Simple Cooking

You can leave out the salami for a vegetarian version of this winter panzanella.

Almonds are the new breadcrumbs. Their toasty flavor and crunch add just the right contrast to pasta.

When ramps are in season, stock up and make this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Swap in any soft cheese you like: Try ricotta, cream cheese, or an oozy burrata.

The dressing for this salad is on the less acidic side: Once the tart pickled vegetables are in the mix, it will be perfectly balanced.

Juicy pork, roast carrots, and hearty greens plus a garlicky romesco sauce equals a dinner you'll want to make over and over.

Editor's note: Use this recipe to make Rawia Bishara's Eggplant Napoleon . The first time I ever tasted pesto, I was hooked. I remember the first meal I made using it like it was yesterday—linguini tossed with pesto, topped with fried eggplant and served with fresh home-baked bread. When I use pesto this way, as a sauce, I generally make it with pine nuts. If I'm going to incorporate it into a dish, I use almonds, which are less expensive.

Editor's note: Use this recipe to make Rawia Bishara's Brussels Sprouts with Panko . Tahini sauce, a smooth blend of toasted sesame paste, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil, is ubiquitous in Middle Eastern kitchens. It is the condiment. There is hardly a dish that isn't enhanced by it—drizzled on Falafel sandwiches and over Brussels Sprouts with Panko; blended with pureed chickpeas for Hummus and with charred eggplant for Baba Ghanouj. My favorite Whole Fried Fish is served with this sauce mixed with parsley. At Tanoreen, I mix it into salad dressings and drizzle it into cauliflower casseroles. My daughter? She dips French fries into it! Learn to make this and you will have a simple, delicious, versatile sauce to add to your repertoire.

Look for pea shoots at the farmers' market or at Asian markets (though any tender green will work in a pinch).

In this Filipino dish, achiote oil bathes the shrimp in an amber hue, and citrus lends a bright, tart note.

Elegant and easy, this flavorful fish stew comes together in less than 30 minutes.

The key to a vibrant green (not khaki) soup: Bring the water up to a boil quickly over high heat, and err on undercooking the peas to preserve their color.

We're hooked on the juicy and crunchy textures and sweet and spicy flavors in this steak and salad pairing.

Cans of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are available in the Mexican food section of most grocery stores. You'll need to puree some for this recipe.

MAKING BREAKFAST SAUSAGE is an old family tradition for us. My grandpa's family used to raise their own hogs, and when it came time for butchering day, they made sure that nothing went to waste. All parts of the animal were used—for hams, bacon, lard, and sausage. My grandpa was in charge of making the breakfast sausage—a tradition he passed on to us. Breakfast sausage is a loose sausage that hasn't been cured, which makes it appropriate for a home cook. My grandpa's recipe was typically Texan in that it was seasoned with sage. While there is nothing finer than a basic breakfast sausage, I find it's an excellent base for other flavors, such as the smoky notes of bacon and smoked paprika and bittersweet tones of molasses. This isn't exactly my grandpa's breakfast sausage, but I'm sure he would have enjoyed it just fine.

Kosher Status: Pareve I much prefer baking my gefilte fish as opposed to the traditional method of boiling. I just don't like how the words "boiled fish" sound, but that of course is neither here nor there. Boiled gefilte fish (blech, again!) can get really soggy and waterlogged, depending on how long you leave it in the pot and the level of your heat. I find baking always produces a firmer-textured, tastier gefilte.

Kosher Status: Poultry Cooking doesn't have to be difficult or complicated, and it doesn't need to use lots of ingredients to be perfect. The better cook you are, the quicker you learn that. Here's one recipe that proves it.