Scallion

Steam the dumplings in batches and eat them when they're at their best — hot out of the steamer.

Start with the first of three small plates (or mezes): this one, the cheese rolls, and the spinach. WHAT TO DRINK: Pour a crisp, dry rosé throughout the meal.

Fresh, simple, and spontaneous, modern Australian cooking doffs its cap to several different cuisines with an ebullience all its own. From Australian cookbook writer Jill Dupleix comes this Mod Oz version of a fish gyro. Rich, earthy beets and parsley add great flavor to this heavenly sandwich. You'll find lots more Mod Oz recipes in the May issue of Bon Appétit.

Reminiscing about the sweet and slightly spicy turnips that she would dig up and eat on her grandfather's farm years ago, senior food editor Alexis Touchet was determined to bring out the best of the root in this creamy side dish. The heat of horseradish plays up the turnips' and potatoes' earthy qualities, and a topping of toasted bread crumbs lends a delightful crunch.

Radishes are in their prime right now. If you can find the small French Breakfast or Easter Egg varieties, just trim them and keep them whole, rather than slicing them. Spring onions, immature onions harvested before their bulbs grow large, are available in farmers' markets at this time of year. If you can't find them, scallions make a fine substitute.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Simple Chinese Cooking by Kylie Kwong. Because pork is rather rich, I like to add a touch of hoisin sauce—the pork can stand up to it. The malt vinegar balances out the flavors, cutting through the richness and sweetness.

Named after the heart-shaped callaloo leaves from the taro plant, this traditional stew can be made with crab, lobster, and shrimp, or taro root and coconut milk. But all versions of the dish call for okra and, of course, callaloo leaves. Spinach makes a great substitute for the callaloo.

"Shark and bake," a popular Trinidadian pocket sandwich, is found at beach shacks and street stalls throughout the island. Part of its appeal is the variety of go-withs, from mango chutney to sliced cucumbers. "Bake" is a catchall term for several types of bread, grilled or fried. Since blacktip shark — the traditional choice — is not readily available, catfish or tilapia fillets are substituted here. Pita pockets are a stand-in for the flatbread that's typically used to make the sandwich.

Instant Party: Crispy fish tacos, pickled onions and jalapeños, lime cream, salsa verde, and guacamole — it all adds up to one fun party. Set everything out, and let everyone assemble their own.

Cara Brunetti Hillyard of Hamilton, Virginia, writes: "I come from a long line of great cooks. My father owns an Italian market in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where my mother gets a lot of the ingredients she uses in her wonderful dishes. My mother-in-law is a recipe developer, and I've been known to sit next to my great-aunt Stella with a pen and paper as she details her amazing recipes. I live far from home now, but I reconnect with my family traditions every evening when I make dinner."

This will disappear fast, so doubling the recipe might not be a bad idea.

Ají ecuatorianoají ecuatoriano Served on the table as an accompaniment to soups, this fresh sauce gets its tart, vibrant flavor from the tamarillo (tree tomato), native to South America. A small red tomato can be substituted.

Chef Ming Tsai created this recipe for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program. Serve the potstickers with his dim sum dipper and cranberry-teriyaki glaze.

After the porcini mushrooms add their flavor to the broth, you can use them in an omelet or a sauté.

Don't be surprised if these spears prove even more popular than the classic mash—they brown up beautifully, and it's hard to resist the siren call of bacon.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Seduced by Bacon. To read more about the book, click here. These salmon fillets are a great main course when you want something special and don't have a lot of time. They are super-easy and quick to make as well as delicious. . . . There are some fine ready-made sauces, called Chinese barbecue sauce, in Asian markets and even on supermarket shelves.