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Are you sick of cooking yet? Nearly a year on, perpetually washing dishes has probably gotten old, but there’s still some magic to be found in that fridge. After all, we could all benefit from breaking out of our routine and cooking up something joyful and delicious right about now. At Condé Nast Traveler, we remain interested in bringing the flavors of the world home. Our editors shared another batch of the best global recipes they’ve made in recent months; maybe you’ll be swayed to attempt a French quiche Lorraine, Thai green curry, or Jamaican jerk chicken, too. (Looking for cocktail recipes? We've got you covered with bartenders' favorites, plus ones to transport you to Mexico and Italy.) —Alex Erdekian
All products featured in this story are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This article was originally published in May 2020. It has been updated with new information.
Appetizers and sides
Indian-ish nachos
Recipes from Priya Krisha's cookbook likely show up in your Instagram feed on a recurring basis. All of the dishes, inspired by the meals she grew up eating, thanks to Indian parents and a childhood spent in Texas, are packed with flavor yet easy to make with ingredients you might already have on hand. The Indian-ish nachos are a go-to for me—that mix of oozing cheddar, spicy chutney, and tamarind never disappoints. —Megan Spurrell, associate editor
Get the recipe: Indian-ish, $26, bookshop.org
Pozole, Mexico
There's nothing like a steaming bowl of pozole on a cold day. It's such a satisfying combo— from hearty chili-infused broth and juicy pieces of pork to the white hominy corn and biting fresh radishes and lime on top. I just throw it all in a pot in the morning, and let it roll for a few hours for the perfect work-from-home lunch. —M.S.
Get the recipe: delish.com
Scallion pancakes, Taiwan
I ate scallion pancakes all the time while growing up in Taiwan, but I've never made them from scratch. After regrowing my scallions and seeing an Instagram Story on Bon Appétit, I finally found the courage to attempt them. They're flaky pancakes filled with scallions—I added ramps this time—and bring me right back to my childhood. I like to make them with egg, to add a bit of protein, and so it feels like a full breakfast. —Stephanie Wu, articles director
Try it at home: Rolling pin, $20, surlatable.com
Get the recipe: seriouseats.com
Hummus, Israel
I've never been to Israel, but boy do I want to go. Plus, as a vegetarian, the culinary delights beckon. Until I can book that inevitable trip, I travel there through my taste buds, and there's no better sensory experience than this homemade hummus. I go heavy on the garlic and drizzle liberally with my imported olive oil, but you can't go wrong with its creamy, melty texture. Pro tip: Definitely add the fried chickpeas, hot smoked Spanish paprika, and chopped parsley. —Lara Kramer, senior manager, audience development
Try it at home: Cuisinart DLC-2APK Mini-Prep Plus food processor, $51, amazon.com
Get the recipe: bonappetit.com
Chilaquiles, Mexico
Whenever I'm in Mexico, usually a couple times a year, chilaquiles are my weakness. The hearty breakfast dish is fairly simple—just a plate of tortilla chips smothered in red enchilada-like sauce and topped with crumbled cheese, crema, avocado, and, importantly, fried eggs—but there's nothing quite like it, especially after a late night and one too many sips of mezcal. The key to making chilaquiles at home is really in nailing the sauce, and getting creative with garnishes (canned pickled jalapeños are my favorite add-on right now). It's also a great way to repurpose extra tortilla chips. —M.S.
Get the recipe: thekitchn.com
Pimento cheese spread, United States
I suppose I've always taken it for granted that everyone in my family keeps a container of Pawleys Island pimento cheese in the fridge at all times—it's our collective family snack. But since I reside in New York, beyond the distribution reaches of the South Carolina spread, I have to make my own. No matter, it's insanely easy and reliably delicious, built on a few key ingredients, including—and this part is critical—a tablespoon of Vidalia onion, hand grated. I don't know why, but that's the magic thing that takes it from good to great. Mix it all together and refrigerate a few hours, so the flavors can meld, before diving in. No matter what, it always makes me feel like I'm home. —Corina Quinn, city guides director
Get the recipe: gardenandgun.com
Italian wedding soup, Italy
Last Christmas I served this as the warm-up to the traditional pan of festive lasagne (again, Italian-American, it is what we do). I make mine with mini chicken meatballs, started in the oven then finished off in the simmer of the soup, made with ground chicken and crumbled chicken sausage, orzo pasta, chicken broth, soffritto, hunks of Parmesan, and heaping handfuls of spinach thrown in at the end. I find it to be one of the tastiest and lightest soups out there. —Erin Florio, travel news director
Get the recipe: foodnetwork.com
Lettuce wraps, China
When I want a dish that's bold in flavor, produce-forward, and healthy, this is my go-to. If you close your eyes, you can let the smell of the grilled scallions in soy sauce and ginger transport you far away—plus, pre-plan your night by picking up a few Tsingtao beers in advance and you can truly double down on the cheapest vacation to Asia you'll ever take. —L.K.
