In Indian tandoori cooking, much of the flavor comes from the ripping-hot temperatures, up to 900 F, which send spice and smoke sizzling out the top of barrel-shaped clay ovens. The meat, usually chicken or lamb threaded on skewers, chars beautifully. But why does it emerge from the oven ...

On the Greek table, vegetable dishes called ladera are not intended as mere sides. Instead, these filling meals put vegetables center stage, often involving lavish amounts of legumes braised in olive oil and tomato — plus plenty of crusty bread to sop up the juices. For that, you can thank ...

From May to August each year, the turbulent waters between Sicily and Calabria erupt with fishermen searching for what’s known as the king of the strait, swordfish. Once on land, the massive fish is cut into succulent steaks for one of Southern Italy’s most emblematic summertime dishes, ...

What better ingredient for a spring meal than a seasonal food favorite like asparagus? It’s at the top of my can’t-wait-for-spring vegetable list. Asparagus can be steamed, boiled, stir-fried, roasted, baked, grilled or broiled. Pretty much any way you can cook a vegetable. It is ...

The Syrian soup shurba w’kibbeh is pure comfort food, a rustic mixture of meatballs and rice in a simple tomatoey broth that’s redolent with warm spices. It’s also a prime example of the complex flavor you can build by drawing on ingredients already in your pantry. This recipe from our ...

A simple lamb stew makes a hearty centerpiece for a good meal. Rich and brothy, with only a handful of ingredients, this is a lamb stew at its most elemental, though different cooks will embellish it in different ways. A basic lamb stew includes meat, potatoes, onions, water and not much ...