5 Ingredients or Fewer

This is a pretty standard all-shortening piecrust, like the one my dad used when I was a youngster. A shortening piecrust won’t have the delicate flavor of a butter crust, and the texture is typically more crumbly, less flaky. Still, this yields a delicious, tender crust that many bakers believe makes the best pies.

Creole cream cheese is Louisiana's answer to ricotta or burrata cheese. Traditionally, it’s eaten with cream, sugar, and fruit spooned over the top or used as a substitute for yogurt.

If you’ve only ever had dry supermarket pita, this is a different animal entirely: puffed up like a pillow, savory on its own, and ready to scoop up anything you like.

Tomato brown butter is the deeply savory—and slightly sweet—result of swirling fresh, raw tomato purée into fragrant brown butter. Drizzle it over roasted vegetables, grilled fish, or grain bowls.

When I was growing up, my mother served a lot of canned vegetables, but the one thing she always made from scratch was acorn squash, which she roasted with butter and maple syrup. When I revisited her old method, I found it was just as good as I remembered. The sweet squash filled with a big puddle of melted butter and sweet syrup is so irresistible!

Unlike a strongly acidic lemonade or limeade, this sumac syrup is tart but mild. The saffron and cardamom are pounded to release their color and flavors into the hot syrup.

This recipe shines for its simplicity. However, in order for it to be spectacular, the quality of the three ingredients really matters.

A thick pour of magic shell over ice cream is simultaneously creamy and crackly, both smooth and shattery. But the real mind-blowing thing about it? It's a snap to make at home.

No ice cream machine required for this frozen treat, as the cream is whipped before being frozen.

No ice cream machine required for this frozen treat, as the cream is whipped before being frozen. 

Tangy labneh gives this ice cream serious Froyo vibes. With the crushed granola, you could almost eat it for breakfast.

This Ethiopian dish of chickpeas in a berbere-spiced, flaxseed-thickened sauce makes for a quick, filling, and wonderfully flavorful meal.

The national drink of Martinique.

If your watermelon isn’t very sweet, force it to be savory by adding peppery radishes and a quick vinaigrette. With mint strewn all over, it's super-refreshing.

If vodka and cream and coffee are among your favorite things, this cocktail may be your jam.

Serve this spicy pepper jelly with fresh cornbread muffins.

This versatile condiment brings a balanced mix of sweet, salty, acidic, and herbaceous flavors that complement virtually any pizza. If it’s not pizza night but you’ve got leftovers, drizzle this over roasted vegetables, cooked chicken, or a crispy-skinned piece of fish.

This buttery roast chicken gets rubbed with green garlic and cooked low and slow in the oven for juicy, shreddable meat underneath crispy, crackly skin.

Don’t be afraid to take the leeks to the point where they almost look burnt. A well-charred exterior means the interiors will be creamy, soft, silky, and delightfully sweet.

This pineapple and tequila cocktail is a beach party in a glass.