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Most store-​bought muffins are just naked cupcakes. Full of refined white flour, oil, and sugar, they lack meaningful fiber or protein. But if you make them yourself, they can serve as the perfect morning fuel.

One of the very first things my mother ever taught me to make in the kitchen was her Korean barbecue marinade—i.e., the liquid gold you soak your meats and vegetables in before grilling them. Absolutely bursting with umami and garlicky goodness, I like to keep a jar on hand at all times.

These luscious enchiladas are emblematic of the cooking of northern Mexico, where people are crazy about cream, cheese, and Colorado chiles. In true northern style, not only are the enchiladas generously sauced with the region’s favorite red salsa, but they also have three kinds of cheese as well as Mexican crema.

When my friends found out I was writing this cookbook, several asked if Mami’s rum cake would be in it. And so it is. Her recipe uses a boxed cake mix. I highly recommend this recipe if you need to make something quickly and easily or aren’t very comfortable baking. It’s perfectly balanced and is my favorite cake to this day.

Italian grandmothers are judged on the deliciousness of their meatballs and sauce, and every Italian insists his or her mother makes the ultimate meatball. Living in New York City for a good portion of my adult life, I have tried many meatballs. However, although many have tried to prove me wrong, I can safely say mamma Gina’s are simply the best.