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I love visiting Buddhist temples in Asia, not for religious reasons but because I enjoy the food served in their restaurants. This recipe was inspired by the fried vegetarian spring rolls I ate at the Shaolin Temple. While I enjoy crispy fried spring rolls, I dislike their high calorie count and the mess from deep-frying them. I found that by brushing a little olive oil on these rolls and broiling them in the oven, they came out just as crispy and delicious.

Even a simple vegetable side can take on a deep, layered flavor profile when you add umami and heat to the mix. That's why I'm a big fan of bagna càuda, a simmered Piedmontese "hot bath" of garlic, anchovies, red pepper flakes, and olive oil. Thankfully, you don't have to zip around the streets of Turin on a scooter to get a taste of this mouth-filling, savory sauce. Tossed with lemony, oven-roasted broccoli, spicy bagna càuda brings full-bodied heat to any dinner table. Besides, it's just plain fun to yell BAHN-yah COW-dah!

A version of this salad has been on Estela's menu since its opening; Mattos has tried it with summer squash and apples in place of the kohlrabi. In any case, make sure not to cut your slices too thin—they need to stand up to the nuts and cheese.

This smoky, fiery concoction is inspired by Bar Amá's "Bus Driver" salsa.

In defense of Velveeta: Its texture is supreme.

Rather than fussily cutting the grapefruit into neat segments, Mattos cuts them crosswise into disks; he likes the slightly bitter flavor of the membrane itself.

Fresh celery lightens this guacamole and adds some serious crunch.

Soaking the onion mellows its sharpness. If you can't find fresh horseradish, add 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish to the crème fraîche mixture.

It might seem fussy to separate the vegetables when pickling, but if they're combined, the colors will bleed and they won't be as vibrant.

Mattos says to get both the walnuts and the breadcrumbs very toasty and dark brown; he loves the contrast between the rich, crunchy bits and the bright, juicy endive on top.

Make this salad without plating anxiety: Treat the daikon rounds like a deck of cards and let them fall where they may.

Think of the crunchy, granolaish sesame clusters as seedy croutons for this juicy and bracing salad.

This is a great way to use up leftover roasted vegetables and chicken and turn them into a light salad. The roasted veggies are more interesting the second time around in a vinaigrette as opposed to just on their own. Even when I don't have leftover roasted veggies, I have been known to toss some raw ones in the oven just to make this delicious dressing, which I eat on everything: pasta, grilled fish, and, obviously, chicken. The chicken for this salad can be warm or cold, straight from the fridge.

A simple snack that takes advantage of the season's first garlic, which is harvested before the bulbs form. Delicious hot or cold.

Flavor Profile: Spicy, tart, aromatic, salty, umami-rich Try it with: Any Som Tam (Papaya salad and family) and/or Phat Khanaeng (Stir-fried Brussels sprouts). Needs Khao Niaw (Sticky rice). The recipe for steak salad is a classic, but naam tok made with mushrooms is less common. Yet mushrooms are everywhere in Thailand and echo the texture and even the umami-rich flavor of animal flesh. Thailand has a long history of vegetarian food, for strict Buddhists and those celebrating Buddhist holidays. And while I rarely spend time considering the needs of vegetarians, I figured that if I swapped out the fish sauce in the original for thin soy sauce, then they'd have something to eat at Pok Pok.

The batter for these fritter-like cakes is pretty dry, but that's what yields crisp results. Pressing them flat in the pan also helps maximize the crunch factor.

Collards and kale have some chew to them. Use your hands to work the dressing into the leaves until they soften and start to wilt.

This salad's secret? Combining raw and roasted beets delivers two textures from one ingredient.

With slices of celery root and chefs' new favorite cheese, scamorza, pizza night just got a lot more fun.