It's time for holiday desserts; Claire Ptak shares her famous spice cake with brown sugar buttercream; Alex Aïnouz makes soft meringue floating on a lake of dulce de leche; Claire bakes vegan chocolate cupcakes; non-refrigerated milk substitutes.

A fresh look at the world of rice; Josh Mamaclay uses an oven to make fried rice; Rosie Gill teaches how to fry shallots, so they become crispy and aromatic; Bianca Borges shows how to make an almost no-stir risotto Milanese with mushrooms.

Diane Kochilas roasts a whole head of cauliflower enhanced with feta and herbs; Alex Aïnouz uses a smoke infuser to transform portobello mushrooms into succulent barbecue; Josh Mamaclay roasts carrots tandoori-style; how to restore cast-iron pans.

An upgrade to chicken soup; Josh Mamaclay shares the secrets of Vietnamese chicken and rice soup with aromatics; Rosie Gill makes quick, crispy chickpeas; Rosie returns for a Georgian take on chicken soup enriched with eggs; marinating meat.

Busting myths around pies and pie dough; a one-crust, free-form crostata; Chris Taylor and Paul Arguin give a master class in pie-making for perfect crust; they finish with a peanut butter banana cream pie; substituting honey for sugar in baking.

A deep dive into the world of sauces; Rosie Gill shows three unique versions of tomato sauce; Alex Aïnouz rethinks the sous vide to update a classic hollandaise; Bianca Borges makes pesto using parsley, not basil, an Amalfi Coast favorite.

Beto Estúa and Jorge Fritz go on a taco adventure; they make Baja-style shrimp tacos with pico de gallo and a smoky tomato salsa; Rosie Gill shows how to add smoky flavor to vegetables; Yucatecan Cochinita Pibil, a braised pork taco filling.

How to make stews with less work and more flavor; Josh Mamaclay whips up a pork and hominy stew; Alex Aïnouz makes Spanish churros in the air fryer; Bianca Borges shows how to make a Provençal stew using no added liquid; rich garlic flavor.

Pasta expert Marika Contaldo Seguso travels from Venice to make homemade basil-infused tagliatelle with Alfredo sauce; she teaches how to make pasta shapes; Bianca Borges makes a simple gnocchi with water and flour, served with a pancetta sauce.

Rosemary Gill shows how to make the perfect pizza in a skillet; Alex Aïnouz uses store-bought pizza dough for bagels in a countertop steam oven; Christopher Kimball makes a unique pour-in-the-pan pizza.