Get the recipe: foodnetwork.com
Black mushroom rice (Diri Djon Djon), Haiti
When you think of rice, you generally think of white or brown, but in this specialty Haitian dish, the rice is black and it’s called Riz Djon-Djon, which is a type of mushroom. The mushrooms are black and only used for the stock they produce after being boiled, which is where the rice gets its coloring from. The most important part when creating this dish is adding in a good amount of seasoning as well as lima beans or green peas. It is usually served with meats or seafood, but tastes great by itself, too. —Shauna Beni, former editorial assistant
Get the recipe: caribbeangreenliving.com
Steamed buns, China
I got the Momofuku cookbook as a gift several years ago and immediately flipped to the page for pork buns. They look like, and most certainly are, a project, but a project worth taking on with the extra time we have to spend in the kitchen. There is something meditative about individually forming the little balls and rolling it out, and, of course, the melt-away pork belly that goes inside each one is delicious. —N.K.
Try it at home: Bamboo steamer, from $20, williams-sonoma.com
Get the recipe: epicurious.com
Mains
Coq au vin, France
Living in a tiny Manhattan apartment, I keep a barebones kitchen. So when I get the opportunity to use my mom’s cherry red Le Creuset dutch oven, you will find me taking full advantage of my upgraded digs. One time, I used it to test my French cooking skills and make a meal for my whole family. I felt like going all out, so I chose a tedious Julia Child-style French recipe, coq au vin, which translates to rooster with wine. (As someone who do not live on a farm, I used dark chicken legs instead.) I marinated the bird in Burgundy, browned it in bacon fat, chopped and sizzled so many vegetables, braised the chicken even longer in the pot, and all the while the smells of reducing red wine, thyme, garlic, and pearl onions floated through the air. After much more sweat and turmoil—and griddling up some quick homemade croutons—dinner was served. —Alex Erdekian, assistant editor, city guides
Try it at home: Dutch oven, from $155, lecreuset.com
Get the recipe: cooking.nyt.com
Butter chicken, India
I've been trying to expand my Instant Pot repertoire, and this super-easy butter chicken totally fit the bill. It's fantastic for a weekend dinner, since it takes up to five hours to cook, but if you're really organized, you could start it around lunchtime on a weekday to have it ready in time for dinner. We adjusted the spices to make it spicier, and used chicken thighs because I much prefer dark meat. It's as simple as it gets—prep the sauce of softened onions, tomato paste, and spices in a pan, and then add it to the chicken in a slow cooker with coconut milk and chicken stock. —S.W.
Try it at home: 6-Quart Instant Pot Duo Nova, $100, amazon.com
Get the recipe: cooking.nyt.com
Bo ssam, Korea
When there's a snowstorm brewing and I really want to treat myself with a decadently cozy day at home, it's Momofuku's Bo Ssam for me. The signature dish is shockingly easy to make—you basically throw a pork shoulder in the oven for eight hours—and once you have the basics for the accompanying sauces (easy to find at HMart or some Whole Foods), you can recreate this meal time and time again. When it's finally time to tuck in, the pork wraps feel like the kind of thing I would typically travel very, very far for. —M.S.
Get the recipe: cooking.nyt.com
Tagine, Morocco
The weekend I moved into my apartment in Brooklyn, I spent an afternoon exploring the food stores on Atlantic Avenue, and was particularly inspired by the ingredients that lined the shelves of Sahadi’s, a middle eastern market. Couscous! Almonds! Spices galore! I interpreted it as a command from the universe to make Moroccan tagine for the first time that very night. —A.E.
Try it at home: Shop for meat at Dellapietras butchery and (nearly) everything else at Sahadi’s
Recipe: bonappetit.com
Pad Thai, Thailand
I’ve never been to Thailand (one day... sigh), but as it relates to the stay-at-home life, Thai food is my favorite takeout, and Pad Thai one of my favorite dishes. Nearly a year into the pandemic, my boyfriend and I set out to make it. He is a perfectionist and doesn’t alter recipes whatsoever, so he was deeply disturbed when I bought tamarind concentrate instead of tamarind paste. “But isn’t it practically the exact same thing?” I said. We settled for watering it down by a fraction, to get it as close as possible to what his YouTube cooking video called for. —A.E.
