Easy

This Chicken Lo Mein recipe is extremely simple to make and has a nice peppery flavor from the red pepper flakes, white pepper, and ginger.

When I was in Trinidad, Winnie Lee Lum showed me how to make this superb dish, which beautifully demonstrates the convergence of Chinese and Trinidadian cooking traditions. Of course, the taste was extraordinary because Lee Lum only cooks with fresh local shrimp that her husband, Tony, purchases for her. Before cooking, she rinses the shrimp in lime juice, a Trinidadian cooking practice said to remove the "fishy" taste. She prefers the Chinese custom of cooking the shrimp in the shell to protect the shrimp's succulence and flavor. Rather than rice wine, Lee Lum insists on using dark Jamaican-style rum; according to her, white rum is too harsh for cooking. This is one of the easiest dishes to stir-fry, and it is guaranteed to satisfy.

A few simple tips will help you make a wonderful butter crust. Make sure the ingredients are very cold—you can even chill the flour! Also, make sure not to overwork the dough—that's really the key. And enjoy! For me, the process of making the dough and assembling a pie can be such a lovely pleasure in itself.

Chef Justin Devillier purées bread into this soup to achieve a silky texture. For the best results, caramelize the onions over low heat.

Pounding beef into thin "Milanese"-style cutlets makes portions look even bigger than they are. This recipe also works well with veal, pork, or chicken.

Iceburg and watercress get stir-fried with just a little bit of flavorful sausage in this lightning-fast weeknight dinner.

Baking wings yields crisp skin without the mess and constant tending of frying. Divide the wings between our two sauces, or double one sauce recipe and use it on all 60 wings.

Skip the bacon if you like and substitute 2 tablespoons melted butter instead.

To easily roll out chilled store-bought dough, soften it first on a baking sheet set over a bowl of hot water.

Lots of oozy cheese and garlic make these vegetarian heros hearty enough to satisfy the most ardent carnivore.

Chef Kevin Roberts transforms humble cauliflower into a dead ringer for shrimp cocktail with a brief poach in cleverly seasoned water and a dunk in cocktail sauce. "It's something my mom used to make for us," he explains. "As kids, we went to the lake a lot, and she would throw this down as a snack. It's also a great party option for vegetarians and people with shellfish allergies."

Pickled red onion adds crunch and punch. Serve with crudités.

Southern cooks use their chile-infused vinegar to add a tart, floral kick to dishes like chicken or greens. You can also use it to wake up salad dressings. Customize it by adding bourbon or fruit liqueur and using your favorite chiles.

This easy cake swaps out molasses for lighter-flavored sorghum syrup, a Southern staple.

A little of this Chinese-style spiced salt goes a long way. Serve it in small bowls for dipping, or sprinkle it over fried chicken.

Serve this simple compote with yogurt for breakfast, or spoon it over ice cream for dessert.

You'll need to start these pickles a day ahead, so plan accordingly.

A couple of chicken thighs amount to a lot of flavor alongside the filling chickpeas and crusty bread in this hearty Lebanese-inspired stew.

Try sorghum syrup in place of honey to make these simple glazed carrots. Lee's preferred brand is Kentucky Pure Cane Sweet Sorghum, available at bourbonbarrelfoods.com.

Delicately flavored avocado oil can lose its personality when heated; pour a touch of the oil over food just before serving.