Pasta recipes

Modern fajitas with flank steak marinated overnight in a chili-cocoa-tequila rub, then grilled and sliced for tortillas. Served with guacamole, refried beans, salsa, and cilantro for a smoky Tex-Mex spread.

Braised lamb shoulder and merguez-style sausages served over couscous with a cumin and cayenne broth. A North African-inspired feast with carrots, zucchini, and white wine.

Unsloppy Joes are vegetarian sloppy joes with kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, chili powder, and diced vegetables served in hollowed-out kaiser rolls. Low-fat, hearty, and mess-free.

Creole shrimp stew with a peanut-brown roux, the holy trinity of celery, onion, and bell pepper, and tender shrimp simmered just until pink. Served over hot rice.

Gow gees are crispy fried Chinese dumplings filled with pork, shrimp, dried mushrooms, and scallions. Served with classic homemade sweet and sour sauce. Makes 48 for a crowd.

Crawfish tails baked in a rich custard of cream, eggs, and Swiss cheese with sautéed vegetables, cognac, and sautérne. A Cajun-French quiche that's pure indulgence.

Classic French Provencal dish usually cooked in a heavy casserole on the stove top or in the oven; would also work well in slow cooker. Use inexpensive stewing beef or oyster blade; it will not be anywhere near as good if you use more expensive cuts of beef.

Sun Dance chili with coarse-ground beef, ground chile peppers, mushrooms, and kidney beans simmered for two hours. A hearty, from-scratch chili that uses real ground chiles instead of chili powder.

Competition-style Texas chili with 4 pounds of cubed round steak, 14 spices including curry and cinnamon, green chiles, and a secret weapon: milk chocolate melted in at the end.

Nevada Annie's cowboy chili browns 8 pounds of ground chuck with onions, peppers, jalapeños, beer, and 12 tablespoons of ground chile. A no-beans, three-hour Western chili built for a crowd.

A succulent seafood dish that is sure to satisfy one's hunger and bring families together.

Vegan meatless loaf made with TVP (textured vegetable protein), breadcrumbs, herbs, and soy sauce, baked in a homemade tomato sauce. A hearty plant-based alternative to classic meatloaf.

Latin black bean soup simmered from dried beans with cumin, oregano, green chiles, and red wine vinegar, finished with brown rice and fresh cilantro. Hearty and vegan.

Jolof rice with black-eyed peas, eggplant, tomatoes, and brown rice cooked in a spicy tomato-ginger sauce with curry and cayenne. A hearty West African one-pot vegetarian meal.

No-bean Tex-Mex chili built on a blend of ground beef and pork, simmered in beer and tomato with a heavy hand of cumin, garlic, jalapenos and a touch of honey. A bold, meaty pot with serious Southwestern heat.

German stuffed cabbage rolls (Gefullt Krautroladen) filled with brown rice, dill seed, marjoram, and paprika. Baked in a tomato-vermouth sauce and best made a day ahead for deeper flavor.