Vegetable

The best thing about making ranch from scratch? If you like a more garlicky or more herby ranch, the choice is yours to adjust the recipe accordingly.

Piuma makes big batches of this bright North African sauce to minimize at-home chopping, then uses it all week.

Think of this as a carbonara, but with tomatoes in place of the eggs.

Jaew is a tart, smoky dipping sauce from Thailand, usually served with grilled meats and sausages. Watson takes it to a Tex-Mex place in this eggy, cheesy rice dish that might remind you of nachos (it works).

"Acid and texture are the most important things," says chef Eli Kulp. His hearty vegetarian breakfast sandwich—with its mix of marinated mushrooms, soft eggs, melted cheese, and a buttery toasted roll—proves his point.

"Celery is the perfect vehicle for a salty, assertive dressing like this one. Chiles and peanuts make it that much more addictive." —Alison Roman, senior associate food editor

The intensely flavored soffrito is the foundation of this rich pasta; double the ingredients and freeze half for next time.

If you haven't cooked with MSG before, give it a try.

"The herbal notes of gin pair well with celery in this refreshing cocktail—and bonus points for the cool green color." —Claire Saffitz, assistant food editor

Loaded with fresh herbs and sturdy kale and then set off by a bright and spicy dressing, this is an ideal counterpoint to the more decadent dishes on the table.

Fleer's family enjoys indoor picnics with brandade (made here with a shortcut: smoked trout) and storebought fixings. "We just sit on the floor and chat and chew," he says.

Used in place of mayonnaise, yogurt brings tang and brightness to these crostini.

Nilou Motamed, Epicurious Editor-in-Chief, swears by this herb-infused lobster roll recipe inspired by her father-in-law Michael DePorte. When available, Nilou prefers soft-shell lobsters, or “shedders”, for their easy-to-crack shells (no tools required!) and sweet, tender meat. If you choose soft-shell lobsters, reduce the cooking time by 2 to 3 minutes. She also prefers filtered seawater as a cooking liquid, so if your fishmonger has it available, give it a try! Boiling lobsters in well-salted water is the next best thing.

If you don't happen to have eight ramekins, you can assemble the sauce and eggs in a single baking dish and increase the baking time if needed.

A mixture of white wine and white wine vinegar, plus a host of spices and vegetables, infuse these shrimp with tangy, fragrant flavor. Serve them as a cocktail party hors d'oeuvre or toss them into a salad.

If you can't find flat runner beans, use any color snap, wax, or French beans and reduce the cooking time.

The key to this sauce is a creamy emulsion of the oil, cheese, and pasta water. Toss and stir—and stir and toss—adding liquid freely, until it comes together.