SERVES 6 to 8 The city of Tangier, perched on the northwestern tip of Morocco, was declared an International Zone after World War I and was jointly ruled by nine different countries, all reluctant to relinquish control of this glamorous port. The winding alleyways of...

ABOUT 2½ cups Baba ghanoush is a Lebanese dish, but cooks in Egypt, Turkey, India, and even Romania have their own versions: a little more tahini here, onion instead of garlic there. Slightly smokey and laced with garlic and sesame, baba ghanoush is as much fun to eat...

SERVES 4 to 6 Seemingly impenetrable, with an appearance between a potato and a rock, jicama is not the supermodel of the produce world. But remove that tough, dusty brown skin, and you’ll find a sweet, tender, juicy inside that’s remarkably similar to a potato....

SERVES 4 It was the 1970s, and most weekends, we pulled out the wicker picnic basket—fitted with nesting plastic plates, bowls, and cutlery in red, blue, yellow, and green—to go to the lake for swimming and grilling. My favorite summertime salad was Mom’s cucumbers....

SERVES 2 Oh! The comfort of a warm bowl of slippery noodles that can be slurped or twirled with a fork to make big, soft, round bites—it’s the kind of food you make while wearing pajamas and losing yourself in an excellent book. That’s what this recipe is. The...

SERVES 2 Diner home fries don’t discriminate. The brown, crisp outside and warm, tender inside are equally comfortable alongside eggs for an early morning (or midnight) breakfast and next to a beef burger. Seasoned with plenty of salt and just a whisper of paprika,...

MAKES 42 chips Sometimes I want to chow down like a teenager: just lie in front of the television, tune into something entertainingly mindless, and snarf a snack. But my ever-present adult voice knows that no amount of saltiness will ever recreate that fleeting...