This carrot cake, sans raisins and nuts (!!) is, to me, perfect. If you can believe it, it doesn’t really need frosting, although I do understand the sentimental attachment. While the salty vanilla frosting (page 293) would be excellent, I know what you want is cream cheese frosting, preferably one that doesn’t require a mixer (just like this cake).

For quick cream cheese frosting, combine 8 ounces/225g of softened cream cheese, ½ cup/60g powdered sugar, and a good pinch of kosher salt together in a medium bowl. Use a fork to combine everything (this is why the cream cheese needs to be at room temperature) until smooth, like softened butter. Spread onto the cake and sprinkle with chopped, toasted nuts if you like.

Tom yum soup can be made with any kind of meat or seafood, but the version with shrimp is the most popular outside Thailand, probably because it has an intense, rich flavor thanks to the Thai chili paste. The chicken version, however, has a simpler, cleaner-tasting broth, and it is one of the most soul-soothing dishes we have to offer. You can use boneless chicken, but I love using chicken wings in this because they have an extremely high bone-to-meat ratio, which means that in 20 minutes the wings will turn plain water into chicken stock that’s richer and tastier than any stock you can buy. Wings also don’t require any chopping, and I’m all about less cleanup any time!

Back in the ’90s, I was diagnosed with TNS—Taco-Neck Syndrome. I ate so many tacos that my neck was permanently tilted to the side; but in the end, it just may have helped me grab more boards. So, let’s just say I have a soft spot for tacos.

I developed this recipe when I was working on a food TV show, behind the scenes. I wanted to take a dish that lots of people are familiar with and give it my Caribbean twist. In Jamaica, we eat a lot of salted cod and cassava, so why not try a Jamaican-style latke?