Linda Pacchiano

The words "orange chicken" used to make us think of gloppy Chinese takeout—until we tried this orange chicken.

No ordinary chicken pot pie, this one seems to have gone to finishing school but without a lot of fuss. Just a couple of simple yet significant aspects done exceptionally well.

We're hearing a lot about how easy and insanely delicious this classic Mexican pork stew is. And how loved ones are clamoring to leftovers to work the next day. Sounds like a keeper to us.

After tasting this richly spiced yet surprisingly nuanced recipe we asked them to try, someone suggested we change our name to "Leite's Cauliflower." Hmmm...

After trying this Southern good-luck charm of black-eyed peas, we say forget the luck. Just pass more of these peas, please.

Pickle juice-brined pork chops. Yes, you read that correctly. And yes, we know what you're thinking. Why didn't we think of brining pork chops in dill pickle juice? It's easy, ingenious, and, natch, delicious.

A no-brainer for autumn with a lovely French accent.

An Indian-inspired riff on a classic that melds crab, sweet corn, and potatoes in a curry-spiked coconut milk broth, resulting in a luxuriously rich yet surprisingly light bisque.

Because there weren't enough tempting potato salads in the world, The South came up with its own rendition. And yes, it calls for Duke's. And a whole lotta other tempting things.

This simple summer crowd-pleaser has "easy entertaining" scrawled all over it. Just don't forget the bottle opener.

Haute yet homey, this rustic Italian cake with its delicate crumb and pockets of jammy plum awesomeness will cause you to anticipate plum season like never, ever before.

Got a ton of cherry tomatoes and a craving for a creamy, cheesy, gorgeous summer tart? Lucky for you, we have the perfect solution.

Is there anything better than roasted garlic? We think not. Three ingredients. Almost no effort. And yet what results is both complex and versatile and knee-wobblingly lovely.

An herbaceous steaming liquid lends a lovely lilt to this lobster while drawn butter brings it loads of lusciousness.

Reason number #456 to love summer? This luxuriously decadent yet relatively, marginally, healthful chocolate zucchini cake. Seriously.

Does it get any better (or more like you're vacationing south of the border) than grilled corn slathered with lime mayo, cheese, cilantro, and hot sauce? Nah.

This zucchini linguine is a panoply of summer abundance with summer squash and herbs crowding out the usual pasta sauce suspects. No complaints here.

Stale bread? Itsoaks up a tangy vinaigrette in this interpretation of an Italian classic from the Barefoot Contessa herself. You're welcome.

Like baklava, these exquisite pastries are a communion of phyllo, nuts, and honey. Unlike baklava, they're a cinch to make.

Taco casserole. Were there ever two words more beautiful side by side?