Try it at home: Tamarind paste, $13, 177milkstreet.com
Recipe: youtube.com
Hot chicken, Nashville
There might not be a dish more associated with its city than hot chicken and Nashville. The messy, crispy fireball that is a hot chicken thigh is the only thing you really can't leave Nashville without eating (and you should eat it at Prince's). Making it at home, though, is a perfect project right now. Our friends at Bon Appétit have a stellar recipe. Just do yourself a favor and make sure you have a deep fry thermometer on hand—nothing screws up fried chicken like cooking in oil that's too hot or too cold. —Noah Kaufman, city guides editor
Try it at home: OXO Good Grips deep fry thermometer, $20, amazon.com
Get the recipe: bonappetit.com
Dry pot, China
Málà Project is one of my favorite spots to grab a casual dinner in New York City. Pre-pandemic, I'd often catch up with friends over their fiery dry pots, which include a choose-your-own adventure mix of meat, seafood, and veggies tossed with a burst of spices like numbing Szechuan peppercorns. Since I live too far for delivery or pickup these days, I found a recipe online, then hit up my local imported spice shop to recreate the meal at home. I usually toss in sliced rice cakes, lotus root, bok choy, and as many kinds of mushrooms as I can find—it's the next best thing to being back at Málà Project. —M.S.
Get the recipe: tastingtable.com
Enchiladas verdes, Texas
I know that enchiladas verde has many iterations, and that Tex-Mex is rightfully defined as its own cuisine, so it was fun to dive into this version from Homesick Texan, which is inspired by the now-closed restaurant Amalia's. To me, the crux of the recipe hinges on the salsa—in this case, made with tomatillo, onion, garlic, cilantro, and serranos. Expend most of your effort there, and the rest is assembly. At this time of year, I love nothing more than a good casserole-style recipe, but this one's bright flavors and color made me feel I was living in a much sunnier and warmer place. —C.Q.
Try it at home: Verve Culture XL artisan tortilla press, $60, surlatable.com
Get the recipe: homesicktexan.com
Chorizo con huevos, Mexico
This is my family's go-to holiday morning brunch. We serve it with tortillas, avocado, fresh tomatoes, refried beans, and gin fizzes. It's by no means the lightest breakfast out there, but it is delicious; the salty chorizo makes your scrambled eggs a million times more flavorful than usual. Be sure to get a soft crumbly chorizo, like Cacique's beef chorizo. —Madison Flager, commerce editor
Try it at home: Cacique beef chorizo, $1, walmart.com
Get the recipe: chilipeppermadness.com
Tagliatelle, Italy
I’ve long been enamored with fresh pasta. I trace the origin of my obsession back to friends’ birthday parties in Boston’s North End when I was in high school, in which we slurped black strands of squid-ink slathered spaghetti around a long wooden table. But it was during my college semester studying in Florence when I went really wild for the dough. I lived with a woman named Loretta who would often cook big dinners for herself, my roommate, and me to enjoy together. A regular item on the table was tagliatelle that she picked up fresh from a market down the street. I’ve been longing to recreate it ever since. —A.E.
Try it at home: Marcato Atlas 150 Pasta Machine, $85, amazon.com
Get the recipe: saltfatacidheat.com
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Pesto, Italy
…And if you want even more details on my tagliatelle habits from that time in my life, you should know that the bowls of pasta were often dressed in green pesto sauce. This pesto was the good stuff. The pine nuts crunched with each twirled-fork bite. The crushed raw garlic zinged. The crisp basil cooled it all down. And the olive oil slicked up each and every tagliatella (Italian lesson: the singular form!) for heavenly sauce-to-strand ratios. It tasted like a spring garden swing dancing with carbs. I think about it far too often. When making pesto yourself, pound and crush the ingredients with a mortar and pestle to get the most out of them—their natural juices will release deliciously into a creamy paste. —A.E.
Try it at home: Natural Stone Mortar & Pestle, from $90, food52.com
Get the recipe: saltfatacidheat.com
Albondigas, Mexico
Another family favorite, this soup is made with meatballs, rice, and plenty of veggies. It works especially well right now because you can throw in whatever vegetables are in the fridge, really—carrots, onions, potatoes, peppers. Sometimes we throw jalapeños in to make it spicier. Either way, it's pure comfort food. —M.F.
Get the recipe: bonappetit.com
Jerk chicken with rice and peas, Jamaica
My mother-in-law is Jamaican and the first time I ever tried her jerk chicken with rice and peas, I was hooked. It’s a spicy and flavorful dish that is well known in the Caribbean and a classic meal in Jamaica. To nail this recipe, it’s all about how well you season your chicken; leave time to let it marinate in a mixture of jerk sauce and various spices. Hot tip: Jerk chicken tastes amazing when it’s oven-baked, but it’s even better if you can transfer it to a grill. There’s nothing better than biting into a sizzling piece of chicken and tasting the crunchy and smoky bits. The chicken can be paired with anything but traditionally it is served with rice and peas. Coconut milk and red kidney beans are must-have ingredients when making this dish. —S.B.
