Brenda Carleton

Similar to Swedish meatballs, these Finnish balls are made with pork and are served in a sour cream sauce and are topped with tart preserves.

Unlike humdrum store-bought chips, these have some semblance of sophistication, not to mention healthfulness. And yes, it's still hard to stop at just one.

Dunking fries in duck fat results in gently cooked, soft not crisp spuds that wield a deep, rich duck flavor.

Put simply, this dish is perfectly cooked beans and stewed tomatoes hanging out on creamy, cheesy polenta.

Steak marinated in a soy-ginger sauce is grilled, and wrapped with lettuce and peppers, before being wholly devoured. They're about as cool and fresh as you can get.

Green beans and mushrooms are a classic recipe combination. Adding bacon to the mix creates an unbeatable trio of flavors. A terrific side dish or salad.

A fondue without the pot, Fontina cheese is broiled with garlic, olive oil, and thyme until it's melted and bubbles. Scoop it up with hunks of bread.

Basil, tomato, and mozzarella--green, red, and white--are all this summer salad needs to shine. Oh, a drizzle of olive oil and a a squeeze of lemon help.

We've been smitten with this deliciously earthy, smoky chipotle salsa since the moment we tried it. You will be, too.

These Cantonese noodles stir-fried with shiitakes, soy sauce, and sesame oil are umami at its weeknight best.

New York Strip steak is rubbed with a garlic-rosemary infused olive oil and grilled then placed on top of a bed of salad greens. Grilling at its best.

These sassy fried shrimp are doused with plenty of lemon juice and fresh dill. Greek through and through. Opa!

Buttery, softly scrambled eggs arranged on toast and drizzled with fragrant white truffle oil. Sounds like supper to us.

Creamy, cheesy, irresistible polenta, similar to American grits, is cooked slowly until impossibly soft and then is topped with all types of sautéed mushrooms.

Creamy but not gloppy, light but not abstemious, this shrimp salad is gonna rock your world. And your cocktail party. And your lunch work rotation.

Grilled New York strip steaks cooked to perfection and gilded with roasted garlic butter. 100% outrageous. And, lucky for you,100% legal.

Perhaps the most iconic and indispensable ingredient in Moroccan cooking. And perhaps the easiest thing to make ever.