As the days get longer and the weather warms up, my excitement for zucchini season grows. I love zucchini in any and all forms; whether that’s grilled, added to soups and stews, shredded, or even served raw. But my absolute favorite way to enjoy zucchini is when it’s breaded and fried into crisp, golden-brown batons….

There’s no denying that bacon is one of the most iconic breakfast foods, but it isn’t especially easy to cook correctly. Frying bacon on the stove can be a little dangerous as the fat renders and splatters, and it’s easy to end up with an unevenly cooked final product. But how can you cook bacon the…

Have you ever had agedashi at a Japanese restaurant? I can’t get enough of this dish. Tofu pieces are quickly sautéed in hot oil until each side is golden brown and crisp. Presented on a simple rectangular platter, the agedashi is accompanied by a sweet sauce of dashi, mirin, and soy sauce broth. No matter…

Crispy, golden, fried spring rolls are the perfect appetizer. I particularly love an excellent vegetarian spring roll because everyone can enjoy them. Plus, it’s nice to sneak in some veggies. A blend of produce with varying textures and flavors will provide textural excitement in each roll so you won’t miss the meat at all. The…

Crisp, crunchy, juicy onion rings are irresistible—you can’t just have one! I make mounds of them, using both red and white onions. I also like to add other vegetables, such as thin slices of eggplant, mushrooms, or peppers, to my fried veggie platter. Onion rings cook rather quickly, so have everything ready before you actually…

The plantain is a staple in Latin American cuisine. Sometimes referred to as the macho banana, it’s a member of the banana family, but quite different from the ubiquitous sweet yellow Cavendish most common in North American grocery stores. (Fun fact: There are more than 1,000 varieties of bananas.) Besides tending to be bigger, the…

A great way to enhance the simplest of ingredients, breading and pan-frying makes anything better. In this recipe, thinly sliced chicken breasts receive this treatment to make crispy cutlets. I use thin-sliced chicken breasts, readily available in grocery stores, cut in half to make easier-to-manage, tailgate party-friendly pieces. I dredge them first in flour, for…

Serve these crispy zucchini fritters with creamy dill-yogurt sauce during the summer, when zucchini are abundant at the farmers market (or in your backyard garden). The key to the best fritters is moisture management. Zucchini is primarily made up of water, so this recipe starts with a two-step process of salting and squeezing the vegetable…

You won’t be able to stop eating these deep-fried eggplant strips. The combination of crisp outsides and tender, creamy insides makes this classic Spanish tapa totally irresistible. I like cutting the eggplant, skin and all, into 4-inch sticks, but it’s just as delicious if you slice it into rounds. It just depends on how and…

Frying the spring rolls twice results in the crispiest wrapper and also allows you to make the rolls in advance and fry them in batches, as Tung did at Hy Vong. For the bean thread noodles, she recommends Pagoda Lungkow Vermicelli. Makes about 26 spring rolls 1 pound ground pork 1 3/4 ounce dried bean…