Gourmet

Inspired by the Persian fried-turnover cookies called ghotab, food editor Shelley Wiseman used a simple dough to enfold fragrant candied orange peel and pistachios. Her method for candying the peel is very straightforward, and the results—tender and fresh-tasting—are so much better than the store-bought stuff. The flaky baked pastry, generously coated with confectioners sugar, pairs nicely with the chewy-crunchy filling within.

Chicken soup is an automatic crowd-pleaser, but this Mexican-inspired tortilla soup does the classic one better. Homemade broth is key here, providing a base for brown rice, black beans, and chunks of sweet potato. Cooling pieces of avocado play off of a warm, earthy undercurrent of chipotle chiles.

For this interactive dinner, use a camping or induction burner at the table, or just get cozy around a warm stove. As the broth cooks the chicken and vegetables, it becomes a flavorful homemade soup.

We're taking the highway to French elegance with these stacked desserts. Unsweetened whipped cream is a wonderful foil for gooey caramelized pears and flaky puff pastry.

Forget fuss—the key to this recipe is leaving everything alone. Tossing cucumbers with salt and then letting them drain prevents their moisture from diluting the flavors of the finished dish. A long, unattended marination enhances the sweet-sour blend of sugar and white vinegar that makes this salad especially refreshing.

With all the amazing fresh produce available at this time of year, we always find ourselves facing the same dilemma: Which delicious, sun-warmed vegetable shall we choose tonight? But when food editor Ian Knauer threw the whole farm stand into a cornmeal crust, it took us only one bite to realize that he had solved the problem once and for all.

Juicy, buttery roasted grapes top this simple ricotta dessert.

Filets de Rouget et Haricots Verts Sauté aux Fruits Secs Highly prized for its firm, mild flesh, red mullet is a darling of French and Mediterranean chefs. Here, it sits on a splendid textural bed of haricots verts, dried apricots, and pine nuts.

In Morocco, toasted cumin is served right beside salt and pepper as a standard seasoning at every meal. Judging by the way it amplifies the taste of the roasted eggplant in this dish, the Moroccans have got the right idea.

The Japanese flavors at work here are a great way to add stylishness and exoticism to an inexpensive cut. And the whole thing really sings when you pair it with the <epi recipelink="" id="350696">Napa cabbage slaw</epi>.

Instead of the often-leaden, mayo-heavy supermarket slaw, why not try this wonderfully crisp version? The ginger and rice vinegar provide a fresh, clean flavor, and the serrano gives it just the right spark of heat.

Under the weight of a second skillet, the "pressed" chicken releases its fat and juices into the pan and ends up cooking in all that sumptuousness. The result is almost unbelievably moist meat. Adding the quick-cooked vegetables and the spicy perfume of marjoram completes what is sure to become a go-to recipe in your dinner arsenal.

The crunch of celery is a terrific counterpoint to the buttery quality of the Yukon Gold potatoes. Serving this salad alongside the <epi recipelink="" id="243164">salmon cakes</epi> or any grilled meat only adds to the celebration of textures.

A no-cook soup that's as effortless as it is elegant embodies everything we look for in a summer dish. The sweet honey and sharp vinegar are natural extensions of summertime tomatoes' flavor.

Peaches are already tender and ambrosial at this time of year, so imagine how deep their sweetness becomes after a trip to the oven concentrates their lusciousness even further. Streusel topping adds a delightful crispness.

Regardless of your foraging skills, you can experience the abundance of the woods with these delectable parcels, which combine the nutty chew of bulgur with rich toasted pine nuts, sweet currants, and smoky trout that could have come from a nearby brook—all neatly wrapped up in a lettuce leaf. And because they're so portable, you can easily enjoy them outdoors on a picnic blanket.

You might run across purslane, with its glossy, plump leaves, at a farmers market—and you might even find it growing in the cracks of your sidewalk or in your yard. Luckily, this incredibly nutritious and juicy green is a weed, which means it pops up wild nearly everywhere. Lots of chopped parsley and a simple vinaigrette flatter its herbal, lemony crunch.

As a wake-up call to his taste buds, food editor Ian Knauer adds a dollop of this vibrant, garlicky hot sauce to his egg sandwich (it often finds its way onto his lunch and dinner plates, too). Its versatility is the key—any variety or combination of chiles will produce a different yet full-flavored, lip-tingling sauce.

You can tell this recipe hails from a tropical environment because of the way the first bite of chiles causes a light sweat to break out on your brow. Then a breeze blows by, and— ahh—you're instantly cooled off and refreshed, able to fully enjoy the sweetness of plump shrimp and an evolving harmony of spices.

A perfect introduction to the allure of chiles, this Italian classic balances the cherry peppers' piquancy with roasted bell peppers, lemon, and parsley. It's a bright, summery dish that you'll hanker for all year long.