Lasagna is no less satisfying in soup form thanks to a hearty, meaty mix and cheese-laden topping. More

Earthy lentils with the added richness of warm spices and a poached egg. More

The Self-Starter from Raines Law Room in NYC is head bartender Meaghan Dorman's answer for the drinker who wants a martini, but nothing too strong. More

Sweet, creamy acorn squash is filled with a wild rice mixture accented with toasty pecans and tart chewy cranberries, with some salty ricotta salata cheese folded in for contrast. More

All the components of a shrimp boil—shrimp, corn, andouille, and potatoes—come together on a single stick. More

Tart and sweet with a tequila kick: the classic Mexican cocktail in sorbet form. More

Blondies are often too sweet for my taste, but the idea of adding subtly savory pine nuts to the dessert was too intriguing to pass up. More

New Orleans may be best known around these parts for beignets and King Cake, but when it comes time to celebrate your birthday in the Big Easy, it's the Doberge Cake (that's pronounced DOUGH-bash for the folks at home), a layered cake with lemon and chocolate that steals the show. More

This brightly colored juice is a sweet combination of beets, carrots, apples, clementines, and ginger. More

For a meaty and flavorful twist on the classic Italian dish, add pancetta and smoky paprika. Even better, it's on the table in 30 minutes. More

Classic creamy stovetop macaroni and cheese get more interesting with tender poached chicken, green chiles, salsa verde, and fresh cilantro. More

There is perhaps no recipe I've investigated that is as simple and yet as fraught with passionate argument regarding the "correct" way to make it as cornbread. Adding to this battle is not my purpose here. More

This salad of white rice, raisins, pine nuts, and scallions from Rebecca Lang's Around the Southern Table may look a bit one-dimensional at first, but Lang's version is more than just a simple grain salad. The potent mixture of a lemon's zest and its juice whisked together with a touch of orange juice and a drizzle of sweet and tangy white balsamic soaks effortlessly into the hot rice, plumps the raisins, and tempers the bite of the scallions. More

A spiced gingersnap crust is filled with a bright and tangy filling starring satsuma oranges with a hint of lime. More

Rebecca Lang's Spicy Coleslaw in Around the Southern Table is not your typical styrofoam cup of mayonnaise with a side of cabbage. Yes, the salad contains a bit of mayo, but the dressing is punched up with a generous pour of buttermilk and intense bursts of horseradish, hot sauce, mustard, and jalapeños. Said dressing clings perfectly to each piece of chopped red and green cabbage, grated carrot, minced red onion, and sliced scallion. More

Imagine a creamy cappuccino, softly solidified. That's what the coffee panna cotta from Nigellissima reminds one of. Sweetened with brown sugar and flavored with espresso, this panna cotta is rich, yet refreshing. More

Rib eye steaks are massaged with a potent mix of ground coffee, cocoa powder, and chipotle powder before being sizzled in a hot cast-iron pan. As the steaks rest, a quick pan sauce is made from oatmeal stout, soy sauce, and molasses. More

These cookies are beautifully cracked, crunchy around the edges, soft and chewy in the middle, and full of deep, caramelized and chocolate flavor. More

A dish fit for a Queen, this pudding has roots that can be traced back as far as the seventeenth century. With peaks of soft meringue with a softly toasted crust, covering a sweet center of jam and a base of custard, this pudding is a true British classic that has stood the test of time. More

Roasted carrots and tomatoes create a complex sweetness that serves as the backdrop to this different and surprising habanero hot sauce. More

Chocolate and orange paired in a super chewy cookie shell. More

Mussels and shrimp in a curry-scented coconut broth flavored with cilantro and chilies. Dinner for two with one skillet in 25 minutes or less. More

The classic pairing of Crème Yvette and something bubbly without buying a bottle sparkling wine. More

This tart shake gets its sweetness from frozen strawberries and the floral liqueur Crème Yvette. More

Homemade lavender simple syrup rounds out this floral variation on a Tom Collins. More

A lowcountry boil is the southeastern coast's equivalent to a New England clambake. Take the fresh shellfish catch of the day, and dump it in a giant pot with some vegetables and sausage, and you're more than halfway to a giant feast for you and your friends. The boils I attended growing up were usually full of shrimp, potatoes, and corn, but there can be quite a bit of variance in the pot. In Rebecca Lang's Around the Southern Table, the lowcountry boil includes crawfish along with the requisite shrimp, but crab would be just as welcome. More

A light lemongrass-miso broth with mushroom and scallion wontons. More

Light and tender buttery gluten-free biscuits. More

Whole pureed oranges make this the moistest cake I've ever had. Ground almonds and a honey syrup complete the Middle Eastern theme. More

Classic French bread pizza upgraded with a heavy does of garlicky butter, two cheese, and fresh herbs. More

Ice cream sandwiches can be a tricky thing to get just right, since your filling needs to be soft enough to bite through but not melt immediately and your "bread" needs to stay firm but not rock-hard straight from the freezer. Luckily, the cream cheese semifreddo is so airy from the whipped eggs and so creamy from the cream cheese that it's scoopably soft straight from the freezer, and the carrot cake is so moist that it thaws almost immediately upon removal from the freezer. More

A vegan meal with a centerpiece of cannelloni stuffed with sauteed wild mushrooms and creamy sweet potato puree baked along with butter beans and braised escarole until crunchy and browned. More

At its base, this dish is about the interplay between sweet, plump shrimp and spicy red pepper flakes. The latter is cooked with sliced garlic until it perfumes the oil, so that every bite has its slight spark. More

To many cooks, gravy is a sauce best served over Thanksgiving turkey or maybe the occasional roast chicken. In the South, however, gravy is used to "smother" everything from fried chicken and pork chops to sweet Vidalia onions and the perennial favorite: buttery biscuits. In Around the Southern Table, Rebecca Lang takes this classic brunch dish and gives it a unique twist. Instead of building the gravy from sausage or coffee, she combines salty and rich bacon drippings with diced tomatoes and a slight pour of milk. The tomatoes serve to brighten the whole shebang, but the bacon drippings keep things from getting too virtuous. The biscuits? Lang's are ginormous "cat-heads," made with a dead-simple mixture of self-rising flour, bacon drippings, butter, and buttermilk. More

For this sandwich, a rich homemade tapenade is spread into an herby focaccia roll, then followed by some spicy salami, peppery arugula, a roasted red bell pepper, and a sprinkling of crumbled goat cheese. Although the ingredients in this sandwich are all very strongly flavored, each remains distinct with every bite. More

Aniseed is a flavor hallmark of Italian cooking. Though its taste can be divisive, an excellent way to win over fans would be to present them with a slice of Nigellissima's golden, crumbling, buttery, lightly-sweet aniseed shortbread. More

This traditional Croatian and Slovenian bread is made from from a thinly rolled, buttery dough that's filled with walnuts and chocolate. More