Corn is prevalent in Gascony, France, where it's used to feed the region's famous foie gras ducks. It's also the star of this pain de méture, a Gascon cornbread made with sourdough and baked in a cast iron pan. This cabbage-leaf-lined version from New York-based baker Kamel Saci was tested by Saveur contributor Kate Hill, a cook and cooking instructor in the region, who loves the crispy bits of cabbage that sear around the bread's edges. Get the recipe for Gascon Sourdough Cornbread (Pain de Méture) »

Coco Rico is a mild, coconut-flavored soda from Puerto Rico that is also used as an ingredient in Vietnamese cooking. If you can't find it, substitute the same amount of Sprite mixed with ¼ teaspoon of coconut extract. Get the recipe for Braised and Caramelized Vietnamese Coco Pork Belly (Thit Kho) »

"Borscht was traditionally a fermented soup," says Cortney Burns, who adapted the classic beet base to one featuring a combination of fresh and fermented carrots and beets instead. "The warming spices, fresh ginger, and alliums bring out the natural sweet flavor of the carrots," she says. Burns tops her soup with anything from salt-brined caraway to shredded or wilted vegetables, pickled ginger, dill, or yogurt, but play around with combinations you like. For a red version, use purple or red carrots and red beets. For a yellow version, use yellow carrots and golden beets. Pass the finished soup through a fine-mesh sieve for a completely silky texture. Get the recipe for Fermented Carrot Borscht with Ginger and Turmeric »

Finish your fettuccine in buttermilk for this rich and tangy winter dish. Get the recipe for Buttermilk Fettuccine with Spiced Tomato Sauce »

New York bartender Jackie Summers introduced us to a homemade version of this traditional Jamaican white rum punch made with dried hibiscus flowers and an array of citrus and spices. Our version makes it "royale" by topping it off with champagne or sparkling wine. Get the recipe for Sorrel Rum Punch »

These savory fried cheese pies are named for their spiral shapes. Sariki, a Turkish word meaning "turban," is also the name of a traditional headdress still worn by Cretan men at celebrations. Tsikoudia, a grape-based spirit from Crete, is used in the dough, likely for making it easier to roll out into thin sheets. Get the recipe for Sarikopitakia (Fried Mizithra Cheese Pastries) »

These local hand pies are often served around Easter. Made with a country-style phyllo, which is less flaky and slightly thicker than classic versions of the dough, they can be found either baked or fried and filled with many different types of mild local sheep and goat cheeses. This recipe for a baked version features mizithra and tiromalama cheeses, but others may use malaka or anthotyro. A good substitute is a mixture of feta and ricotta salata. Get the recipe for Kalitsounia (Cheese Pies with Thyme Honey) »

Rumor has it that pasta puttanesca–literally "whore's pasta"–was a quick and easy dinner of choice among Napolitan working ladies, but the dish's salatious history is unlikely. Get the recipe for Classic Spaghetti Puttanesca »

Tartine's sweet morning bun has been the darling of San Francisco pastry lovers for years. Lead viennoisier Fausto Eche­verria's savory version trades the bun's sugary cinnamon-orange streusel filling for a piquillo pepper and almond mixture inspired by Catalan romesco sauce. The kitchen team at Tartine roasts and preserves their own fresh piquillo peppers, but a good-quality jarred version is a fine substitute. After baking, sprinkle the warm buns with finely shredded Manchego. Get the recipe for Piquillo Pepper and Almond Morning Buns »

The key to getting a good char on Brussels sprouts is roasting them in a single flat layer, making sure they don't overlap. Don't worry about serving them right out of the oven, as they are just as tasty at room temperature. Get the recipe for Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts »

Forget everything you know about "white cake," this recipe's a game changer: rich and velvety to the point of creaminess, heady with vanilla, and almost as fluffy as angel's food cake. The secret is virgin coconut oil, which amplifies the aroma of butter and vanilla while creaming up lighter (and whiter) than butter alone. I top it all off with silky Marshmallow Buttercream, for a cake that's beguilingly complex despite its apparent simplicity. Get the recipe for BraveTart's Classic White Layer Cake with Marshmallow Buttercream »

Pongala means "to boil over," referring to the moment the starchy water from this sweet rice dish bubbles above the lip of its clay pot. At the Attukal Pongala festival, pongala, the offering made to a Hindu deity, is cooked over fire and seasoned with jaggery (unrefined palm sugar) and coconut. Recipes can vary to include cardamom, cinnamon, banana, and raisins. Get the recipe for Pongala (Sweet Sacred Coconut Porridge) »

"It's a common misconception that tortelli and tortellini are the same," chef Evan Funke of Felix in Los Angeles says. Unlike round tortellini, tortelli (the proper name for these ravioli-like stuffed pastas) are squares or rectangles simply folded over a filling and sealed. This is a thicker dough and more toothsome, too. A classic autumn condimento is a porcini mushroom sauce. "When it's mushroom season in Italy, you eat porcini until you're blue in the face," says Funke. Get the recipe for Potato and Cheese Tortelli with Porcini Mushrooms »

In this bright spring pasta dish of morels, asparagus, and cream, dried morels are rehydrated in boiling water that is then used to cook spaghetti, infusing the pasta with an earthy, mushroomy flavor. Get the recipe for Morel and Asparagus Spaghetti »

Sliced ripe avocados add a silky bite to an elegant salad tossed with lobster and juicy grapefruit segments. Get the recipe for Lobster and Avocado Salad »