Arroz con Cosas
Chef Katie Button's recipe for Arroz con Cosas (which translates to "rice with things") is a great way to use up any extra vegetables you have on hand, whether it's summer squash or turnips, in an easy and flexible, Spanish-style rice dish. She lets the rice be the star of this dish with the socorrat, the prized crispy coating that forms on rice at the bottom of the pan. Button serves the finished dish with a drizzle of homemade allioli that adds garlicky nuances to each bite.
Italian Wedding Risotto
Inspired by the classic Italian wedding soup, this heartier risotto is filled with just-wilted spinach and topped with crispy, garlicky meatballs. Use a cookie scoop to quickly portion out the meatballs; make a double batch and freeze half to whip up this risotto in a flash. Remove the risotto from the heat while it's still a little soupy—it will thicken slightly as it rests.
Waakye Is the Meanest Street Food Alive
Whether you savor it over banana leaves in a chop bar in Accra or at home in your own kitchen, waakye is an infinitely layered feast.
Plov Isn't Just a Rice Dish. It Contains Multitudes
Buttery, garlic-scented, fruit-studded plov is beloved across a range of Central Asian countries, in countless variations.
Skillet Chicken and Chorizo Paella
While Spanish paella is traditionally made in its namesake pan, this cast-iron variation is a great alternative—and it can also go straight from stove to table. The recipe builds layers of flavors as you saute aromatics in the same pan you’ve used to sear the chorizo and chicken. From delicately floral saffron to smoky paprika and a bright lemony finish, this one-pan meal has it all.
Yin-Yang Tang Yuan (Sweet Sticky Rice Balls in Soup)
This soothing, sweet Chinese dessert soup of rice flour dough balls stuffed with black sesame seeds in a rock sugar–sweetened broth is typically served during reunions because the round rice balls symbolize harmony and togetherness.Lucky Chowproducer Danielle Chang likes to make it as a sweet treat for her Lunar New Year celebration. To keep the dough moistened throughout the assembly process, cover it with a damp towel.
