Simple Cooking

If you've ever woken up with a hangover, you know why egg sandwiches have earned their spot in the comfort-food canon. But the day-after staple can cure your dinnertime blues, too. The necessities: a runny yolk; soft, griddled bread; and something fresh to keep the fat attack in check. Once you've nailed these basics, it's about adding a few more elements for flair. This version, from Austin's Noble Sandwich Co., uses quick-pickled onions (proof that pickles make everything taste better), Sriracha mayonnaise to bring the heat (a dash of hot sauce would also do the trick), and arugula for brightness and bite. Throw some avocado on there, or sliced ripe tomato, if you're in the mood. The point is, think savory, think seasonal, and wake up to a new reality.

Drizzle this sweet-salty vinaigrette on green salads or on roasted carrots.

A red wine float turns the classic, summery whiskey sour into a cold-weather favorite.

Meat Todd: I took the traditional Jewish braised brisket (see The Jewish Brisket, Modernized) and added techniques from my French arsenal to come up with a modern, elegant version of this beloved meat dish. It must be made a day before you wish to serve it, but there's an extra plus with that—it lets all the flavors fully develop and frees you for other things.

This is especially pretty made with a mix of orange and purple carrots, and even nicer if you flute the carrots lengthwise with a channel knife before slicing them—this results in slices with pretty scalloped edges. A channel knife is handy for cutting decorative strips of citrus zest, too; you can pick one up in nearly any gourmet shop.

This recipe makes quite a bit of stock, but that's a blessing since it must cook for 24 hours. Freeze it in 1-quart containers (or smaller) so it's handy for later use. If you are pressed for time, by all means begin with a prepared version of demiglace (available in most grocery stores or online, such as Demi-Glace Gold brand), and dilute it with 2 to 3 parts water—this is a fine and practical option to making your own veal stock.

Parve Although the Bible orders us to feast, the cooks in the house need food that is easy to prepare, especially on Passover eve. Mushrooms have always been a focus of Jewish food and this foragers' pie would be perfect for a pre-seder meal, when eating matzo and other flours is forbidden and the Passover meal is still hours away. This dish will also suit vegetarians as a main course for Passover.

I didn't think it was possible to love artichokes more than I already did until I lived in Italy. There they harvest artichokes in both spring and fall, and that abundance graces their cuisine. Artichokes also enhance their health, as they stimulate the gallbladder to produce bile, which escorts toxins out of the body and also helps break down fats in the diet. Here, artichoke hearts are combined with chicken, chickpeas, and olives to create a rich, nourishing stew, seasoned with a potpourri of heady and healthful spices, including turmeric, cumin, coriander, and mint. For a wonderful pairing, serve it over Brown Rice Pilaf with Saffron and Ginger .

Sweeten movie night by whipping up a batch of these treats for your friends. Cherries and oat flour add fiber to make them extra filling.

Even your dude will love this skinny pie. (He can bring the beer.)

This is an old favorite and was, apart form pancakes, the only way my children would eat eggs. They called them 'poofle' eggs, although I can't remember why. They are known by many other names, some more logical than others, including knothole eggs, bird’s nest, Hollywood eggs, and one-eyed Jack.

Around the Chinese New Year, Chinatown bakeries fill up with tins of butter cookies, waiting to be given as gifts to relatives. Of course, they're still sold and eaten year-round, and once you have just one of these bite-size cookies, it's hard to stop. They're a tad less sweet than American cookies, but their rich butteriness makes them irresistible.

"Yogurt lightens this riff on hummus. It's fantastic with pita chips or crudités." —Chris Morocco, associate food editor

Serve the salmon with raita, which gets a peppery twist from the addition of grated daikon radish.

If your Marcona almonds haven't already been oiled and salted, add another 1 tablespoon oil when toasting.

Sweet and citrusy with a touch of heat, this side dish would also be a great match for roast chicken or pork.

This dish is a perfect side for roast chicken; or crumble feta on top for a vegetarian lunch. Quinoa freezes well, so cook a big batch, let cool, and freeze in resealable plastic bags until ready to use.

Tossing grated Parm into panko is the secret to crisper, better-tasting chicken cutlets.

The fact that these fries are healthier is almost beside the point—baked fries are great in their own right, and who's crazy enough to deep-fry on a weeknight anyway? These potatoes get a dusting of spices before roasting for extra flavor.

Eating Padrón or shishito peppers is a bit like playing Russian roulette. Most are mild, but every now and then you'll bite into a wickedly hot one.