Try it at home: Red kidney beans, $3, thrivemarket.com
Get the recipe: leviroots.com
Chicken curry with roti, Guyana
A lot of Guyanese cuisine stems from Indian influences, and this style of curry chicken is a staple household dish that I grew up with and love to eat. It’s a spicy and tasty stew, made with chicken and a curry powder-garam masala mixture. You have to simmer the meat until some of the liquid has reduced, and you’re left with a thick broth. In Guyanese families, there’s always one person who makes the best curry and for me, that person was my mom. According to her, the best curry should include the right amount of salt, thick gravy, and the chicken must have a yellowish color to it. It is traditionally served with rice or roti, another popular dish made in Guyana. Roti is a type of round flatbread made from flour, oil, yeast, baking powder, and butter. Some days, when I’m not in the mood for curry, I love eating plain roti with peanut butter. —S.B.
Get the recipe: Chicken curry, alicaspepperpot.com
Get the recipe: Roti, metemgee.com
Fluffy soufflé pancakes, Japan
More than ever, I miss seeing my friends and family, zooming (not on my computer) around the city on the subway, and, if I’m being real, here, brunch. I have a newfound appreciation for how great the ritual of debriefing life while trying some new dish you’ve been seeing all over Instagram can be. For months, I had been meaning to try the bouncy, thick stacks of soufflé pancakes at Flippers in SoHo. It looks like I will have to continue my wait to dine there for now, so until then, I’m trying my hand at them. —A.E.
Try it at home: Stainless steel cake rings, $16 for four, amazon.com
Get the recipe: tasty.co
Risotto, Italy
You know the rule: never leave a cooking risotto unattended. I love making risotto for much of the same reasons why I love to cook ragu—you control the layers of flavors. I always keep mine simple—loads of Parmesan and spinach, broccoli or mushrooms, spiked with white wine (never red), and without meat. If I can finish it with a drizzle of excellent quality truffle oil, it's like I am back in Piemonte....though of course there they would be shaving on a mound of the fresh tuber. —E.F.
Try it at home: Black truffle oil, $16, thespicehouse.com
Get the recipe: bonappetit.com
Caribbean-style fried rice, Guyana
Fried Rice is a must-have at West Indian functions (birthdays, weddings, you name it), and it's a meal that I make about once a week with chicken, shrimp, or no meat at all. What makes it different from other styles of fried rice is that the Guyanese version includes bora beans and Chinese five-spice powder. I am a huge fan of vegetables and love making my fried rice with diced carrots, shredded cabbage, and baby corn. The trick to getting the recipe just right? It’s in the sauce–mushroom, soy, oyster, and pepper sauce will give you all the flavor you need. —S.B.
Try it at home: Chinese five-spice, $9, thrivemarket.com
Get the recipe: alicaspepperpot.com
Grapow, Thailand
There is no doubt: This is the thing you want to eat at the end of your third Zoom happy hour of the night. It is perhaps the perfect Thai drinking food. Ground chicken mixed with a sweet stir fry sauce, a punch amount of bird's eye chili, and garlic and a fried egg on top. Kris Yenbamroong has a wonderful (and super easy) version in the Night & Market cookbook based on his unbeatable L.A. restaurant. —N.K.
Try it at home: Night + Market: Delicious Thai Food to Facilitate Drinking and Fun Having Amongst Friends, $32, bookshop.org
Pierogi, Poland
I’ve never actually made pierogies (I know, I know, it’s cheating) but growing up, my favorite variety came from Family’s Pierogies, a Greenpoint-based manufacturer of Polish foodstuffs, including kielbasa and naleśniki (which my Ashkenazi family refers to in Yiddish as “blintzes”), or thin, cheese- or fruit-filled pancakes. My parents would often make us boiled pierogies—usually of the potato-and-onion variety—for dinner, serving them up with sour cream and applesauce. Maybe it sounds sacrilegious, but I preferred them to a piping-hot bowl of mac 'n’ cheese. You can order your packs from Family’s online—it’s a great way to support a small business right now. —Betsy Blumenthal, associate editor
Get the recipe: kingarthurflour.com
Al pastor tacos, Mexico
Succulent pork roasting on a vertical spit, coated in achiote paste and a whirl of other herbs and spices—it is the only filling a street taco should ever have, and you could probably spend an entire week walking Mexico City looking for the best version. While we aren't traveling though, al pastor can be a little tricky to duplicate at home, but Alex Stupak, the chef behind New York's Empellón, has a wonderful cheater's version in his book Tacos: Recipes and Provocations, which also happens to be one of the great taco cookbooks anywhere. —N.K.
