Sertl appreciated the basic recipes he learned at The CIA the most. "When you're crunched for time, you're grateful to have these go-to techniques under your belt," he says. These buttery, parsleyed red...

The combination of nutty artichokes and dried porcini mushrooms gives this voluptuous soup a woodsy depth.

A mixture of cheese is buried in mashed potatoes, lightened with eggs, and baked until golden—not really a soufflé but just as rich and delicious.

The stew should be juicy (“suquet,” in Catalan)—not too soupy, not too thick—cooked with just enough liquid to cover the ingredients.

No need to forsake the extra dose of sweetness that powdered sugar provides. Potato starch is a seamless substitute for cornstarch.

In the States, we’re familiar with the bready version of focaccia, but this Pugliese take on it is so light it’s almost cakelike.

A favorite Barese recipe, these little packets seal in the fish and vegetable juices.

Pasta made with matzo cake meal is extremely light in texture and is no fuss to prepare when it’s rolled and cut into thin strips.

This traditional Andean soup, warm with potatoes, milk, and cheese and bright with cumin and avocado, may be the ultimate comfort food.