Cast Iron Skillet

Known as the Mexican green tomato, tomatillos supply vitamin A.

Tricked out with shoestring fries, this is a time-honored rendition of steak frites—meat and potatoes à la française. A rich sauce on the side enhances the already flavorful well-marbled meat.

Adding Dijon to this sauce lends not only a nice kick but also body and richness—without resorting to lots of cream and butter (a shocking idea in an issue that sings the praises of French food, we know).

Here is a quick and tasty way to cook young artichokes: thin-sliced, slowly braised in a skillet in their own juices, and served with a shower of soft pecorino. The method is simple, and will yield delicious results even with the larger, more mature artichokes you'll find in the supermarket. This dish makes a great vegetarian sandwich, or, for a carnivore, a topping for a juicy hamburger. Artichokes prepared this way are also a great appetizer topped with a poached egg or a thin slice of prosciutto.

Comfort food at its best. This hash is great for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner. Use one or two eggs per person. The eggs can be partially poached up to one hour ahead and then finished a couple of minutes before serving.

Like a classic tarte Tatin, this cobbler begins with apples being caramelized in a rich mix of butter and sugar, but we've upped the ante by adding apple brandy and raisins. Tender biscuit rounds take the place of traditional pastry to create a true home-style dessert. (And a drizzle of cream never hurts.)

Looking for a fast weeknight dessert? Johnnycake—essentially a cross between a pancake and corn bread—isn't fancy, but it's delicious when made with delicate pears and maple syrup.

Grinding dried porcini mushrooms in a spice mill creates a deeply flavorful coating for the steaks.

These have the lively crisp exterior and cloudlike interior you expect from a gougère, but with an incredibly intense combination of smoky bacon, roasted corn, and extra-sharp Cheddar.

Skirt steak is delicious served plain, but since you can get such fantastic South American flavor out of these basic pantry items, why not embellish it?

This hearty Mexican stew is made with pork in a red chile broth that’s studded with hominy. Build the base by toasting two kinds of dried chiles, then purée into a paste that gets sautéed in oil.

Great for dessert or even for breakfast, this light, baked pancake puffs up like a soufflé. Make sure your guests see it before you cut it into wedges.

I like to think of tofu as a blank canvas just waiting for the application of texture and color. Here, I've panfried it to crisp the edges and draped it in a velvety Vietnamese-style caramel sauce. A shower of fresh herbs and browned shallots gives it an extra layer of flavor. If you prep the herbs and make the sauce ahead, you can put this on the table in under half an hour.

Risotta allo Zafferano con Midollo alla Piastra Combining a lovely golden hue with wonderfully beefy depth, this classic risotto alla milanese is hearty enough to stand on its own, but if you really want to be Italian about it, pair it with ossobuco.

This dish, inspired by a recipe from Gray Kunz's Elements of Taste, is a great alternative to roasting a whole chicken. To ensure that the bird lies flat and cooks evenly in the pan, we've used the spatchcock technique, which entails simply removing the backbone of the chicken and tucking the legs up and out of the way. Don't worry if the instructions seem a bit confusing when you're reading through the recipe — the steps become obvious once you have a chicken in front of you.

It's the spicy, garlicky tomatillo salsa that really sells these addictive tostadas. Frying store-bought corn tortillas heightens the vibrancy of their corn flavor and creates a crisp foundation for the refried black beans, shredded romaine, lush avocado, and creamy queso fresco.

Once upon a time, pork chops had flavor. Legend has it that over 300 years ago, Oliver Cromwell sampled some delicious pork in Berkshire, England. In the 19th century, the Berkshire breed was refined in the United States and Japan (where it is known as kurobuta). A revived interest in this heirloom pork, with its higher fat content and therefore juicier meat, lets modern-day diners enjoy pork the way it was meant to be. To order, contact Preferred Meats (800-397-6328; preferredmeats.com).

Layer upon layer of flavor infuses this stylish yet deeply comforting dish.