Tamiko Lagerwaard, Recipe Tester

This traditional and incendiary Thai condiment has incited quite the following. Here’s how to save yourself a trip to your local Asian market.

No ice cream maker required. Just watermelon, citrus, sweetness, mint, and a little time in the deep freeze. Vodka optional. Then all you do is scoop it up and plop it in a pretty bowl.

Infinitely more complex than the toddy of yore, this little number owes its lure to apple-y cider spiked with a hint of star anise and quite an indecent glug of bourbon.

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.

Happy World Vegetarian Day! Here’s a soupy, stewy, smoky chili with stealth veggie goodness galore. Healthful never tasted so darn good.

All’Amatriciana—go on, roll that “r” like they do in Italy—means a spicy pasta sauce of tomatoes and pancetta or bacon. Prego.

This panini isn’t for those whose preferences run towards the mild or bland. Full of ingredients that are loved for their outstanding taste, it all works together brilliantly here.

This panna cotta has the most luscious of textures. How to best explain it? Hmmm. It’s sorta like swooping velvet over your tongue.

Sweet and simple. Nothing but cabbage, cider vinegar, sugar, mayo, a little onion, salt, and oil. Just like you’d find at a BBQ shack.

True to its name, this dense, brownie-like cake takes its allure from a full pound of chocolate. A hint of cocoa lends even more chocolatey complexity.