Kenji's experiments with creating a risotto that both is creamy with starch and has a toasted nutty flavor. The solution: rinse the rice in the cooking broth, then drain and toast the rice, adding the starchy broth back during cooking.

Part five of epic Pad Thai instructions: putting it all together. Do your mise en place, use enough oil, use a big enough skillet, and stay on your toes.

Part four of epic Pad Thai instructions: the sauce. Make it concentrated, with tamarind pulp (see preparation post), fish sauce, palm sugar, and brown sugar.

Part three of epic Pad Thai instructions: exotic ingredients. Some of these are not typically used in pad thai outside of Thailand. Important ones: extra-firm unseasoned tofu, preferably tinted yellow; tamarind pulp (see earlier post for preparation); Chinese garlic chives. Optional: dried pickled (daikon) radish, often called pickled turnips; shrimp paste in oil (the red stuff); small dried shrimp, with shells on. Garnish: banana blossom.

Part two of epic Pad Thai instructions: noodle shape and preparation. Get small to medium (2-3 mm wide) flat rice noodles and soak in room temperature water until pliable yet firm, abut 20 to 30 minutes. They should be edible, but not pleasantly so, and you should be able to wrap them around your fingers. Do not blanch them, as the noodles will get gummy and starchy.

Part one of epic Pad Thai instructions: discussing pans. A good option is a giant 17-inch Lodge cast-iron skillet, as it provides a lot of room for fast evaporation even with 3-4 servings in the pan.

Kenji constructs a decent Greek-style (medium-thick crust, rich tomato sauce, half-fried in skillet) pizza.

Kenji's secret to getting those aged cheese to melt instead of weep grease: grate them, mix them with a little milk or cream (for moisture) and flour (an emulsifier), then steam. Makes the perfect cheeseburger, no advanced molecular gastronomy required.

Kenji develops a recipe for classic, flaky Chinese scallion pancakes with dipping sauce.

How to make onigiri (Japanese rice balls), simplified.

Kenji works out the best Eggplant Parmesan recipe, including microwave par-cooking the eggplant and the optimal way of handling and frying the eggplant.

First in a series of articles about starting and maintaining a sourdough starter.

Jim Coudal's perfect vodka martini, now updated after the unfortunate changes to Noilly Prat's US vermouth.