Try it at home: Tacos: Recipes and Provocations, $30, bookshop.org
Pizza, Italy
We see you getting ready to order a pizza. Put down the phone! Put it down now! Making a neapolitan-style pizza at home is actually quite easy as long you have the right things around. While you probably won't get an 800 degree pizza oven in your house, a good pizza steel and the hottest temperature you can manage from your oven will do the trick. Pick up a little Italian 00 flour if you want to be really authentic. —N.K.
Try it at home: Baking steel, $99, surlatable.com; Antimo Caputo 00 flour, from $14, amazon.com
Get the recipe: seriouseats.com
Bulgogi, Korea
Whenever it was bulgogi night at my house as a kid, I would practically go without lunch just so I had plenty of room in my stomach to fill with the delicious, umami-rich grilled meat later on. The thin, slightly charred strips of marinated steak may just be the standout dish of Korean cooking, a cuisine that ranks in the top three in my book. I don't have a barbecue at my place in Brooklyn, so I use a cast iron skillet to cook up the meat how it needs to be—the hot plate crisps the sauced edges nearly as good as flames on a grill. And don't get too fancy with the cut you use. Flank actually works great. And if you can, marinade it at least overnight. —E.F.
Try it at home: Lodge Blacklock triple seasoned cast-iron skillet, from $30, williams-sonoma.com
Get the recipe: bonappetit.com
Three-cup chicken, Taiwan
I came across this classic Taiwanese recipe when I was looking for an easy weeknight meal. The three-cup supposedly refers to soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar, but I don't think anyone actually follows this recipe. Between the fresh basil, the whole garlic cloves, and the sesame oil, my apartment smelled amazing as I made this. And because it's made over high heat in a wok, I was able to finish this dish within 30 minutes. —S.W.
Try it at home: Joyce Chen 10-piece wok set, $80, crateandbarrel.com
Get the recipe: cooking.nytimes.com
Eggs in purgatory, Italy
Think of this Italian dish as shakshuka, but without the feta. It's a warming, comforting meal that goes heavy on the spices, and is amazing served with bread. I'd half the recipe next time—it's hard to reheat the eggs—but it comes together super easily and has earned a spot in my rotation. —S.W.
Try it at home: Gourmet cast-iron skillet, $60, homedepot.com
Get the recipe: cooking.nytimes.com
Pastitsio, Greece
As a Greek-American, pastitsio is one of those special foods I grew up on. I ate it on festive occasions, whether my yiayia made it for Easter or I was devouring a dense square in my church’s gymnasium after a post-Sunday school Greek dancing session. Pastitsio is basically the Greek version of lasagna. Its layers include a tube-shaped pasta like bucatini, which lends a springy buoyancy that lasagna’s flat sheets lack; ground beef and pork, and tomato sauce spiced with cinnamon and cloves; and a top of creamy béchamel, crunchy, burnished, and toasty on its surface after just enough time in the oven. Hot quarantine tip: It freezes beautifully. —A.E.
Get the recipe: mygreekdish.com
Sanguche con chicharron, Peru
I spent a few months living in Peru, and my favorite Sunday lunch was always a hefty sanguche con chicharron: a sandwich of pork, fried sweet potatoes, crunchy lime-drenched red onions, and a slathering of spicy sauces and mayo on a toasted roll. (My favorite was at El Enano in Lima, though the very-popular La Lucha never disappoints.) I finally tackled the dish during quarantine—thanks to my new favorite Peruvian cookbook, Ceviche—and it was heavenly. Honestly the hardest part is waiting for the food to be ready; you have to cook down a pork shoulder for hours, but there's not much additional work to be done, and the final result is so, so delicious. —M.S.
Try it at home: Ceviche cookbook, $46, amazon.com
Sushi, Japan
I haven't been to Japan, but I feel like I've traveled there and back a hundred times given how much Japanese food I've eaten. I constantly crave sushi, and I've occasionally made my own over the years because it's honestly really fun. No surprise, I've loved doing so during quarantine, because it turns meal time into an event—all you need are fresh cuts of your favorite fish, sushi rice (very easy to find online), seaweed, a few veggies, and a can-do attitude. My favorite combo? Scallops, chopped with spicy mayo, plus a little avocado and jalapeño. The joy of hand rolls is that you don't have to take them too seriously, either (trust me; ditch that bamboo sushi roller). If you've ever ordered a hand roll, just take a stab at it, and know there are plenty of video tutorials online if you need a little support. —M.S.
