Bon Appétit

This classic Basque recipe was passed down from owner Mario Leon's grandmother to his mother. Leon took it from there. Sentimentality aside, the dish earns its permanent spot on the menu with big flavor and lamb so tender it falls apart at the touch of a fork.

You can substitute any color of rice or quinoa to make this gorgeous (and healthful) salad, which works as a vegetarian main course or hearty side dish.

Serve this Deep South specialty with Cream Biscuits .

"House-made agnolotti, similar to ravioli, is almost always on our menu with various fillings."

Start breakfast by making a potato pancake, then cover it with sausage, eggs, and cheese and bake until puffed and golden.

Lo uses saikyo white miso, a very mild and slightly sweet soybean paste, but any white miso works well in this sweet-and-spicy dish. The brightly flavored sauce makes a great dressing on simply prepared seasonal vegetables. Scallops would also be a good choice.

Good-quality smoked bacon and fresh collard greens are the keys to this indulgent riff on creamed spinach.

This delicate cheesecake is cooked in a water bath and steamed for a supremely light texture. To make sure the homemade-gingersnap-cookie crust stays crisp, wrap the cake pan inside and out with heavy-duty, 18"-wide aluminum foil.

Hakurei turnips are a small, delicately flavored Japanese variety that will win over even the harshest turnip critic. If you can't find them, use another small turnip like the Tokyo, or substitute with red radishes. Lo advocates using the whole turnip, from bitter, leafy-green tops to sweet roots.

We swooned over deputy food editor Janet McCracken's pumpkin seed and cilantro pesto when she made it in the BA Test Kitchen. Now we use it on rice, pasta, roasted vegetables, and chicken, too.

The big flavors of Mark Overbay's artisanal Big Spoon Roasters nut butters inspired his partner, Megan Lynam, to create this instant favorite. The complex nuttiness comes from the addition of ground pecans to the mix.

Chef Nancy Oakes was initially underwhelmed when developing this dish. "The eggs were just poached and a little squishy," she says. "Frying them in breadcrumbs made things more interesting." For maximum crispiness, chill the poached eggs before giving them a pre-fry roll in the egg whites and panko.

Fresh compote replaces cream-and-egg-laden pie filling.

Top sirloin, flank steak, or skirt steak work just as well as eye round in this Thai-inspired dish.

Use butternut squash or a small, firm cooking pumpkin such as a sugar pumpkin for the best results.

Use any combination of red or black grapes to achieve a deep purple color.

An elegant twist on the pineapple classic. You can use any kind of pear you'd like.