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This braise gets its deep flavor and color from dried New Mexico chiles. Find them in the produce section.

Tossing grated Parm into panko is the secret to crisper, better-tasting chicken cutlets.

You need only a small amount of beer to flavor the sauce. We trust you know what to do with the rest of that bottle.

This dish is inspired by a salad on the menu at Keens Steakhouse in NYC.

Of all Chinese dumplings, wontons are the simplest to make, if you buy ready-made wrappers. They cook in minutes and have a delightfully slippery mouthfeel. In Sichuan, the source of this recipe, they are known as "folded arms" (chao shou). Some say this is because the raw dumplings look like the folded arms of a person sitting back in relaxation; others that it's because of the way they are wrapped, with one corner crossed over the other and the two pinched together. The basic wontons can be served in a host of different ways and this Chengdu version is one of my favorites, with its sumptuous, heart-warming sauce. Wonton skins can be bought fresh or frozen in most Chinese food shops; they should be very thin and supple. If you want to take the easiest option in wrapping the dumplings, you can simply fold them in half, on the diagonal, to make a triangle. Otherwise, wrap into classic "water caltrop" shape, as professional cooks and market vendors do across China. (The water caltrop is an exotic-looking aquatic nut with a pair of horns.) This recipe makes 15-20, enough for four as an appetizer, or two for lunch. If you use fresh ingredients and make more than you need, the surplus can be frozen and cooked straight from the freezer.

This version of white gazpacho, traditionally made with green grapes, is brightened with the addition of green apple.

This stew uses bottled clam juice, a smart shortcut to a robust broth.

Ask for the smallest lamb your butcher has (like those from New Zealand), or buy a 3 1/2-4-pound piece of a leg.

The addition of celery root is a great twist on the familiar flavors in this dish.

This dish is a perfect side for roast chicken; or crumble feta on top for a vegetarian lunch. Quinoa freezes well, so cook a big batch, let cool, and freeze in resealable plastic bags until ready to use.

We're seeing gigante beans everywhere. They're creamy and buttery, and their size adds a dramatic look.

A simple curry paste gives this northern Thai-inspired soup surprising depth of flavor.

The trick to a successful stir-fry? Prep everything before you cook.

"Adding citrus segments takes chickpeas to another level. And I use the fennel bulb, stalks, and fronds in this dish so nothing goes to waste." —Sue Li, recipe developer

A little white wine and lots of fresh herbs put a refined spin on this classic that tastes just as good the next day.

Jarred kimchi delivers flavor and color in this roast chicken dish.

If you forget to thaw the shrimp in the morning, set the bag in a large bowl filled with cold water. It will defrost in minutes. One cup of dry rice will yield 3 cups cooked; leftover rice, which is slightly dried out, makes the best stir-fries.

The first Chinese recipe I ever cooked was a version of this dish from Yan-Kit So's Classic Chinese Cookbook. Years later—and having eaten it countless times in the Sichuanese capital Chengdu—it remains one of my favorite fish dishes, and everyone else seems to love it too. The fish lies in a spectacular sauce, a deep rusty red in color, sumptuously spicy and aromatic with ginger and garlic. In Sichuan, they tend to make it with carp. Back home in London, I've made it with sea bass, whole trout and fillets and, more recently, with organic mirror carp. They all taste delicious. (As with many Sichuanese dishes, the soul of the recipe lies in the combination of flavors and you can be flexible about the main ingredient, which is one reason why Sichuanese cuisine travels so well.) I'm particularly happy that the recipe works so well with mirror carp, one of the most sustainable fish and ripe for revival in places such as Britain, where it has long fallen out of favor. You will probably find that the fish disintegrates slightly during cooking. Don't worry: you can arrange it neatly on the serving plate and pour the sauce over it. And when your guests taste it, if my experiences are anything to go by, they'll be so overcome with rapture that they won't care what it looks like.

Red-braised pork may be one of the most common of all Chinese dishes, but it is also one of the most glorious: a slow stew of belly pork with seasonings that may include sugar, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and spices.

Salting the potatoes ahead of time draws out some of their liquid and guarantees they're well seasoned.