Potato

"While my husband and I were vacationing in the Cayman Islands, we had the pleasure of dining at Fidel Murphy's Irish Pub on Grand Cayman," writes Regina Stewart of Acworth, Georgia. "We travel a lot and have enjoyed many good Irish stews, but the pub's rendition is the best ever."

Hold the mayo: This rustic side dish is dressed with a Provence-inspired blend of white wine, Dijon mustard and capers. Be sure the potatoes are still warm when you add them to the dressing; they’ll absorb it better, enhancing the flavor of the dish.

"No one wants to eat this kind of food in a restaurant," Franco Ricatti, owner of the Ristorante Bacco in Barletta, Puglia, told me, "but we make it all the time at home." As he described the following, one-pot preparation of pasta boiled with diced zucchini and potatoes, dressed with olive oil and grated Parmesan, I begged him to make it for me. Franco breaks the spaghetti into 2-inch pieces, but I don't bother. And he doesn't use any herbs — unusual behavior in Italy — but I like to add a little basil or parsley. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Top slow-roasted sweet potatoes with tamarind concentrate, green chutney, fresh onions, tomatoes, and cilantro for a chaat-inspired appetizer.

This picadillo-inspired topping would taste good on a shoe.

Potatoes meet butter in this crispy, golden cake fit for a French bistro.

Also known as a fancy French potato puff.

A classic for Jewish holidays that’s too good not to make all year.

So much more affordable than ordering from those fast casual salad chains.

Salami, provolone, olives, pickled peppers—need we say more?

Flavored with smoky paprika and steam-charred in foil packets, these spuds taste like summer.

This brothy bowl will nourish you from the inside out.

Roasted radishes for the win.