Plates from everywhere

Carrots, chickpeas, and squash slow-cooked with cumin, ginger, and preserved lemon under a conical lid.

Pasta, pecorino, pepper, and pasta water — four things, infinite technique. Rome’s midnight plate.

Rice in a scorching stone bowl, a ring of seasoned vegetables, a fried egg, and a lake of gochujang.

Chickpeas in a dark, tangy tomato-onion gravy. The north-Indian dhaba classic that turns a tin of beans into dinner.

A sharp salad of tomatoes, cucumber, herbs, and fried pita, dressed with lemon and a dusting of sumac.

Summer vegetables cooked until they taste of olive oil, garlic, and themselves. Eat it warm or cold, like a Provençal would.