Name: Red Snapper Yuca Cakes with Mojo de Ajo
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds frozen yuca*; 1/4 cup vegetable oil; 1 medium onion, halved lengthwise then thinly sliced lengthwise; 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 pounds red snapper fillets, skinned and any bones removed; 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro; 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; 6 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 cup fresh orange juice (from 2 oranges); 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes); 6 fresh Thai chiles (red or green), seeded and minced, or 2 to 3 serrano chiles (including seeds), minced; 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallot (4 small); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; Accompaniment: lime wedges

While in Costa Rica, Boston chef Steve Johnson was inspired to make fish cakes from leftover red snapper and boiled yuca. The combination takes clever advantage of the vegetable's starchy character, which binds the cakes together while allowing the flavor of the snapper to come through cleanly. We prefer to use frozen yuca, which has a better consistency and is easier to prepare.

Cooks' notes:

·Formed cakes (not sautéed) and mojo can be chilled up to 1 day.
·frozen, wrapped well, 2 weeks. Thaw in refrigerator before cooking.

Recipe notes

Caramelized Onion Pasta

Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.

Vodka Gochujang Pasta

This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Smothered Italian Sausage

This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.

Béchamel Sauce

This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.

White Bean Turkey Chili

A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.

Golden Mushroom Soup With Orzo & a Pat of Butter

This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.

Baked Butter Paneer

I should address the awkward truth that I don’t use butter here but cream instead. You could, if you’re a stickler for tradition (and not a heretic like me), add a big slab of butter to the finished curry.