Challah is an egg-enriched bread that can be found in most bakeries and supermarkets. If you cannot find challah, a firm high-quality sandwich bread such as Arnold Country Classics White or Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Hearty White may be substituted.

Before You Begin: If you happen to be grilling, you can adapt this recipe to the grill. Thread the garlic cloves and tomatoes on separate skewers. Grill the habaneros, garlic, and tomatoes over the hotter part of grill until they are charred on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes. The heat in chiles comes from the compound capsaicin, which is found primarily in the ribs. The seeds, which sit on the ribs, become hot by association. Habaneros are one of the spiciest chiles we work with in the test kitchen, so we prefer to remove all of the ribs and seeds for this recipe. If you have a very high tolerance for spicy foods you can reserve and add back a portion of the seeds and ribs.

Choose potatoes that are 4 to 6 inches in length to ensure well-proportioned fries. Trimming thin slices from the ends of the potatoes in step 2 ensures that each fry has two flat surfaces for even browning. This recipe's success is dependent on a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet that will not warp in the heat of the oven. Spraying the sheet with vegetable oil spray will help the oil spread evenly and prevent sticking. The rate at which the potatoes brown is dependent on your baking sheet and oven. After removing the foil from the baking sheet in step 5, monitor the color of the potatoes carefully to prevent scorching.

Tofu dish for non-believers

Serve over sticky white rice

Tender, spongy and full of flavor this Sourdough Discard Focaccia is easy to make and is perfect for beginners and pro sourdough bakers. Get all the sourdough flavor with the convenience of commercial yeast and bake homemade sourdough bread in just over 2 hours.

Melissa Clark

This is an elegant take on an American favorite: the Italian deli salad. We dressed thinly sliced vegetables, cheese and salami with a lemony vinaigrette that keeps the flavors bright and fresh. The salad tastes best the day it's made, but still is delicious if refrigerated overnight; bring to room temperature before serving.

Some versions of Oaxacan chileajo contain meat, but in chileajo de verduras (also known as chileajo de legumbres), vegetables are the main attraction, along with the earthy, garlicky red chili sauce that coats them (chileajo translates from the Spanish as chili-garlic). Garnet-toned guajillo chilies are mild and fruity; we toast them in a little oil to draw out their rich flavors before softening them in hot water, then we use some of the soaking water when blending the sauce. We especially like the trio of potatoes, cauliflower and green beans, but feel free to substitute your favorites, adjusting for different cooking times. Vegetable chileajo isn’t usually served as a main. But sandwiched in telera rolls to make tortas or spooned onto crisp tostadas and topped with a few—or all—of the optional garnishes (see below), we think it’s wholly satisfying.

Potatoes and pork seasoned with ancho chili powder and cumin make an easy, flavorful filling for tacos. Be sure to use a nonstick skillet, as the potatoes’ starch makes them prone to sticking. If you like, offer a few of the garnishes suggested and allow diners to top their own tacos.