Potato

The small potatoes known as fingerlings have a sweet, buttery flavor. Small redskinned potatoes would work well, too.

Japanese horseradish gives these a bit of heat. Great with steak or prime rib, too.

Over-the-top delicious.

These will add a southwestern-style kick to your Thanksgiving menu.

A frequent host of special dinners at Chez Panisse, Niloufer Ichaporia King is an amazing Parsi cook whose recipes are truly inspiring. When we saw this one in her new book, it struck us as the perfect marriage of whisper-light omelet and aromatic, dosa-like filling.

Using the pan drippings to sauté the vegetables allows the bacon's smokiness to permeate the whole dish. It's a striking complement to the sweet potatoes and red peppers. And don't fret about making too much—you won't have leftovers for long. The flavors will meld further and make for a terrific breakfast the next day.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are adapted from Molto Italiano by Mario Batali. It's part of a special menu created by Lidia Bastianich and Mario Batali for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program. Tortiera di Patate This is the Italian version of spuds au gratin. There is no cream or milk, but with the creamy texture of the pecorino and the pleasing crunch of the bread crumbs, it is definitely comfort food.

This hearty soup gets rich flavor from linguiça, a delicious pork sausage from Portugal seasoned with garlic, paprika, and other spices. Spanish chorizo sausage is a great substitute.

Here's a mellow way to flavor this creamy and comforting Spanish custard dessert.

To fry the fish-and-chips, you will need a deep fryer or a large stockpot.

Wait until you try these llapingachos. The name may be hard to pronounce ("yop- in-GAH-chos," if you were wondering), but these mashed-potato patties from the mountains of Ecuador have a crisp exterior and a warm, cheese-laced pillowy middle that might be better served by a word that's much easier to say: perfecto.

Ajiaco The term ajiaco means different things in different parts of Latin America, but in Colombia the name refers to a chunky chicken soup thickened with papas criollas, a native potato. The tiny yellow tubers break down completely, giving the broth a rich, silky mouthfeel. If you can't find papas criollas in your supermarket's freezer section, grated russets achieve pretty much the same effect. Yukon Gold and red boiling potatoes contribute contrasting texture, and a handful of briny capers punches up the flavor.

These gnocchi are also delicious with a creamy Gorgonzola cheese sauce. Stir 1 cup cream and 2 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola in a medium saucepan until smooth. Add cooked browned gnocchi and toss to warm through.

This is a complete meal—with a main course and two sides. Also called "American bison," buffalo tastes slightly sweeter than beef. It also has significantly less fat and cholesterol. You can find buffalo at specialty foods stores (such as Whole Foods), some farmers' markets, and online at dartagnan.com. If you can't find buffalo, use lean grass-fed beef.

The intensity of hot mustard varies. Start with 1 teaspoon, then add more by 1/2 teaspoonfuls to taste. Hot English mustard is a good stand-in if Chinese is unavailable.

Adding large flakes of pleasantly pungent smoked mackerel to a straightforward potato salad gives it a deeper, more savory dimension. Smoked mackerel comes in herbed and peppered varieties as well as plain; all of them will work well here—especially the peppered version.

Fingerlings have a particularly earthy quality that tastes of the essence of potato. Steaming them, rather than boiling, preserves their delicate shape and prevents them from becoming waterlogged, so that the simple dressing really comes through.

Dessert dumplings play a cherished role in Hungary. The tender dough, similar to Italian potato gnocchi, forms a pillowy ball around lightly sweetened plums. The finishing touch? A buttery mixture of bread crumbs, chopped walnuts, and cinnamon sugar.