Garlic

Douse squash in lots of oil and let it slow-roast to golden-deliciousness in this hands-off dish.

Chef Sirichai Sreparplarn of Brooklyn's Ugly Baby doesn’t believe in using food processors for making curry paste, but we won’t stop you from using one. He also prefers a blend of two parts shorter dried chiles (prik haeng) and one part longer chiles (prik chee fah), but any Thai chile will work.

You can store this all-purpose sweet-and-spicy vinegar in clean mason jars, but it is easier to keep it in repurposed glass bottles. Note that this recipe can be adjusted as you like—try using different chiles or other spices like bay leaf.

A ubiquitous staple on Filipino tables, this rice dish is heavily perfumed with garlic oil and tossed with crispy sautéed garlic chips.

Pop the garlic-and-rosemary-rubbed leg of lamb and the eggplant spears into the oven together and they’ll be done at the same time.

Grating the garlic with a Microplane instead of finely chopping reduces it to a pulp so it can dissolve into sauces like this one.

Inspired by the Korean soup kuksi, this chilled tomato broth is topped with noodles and crunchy vegetables for a refreshing summer dinner.

These grilled chicken drumsticks cook over indirect heat until the skin is browned and crisp, then get basted with a savory-sweet glaze.

This big batch of tender roasted kale can be kept in the fridge and added to meals throughout the week. Toss it into salads and stir-fries, stir it into soups, or use it in a grain bowl.

This dish is my mother's interpretation of a meal we had at a friend’s birthday party when we were young. We came home raving about it and had to try making it for ourselves!

Combine a few pantry staples to make this simple but luxurious anytime pasta.

Sick days (real ones, at least) are unpredictable, so having a back-pocket broth that doesn’t require recipe planning should be part of your medicine cabinet.

How to make steakhouse-quality steak at home. Step 1: Buy a great steak from a great butcher. Step 2: Salt it liberally. Step 3: Gradually build up a crusty sear. Step 4: Butter. Butter?! Yep—butter. Browned, nutty butter will deliver toasty flavor to every bite. It's the secret to pretty much all the great steakhouse dinners you've ever had.

The spicy garlic-honey glaze for the pan-seared pork chops also forms the base of the sauce for the warm escarole-and–white bean salad in this easy one-pan dinner.

Make anything taste like your favorite bagel with a sprinkle of this savory mix of poppy seeds, onion, garlic, sesame seeds, and salt.

Enliven traditional chicken soup with fresh fennel and a dose of green kale. Dill-flecked matzo balls bring the classic to another level.

Cooking chicken in a lidded pot over low heat lets the bird gently steam, resulting in meat that’s juicier than if you roasted it uncovered. When you’re ready to eat, crank up the oven to crisp the skin.

Lightly scoring the fat cap across the top of the roast allows salt and flavors to penetrate even if you can’t season it a day ahead.