Simmer

Washington, DC's renowned chef-owner of Citronelle has a special relationship with seafood: He was born in Brittany on the northwest coast of France. Chef Michel Richard has been decorated with nearly every cooking award, including the James Beard award, and he is known for combining fresh California ingredients with traditional French cooking. This recipe, a simplified take on a traditional French bouillabaisse, is sure to satisfy.

Cooked gently over a low heat, lamb shank becomes meltingly tender—perfect for an elegant, restorative broth.

This pasta salad is a clever take on a well-loved soup. Because it's served at room temperature, it makes a great side dish at a picnic or barbecue. It's colorful and extremely flavorful, with pesto, beans, and vegetables.

I prefer caramel that flirts on the edge of burnt, especially in this rice pudding, which is inspired by classic Italian risotto. Here, cooked until it's very dark, with a smoky, bitter edge, the caramel balances the milky sweetness of the rice. This is also an unusual pudding in that it forgoes much of the milkiness of the other grain puddings in this chapter. I cook the rice in water, with just a little milk. The liquid is gradually evaporated when the rice is mixed with the caramel, leaving an intensely flavored sauce. This is very rich pudding, but that quality comes almost entirely from the caramel itself—not the dairy.

Steal chef Sean Rembold's restaurant move: Use one ingredient—carrots—two ways.

Use a pre-made custard as your base and paddle in a sweet-and-boozy cherry and bourbon topping.

There's nothing, um, vanilla about our homemade version of the classic. Of course, it also makes a great base for your favorite upgrades.

Two tips: To save time, you can buy 2 steamed whole lobsters or 2 cups of cooked lobster meat. And, when prepping the corn, save your cobs for corn stock.

Feel free to use cooked bulgur, barley, or couscous instead of quinoa

"I totally ripped this off from my mom." —Allie Lewis Clapp, food editor

When it comes to buying feta, you've got choices. We love the firm texture and sheep's-milk tang of Bulgarian or Greek.

Warm spices, supersweet Sun Gold tomatoes, and a short cooking time reinvent the ordinary marinara.

Just as easy and fun to cook as they are to eat, mussels deserve a spot in your weeknight dinner rotation.

Fresher and more vibrant than the jarred stuff, this easy-to-make relish is good on hot dogs, burgers, and grilled sausages.

This is my version of the traditional Chilean squash and bean stew. It's wonderfully hearty and warming and, like so many such dishes, even better if you leave it for twenty-four hours and reheat it gently before serving.

This beautifully simple, light curry is closely based on a wonderful recipe from chef Angela Hartnett. It's always preferable to use some carefully selected ground and whole spices in a recipe like this, but if you're in a hurry, use a ready-made curry powder instead of the dry spices.

Editor's note: Use this sauce to make Myron Mixon's Smoked Whiskey Wings . I have heard people eating barbecue at festivals say that "the sauce makes the barbecue." It's not true. The smoke makes the barbecue. The sauce is a finisher. It's what you put on your meat after it cooks to enhance its appeal. It can add a great punch, but I've had plenty of delicious barbecued meat with no sauce at all. I've been around barbecue sauces of different stripes all of my life. My family's sauce recipe, which my parents were just beginning to market when my father suddenly passed away, is what got me into cooking competitive barbecue in the first place. We have always preferred a hickory-style sauce, meant to closely evoke and complement the flavor of hickory-smoked meats. It's world famous and a secret recipe, so the only way you'll taste the original is to order it from me, but if you insist on not giving me your business, here's a reasonable approximation that is still damn delicious.

The jalapeño's ribs and seeds are the spiciest parts; be careful not to rub your eyes after handling (or, wear gloves)!

Aperol is similar to Campari but sweeter and less boozy. This recipe works with either one.