamed to tender flakiness.