Shallot

This vegetarian pad Thai gets its tangy-sweet flavor and flush of heat from a sauce made with tamarind pulp, soy sauce, brown sugar, and Sriracha.

This peppery turmeric soup is a meatless version of soto ayam, which is usually made with chicken. 

Nothing quite beats a winter stew when the temperature begins to drop. This rich meatless dish and its thick tasty gravy really hits the spot. With tender oyster mushrooms, caramelized carrots and onions, as well as a good helping of red wine and miso for umami-packed flavors, this has quickly become one of my most popular recipes–somewhat beef bourguignon, but without the beef.

Braise smoked collard greens with onions, then toss them with a bright pepper vinegar for dish that's smoky, sweet, and savory.

Béchamel, a cream sauce bound by a roux of flour and butter, holds up well in the freezer, maintaining the same gooey, melty texture that the freezer too often destroys in other dairy. It’s pivotal for casseroles, such as lasagna (page 126) or the green bean dish (page 125) that falls on so many Thanksgiving menus. It’s the halfway point to sausage gravy (page 122) or cheese sauce. Long story short, béchamel helps bridge the gap when thinking about foods that freeze well. Just like duct tape, you should never be without it.

Poach turkey in an anise, ginger, and scallion broth, then shred the meat and toss with a savory, lard-enriched sauce for this traditional Taiwanese preparation.

For an easy fall dinner, cook your chicken and vegetables in a luxurious sauce of brown butter and heavy cream, then top with toasted breadcrumbs for extra crunch.

This lovely, simple dish is great to have in your fridge at all times. It adds a wonderful, distinctive flavor to any dish it accompanies.

Homemade green curry paste has more vivid flavor and aromatic intensity than store-bought, not to mention the freedom to control the spice level. Sopon Kosalanan of restaurant Khao King in, Queens says, “If you get it from a can, I don’t feel like it’s green curry. It doesn’t have the same aromas.” This is the recipe he makes in big batches for his restaurant every day.

A make-ahead Parmesan and panko crumble adds addictive savory crunch to this large-format holiday side.

Chef Sirichai Sreparplarn of Brooklyn's Ugly Baby doesn’t believe in using food processors for making curry paste, but we won’t stop you from using one. He also prefers a blend of two parts shorter dried chiles (prik haeng) and one part longer chiles (prik chee fah), but any Thai chile will work.

Large chunks of pork shoulder are braised in a Vietnamese-style caramel sauce (made from a combination of fish sauce and palm sugar) that’s laced with Thai chilies, ginger, garlic, and shallots. Serve the fork-tender meat with plenty of rice and some sautéed pea shoots or greens.

One take on the Ukrainian salad known as shuki, perfect for Easter.

These Thai-inspired clams are salty, tangy, and rich from the coconut milk.

Look for Castelvetrano olives for this salad recipe; their buttery flesh and mild flavor will convert the most olive-averse.

Don’t let the veggies hang out in the vinegar for too long. You want them to stay crunchy!

You can use almost any type of plum in this salad recipe, even hybrid ones like Pluots and Peacotums. If it looks like a plum, it probably acts like a plum too.

Eggplant gets a big lift from buttery avocado and an irresistibly kicky, creamy sauce.

Green mangoes would be ideal, but slightly unripe mangoes are an imperfect but successful substitute.

This spicy, tangy, rich seafood dish may have several elements, but once they all come together it's absolute magic.

Grilled or sautéed, these Vietnamese ground beef–stuffed leaves make a fantastic summer hors d'oeuvre or can be served with rice noodles and grilled vegetables for dinner.

Spread it on toast, stir into pasta, or slather on grilled meats for the springiest meal ever.

Coating the herbs in oil and soaking the shallot in vinegar prevents oxidation, so you can keep these beans for days.

This rice dish is based on one of the most famous Persian polos (pilaf), known as sabzi polo.