Try it at home: Sushi rice, $3.49, snukfoods.com
Anticuchos de corazón, Peru
Grocery stores may be running low on basics like chicken and fish—but I can promise you, they aren't running out of unusual cuts of meats like heart. I took a stab at making anticuchos de corazón, grilled cow heart skewers usually sold on the streets in Peru, and let me tell you: I'm ready to become a frequent consumer. The key is to marinate the thin slices of hearts for hours in a chili paste, before skewering and grilling them at high heat for a nice smoky flavor. The end result is a super nutritious (and very, very affordable) alternative to steak skewers that you can easily trick your family into eating. The recipe, again, from my Peruvian cookbook, made the dish almost too easy to tackle. —M.S.
Green curry, Thailand
Thai cuisine can be complex to tackle at home—from the specific chilis needed, to hours required manning the mortar and pestle, anything with curry in the name is usually a boatload of work for the average home chef. But I've found one shortcut that tastes as good as the dishes slaved over. Pick up a jar of Mae Ploy curry paste, a can of coconut milk, and a handful of sturdy veggies (I like sweet potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms), plus garnishes like fresh basil and lime. Follow the recipe on the curry paste and I swear, the end result, ready in under thirty, will transport you to the streets of Chiang Mai. —M.S.
Try it at home: Mae Ploy Thai Green Curry Paste, $15, amazon.com
Spaghetti alla Nerano, Italy
This was one of the first dishes my now-fiancé made for me when we started dating, and I remember it not just because it's the perfect comfort food, but because it takes a lot of TLC to prepare. His Italian grandmother made it for his mother and his mother for him, and it's a dish that requires patience and a love of standing over your stove for a good chunk of time. You have to slice the zucchini expertly thin and then fry each disk with enough room to perfectly brown and crisp, but when you take that first bite, I swear you can taste the love in that delicious layer of al dente pasta, crunchy zucchini, and ooey gooey Parmesan. It brings back such happy memories for me that we're considering having it at our wedding. But someone else can make that order. —L.K.
Try it at home: Handheld mandoline, $25, surlatable.com
Get the recipe: food52.com
Tahdig, Iran
Arguably one of the most delicious components of Persian cuisine—and there are many—is tahdig. Meaning “bottom of the pot” in Farsi, tahdig, a crispy, crunchy, golden treat, is achieved by placing extra cooking fat at the bottom of a pot of steaming rice, in order to harden the bottom layer of grains. It sounds simple—but you’d be surprised at how easy it is to mess up. I’ve enjoyed countless plates of the stuff with my fiancé at our local Persian haunt, Seven Valleys, but I’m also a fan of Samin Nosrat’s “Persian-ish Rice with Tahdig” recipe. The Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat author's take on the dish requires just five ingredients, and her detailed instructions and straightforward approach are practically guaranteed to ensure your success. —B.B.
Get the recipe: saltfatacidheat.com
Frikadeller, Denmark
Who doesn’t love a good meatball? Seriously: Whether herb-laden, pan-fried, or smothered in sauce, it’s little wonder that countries all around the world, from Spain to Sweden and Italy, have their own take on this rounded wonder food. But I’m pretty convinced that Denmark’s variety, frikadeller, doesn’t get enough love. Made with pork and beef (and lots and lots of onions), the Danes have nailed this dish, and you can, too: All you’ll need are those ingredients, plus breadcrumbs, an egg, salt, pepper, and a little upper-arm stamina. Mix it all together, and throw your frikadeller in a well-buttered frying pan; it’s pretty hard to go wrong. —B.B.
Get the recipe: food.com
Ragu, Italy
I am not one for recipes and I find that ragu, or bolognese as is more commonly known in the U.S., is one of the greatest dishes for layering flavors to suit your own palette (which is likely why everyone's version is slightly different). I start mine with a soffritto—diced carrots, onions, and celery, and add in red bell pepper and fresh cut parsley for more depth. I cook this with a splash of red wine and a splash of stock then add in meat. I do pork, beef, and veal, and add in good quality whole peeled tomatoes and let it simmer all day, during which I'll add in Parmesan, more stock, and seasonings to taste. The version more common in Bologna, the birthplace of ragu, is meaty and moist but with no excess sauce, and I try to cook out as much of the liquid from the tomatoes and stock as possible. Standing over the stove and cooking a large pan of the stuff is a perfect February Sunday. And it freezes well if you make a large batch. —E.F.
