Meal Prep

This tangy, spicy chutney is a twist on southern pickled watermelon rind. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 25 1/2 hr (includes chilling)

Use fresh button mushrooms if wild mushrooms are hard to get; you will still have delicious results. Yukon Gold potatoes have a pale yellow color and a buttery taste that adds to the richness of this dish.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. This recipe originally accompanied Chocolate Soufflés with Creamy Caramel Sauce .

If you've never tried roasted cauliflower before, this dish will be a revelation.

Freeze some of this sauce now and treat yourself to a burst of summer one cold, wintry day.

"When I was staying at the Metropolitan Hotel in Toronto," writes Constance M. Shertzer of Indiana, Pennsylvania, "I discovered a fabulous restaurant there called Hemispheres Restaurant and Bistro. The pasta with mushrooms and tomato sauce was as good as any I've ever had in Italy."

Ras-El-Hanout This vibrant spice blend makes an excellent addition to lamb burgers or roasted chicken. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark, dry place.

As a working mother with four daughters, my mom had very little spare time, yet she always managed to turn out meals reminiscent of her native Canton, China. This dish, one of her specialties, takes its name from the moist, velvety texture the chicken gets from being poached at a low temperature. My mother loved the short preparation time (the chicken finishes cooking through heat retained in a covered pot) and that the poaching liquid can be strained and then chilled or frozen to be used again. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

A butter and molasses glaze gives this delicately flavored loaf a glossy finish, which makes for a beautiful presentation at the table.

(Provençal Anchovy Vegetable Spread) Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe originally accompanied Fruit Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. When buying fresh coconuts, look for ones without mold (check the eyes) or cracks. Choose coconuts that are heavy for their size—a sign that they contain plenty of liquid, which keeps the flesh from drying out. The thin, clear liquid, or "coconut water," can be used in soups or for cooking rice. You can also drink it as is. If it tastes sweet, the coconut is fresh; if it tastes oily, the coconut is rancid and should be discarded.

A tablespoon of sugar may be added to the batter for sweet crêpes, but with more they tend to scorch.

This Middle Eastern spice mixture is so delicious we suggest doubling the recipe and using the extra for a snack: Dunk some bread (such as pita) in flavorful olive oil and then in the za'atar. Or sprinkle za'atar over plain yogurt and drizzle with olive oil, and you've got a terrific dip.