Mozzarella

We ever-so-slightly updated a hippie classic.

It's not about the number of steps or ingredients in a dish. If you shop smart, buying peak-season produce and quality protein, you don't have to do much at all (like with this easy salad recipe).

This recipe makes two white pizzas, but it can be easily halved.

You know when cheese gets so hot and melty that it stretches? Food stylists call that a "cheese pull," and we think it's gorgeous.

Like cheesy grits. Really, really, really, really cheesy grits. This recipe, which puts a southern twist (that’s the grits, y’all) on very French aligot (mashed potatoes blended with melted cheese), is from Buxton Hall, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

Persimmons stand in for ripe tomato in this caprese-ish salad, and if you haven’t had them before, they’re worth trying. Before you buy, things to know: The squat fuyu persimmon lacks the tannins that define their pointy-bottomed counterpart, the hachiya variety. While fuyus can be eaten when slightly underripe (they’ll be crunchy), the hachiya needs to be dead ripe or else it will be insufferably bitter. This recipe is from Wildair, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

There is no better beach or picnic sandwich than the muffuletta. Here's why.

Once you get hooked on fresh chiles, you'll want to pack them into everything you cook—including your antipasto.

How do you improve on a classic Caprese? Grill your tomatoes—and create a Charred Caprese Sandwich.

The little sprinkle of buckwheat delivers a much-needed crunch factor. If you don’t have any, add some chopped toasted almonds or homemade breadcrumbs.

We like the combo of spicy and sweet Italian sausage, but use any uncooked sausage you like—merguez or chorizo would work. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

Salad, meet pizza. Pizza, salad. The key here is to get the crust as thin as possible when stretching it out.

When you leave lemon peels behind on the cutting board, you’re (literally) throwing away free flavor. The peel adds a mild bitterness that we love, plus a bit of texture that instantly makes a salad dressing interesting.

Panzanella salads are a great way to use up the last of that loaf of crusty bread. Change it up as summer progresses by tossing in other vegetables or herbs. Just don’t skip the tomato: It helps soften the bread.

This vegetarian-friendly recipe was created by James D. Giannis out of Chicago, the winner of our 2015 Readers' Choice Week contest. Look for naan in the bread aisle of your local supermarket.

At Rioja, in Denver, half of the bacon is replaced with ground fatback, a step that makes this excellent burger even better.

A decent amount of béchamel keeps this tomato-less lasagna moist as it cools.

Be sure to strain the tomatoes before topping the pie in this pizza margherita recipe. If you don't, the extra liquid could lead to a soggy crust.

Meryl Rothstein plunges into hot water as she tries to replicate her mozzarella-making experiment at home

Meryl Rothstein gets her hands dirty learning the art of the burrata mozzarella from a master

Oil-cured olives are quite salty, and we love their chewy texture, but you can use brined black olives if you prefer.

If you prefer a spicy pie, use twice as much hot soppressata and none of the sweet type. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

The flesh immediately surround-ing the seeds is the most succulent part of any melon; if you haven’t tried eating the crunchy seeds before, hold on to your hat.

With stretchy mozzarella inside and a coating of crunchy breadcrumbs, these squash blossoms get the creamy-crispy ratio just right.