Epicurious

This Thai-inspired noodle dish dovetails four essential flavors: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Seek out Thai basil, which imparts clean, crisp notes of anise and mint.

Shrimp, scallops, crab, clams, and red snapper make up this 60-minute fish stew, a dish that sounds Old World Italian but most likely originated in the Italian-Portuguese neighborhood of San Francisco known as North Beach. Although the recipe may seem overwhelming at first, the ingredient list is in fact just made up of kitchen pantry staples and seafood. To cut costs, double up on the least expensive wild seafood and omit the priciest. Serve with a toasted baguette.

Sam Hazen, the former executive chef of New York celebrity hangout Tao, created this broiled fish dish seasoned with the Japanese trifecta of sake, mirin, and miso. A great riff on beef satay, this appetizer can be marinated up to a day ahead for a quick weeknight snack or full meal when served with rice. Avoid unsustainable Chilean sea bass; look for white sea bass from California, black cod, Pacific or Alaskan halibut, or striped bass.

Ice-cold ginger ale is just one of the secrets to chef Kevin Rathbun’s Asian-inspired shrimp appetizer. The woody and fragrant kaffir lime leaf is another and can be found in the freezer section of Asian or Thai grocery stores. Rathbun’s restaurant in Atlanta also serves this dish with chicken or tofu in place of the shrimp.

The key to this classic pasta dish is using the best-quality white wine you have; contrary to popular belief, the quality of the wine is directly proportional to the quality of the broth. Make it a meal with a crusty warm Italian loaf and a glass of the leftover wine.

Here’s a restaurant-quality sauce that is rich and luxurious but easy enough to make at home. Professional cook and Epicurious member Thomas Campbell of New London, Connecticut, invented it, and his favorite part of the recipe is the bacon-flavored liquid; it adds a slightly sweet but smoky flavor to the sauce, and tastes even better after the flavors have time to mingle.

Lemon lovers adore this simple and satisfying pasta. Lemon zest and juice brighten the peas and spinach while lightening the creamy Parmesan sauce. You can also use penne, orecchiette, or another small pasta. To cut back on calories, use whole milk or half-and-half in place of some or all of the heavy cream.

A savory tart with a flaky crust by Molly Wizenberg of Orangette.com fame is perfect for a party or potluck because it can be served (and devoured) at room temperature and also can be made a day ahead. The recipe calls for making a leek confit, whose recipe yields a bit more than you’ll need for this tart. Serve any extra confit over a hearty fish like salmon.

If you’re one of those folks with serious misgivings about cooked carrots (too soft, too bland, too . . . orange), this spicy South Asian starter will likely change your mind. Puréeing the carrot with broth and an aromatic mixture of spices produces an exceptionally rich, velvety texture. Like a little more heat? Kick it up a notch by increasing the amount of ginger, curry powder, or coriander while the pot is simmering. But be sure to remember the garnish: creamy yogurt will actually enhance the layers of flavor in the soup. This healthy option is great as a first course at a dinner party or makes a simple lunch for the kids.

Crunchy, zesty, and light: what else could one want in a warm-weather salad? Radishes are thinly sliced and mingle with shelled fresh peas, while feta cheese and honey provide a special salty sweetness. Pea sprouts can be found at natural-food stores and Asian markets.

Love crab cakes but want a change? These salmon cakes take fewer than 30 minutes to prepare. The recipe calls for pita pieces as a filler, but many Epicurious members subbed 3/4 cup panko flakes for a lighter cake. The salmon cakes also make a clever fish taco when crumbled and served with jalapeños, corn, and the yogurt sauce.

This elegant, delicious appetizer has long been a favorite among Epicurious members. It’s important to let the blanched asparagus cool completely before assembling these spears. They can be prepared up to a day in advance.

This recipe is a peek inside the magic hat of cookbook author and New York City caterer Serena Bass. There’s nary a tea leaf in sight of this spicy and refreshing “tea”—rather, it’s made from a fragrant combination of apples and cardamom spice. Be sure to use high-quality juice, not from concentrate, such as Adam and Eve apple juice or cloudy, fresh-pressed apple juice.

Of this luxurious and simple party dip recipe, Epicurious Connecticut member Peg Dimmick notes, “This is an old favorite of mine that my mother and my grandmother made, and was reintroduced to me by a cousin a couple of years ago at a family gathering.” As the title suggests, the recipe ingredients couldn’t be easier to remember, measure, and memorize.

Fluffy buttermilk banana pancakes get a unique makeover with the help of salty macadamia nuts and zesty orange butter. As the orange butter melts into each pancake, the bright, refreshing citrus notes lighten up this rich morning meal. Add some chocolate chips or use different nuts to customize your breakfast.

Thank goodness Epicurious member Mary Jean Goodman from Woodbridge, Connecticut, has been testing and retesting different iterations for this breakfast cake since she tried it as a little girl. The recipe has seen many incarnations and is now perfection, yielding a sweet, crumbly slice that is perfect for brunch or a special occasion. Try substituting different citrus fruits to flavor the cake to your preference.

These sweet–savory biscuits put a fresh spin on the classic buttermilk variety. Self-rising flour saves precious prep time. In fact, from start to finish, the whole recipe can be completed in about 30 minutes. To enjoy these fresh out of the oven, measure and combine the dry ingredients in advance, then bake the biscuits at the last minute.

There’s no such thing as a bad scrambled egg, but this concoction, made creamy with fresh ricotta, comes close to the perfect scrambled egg. The eggs are partially cooked and cheese is added off the heat to impart a soft texture. Chives and fleur de sel give this breakfast a rustic feel. Substitute four egg whites for the two eggs and serve it with whole-wheat lavash to lighten up the dish, or dress it up with slices of smoked salmon, avocado, or bacon.

These are no ordinary poached eggs. Rich, tender toasted brioche—or challah, if you can’t find it—adds subtle crunch while shaved Parmesan lends just the right hint of saltiness. But the real star is the pistou. France’s version of pesto, this basil-and-garlic–infused oil brings an herbal vibrance to the beloved egg, cheese, and bread combo. You might want to make extra pistou; pour leftovers over pasta for an effortless dinner.