Fruit

Butter mochi is a mainstay at any island party: a perfectly chewy, slightly sticky, and just-dense-enough coconut-custard glutinous rice cake.

Make coconut sticky rice in the microwave for creamy, perfectly tender results in under 10 minutes. Serve it with shredded coconut, toasted sesame seeds, and of course, ripe mango slices.

Ripe nectarines roast until they're tender and caramelized before they’re placed on a bed of tangy Greek yogurt. Everything gets topped with a drizzle of olive oil and honey—and a sprinkle of nuts and herbs.

If Thai food were laid out as one of those nutritional pyramids they showed you in health class, green papaya salad would be at the bottom, right above rice. In other words: It is fundamental. 

This brothy soup feels like coastal Oaxaca in a bowl. It has tons of herbs, buttery shrimp, a light spicy-smoky broth—and chochoyotes, dumplings made from fresh masa or masa harina.

You can store this all-purpose sweet-and-spicy vinegar in clean mason jars, but it is easier to keep it in repurposed glass bottles. Note that this recipe can be adjusted as you like—try using different chiles or other spices like bay leaf.

For an outdoor dinner, most people would expect you to serve grilled vegetables with a straightforward dip, but here I’ve done something slightly more unexpected and paired barely-cooked vegetables with a grilled dip.

In this recipe, pineapple makes a fantastic marinade that caramelizes on the grill to create a tasty crust on chicken breast.

The fleeting vibrance of spring vegetables is captured in this citrus-and-garlic-infused marinade, turning delicate produce into a versatile condiment.

This recipe brings together the flavors of Mexico’s Gulf Coast with the anise-like flavor of Mexican avocado leaves and the tang of sour oranges.

My parents lived in Florida for decades and they vacationed there for decades before that. I don’t think there was ever a time when we kids were young that they didn’t come back with boxes of chocolate-coated coconut patties. I’m sure the coconut filling was supposed to be soft and chewy, as in a Mounds bar, but it was always a little dry (sorry to tell you now, Mom). Yet the candies still hold a sweet spot in my memory, and I thought of them when I started to make a Key lime pie.

Layered with a rich coconut filling, soaked in velvety custard, and topped with a raspberry and rhubarb compote, this French toast is perfect for any celebration.

A sophisticated take on the beloved children's snack of celery with peanut butter and raisins, this salad is a study in textures with chewy dates, crisp apple, and fresh herbs.

These superlative oatmeal cookies skip the raisins and use Medjool dates instead. Once chopped, become nearly indistinguishable from the buttery, caramel-rich flavor of the chewy cookie.

This Jalapeño Ranch is gonna kick up all kinds of taco creations and take veggies and dip to a new level in your life.

This cake has the fluffy, so-light-it-could-float texture of angel food cake, with a touch of egg yolk for richness. Tahini brings pure sesame flavor and a lining of sesame seeds adds a bonus level of crunch.