Tadka, which goes by many other names, is one of the most spectacular flavor-building techniques used in Indian cooking. In the tadka method, whole or ground spices and other aromatic ingredients such as garlic or curry leaves are dropped into a small quantity of hot fat with a high smoke point. The heat and the oil help draw out the aromatic molecules from the spices to create a flavorful concoction, which is then poured, warm, to finish your dish. Serve it with warm bread.

This three-ingredient jam recipe is flexible—you can play with the berries mentioned here, or you can try another of your favorites.

“Because you want this spread to be a pretty bright yellow, be sure to use A-grade maple syrup that is light in color. This recipe is quite tart, so if you prefer it sweeter, feel free to add an extra tablespoon of maple syrup.” —Laurel Gallucci, founder of Sweet Laurel

We’re obviously big fans of plantain. Its nutritional value and versatility make it one of our favorite ingredients. The bodegas always have plantains on deck. Pierre’s Bajan grandmother called her version of this dish “strong man soup.” She made it with cassava, pumpkin, and other ground provisions and served it to her kids every Wednesday. It was filling enough to satisfy them all day, and Pierre’s father, Andrew, says her rendition would make them feel invincible. This lentil stew marries Latin American and Caribbean influences.

Beets are polarizing to many—you either hate them or love them—and if you’re in camp “beets taste like dirt,” then the discovery of milder, sweeter golden beets might just change your mind. I roast them in a Dutch oven instead of using foil, with fresh bay leaves, rosemary, and thick slices of sweet onion that caramelize the bottom of the pot. Wild rice, peppery salad greens, and big chunks of goat cheese play more than supporting roles; each element is delicious in its own right. The hearty vegetarian rice bowls are drizzled with a lively preserved lemon vinaigrette right before serving, and the brightness just makes everything pop.

With practicality at its core, these Korean-inspired beef bowls are a nod to my mom’s weeknight “savory mince,” ground beef browned with aromatics like onion and garlic. She seasoned the beef with whatever the pantry had to offer, sometimes a few tablespoons of brown gravy powder and water; then she bulked up the beef with any vegetables that needed to be used that week. For us that mostly meant bagged frozen vegetable mix or potatoes, mushrooms, and peas. For many reasons, I don’t do the bagged mixes anymore, replacing them with the few random vegetables in my refrigerator for this speedy dinner. I use ground beef instead of the thinly sliced rib eye that’s traditional for bulgogi and bulk up the meal with shiitake mushrooms. It’s a clean-out-your-fridge kind of dinner, so feel free to swap in whichever vegetables you have available. Most nights, the urge to top the bowls with a fried egg and kimchi eaten straight from the jar at the table is too strong to resist.

We’re obviously big fans of plantain. Its nutritional value and versatility make it one of our favorite ingredients. The bodegas always have plantains on deck. Pierre’s Bajan grandmother called her version of this dish “strong man soup.” She made it with cassava, pumpkin, and other ground provisions and served it to her kids every Wednesday. It was filling enough to satisfy them all day, and Pierre’s father, Andrew, says her rendition would make them feel invincible. This lentil stew marries Latin American and Caribbean influences.

Harissa is a hot and spicy aromatic condiment made from chilies that originated in North Africa. In this carrot soup, it walks in like Mariah Carey at a concert and shakes everyone up with a spectacular reverberation of flavor that can be felt all the way through. The roasted apples round out the flavor of the carrots with their tart and sweet notes. Toasted buttered slices of sourdough are a worthy sidekick here.

Farfalle is my favorite pasta shape, quite possibly because it’s one of the most playful ones. So there was no way I’d leave it out of this book. This pasta sauce is remarkably easy to put together and produces superior results. But, best of all, it takes less than an hour to prepare, making it a great meal for a busy weekday. Roast, blend, and season the butternut squash to make the sauce, and top the pasta with plenty of crispy leeks.

“This is how my Spanish mother (from my exchange student days) makes the traditional dish.”

“When I make this for Moses, I skip the tomatoes and sub in burrata.”

“We have all thrown raw veggies into boiling water, but have you ever poured boiling water into a bowl of raw broccoli? Didn’t think so. This might be one of those things you have to see to believe, so get out the kettle and get boiling.”

“I make these baked rice pilafs regularly at home, and everyone in the family loves it. This one is vegetarian, but we sometimes add chicken, minced lamb, or shrimp. The fragrant, aromatic steamed rice with coconut milk and stock is cooked on low heat, allowing the flavors to gently infuse. My favorite part of the dish is the edge of the pan, where the rice forms a slight crust. I love adding nuts and fried onions for texture and extra flavor.”

“This is an adaptation of a dish an Iranian friend of mine used to make in London. I don’t use as much stock as he used to, as I like when you reduce the liquid to the right amount so the stock and lemon get sticky and allow the flavors to intensify. My boys both love capers, so I’ve added these in for extra impact. You could add in some fresh green chili.”

“If you’ve ever thrown a dinner party with 12 hungry cousins, then you know how hard it can be to keep them content while they wait for dinner to be served. That is why I love to prepare these simple black bean taquitos to serve as an appetizer and keep everyone settled while they wait for the main course.” —Ibraheem Basir, founder of A Dozen Cousins

Jon’s grandfather Howard learned to cook in the military, and he cooked for a living afterward. He was known to make mad trays of mac ’n’ cheese and mad sweet potato pies—the man only knew how to cook in bulk. He added coconut flakes to his sweet potato mixture to give the pie a little crunch, which has become a family tradition. We like ube, or purple yam, which comes from the Philippines and shows up in desserts like halo-halo (and a shout-out to the Negritos, the Indigenous peoples throughout the Philippines and nearby islands). Sweet potato pie is a staple in many Black American households; we’re remixing the spread with purple, which symbolizes abundance and wealth. To your health!

There are different ways to make a lemon tart. At Bouchon, the French Laundry, and Per Se, we use a sabayon method, in which the eggs are first cooked with the lemon juice and sugar over hot water, then the butter is gradually incorporated—an easy method that results in a consistently good lemon custard or curd. The crust is made with sweet and nutty pine nuts, which I think are the perfect balance for the rich, tart custard.

“This cake uses gluten-free flour and coconut sugar. The result is moist and delightful—not overly sweet—and goes well with a warm cup of tea.” —Mordechai

The pairing of chickpea miso and Dijon here is reminiscent of the fish sauce we know and love. You can use any of your favorite veggies for the rolls. Using brown rice paper keeps this detox-friendly, and it’s fun to wrap. (To make these rolls vegan, substitute the chicken breast for 8 ounces of firm tofu, crumbled.)

If you aren’t in the goop Kitchen delivery area, here’s how to mimic the bone broth on the menu at home. The trick is getting really great-quality turmeric powder. This broth is meant to help replace your morning cup of coffee and brings with it the benefits of collagen.

This is a bright and light twist on the turkey burger. The zucchini adds great moisture to your burger so it doesn’t dry out when you're cooking, as turkey burgers tend to do. This parsley pesto is dairy-free (to keep it detox-friendly), but it still gives you all the beloved flavors of a traditional pesto. You could go with basil for the pesto, but we like the herbaceousness of parsley paired with the sweet potatoes and turkey.