Serious Eats/Lorena MassoA sope is a thin, shallow shell of masa that's fried until it's just crisp before the hot and tender interior is piled high with any number of fillings ( beans, lettuce, salsa, crumbled queso, and shredded meat are common). They're often served as antojitos, or appetizers, but my favorite way to enjoy sopes is for breakfast...

Serious Eats / Mai KakishIf you’ve noticed that many Arabic dishes are named based on where they come from (e.g. Qudsiyeh from al-Quds, or Jerusalem), the vessel they are cooked in (qidreh, which means pot), or manner in which they are prepared (maqlubeh means “flipped over”), you won’t be surprised to learn that “makhloota” simply means mixed together....

Serious Eats / Yasmine Maggio, Amanda SuarezFocaccia is undoubtedly having a moment on Instagram, and we’re here for it. While making a homemade batch is easy as can be (see our recipes for basic homemade focaccia, roasted garlic focaccia, and olive-rosemary focacccia), I can’t say I’m always ready to hop off the couch and prep a batch for the oven—fortunately...

Serious Eats / Amanda SuarezBrewing tea might seem simple: Just plop a tea bag into a mug, fill it with hot water, and ta-da—there’s a steaming cuppa. But if you’re really into tea (or—gasp—just bought a tin of looseleaf tea by accident and are panicking a little), investing in a few pieces of gear can elevate your tea game from good to great. Plus,...

Serious Eats / Mai KakishMade with boiled chickpeas and seasoned with cumin, olive oil, and often garlic and lemon juice, baleela is a humble dish enjoyed across the Levant, especially in Lebanon and Syria. It’s so popular that you’ll find vendors walking the streets of old towns and neighborhoods calling out “baleela baleela'' in hopes of serving it...

Serious Eats / Lorena MassoAs a kid growing up in the Midwest, I first encountered arroz rojo, red rice, in lackluster Mexican restaurants as an unassuming side dish that I’d eat alongside tinga de pollo and refried beans. I’d take a few bites, but the greasy, not particularly flavorful rice mostly went unnoticed on my plate. Then in college in Los...