Get the recipe: delish.com
Lasagne alla bolognese, Italy
My closest friends know it's a big deal when I bust out this lasagne—it's the real deal, recipe straight from Emilia-Romagna, and I picked it up during the years I worked for an Italian culinary magazine. It also takes several hours to make, between prep and letting the meat sauce simmer while you work on the béchamel and noodles. (Full disclosure: I buy either fresh from the store or no-boil in a box, which comes out really well, believe it or not.) People know it's a labor of love if you're making this. But is there a better reward for the work? The ragu gets so flavorful, the noodles go with it perfectly, and the béchamel brings it all together in a rich, creamy finish. The only thing better is eating it in Italy—which I can't wait to do again. —C.Q.
Get the recipe: lacucinaitaliana.com
Ground chicken larb, Laos and Thailand
I cannot wait to one day meet the Bon Appétit editor who created this recipe, so I can personally thank her for saving my weeknight cooking funks several times now. Though she notes it's a riff on larb and not a traditional Thai or Laotian recipe, I love it for being so easy and fast, yet so flavorful—it feels like I treated myself to take-out. Serve it over rice with lettuce, lime, pickled onion, and herbs like cilantro and mint, then marvel how you managed to live this long without it. —C.Q.
Get the recipe: bonappetit.com
Cheese blintzes, Russia and Ukraine
A classic of any Russian household, I grew up eating my babushka’s homemade blinchiki on weekend mornings, drowning the thin, crepe-like pancakes in sweetened condensed milk, or going the savory route and filling them with caviar or smoked salmon. More recently, I've been getting my fix at NYC institution Veselka in the East Village, where they stuff their blintzes with farmers cheese and top with a seasonal compote, a combination I’ve been recreating at home lately with this recipe. —Sarah Ratner, former associate manager, social media
Get the recipe: toriavey.com
Tomato pie, United States
I still can't hide my shock when I meet someone who has never had tomato pie. What do you do each summer, when tomatoes are in peak season? There are all kinds of variations out there, but this simple version is the classic style I knew growing up. Slice your tomatoes, and do not skip this step: drain them in a colander with a little salt for at least 10 minutes, otherwise you will have a soggy pie. (I cheat and buy a savory crust from the store, because I'm kind of terrible at baking.) Bake it until a brown crust has formed on the top. Let cool, and eat while cheese is still melted into the filling. This is how you should eat all summer long. —C.Q.
Get the recipe: foodnetwork.com
Shakshuka, Israel
This Mediterranean staple has been my go-to Sunday brunch food since I first tried it on a trip to Israel, made up of eggs cooked in a fragrant mix of tomato sauce, garlic, and spices. I love it not just because it fills my kitchen with delicious aromas but because it’s nearly impossible to mess up. I follow this NYT Cooking recipe pretty closely, sometimes swapping the can of whole plum tomatoes for crushed tomatoes, and occasionally skipping the oven step if I’m short on time (read: especially hungry). —S.R.
Get the recipe: cooking.nytimes.com
Miso salmon, Japan
My boyfriend stumbled upon this recipe by accident years ago when looking for new ways to prepare salmon, and it quickly became one of our favorite dinner recipes. It requires very few ingredients and very little prep time, making it an easy, healthy weeknight meal. Plus it gives us an excuse to break out the sake! —S.R.
Get the recipe: justonecookbook.com
Pork chops with apples and Brussel sprouts, Denmark
My partner recently asked me what my favorite comforting thing to cook was, and this recipe immediately jumped to mind. Like a lot of Danish things, it’s a simple dish, but always looks beautiful. With only five main ingredients—pork chops, your favorite kind of apple, Brussels sprouts, a whole lot of butter, and fresh dill—all fried together in one pan, it’s really easy to pull together. I found it in a cookbook my fiancé gave me, Copenhagen Food: Stories, Tradition and Recipes. Copenhagen is our favorite city (we got engaged there), and cooking from it always brings me right back. —Mercedes Bleth, senior social media manager
Try it at home: Copenhagen Food: Stories, Tradition and Recipes, $32, bookshop.org
Quiche Lorraine, France
This classic version, the first quiche variant most members of my parents' generation knew, is becoming a go-to in my family. It's surprisingly easy to prepare, everyone loves it, and it will sustain us through several breakfasts in a row. —Jesse Ashlock, U.S. editor
Try it at home: Vitamix professional-grade blender, $450, amazon.com
Get the recipe: bonappetit.com
Ginger garlic drumsticks, China
An old friend sent me this recipe because she said it tasted incredibly similar to our favorite high school cafeteria meal—a marinated chicken leg over rice that alumni still return for on special occasions. Cooking the chicken with its skin on lends itself to a crispy, caramelized finish, and all the ingredients are ones that are always stocked in my pantry—soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, garlic, and ginger. This cooks quickly in an Instant Pot, so it's not one of those meals you need to wait all day for. —S.W.
