Recipes with water

Authentic Thai Tom Yum Goong: a fragrant hot-and-sour shrimp soup with lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, fresh chilies, fish sauce, and straw mushrooms. The classic Bangkok street-food soup made at home.

A hearty beef, vegetable, and rice soup made fast in the pressure cooker, with a meaty soup bone, tomatoes, corn, okra, and a pinch of cayenne. Old-fashioned comfort in a fraction of the usual simmering time.

Chinese egg foo young noodle bowls: crispy ham and vegetable omelets stacked over Chinese noodles in a ginger-garlic broth with sherry, soy, and rice vinegar. A one-bowl Chinese-American dinner.

Skillet chicken breast simmered in orange juice and topped with a fresh raspberry sauce thickened with cornstarch. Fruity, elegant, and low-fat with a hint of nutmeg.

Hearty cabbage soup with stewing beef simmered into a rich broth, then loaded with tomatoes, green beans, carrots, and a whole head of chopped cabbage. A filling one-pot meal.

Pizza bianca: a white pizza with hand-stretched dough, olive oil pureed with shallot, garlic, and Italian herbs in place of red sauce, then blanketed in melted Gruyère. Crisp, nutty, no tomato.

Southern-style fruited iced tea with fresh orange juice, pineapple juice, and English breakfast tea sweetened with a homemade simple syrup. Best chilled overnight.

Southern-style fruited iced tea with fresh orange juice, pineapple juice, and English breakfast tea sweetened with a homemade simple syrup. Best chilled overnight.

Boondhi raita with golden chickpea-flour pearls soaked into thinned yogurt and seasoned with chaat masala. The cool, tangy Indian side that calms a fiery curry in one spoonful.

Almond Butter Cookie Sandwiches: tender shortbread-style cookies made with ground almonds, sandwiched with raspberry jam or chocolate ganache. Linzer-style elegance, makes 24.

Chocolate mint cake with a light peppermint sponge topped with whipped chocolate mint frosting. The fat-free batter uses applesauce and egg whites for an airy, tender crumb.

Homemade yeast cinnamon rolls rolled with brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and nuts, then topped with creamy evaporated-milk vanilla icing. A from-scratch, double-rise dough that bakes up soft and pillowy.

Homemade yeast cinnamon rolls rolled with brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and nuts, then topped with creamy evaporated-milk vanilla icing. A from-scratch, double-rise dough that bakes up soft and pillowy.

Corned beef barbecue sandwiches simmered in a homemade sauce of ketchup, Worcestershire, vinegar, mustard, chili powder, and paprika. A Midwestern potluck classic using canned corned beef on hamburger buns.

Deep-fried ice cream balls coated in almond paste and graham cracker crumbs, served in a peach half with homemade vanilla sauce and chopped walnuts. A restaurant-style showstopper dessert.

Basbousa bil loz (Egyptian almond basbousa) cooks toasted semolina and almonds with butter, then thickens with lemon-scented sugar syrup. A stovetop Middle Eastern dessert.