If the flavors of this soup remind you slightly of hummus, know that you're not far off. Joyce Goldstein explains in Cooking with Les Dames D'Escoffier that this recipe was inspired by a spread she encountered in Greece. Realizing that customers at her restaurant would more likely order soup than a spread, she thinned it out, managing to still keep the flavors much the same. Though there are only a few ingredients, this soup has a surprising amount of depth and character. More

Many of the recipes from the Momofuku cookbook are a bit too complicated for a weeknight, requiring more time (and ingredients) than what's usually featured on Dinner Tonight. But with good timing, I'm happy to report, the famous ssäm lettuce wraps are well within reach. Preparing the condiments and rice while the steak took a bath in its marinade—apple juice, soy sauce, garlic, and sesame oil—I was able to pull this recipe off in under an hour. More

As tomatoes disappear from the market, they start to get cheap. Last weekend I picked up four pounds of heirlooms for $4 and I immediately thought of an old recipe that's made an appearance in this column before: The River Cottage's roasted tomato sauce. It's a concentrated puree (roasted and strained) that's fantastic with pasta, but it's also the perfect balance to risotto's richness. More

There are essentially two ways to approach this dish. The first is as a straightforward, satisfying mussel dish with a pretty good broth. Though certainly not my absolute favorite way to cook bivalves, it's tasty and ultimately worthy as a quick weeknight dinner. Not to mention, it's also a Ferran Adrià-approved recipe from his latest cookbook, The Family Meal, which means there are some high expectations. More

Susanna Foo in Fresh Inspiration: New Approaches to Chinese Cuisine admits that this is more of an "Indian-style pilaf" than a traditional fried rice recipe. Saffron, dried apricots, and toasted almonds are all used, giving the dish a really unique character. Sure, the rice is still sautéed with all the other ingredients, but that's about where similarities end. More

While many Mexican mole preparations require 30-odd ingredients and a three-hour simmer, not all do. In fact, if you're quick and well organized this ginger mole from Priscila Satkoff's The ¡Salpicón! Cookbook can be whipped up in a reasonable 45 minutes. More

Little"rags" of beef (to make this more economical) are quick-sauteed, their residual heat wilting the arugula just enough to take away some of its raw bite. Maggie likes to add mushrooms and calls it an Italian version of stir-fry. More

If you're looking for the some mind-bending and ridiculously complex approach to the humble chicken wing, move along. But if you're looking for a straightforward, comforting meal absolutely loaded with garlic then you're in luck. More

I was sold on this recipe from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen the moment after I read the first step. That's where author Andrea Nguyen describes watching the "whirling blizzard" of lemongrass in the food processor as it transforms from chopped stalks into a "fine, fluffy mass." Sure enough, the lemongrass puffs up sort of like cotton candy, before eventually turning into a paste when you add the onion and ginger. Theatrics aside, it's really just a fragrant base for a dish that is far more comforting than I had expected. More

The sausages are broiled quickly then covered with mustard, which helps cut through much of the fat. The apple compote obviously adds some sweetness but some cinnamon and ginger also give it depth. The crunchy, bitter watercress fights valiantly against all of it, making for a stunning and quick dinner. More