If you're not yet acquainted with larb, a Thai meat- and herb-based salad that simultaneously manages to hit salty, sour, spicy, sweet, and savory notes, then it's about time your paths crossed. If you're already a fan — as nearly anyone who's tried it is — you may notice that this version is a bit atypical, primarily in the method of meat prep. Most larb is based around ground meat, but my favorite Thai restaurant's must-order duck version features bite-size chunks of roast duck, burnished, luxuriously fatty skin and all, and since my first bite, I've become a steadfast convert.
This recipe reflects that, but with a slight nod to more user-friendly ingredients, swapping chicken thighs for the duck (feel free to sub duck if your market stocks it). Either way, it's a tantalizing dish that brings a taste of Thailand to your dinner table in a flash. Get the exceptional and exotic recipe.
Have you met bok choy? If not, get yourself to the nearest supermarket posthaste, and snap up a bundle. Slightly sweet and grassy in flavor, the 
While there are many reasons to love this weeknight-friendly side — it's affordable, easy, quick as all get out, and, most importantly, delicious — what I love most is how such simple ingredients translate into a dish far more exciting than one would assume on the outset. Little more goes into this loose recipe of sorts than the vegetable at hand, oyster sauce (a magical ingredient if there ever was one), sriracha, soy sauce, and sesame seeds, but a quick turn in a screaming-hot cast-iron takes it to the next level by imparting an essence similar to wok hei, a wok-imbued flavor prized in Chinese cuisine. 
What are you waiting for? 
I'm about to out myself in a big way: until relatively recently, I found cooked kale's cruciferous twang a bit off-putting, unpalatable even. Despite the overarching food-world wisdom praising its greatness (what other vegetable has a 
Both kale and miso bring potent flavors to the table, yet when paired together, something magical happens, and I can't help but snap up these crispy snacks with near maniacal intensity. And while kale and miso on their own are quite the treat, I like to gild the lily with a generous dusting of tingly and fragrant shichimi togarashi. This spice blend is technically optional, and could be replaced with red chili flakes or the like in a pinch, for such a minor investment (I found mine in the Asian section of my local supermarket for less than $2, it's also available 
) it provides a big payoff. 