My first taste of aguachile was in Los Angeles a few years ago, and I was thrilled to rediscover it back in NYC's Jackson Heights at Mariscos El Submarino, a Mexican seafood restaurant specializing in aguachiles, cócteles, ceviche, and other freshly prepared dishes. Aguachile, meaning "chili water," is a dish from Sinaloa, México, is similar to ceviche but with a focus on spiciness. It typically consists of raw seafood, often shrimp (and here I'm using scallops as well), cured in lime juice, and then submerged in a broth made of the marinating liquid, soy sauce or Maggi liquid seasoning, jalapeños, Serranos, cilantro, and garlic. The broth's spiciness can range from mild to fiery, but it typically packs a punch, living up to the dish's name.

Empanadas, empanadillas, pastelillos, pastelitos, pastelillitos… So many names! So many opinions! Like any dish shared throughout Latin America, everyone claims to have the best version. I’ll keep my biases to myself (Puerto Rico and Colombia for the win). For our purposes, especially here in the United States, I’ll just be referring to them as empanadas.

This dish highlights a standard procedure for preparing shrimp to enhance its bouncy texture and coax out its natural salinity and sweetness. First, the shrimp is washed thoroughly in salt and baking soda, to tighten its texture. Second, the shrimp is velveted in egg whites and starch to provide a coating that’s slippery and protective. Finally, the shrimp is poached at a relatively low temperature to gently cook the shrimp without overcooking and shocking its flesh.

Big Little Recipes has always embodied what I consider to be a well-rounded dish—simple and quick, yet highly-impactful. In light of Emma Laperruque’s departure, I wanted to keep the spirit of her small ingredient list/big flavor ethos alive while staying true to the community-driven aspect of Food52, which fueled my decision to transform BLR into a collaborative column. From now on, you’ll be hearing from an array of new and rising voices in the food and recipe development world.

Shellfish rolls are a quintessential staple of New England summers. There’s the ever-popular lobster roll, of course, but crab and shrimp rolls have their places, too. All three are delicious, but shrimp is the most affordable, accessible option—especially when cooking for a crowd. I always have a bag (or two) of shrimp in the freezer so that these rolls can be made on a whim.

While crab cakes may be the calling card of Maryland, shrimp salad is a close second. I can't name a single bridal shower I have attended in Maryland that did not serve shrimp salad. When served as a sandwich it is usually served on white bread with lettuce and tomato. Usually the shrimp are whole, I slice mine in half lengthwise as, I find, it makes a more manageable sandwich.

Everyone knows chorizo and shrimp are in love, and there's no reason why this romance wouldn't extend deliciously into the world of burgers.

This is a favorite time of the year for me, with Diwali, Thanksgiving, and Christmas celebrations lined up one after another. I’ll take any excuse to cook for my friends and family. This season will be even more special, after the year we've all had, so I am going to have a little party and make the most of it. These cheesy, herby shrimp toasts are definitely something I’ll be cooking. They are super simple to put together—you can prepare all the bits beforehand and finish them a couple of minutes before serving. Serve these on their own or with a dip of your choice (go for something spicy).

Too often, shrimp salad is gloppy with mayonnaise, masking the verve for which shrimp deserve appreciation. Their flavor is mild, we can all agree. But with some gentle handling and choice aromatics, shrimp impart a wonderful texture, tender enough to make you swoon. Some of the sweet shrimpy poaching liquid gets added to the punchy dressing; save the rest to make pearl couscous or my wheat berry salad| New Window. The secret is to let the shrimp steep only long enough for their outsides to become opaque, then transfer them to a shallow bowl to cool—easy-peasy and impossible to overcook. My favorite way to serve this shrimp salad piled onto toast with buttery avocado. You could also toss the shrimp with a short pasta such as fusilli or ditalini, or serve it with herbed buttery potatoes, Scandinavian style. Heads up: Eat the salad in one sitting, as the citrus will toughen the shrimp as time passes.

"This humble meal is today considered Puerto Rico’s unofficial national dish, and a family favorite for many. Growing up, mofongo was a dish reserved for special occasions and almost always served with “camarones a la criolla,” or Creole shrimp. My version takes my family’s recipe and incorporates a few tricks I’ve picked up along the way growing up in Brooklyn.

Shrimp pasta that tastes like you’re on vacation needs little more than shrimp and pasta. This recipe calls for tiny tomatoes, fresh basil, and choose-your-own chile paste (plus butter and salt).

Like many of the recipes in The Gift of Southern Cooking| New Window, this recipe is a little bit Scott Peacock and a little bit Edna Lewis. Stirred through the creamy grits, the shrimp paste goes further than a few pretty prawns piled on top ever could, pervading every spoonful with the pure essence of shrimp at its best and most seductive. The shrimp paste also makes a lovely spread for crackers and all-purpose flavor enhancer (just imagine stirring it into risotto, saucing fish, or filling tea sandwiches with it).

This is a really easy quick dish that tastes delicious and—okay, okay—works even if you insist on peeling off the shells after cooking. But I hope you will trust me and give the whole shrimp a try. Frying the shrimp in hot olive oil quickly crisps the shells up and seals in the juices, and throwing the salt on hot shells just as they come out of the hot oil really bonds the salt on to the shell, granting plenty of flavor. I like to squeeze a little lemon over everything for the acidity, and also because it softens both the flavor and the texture of the shells.

These fritters, aromatic with garlic and turmeric, are a riff on the classic Hà Nội street snack called bánh tôm, in which shrimp or prawns are nestled in a basket of sweet potato, then fried. We swap out the sweet potato for taro here for a slightly different flavor; the taro is also lower in moisture than sweet potato, so the fritters stay crisp longer.

A simple, scampi-inspired dinner that needs neither a lot of time, nor a lot of ingredients. The key is to swiftly simmer the shrimp—done right, these cook in less than 5 minutes—and to rely on extrovert ingredients for seasoning. Lemon juice and lemon zest deliver loads of sunny acidity. So much so that we’re also using water, not stock, to stretch the brightness, and to ensure that there’s enough sauce for bread-sopping. (On that note: A crusty baguette is my go-to here.

A light, refreshing salad featuring tender shrimp, creamy avocado, and a zesty citrus dressing made with lime or orange. Tossed with greens, herbs, and a hint of spice for a vibrant, summery dish packed with flavor.