This might sound shocking, but I have to say it: potstickers might be my favorite food. They are my go-to meal when I'm home alone for dinner and my favorite crowd-pleasing appetizer. I even eat them cold for airplane meals. On top of this, you can fill them with anything under the sun and freeze them for handy weeknight meals. This particular combination of rich shiitake mushrooms, chewy baked tofu, and silky cabbage is like an old and very dear friend, one that I never tire of seeing.

Living on the West Coast means some really really long plane rides back to visit family in Minnesota and Massachusetts. A package of pretzels is not going to cut it, and I've struggled with ideas for packable, airplane-approved meals that will also satisfy my hunger pangs. As unlikely as it may seem, Asian dumplings have become my favorite mid-flight meal.

A forceful kick from behind you sends the chair launching forward. Another blow immediately follows, and somewhere a child starts to scream. You feel the anger swelling inside of you as you start to plot your revenge. The hunger is taking control...

This may sound like the beginning of a horror movie, but in reality it's just another day on a plane. Travel can do a number on anyone's diet: airports are littered with fast food, pubs, and ice cream stores. On the plane it is even worse. Complimentary peanuts are little more than a joke, and $20 "snack packs" featuring processed cheese spread and Oreos are just plain offensive.

Q: Years ago a friend from Iraq made me a mouthwatering and incredibly simple dish, consisting of white beans cooked with some small fruits that looked like miniature, dried, shrunken limes (skins and all). We ate the beans using a wonderful Turkish flat bread instead of forks. It was awesome! 

Sometimes in the rush of life, there is nothing better than an old standby to help nourish your soul. The very classic Salad Niçoise does exactly that for me. In the midst of trying out new recipes on a daily basis, this meal is like an old familiar friend — one I can always count on. May it continue to live on in the kitchen!

Move over, ketchup and Sriracha! When it comes to versatile red condiments, harissa is my absolute favorite. This Tunisian chile sauce is a fantastic shortcut to spice up a meal and can be used with everything from meat to vegetables, couscous, roasted potatoes, scrambled eggs, as a dip for bread ... the list is truly endless. 

Q: I see recipes for peanut sauce, but no matter what combination of ingredients is listed, they all end up tasting flat! Each time I tinker, but it never tastes anything like the peanut sauce you get in decent Thai restaurants. What's their secret? 

Sent by Christine

Q: My husband and I would like to thank our neighbours for watering our plants while we were on vacation in Italy by cooking an Italian meal. Our guests will be a mom and dad, one 5-year old, one 2-year old and a baby, and the meal must be halal. Any recipe ideas for a family-friendly, pork-free, loosely Italian meal?

When I embarked on my trip to Greece last week, I knew I'd be documenting the heck out of it, and when I landed in Athens, the first thing I did was order a Greek salad, take notes, and snap it with my iPhone. It was beautiful: ripe red tomatoes from Crete, substantial chunks of feta cheese, perfectly sweet raw purple onions, and lots of fragrant olive oil and dried oregano. Seemed familiar, and yet I relished in the experience of consuming these simple ingredients on foreign soil. Of course it's better there, I thought to myself.

"I'll document all of the Greek salads I eat!" Spoken like a true American. Then I got to the Island of Kea, my final destination, and met my host, Aglaia Kremezi, who set me straight about What Is a Greek Salad.

If you're one of our UK readers, then Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall will likely need no introduction.  And to a certain extent, American readers may be familiar with many of his cookbooks published here from 10 Speed Press (River Cottage Meat, River Cottage Fish and River Cottage Veg have been reviewed by The Kitchn.)  It is my hope that many more Americans discover this passionate cook, writer, and activist and become inspired, as I have, to cook with fresh ingredients sourced as locally as possible.  

For just a hint of the enthusiastic and delicious ideas that come from this very creative and exuberant cook, read on for Hugh's 5 essential things for the home cook.