Wild-caught and sustainably sourced from Maryland and Louisiana, these soft-shell crabs are a seasonal treat meant to be savored. Dress them up with a flavored compound butter (we love using tomatoes, gochujang, or herbs), or drizzle over a sauce like romesco or chimichurri. It's hard to go wrong! Here's the basic method for cooking them: Season some flour with salt, then dredge your soft shell crabs in it, coating all over and shaking off any excess. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat, then add crabs and cook until coating is golden, about 3-4 minutes per side. During the last two minutes, melt in a compound butter and spoon it over the crabs as they cook.

Taking a versatile protein, in-season veg, and your favorite sauce or seasoning is a no-fail formula for a quick weeknight meal. Right now, we're digging chicken thighs marinated in Mother In Law's gochujang chile paste and honey, baked with some blistered tomatoes and kale. Or, you can throw your chicken on the grill and add the sauce after (to avoid burning).

Fly By Jing's chili crisp puts the signature tingly-hot flavors of Sichuan cuisine into a sauce that you can add to a wide range of dishes. We especially love it in this simple noodle recipe, where it's combined with creamy peanut butter and a dash of tangy vinegar. Here's how it's done: In a large bowl, stir together 1/4 c peanut butter, 1 tbsp black or rice vinegar, 2 tbsp Fly By Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tbsp sesame oil until thoroughly combined. Cook 6 oz dried noodles according to package instructions, saving a little of the cooking water. Add drained noodles to bowl with sauce. Toss to coat all over, adding some of the cooking water as needed to create a loose consistency. Divide between bowls and garnish with sliced scallions and fried garlic pieces. Photo credit: Jen Balisi.

Vietnamese pho is traditionally made by slowly simmering the soup, but this adaptation uses packaged broth to cut down on the effort significantly: Place 1 halved onion and a 3-inch piece ginger directly in the flame of a grill, gas stove top, or broiler. Let the outer skin char, turning to blacken all over. Let cool, then rub off any flaky black spots on the onion. Peel the ginger, then thinly slice. In a pot, place the charred onion, ginger, 3 cloves garlic, 3 pieces star anise, 1 stick cinnamon, 3 cloves, and 6 c chicken bone broth. Set over medium heat and let simmer for about 1 hour. Strain the broth through a sieve and stir in 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp sugar. Taste and season more as needed. When almost ready to serve, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook 7 oz rice noodles according to package instructions. Drain and divide noodles between 4 bowls. Prepare some garnishes including roughly chopped mint, basil, and/or cilantro, lime wedges, bean sprouts, thin slices of the remaining onion, and sliced jalapeno. Top each with roughly a half cup of shredded cooked chicken. Pour over the hot broth and serve immediately with the garnishes, sriracha, and hoisin sauce.