main meal

Caldo de cabeza de carnero is a clear, restorative Andean soup in which lamb is simmered for hours until the broth turns rich and gelatinous. Yellow potatoes, a dried ají mirasol pepper and a generous handful of fresh mint finish it. This version uses bone-in lamb, which is easier to find than a whole sheep's head and gives a similar broth.

A hearty Peruvian soup of chicken, rice and yellow potatoes, simmered with onion, garlic, beer and Peruvian chili peppers and finished with a big handful of fresh cilantro. The cilantro gives the broth its signature green color and fresh flavor, and the soup is served piping hot on cold days and after long nights.

A salmon fillet brushed with a sweet mustard glaze and cooked on a soaked cedar plank, which gently steams the fish and gives it a mild, smoky, slightly sweet flavor. This is a classic of the Pacific Northwest, where salmon has been cooked on cedar for centuries.

Skewers of chicken, pineapple, onion, green pepper, zucchini and cherry tomatoes, brushed with a sweet-salty soy and honey glaze and broiled until lightly charred. The pineapple and the teriyaki-style glaze give the kebabs a Hawaiian flavor, and they are quick enough for a weeknight.

Salt cod, white fish, shrimp, sardines, and crab simmered in a creamy peanut sauce and served with rice or fufu. Known as moambe (also mwambe, mwamba, or muamba), this Central African sauce is better known as the base of a chicken stew regarded as a national dish in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, and Gabon. This version uses fish and shellfish instead.

Fluffy rice scented with cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, folded with golden fried gizzards, toasted nuts, and plump raisins. Known in Egypt as roz bel khalta (“rice with a mixture”), this festive dish is served at holidays and family gatherings, usually next to roasted or braised meats.

Tender lamb and a generous mix of vegetables simmered in a fragrant broth, piled over mounds of steamed couscous. Known in Morocco as couscous bidaoui, the Casablanca style, this is the dish of the Friday family meal, served on a large communal platter.

Ground beef worked with crushed rice, onion, and herbs, shaped into small meatballs, fried until golden, then simmered gently in a fresh tomato sauce. Known in Egypt as koftet rozz (rice kofta), this is a staple of everyday Egyptian cooking and a particular favorite during Ramadan, when it's often served with a side of fried rice.