Vegetarian

While pimento cheese is perfect as is as a spread, it also makes a pretty darn good queso-like dip. This particular version is smooth and velvety and has a kick of smoke and heat thanks to chipotle in adobo sauce—even pimento purists will find it delicious.

The combination of beets and ginger gives you a great spectrum of flavors, while crunchy toasted cashews and a mess of crispy sunchoke chips lend contrasting texture.

These turmeric-spiced pumpkin falafels come together in a food processor, then roast in the oven to golden-brown perfection. A punchy carrot slaw keeps things bright.

Brush butternut squash with maple-chile oil before roasting, then top with a lemon-tahini dressing and herby quinoa.

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.

Paneer is a fresh farmhouse-style cheese that has a slightly tangy, subtly salty flavor with a texture similar to tofu. It’s a breeze to make at home using only three ingredients: milk, lemon juice, and salt. 

It takes the better part of an hour to coax an onion's sugars from blonde to nutty brown. Make a big batch of caramelized onions once and save them to pull out when you want all that complex flavor without having spent all that time.

In this ramen recipe, I use miso paste in two different ways, slathering it on the squash before it roasts and mixing it into the broth, where it amplifies both the sweet and savory character of the squash. The real game changer is blending some of the roasted squash into the broth, delivering velvety, rich body. You can use other types of squash or pumpkins for this dish, but because of its robust flesh, nutty flavor, and meaty mouthfeel, Japanese kabocha is my preferred choice; butternut squash is a worthy substitute.

This coconutty soup from Ramin Ganeshram is ideal for fall, when squash and pumpkin are readily available. Serve it with crusty bread or a hearty green salad for the perfect autumn lunch.

When grilled (or broiled) whole, eggplants get silky and smoky inside and charred on the exterior—perfect for mashing and mixing with sautéed onion, garlic, and fresh tomato.

Hot pepper is notably absent from this mixture—unlike curry powder from Madras. Trinidadians like to add fresh hot pepper to dishes, according to taste.

Green seasoning is one of those herb mixtures that is unique to the Caribbean and differs slightly from island to island.

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.

To create the fluffiest, most pillowy Buss Up Shut, Ramin Ganeshram took a deep dive into the version she’d included in her cookbook, Sweet Hands. Here, she shares a few tips for making great roti.

This vibrantly colored mango curry is authentically Keralan, and one we’d typically pair with a fish curry and accompany with rice.

This isn’t your typical super-puffed Dutch baby; it’s creamy and custardy on the inside and airy around the edges, thanks to the inclusion of canned pumpkin purée.

This scalloped potatoes recipe is a classic from Gourmet, simply made with softened onions, an easy roux, and thinly sliced potatoes.

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.