Rice & Grains

Editor's note: This recipe is reprinted from The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook, by Sharon Lebewohl and Rena Bulkin. On Succoth, a joyous seven-day autumn harvest festival (a kind of Jewish Thanksgiving), stuffed foods—most notably holishkes, but also kreplach, stuffed peppers, and strudels—are served to symbolize abundance. Stuffed cabbage has been a staple of Jewish cooking since the fourteenth century, when it was introduced in Russia by Tartars. There are an infinity of recipes for it, both Eastern European and Middle Eastern; ours, in a sweet-and-sour sauce, is of Polish derivation. Note: When you're confronted with a bin of cabbages, you'll notice that some are quite light, whereas others have the heft of bowling balls. Choose the lightest ones for stuffing; their leaves peel off much more easily.

Cooking a pot of rice is much easier than tearing up and toasting bread for stuffing. Assembling the side dish a day ahead saves time, too.

Barley replaces arborio in this "risotto."

Nutty wild rice pairs nicely with turkey, and the addition of roasted red peppers makes the dish visually stunning.

In January, we published a classic mole poblano that takes 3 1/2 hours to make — but a respectable version of the revered dish can also be had in much less time.

Joseph Gomes, chef at Bombay Talkie in New York City, sprinkles this dish with classic Indian seasonings.

Serve this granola with milk and sliced bananas or yogurt for breakfast, or sprinkle it over ice cream for dessert.

Fried tofu takes on a meaty texture in this traditional Hunan dish that goes from pleasantly spicy to five-alarm fire in a matter of teaspoons. Pungent fermented beans add a satisfying fragrance to the sauce, perfect for spooning over rice.

Adding a hint of orange zest to beloved chocolate chip oatmeal cookies gives them a faint citrus aroma and fresh bite.

This savory soup is thickened with masa harina, a flour made from dried corn cured in limewater. Dried ancho chiles give the vegetable broth a stunning brick-red color, and epazote (a pungent wild herb native to Mexico) contributes authentic flavor. Cubed potatoes and hefty chunks of fresh corn on the cob make the soup hearty enough to serve as a main course.

In New England, native corn made its way into many dishes that had formerly been made with English "corns" like oats, wheat, and rice. Adaptations of English porridge and rice pudding recipes were particularly well suited to maize. This particular corn dish is sweetened with sugar and enriched with milk. The variation given at the end is a more deluxe version based on 17th-century rice pudding recipes.

Tender risotto is favored with Parmesan and Fontina cheeses in these addictively crispy cakes.

A great substitute for the truffle butter is an equal amount of plain butter seasoned with a drizzle of truffle oil. Parmesan cheese rinds are available at cheese counters and cheese shops.

Truffles add luxurious appeal, but the ravioli are fantastic without them.

The Cuban classic gets a delicious boost from the addition of flavorful Spanish smoked paprika. Spanish paprika (Pimentón de la Vera) is everywhere for a good reason: its magically smoky flavor. Look for it at specialty foods stores or order it from latienda.com.