Gluten Free

Double-baking means double the fun—and the indulgence. This hybrid of baked and mashed potatoes is comfort food par excellence.

These decadent silver dollar-style pancakes are inspired by the classic British banoffee pie but are completely free from refined sugars—and they're gluten-free to boot. Sticky and sweet dried dates are soaked in hot water and blended to create the luxurious toffee-like "caramel." If you're feeling extra indulgent, whip up a batch of Coconut Whipped Cream to go on top.

Beets for dessert—we were skeptical too, but their sugar content and gorgeous color make for a stunning dish. See more riffs at right.

All you need is chocolate and cream to make this easy Valentine’s Day treat.

(Djej Emshmel) Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Paula Wolfert's book Couscous and Other Good Food From Morocco. Wolfert also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. Preserved lemons, sold loose in the souks, are one of the indispensable ingredients of Moroccan cooking, used in fragrant lamb and vegetable tagines, recipes for chicken with lemons and olives , and salads. Their unique pickled taste and special silken texture cannot be duplicated with fresh lemon or lime juice, despite what some food writers have said. In Morocco they are made with a mixture of fragrant-skinned doqq and tart boussera lemons, but I have had excellent luck with American lemons from Florida and California. Moroccan Jews have a slightly different procedure for pickling, which involves the use of olive oil, but this recipe, which includes optional herbs (in the manner of Safi), will produce a true Moroccan preserved-lemon taste. The important thing in preserving lemons is to be certain they are completely covered with salted lemon juice. With my recipe you can use the lemon juice over and over again. (As a matter of fact, I keep a jar of used pickling juice in the kitchen, and when I make Bloody Marys or salad dressings and have half a lemon left over, I toss it into the jar and let it marinate with the rest.) Use wooden utensils to remove the lemons as needed. Sometimes you will see a sort of lacy, white substance clinging to preserved lemons in their jar; it is perfectly harmless, but should be rinsed off for aesthetic reasons just before the lemons are used. Preserved lemons are rinsed, in any case, to rid them of their salty taste. Cook with both pulps and rinds, if desired.

(Djej Emshmel) Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Paula Wolfert's book Couscous and Other Good Food From Morocco. Wolfert also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. I first ate this dish in a home in the city of Meknes, sometimes called the City of Olives. Djej Emshmel (pronounced meshmel or emsharmel) is a classic Moroccan dish—chicken served in an intricately spiced, creamy, lemony, and sublime sauce with a scattering of pale-hued olives.

A brief brine yields perfectly tender and flavorful fish.

This textured pudding was inspired by ice cream and gets its concentrated dairy flavor from milk powder, which adds richness without fat.

Pass the Pods C'mon, who doesn't love edamame? Consider this the adults-only version: sautéed, spicy, and highly snackable.

Membrillo lends subtle sweetness to the dressing; look for it at any well-stocked cheese counter.

If you don't have a kitchen torch, time to treat yourself. They're inexpensive and super fun to use—and you can't make this dessert without one.

Why this spicy caramel popcorn didn't already exist, we have no idea.

Nutrients are lost when ingredients boil, so steep this cold-and-flu-buster at a relatively low temperature.

This delivers a concentrated shot of vitamin C (from the citrus) and antioxidants (from the prickly pear).

As any deli aficionado will tell you, shredded lettuce—especially iceberg—is a glorious thing.

This also makes a tasty spritzer—use club soda in place of water.

These get better with time, so don't hesitate to make them ahead.