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Some of the seed mixture will inevitably fall off as you shape and bake the grissini; don’t stress it.

To prevent peeled or cut celery root from browning, submerge it in cold water with the juice of 1 lemon for up to 1 day.

The mix of lettuces and crisp vegetables is up to you (and we recommend a mandoline for slicing).

Other not-too-hot chiles are great with the same seasonings if you can’t find Padróns. Look for shishitos or Italian frying peppers instead.

You can crisp the shallots and hard-boil the eggs a day ahead, but wait until closer to serving time to make the yolk filling.

For a beautiful creamy-white (not khaki) color, don’t let the leeks and celery take on any color when sautéing.

Blanching the spinach before blending helps this broccoli soup recipe retain a vibrant green color. Parsley would work in place of the cilantro.

Thinner links of merguez sausage are ideal for these nibbles, but if you can’t find them, just halve larger ones lengthwise into quarters before wrapping in pastry.

For a slightly more casual vibe, pack this sweet-and-savory mixture into a jar and serve with a knife for spreading on the toasts.

The beets are steam-roasted till tender, then deep-fried, so you don’t have to worry about cooking them through after they’re breaded.

Intentionally burning vegetables—it’s a thing! The burnt onion powder adds a smoky, slightly bitter finish to the rich dip, and is responsible for the black part of this tuxedo-inspired crudite.

You might have more of the salsas than you need; serve them on the side for dipping. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

Indian grocers sell prepared tamarind chutney, which you can easily substitute for the homemade version here.

Two key steps ensure extra-crisp wings: letting them sit at room temperature evens the cooking time, and the cornstarch dredge transforms into a crunchy shell when fried. If you like your wing sauce super spicy, increase the amount of cayenne in our best hot wings recipe. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

Coat seared ground pork in a Thai-inspired glaze, then scatter over fried wonton wrappers, and pile on the nacho treatment with two kinds of cheese, pickled jalapeños, and a shredded cabbage and cilantro salad.

The effort-to-impressiveness ratio doesn’t get much better than this, people. Go ahead and double (Triple! Quadruple!) this recipe and you’ve got hostess gifts, emergency entertaining fodder, and quick, decadent snacks for days.

Black pepper with fruit? It works—trust us.

Who knew so much bright, lively, acidic flavor could come from such a small surface area?