Dawn Perry

The batter for these fritter-like cakes is pretty dry, but that's what yields crisp results. Pressing them flat in the pan also helps maximize the crunch factor.

Rubbing the marinade onto only the flesh side puts it in direct contact with the meat and lets the skin get extra-crisp with no fear of burned bits.

Make extra grains on Sunday and use them for this lightning-quick weeknight dinner.

This dish was inspired by pasta e fagiole, the classic Italian pasta and bean stew. Unlike macaroni, the grains stay nice and chewy, even when reheated days later.

As the pork cooks, the fat will gradually render, basting the roast.

Starting the chop in a hot pan lets you get a good initial sear; lowering the heat gives you control while it cooks through.

A steak sauce good enough to rival the most popular brand makes this steak (or any, really) even more delicious.

This salad's secret? Combining raw and roasted beets delivers two textures from one ingredient.

Harissa is a great shortcut ingredient to flavor, but no two jars (or tubes) are the same. Taste first—if it seems very spicy, use a bit less. You can always stir more into the chickpeas when the dish is finished.

Preserved lemons add a wonderful salty-sweet hit to these simple potatoes, but if you don't have them on hand, you can use regular lemons instead. Thinly slice the peel of one lemon, then toss with the potatoes before roasting.

With slices of celery root and chefs' new favorite cheese, scamorza, pizza night just got a lot more fun.

My elementary school grapefruit, all grown up. I like the low notes of the dried chiles and rosemary against the sweet-tart citrus.

Use this syrup in vinaigrettes, to glaze meats, and in place of grenadine in cocktails.

Compound butter is a great way to get flavor into a roast chicken. Here's a North African-inspired version

Compound butter is a great way to get flavor into a roast chicken. Here's a Turkey-inspired version

Compound butter is a great way to get flavor into a roast chicken. Here's a Thai-inspired version

This compound butter uses many of the warm spices—turmeric, cumin, cardamon, etc.—found in many Indian curries, and adds a lot of flavor to roast chicken.

Compound butter is a great way to get flavor into a roast chicken. Here's a Russian-inspired version