Tapioca

Feniger first encountered this fragrant pilaf while visiting her friend Alan Wagner, who cooks at an ashram in India. The pilaf has since become a popular addition to Street's menu. The first thing you'll notice is the tapioca pearls’ gratifyingly chewy, almost slippery texture. Then you'll take in the pop of the mustard seeds, the denseness of the taro, the fresh coolness of the cilantro, and the savor of the peanuts and cumin. The most elusive flavor is that of the dried neem leaves. They’re an optional ingredient—you can leave them out and the pilaf will still be delicious—but they have an interesting astringency.

Beneath a creamy layer of tapioca pudding lurks a silky strawberry base. Ground fennel seeds perk up the flavor of the fruit.

The unique texture of tapioca—creamy pudding studded with soft, slightly chewy pearls—inspires intense devotion among fans. This version gets lively citrus flavor from four incarnations of orange: zest, juice, liqueur, and fresh pieces of the fruit.

If you've never had pie made from wild blueberries before, you'll be bowled over by the intensity of this one. The light, tender crust provides a sublime foil for the deeply flavorful fruit. Take heart if you can't find fresh wild blueberries in your area—frozen ones also yield excellent results.

Nestled in a flaky crust, nectarines and raspberries seem to tease the best out of each other — these pies are fragrant and floral, sweet and tart. Even if you've never had the combination of fruits before, it instantly tastes like an American classic.

In adding translucent pearls of tapioca to the mushroom broth in this recipe, we've borrowed one of chef Daniel Boulud's methods for giving body to a light sauce.

Made from yuca (pronounced "YOO-ca"), pearl tapioca can be found at Asian markets and specialty foods shops. Active time: 2 hr Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

Putting this moist pudding under the broiler for a few minutes allows the brown sugar topping to melt into a sweet syrup.

There's a touch of lemon in this summer pie.

Top this homey dessert with green grapes and orange slices for a pretty presentation.

The size of tapioca pearls varies widely. What one brand calls "small," another brand might term "large," so don't pay much attention to the label. Instead, look for pearls that are 1/8 to 3/16 inch in diameter for making this dessert.

Try this sweet alternative to fat-and cholesterol-laden crème brûlée.

Simple yet sumptuous desserts like this one — where readily available ingredients such as bananas or yams are cooked in sweet coconut milk — are a specialty of Malay cooking. The pudding is traditionally made with pearl sago and palm sugar.

Tender, biscuit-like dough is formed into a lattice atop this easy treat.