Nut

This take on a very popular Thai bar snack—freshly fried cashews tossed with salt, chiles, scallions, and fragrant lime zest—is simple but so good with an ice-cold beer.

Inspired by Moroccan tagine, this vegan holiday centerpiece is stuffed with dried fruit, hearty barley, and fragrant spices.

This vegan pecan pie is flavored with coconut oil, maple syrup, and almond milk, while tapioca flour takes on the role of thickener, replacing eggs.

These no-bake bars are a cross between cheesecake and Klondike Bar. They're frozen and coated in a milk chocolate shell that hardens almost immediately.

Encased in these mooncakes are a filling of coarsely ground pistachios, fragrant honey, and a generous sprinkling of salt.

I am always in search of the best brownie, and I figure if you can’t find it, make it. So here it is: a triple chocolate brownie, with a layer of toasted chopped nuts encased in dulce de leche, then topped with a zesty cheesecake mixture and baked again. I rest my case.

The simple spices used in the sauce lend this chicken korma a lovely warmth while cashews, poppy seeds, and onions bring creaminess.

Charred zucchini pairs particularly well with sharp flavors; here it’s matched by the deep savory notes of preserved-lemon paste and the tang of creamy feta.

Layers of nutty pistachio ice cream and bright jam-flavored whipped cream make for a lovely pastel duo in this riff on a classic summer dessert.

A few tweaks to the standard icebox cake formula make this version stand out: jam (in this case, peach) folded into half of the whipped cream for a fruity element, Ritz crackers that go delightfully soft in the freezer but still make a case for belonging in dessert with their salty, buttery flavor, and a layer of butter pecan ice cream right through the middle.

If you can’t eat just one totopo (tortilla chip), this is the salsa of your dreams. 

This banana bread is great with or without the crumb topping. I like to bake it in a cake pan instead of a loaf pan so it seems extra fancy.

This Indonesian plate of blanched vegetables, boiled eggs, and tofu is served with a spicy, tangy, and slightly sweet peanut sauce for drizzling and dipping. Add salty-savory shrimp chips for scooping.

This peanut sauce recipe is based on my mom's version, which accompanies Gado Gado. Raw peanuts are roasted on the stovetop or in the oven, and then ground. You'll also have to hunt down tamarind pulp and lime leaves, but it's worth the trouble—the addition of freshly roasted peanuts and fragrant herbs makes for unsurpassed flavor.