Bon Appétit

Cara Brunetti Hillyard of Hamilton, Virginia, writes: "I come from a long line of great cooks. My father owns an Italian market in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where my mother gets a lot of the ingredients she uses in her wonderful dishes. My mother-in-law is a recipe developer, and I've been known to sit next to my great-aunt Stella with a pen and paper as she details her amazing recipes. I live far from home now, but I reconnect with my family traditions every evening when I make dinner."

Roasting the fish in salt makes it very moist — without, surprisingly, making it taste too salty. The lemony salsa verde adds zing and freshness that contrast nicely with the roasted fish.

Get the freshest ground star anise by making your own. It's as easy as grinding a few star anise pods in a spice mill or a coffee grinder.

Instant Party: Crispy fish tacos, pickled onions and jalapeños, lime cream, salsa verde, and guacamole — it all adds up to one fun party. Set everything out, and let everyone assemble their own.

Skate is a firm, white, sweet fish. Quite common on the East Coast, it's now more readily available in the West.

Improv: Instead of water chestnuts, try sugar snap peas or toasted walnuts.

This gorgeous winter salad would go well with the Mediterranean Supper Omelet. The seasoned rice vinegar takes candied walnuts from ubiquitous to inspired.

Cara Brunetti Hillyard of Hamilton, Virginia, writes: "I come from a long line of great cooks. My father owns an Italian market in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where my mother gets a lot of the ingredients she uses in her wonderful dishes. My mother-in-law is a recipe developer, and I've been known to sit next to my great-aunt Stella with a pen and paper as she details her amazing recipes. I live far from home now, but I reconnect with my family traditions every evening when I make dinner."

The classic combo is back — and bacon makes it better than ever.

This will disappear fast, so doubling the recipe might not be a bad idea.

Improv: Replace the mushrooms with diced firm tofu and/or wilted spinach.

Get the freshest ground star anise by making your own. It's as easy as grinding a few star anise pods in a spice mill or a coffee grinder.

Called bun bo hue in Vietnam, this is the heartier, spicier cousin to pho, the famous noodle soup.

Cara Brunetti Hillyard of Hamilton, Virginia, writes: "I come from a long line of great cooks. My father owns an Italian market in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where my mother gets a lot of the ingredients she uses in her wonderful dishes. My mother-in-law is a recipe developer, and I've been known to sit next to my great-aunt Stella with a pen and paper as she details her amazing recipes. I live far from home now, but I reconnect with my family traditions every evening when I make dinner." Pureeing the soup gives it a smooth richness — without any cream.

A drink that can also stand in for dessert.

Serve with cucumber rounds, red bell pepper strips, and sticks of jicama.