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It's been about four years since I first sauteed a cucumber and I can safely say, I have not returned to that recipe. There's a much better return to this one from Grace Young's The Breath of a Wok. The green vegetable is paired with thinly sliced pork and red bell pepper. It's the kind of humble, straightforward Chinese dish that I've been falling in love with recently. More

Roasted Pepper Halves with Bread Crumb Topping, from Lidia Bastianich's Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen, is simple to prepare, yet impressive enough to elevate the most pedestrian of meals, up to and including a cold slice of pepperoni pie. The peppers act as both flavoring agent and serving vessel, making it lighter than most breaded hors d'oeuvres. More

I've gone a little noodle crazy. Though I've done my fair share of Italian pasta dishes over the years, it wasn't until the past few months that I started eating Asian noodles with abandon. I guess I finally realized a simple sauce and vegetables works just as well for udon as it can for spaghetti. This recipe from The Kitchn is one of the better ones I've found recently. More

It's not often, but sometimes I just need to revel in greasy diner fantasy with only meat, eggs, and fried potatoes involved. The trick is to get as many ingredients as possible fried in the sausage fat. Apparently Emeril shares this fantasy with me. This recipe adds a slight Creole twist to this diner classic. A little green bell pepper gives it a nice freshness, and the sprinkling of Creole powder adds some kick. More