Try it at home: 6-Quart Instant Pot Duo Nova, $100, amazon.com
Get the recipe: livingsweetmoments.com
Smoked brisket, Texas
I understand the reaction this will almost certainly provoke the great state of Texas, but here it goes: Whether you get it from Franklin or Mickelthwait or get up at 4 a.m. to make it yourself, a smoked brisket is one of the great show-stopping party foods. But since there haven't been many parties over the last year, I went looking for a less labor intensive way to make a smaller amount of meat that would still get me that brisket goodness. Fortunately the culinary nerds from Chefsteps in Seattle figured out a way to do it with a sous vide circulator, a plastic bag, and some liquid smoke. It's as close to Texas as I can get during a snowy northeast winter. —N.K.
Try it at home: Joule sous vide circulator, $250, surlatable.com
Get the recipe: chefsteps.com
Desserts
Crepes, France
Thin, light, full of something savory or sweet, crepes are one of those foods that immediately transport me back to my first trip to Europe. They are also one of those weekend breakfasts I have tried and failed to make many times. My plates were littered with broken, strangely shaped pancakes. But after I dropped all of $14 on a set of crepe spreaders this winter, my problems were solved. Never underestimate the importance of having the right tool for a job. —N.K.
Try it at home: Crepe spreaders, $13, amazon.com
Get the recipe: bonappetit.com
Fondue, Switzerland
When the temperatures dropped and New York City saw its first snowfalls, I started craving comfort food in a big way. Then, while doing some cabinet reorganization (thanks, The Home Edit!), I found my forgotten fondue pot. That week, I fired it back up for a silky, slightly rich cheese fondue—a recipe that could not be easier. The key to this one is its use of Emmental and Gruyere cheeses, and the final pop of flavor from the Kirsch brandy. Beyond that, it merely requires some prep work, some stirring, keeping an eye on the temperature of the pot, and really good bread. Nothing better when you want to be warm and lazy indoors. —C.Q.
Try it at home: Swissmar Lugano cast iron cheese fondue set, $100, amazon.com
Get the recipe: epicurious.com
Portuguese egg tarts, Portugal
Many of my fondest memories from those naive months preceding the shutdown involve two things: friends and food. One of my roommates is an ambitious amateur baker; another is an adventurous eater who travels often and could talk all day about bo lo baaus (Hong Kong pineapple buns) and Portuguese egg tarts; and I, well, I just love to eat. Together, we were the perfect recipe for the buttery, flaky, custardy yellow pastries to be born into existence in my apartment on a chilly Sunday. Their making was an all-day affair, but it was well worth it as we crammed on the couch watching Midsommar together and devouring tarts in harmony. —A.E.
Try it at home: Candy thermometer, $15, amazon.com
Get the recipe: bonappetit.com
Cardamom bread pudding, India
I've only had this once, at my last social gathering pre-quarantine—a cookbook club party—and I've been thinking about making it ever since, especially since it only requires a handful of ingredients. It comes from Priya Krishna's Indian-Ish cookbook, and reminds me of an Indian version of tres leches, with a bit more texture thanks to the crunchy pistachios that go on top. The only thing stopping me from making it is knowing I will want to eat the entire pan at once. —M.F.
Try it at home: Indian-ish, $26, bookshop.org
Pavlova, New Zealand
Full disclaimer: I have never cooked pavlova, but every time I see this antipodean version of meringue (named for the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova and conceived of in New Zealand, though Australia often takes credit for it), I get just a tiny bit nostalgic for the desserts I was always served at friends houses growing up. The light cake decorated with fresh fruits like passionfruit, berries, and kiwifruit started to take off in the States a few years back and is actually simple to make at home as it takes just a few ingredients. —E.F.
Get the recipe: cooking.nytimes.com
Basque burnt cheesecake, Spain
I absolutely love all types of cheesecake—I hosted a blind cheesecake taste test for my birthday once—but the most recent one I had was at Katie Button's Curate pop-up at Chef's Counter in New York. Her Basque cheesecake was impossibly light and reminded me of my trip to San Sebastian. Even though making a cheesecake sounds intimidating, this recipe was incredibly easy to make and required only one bowl. I'd make this again in a heartbeat, since I can't go back to San Sebastian any time soon. —S.W.
Try it at home: Springform pan set, $25, wayfair.com
Get the recipe: bonappetit.com
Tres leches, Latin America
It's hard to say exactly where tres leches came from, but it is a popular dessert in places like Nicaragua, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Miami. My older brother made the sweet, milky cake about a hundred times during high school, often at the request of friends. It's rich, creamy (the name is literally three milks), caramel-y, and only requires a few ingredients to put together. If you're celebrating a birthday during quarantine, this is the thing to make. —M.F.
Get the recipe: tasteofhome.com