My stepdad brought Indian home cooking into my life. He and my mother had been high school sweethearts, American students at an international school in the foothills of the Himalayas where my stepdad had grown up, stuffing himself on dal and pappadums throughout childhood and cultivating a lifelong craving for fragrant vegetarian curries. Thanks to him and to recipes like this mixed bean masala, it's a craving I now share. Quick, healthy and economical, it's an easy recipe to double and freeze in preparation for chilly winter nights, when the scent of onion, ginger and spices bubbling on the stove will warm up the whole house. More

Nutty, mildly sweet millet is a staple grain around the world, but many of us are more likely to see it in bird seed bags at the pet store than on our plates. This nutritious, gluten-free little grain has slowly been gaining in popularity, though, and it's easy to find tempting recipes for baking it with eggs, stuffing it into zucchini, mixing it into granola, and more. More

A bowlful of brown rice, tempeh, kale, and other veggies has "health food" written all over it, but in our house we hardly think of this recipe as macrobiotic or vegan or anything else but satisfying. Brimming with the perfect balance of flavors and textures, it satiates the senses and even has my barbecue- and burger-loving guy requesting it for dinner. More

When I was young, I wanted nothing to do with the desserts my father brought home from our monthly trips to the Thai market in the city: gray griddled discs of taro root and coconut, round pancakes filled with coconut cream, and layered pink jellies flavored, disappointingly, with coconut.

Well, times have changed. Now I'm the coconut fiend and the traditional Thai dessert kao neow dahm is my favorite way to get my fix at home. Made with sticky whole grain black rice, coconut milk and toasted coconut, this warm rice pudding is creamy, sweet, a little savory, and very coconutty. It's also dairy-free and gluten-free, making it a great dessert — or breakfast — for almost any guest. More

Q: I've recently found out I cannot eat grains (any!) nor eggs. I'm running out of breakfast ideas (only so many smoothies I want to slurp down per week). Help?

Sent by Gaby More

Q: I'm gluten and oat intolerant (yes, even gluten-free oats), so no wheat, barley, rye or oats. But I really miss muesli/granola-type breakfasts. Can I make muesli or granola with buckwheat? Anybody have a gluten-free cereal recipe that also doesn't contain oats?

Sent by Alison More

Q: Coconut showed up as a "moderate intolerance" in a recent allergy screening. We have a lot of allergies and intolerances in our house (gluten, soy, peanuts, and dairy), and I've been relying on coconut flakes, oil, milk, and butter for a lot of my cooking. Any substitution ideas?

Sent by Kristin More

More than a decade after experiencing my first pupusa, I can still remember my wide-eyed joy as I bit into the thick, stuffed tortilla. Why had I never eaten one before, and how soon could I have another?! As I learned, the best part about El Salvador's national dish isn't just the warm, savory masa filled with melty cheese (or meat or beans), but its brilliant accompaniment called curtido. Like a sauerkraut or kimchi, this zippy cabbage relish balances the heaviness of the pupusa and makes it a simple yet satisfying meal for any time of day. More

I had my first pão de queijo at a Brazilian restaurant in Atlanta over five years ago, and I still dream about it. It was crispy outside but amazingly soft and chewy inside, and its cheese flavor was so ephemeral and haunting that I had to eat several more just to fix it in my mind. Well, I'm in trouble now because I just discovered that these little cheese puffs? With their addictive cheesiness? They are super easy to make at home. More

Earlier this week we tipped you off to what Slate calls the "ideal ingredient to complement watermelon" — feta. It's true: the salty creaminess of good feta turns watermelon from a simple treat into something dressed for a dinner party. It's still very simple — here's how I like to make my own watermelon and feta salad. More