Molly Wizenberg

This classic French fish dish, swimming in brown butter and lemon, has all the trimmings of a romantic dinner for two—and it only takes 15 minutes to make.

Not to be mistaken for American flapjacks (a.k.a. a stack of pancakes), these British oat bars make a fantastic on-the-go breakfast or snack.

The beauty of this basic recipe is that it can be tweaked in numerous ways. For a spicy version, add some sriracha sauce. Try swapping out the lemon juice for lime juice and use feta cheese instead of Parmesan and mix in some chopped fresh cilantro and chopped red onion or shallot. For a curried chickpea salad, leave out the Parmesan and add curry powder to taste, dried currants, sliced green onions, and shredded carrots.

Curry powders vary in flavor and heat; begin with two tablespoons and add more according to your taste.

After Thanksgiving, serve the sauerkraut with kielbasa and mashed potatoes—or try it in a Reuben sandwich or as a hot-dog topper.

For the best texture, don't overwork the meat mixture and use Parmesan that's ground to a fine powder ( use the processor or the rasp side of a box grater). For more heat, add 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper to the sauce.

Quick preserved lemon (it cooks for ten minutes) adds a fresh hit of flavor to this warm salad.

Thai papaya salad is an ideal summer side dish and packs up well if you want to take it with you.

For a super-authentic version of this recipe, order some Honeycup mustard from vineandtable.com and a ham from smithfieldhams.com.

This version of the scone is based on the recipe from the Standard Baking Company. Molly tweaked the recipe slightly in her home kitchen. If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them before folding into the batter.

This ultra-simple recipe relies on fresh, good-quality wild salmon. If you like, sprinkle the fish with some chopped fresh herbs or a little freshly grated lemon peel before roasting.

This rich, creamy pudding is delicious served warm or cold. If you feel like dressing up the dessert a bit, add a cinnamon stick while the rice is cooking, or top the finished pudding with a sprinkling of raisins and a little freshly grated nutmeg just before serving.