Epicurious

During the developing and testing process for this book, this dish became Hubby's new favorite. Totally unexpected—I was sure he'd steal a line from the kids and say, "Thank you anyway, but this is not my taste." (We taught them to say that instead of "Ooo, yick!") It's just not the usual stuff and spices he goes for, but apparently the combination was soooo his taste. And mine, too. It's one of those winner recipes that will make you dance around your kitchen. You may hug me now.

Maybe you forgot his or her birthday, or maybe you didn't forget, maybe you never even knew, but jeez, it's today, really? This cake won't work for a kid's birthday—that calls for more...of everything—but if you just got home, dinner isn't even made, and it turns out it is someone special's day, you just have to bust out a cake, and this one is all from the pantry and requires minimal gear and cleanup. Send him out for a pint of ice cream or suggest she use the shower first-this cake can be in the oven before your celebrant gets back. Thirty minutes later and it's out and cooling on the counter. Fair warning: this cake is like that guy who never moves out of his parents' house—born there, no matter how ready it seems, it falls to pieces when you try to get it out. Cut into wedges and lever them out individually, then cover your tracks with vanilla ice cream or plain or chocolate whipped cream.

This onion tart recipe evolved from the apfel wehr, my Swiss aunt's recipe for a traditional Swiss apple tart. Chilling the tart shell in the fridge for 2 hours before blind-baking will help prevent the pastry from shrinking.

This dish, featuring many Indian flavors, is a little unusual. Instead of calling for lamb as the base, I use beef, which is not so common in Indian cuisine. But I find it goes very well with the cardamom, cinnamon, and curry leaves that make up the aromatics in the pot. It's a fragrant dish, not spicy-hot, but very flavorful. Since you can make it in advance, it's perfect for when you are having a lot of friends coming over and you want to be able to spend time with them. Like many of the recipes in this book, it will braise while you socialize.

Recently, I have become a bit of a chicken thigh person, finding the meat moister and more succulent than the ubiquitous chicken breast. The addition of harissa, the spicy, tomato-y Moroccan paste, adds a subtle kick to this "hunter-style" Italian dish, but for those not in love with an extra bit of spice, then tomato purée works beautifully too.

This Bloody Mary ditches traditional bottled tomato juice for the freshly pressed stuff made from Sun Gold or yellow tomatoes.

This recipe comes from New York chef Deuki Hong's father and has origins in North Korea, the ancestral home of mandu. (Sharing a border with China, it is no coincidence that mandu sounds a lot like the Chinese word for steamed bread, mantou.) Unlike versions stuffed with finely chopped kimchi, Deuki grew up eating mandu with kimchi on the side. The star in this recipe is the very generous quantity of butter, which is mixed in with the pork, garlic and ginger and adds a real-deal richness to each bite. Not typically used in East Asian cooking, butter is a fully Americanized, fully awesome way to rethink the mandu.

Bursting with fresh corn and a hint of spice, these summery fritters take inspiration from the Southern classic shrimp and grits.

A raw creamed corn sauce takes the place of the traditional eggs in this silky, summer-fresh "carbonara."

Fresh and bright, with the pure flavors of sweet corn and tart lime juice, this creamy, vegan soup is choice for a light meal on a late summer day.

Creamy ricotta cheese, herby pesto, and roasted cherry tomatoes give these French bread pizzas bright flavor and a fresh look.

Sweet and smoky flavors make this quick and easy pizza a new favorite.

Forget the freezer aisle! This classic is just as easy to make from scratch. Bonus: it's tastier, too.

Balsamic-marinated steak cooks over the broccolini and white beans in this sheet-pan dinner, flavoring them with its tasty juices.

Rather than pasta, this vegetarian version of the classic Southern Italian dish is tossed with spaghetti squash "noodles" for a delicious dinner that cooks entirely on just one sheet pan.

This classic Spanish dish comes together in a snap when cooked on a baking sheet.

The juices from cumin-rubbed chicken thighs soak into grapes, fennel, and squash as they all roast together in this simple, flavorful one-pan dinner.