Potato

In India, no two families use the same masala blend. We think the combination here is perfect for potatoes, but have fun trying your own mixtures at home.

If your jalapeño isn't spicy enough, add another tablespoon of the chopped chile.

Here's a tropical chicken dish from cookbook author Daisy Martinez.

The Japanese table seasoning known as shichimi togarashi (dried chiles, sesame seeds, and seaweed) adds great flavor.

These hearty cheese crisps, known as frico in Friuli, are a popular starter and snack. This recipe calls for Montasio, a hard cheese made from cow's milk. Ask to have the rind removed and the cheese grated (it's that hard). If you can't find Montasio, imported or domestic Asiago cheese is a good substitute.

Adding watercress to potato salad gives this old standby new life. We particularly like the contrast of the crisp, peppery green against the warm, vinegar- and mustard-spiced potatoes.

Because it's one of the easiest vegetarian dishes, soulfully satisfying rice and beans can eventually become, well, tedious. Jazzing it up with colorful toppings transforms it into an exciting meal, chock-full of varying textures and flavors. Not only is this a staple for my family, it's become my default party dish for a crowd.

Reminiscing about the sweet and slightly spicy turnips that she would dig up and eat on her grandfather's farm years ago, senior food editor Alexis Touchet was determined to bring out the best of the root in this creamy side dish. The heat of horseradish plays up the turnips' and potatoes' earthy qualities, and a topping of toasted bread crumbs lends a delightful crunch.

These creamy potatoes would be a welcome addition to any meal. Leftovers reheat nicely in the microwave.

Editor's note: This recipe was created by chef Einat Admony for an Israeli Passover menu. These fragrant birds, glazed with a Persian-inspired sauce, are delicious paired with the Swiss potato pancakes called rösti. However, if you're not making them for Passover (or if you're Sephardic and don't avoid rice on this holiday), you could go a more traditional route and serve them over basmati rice flavored with nuts and dried fruit.

Paprika oil adds a hit of color — and flavor.

Editor's note: This recipe is adapted from chef Paul Flynn of The Tannery in Dungarvan, Ireland. The French regard rutabaga as animal feed, but the Irish know better and use it in numerous beloved dishes. In this recipe, the root vegetable's sweet starchiness is the perfect foil for smoked mackerel, another ingredient for which the Irish have great respect.

Editor's Note: This recipe is adapted from chef Paul Flynn of The Tannery in Dungarvan, Ireland. In Ireland, boiled bacon and cabbage is a domestic staple. The bacon is usually a "collar" or shoulder, a moderately marbled cut with less fat than American bacon but a bit more than Canadian. The ingredients are boiled together and served with potatoes and a parsley cream sauce. Among contemporary Irish chefs, it's become popular to reinvent this hearty, homey recipe in the more rarefied form of bacon and cabbage terrine. Flynn's version, however, stays closer to dish's comforting roots, while adding a touch of elegance.

This recipe was created by Govind Armstrong, chef and co-owner of Table 8 restaurants in Los Angeles and Miami. It's part of a special menu he created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program. If lamb is not brought to room temperature before being placed in oven, roasting may take up to 45 minutes.

Think of it as a giant potato pancake, or latke, made even more savory with the addition of cheese. This skillet-fried cake of Yukon Golds, cut into neat wedges, is elegant enough for guests and versatile enough to serve any time of day.

This is not a sweet dish—don't be fooled by the first step for the sauce, making a caramel. Browning the sugar brings out savory and bitter notes that balance out the silky, earthy potatoes in an irresistible way. Though this dish is actually a Danish Christmas classic, we think these gorgeous potatoes should be cooked a lot more often than just once a year.

While this impressive roast cooks, it slowly transfers flavorful juices to the moist potato-and-onion stuffing tucked inside. Once the breast has been cut from the bone, it yields beautiful slices ideal for drizzling with the lush pan sauce.