Root Vegetable

Keys to great chips: A lower frying temp gets the moisture out; a vinegar soak ensures they're crisp.

Chicken legs, potatoes, and briny Kalamata olives star in this easy one-pan dish. "This entire meal comes together on a single rimmed baking sheet. It's comforting and ridiculously simple." —Claire Saffitz, assistant food editor

Broiled shallot, leek, and scallions deliver a triple-onion punch to this creamy dip.

Shishito peppers give a mildly spicy kick to this old-school breakfast classic. If you can't find them at your farmer's market, use any chile pepper with a similar heat level, like poblanos or pimentos de Padron.

Though 4 pounds of brisket may seem like a lot, remember that this cut of meat loses some weight in cooking; one advantage of leaner first-cut brisket is that there's less shrinkage, but remember you'll pay more for the privilege.

Nigella seeds can be hard to find; look for them in Indian or Middle Eastern markets, or find them easily online at www.worldspice.com.

Wrap a mixture of spiced ground lamb and raw jasmine rice in layers of onion and bake in a low oven until the onions are fragrant and tender.

If you can't find both red and yellow beets, just use all of one or the other, and pickle everything in one bowl. The pickles keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks, making them perfect for snacking with holiday leftovers.

To give this velvety vegan soup a tiny bit of crunch and extra visual appeal, chia seeds are stirred in after the soup is pureed.

Instead of tossing all of the ingredients together in this healthy, mayonnaise-free take on potato salad, the potatoes are served on a bed of the creamy avocado-chia dressing. The contrast of the purple potatoes against the green dressing is a real showstopper. If purple potatoes aren't available, this recipe also works well with red-skinned potatoes.

Gently spiced pecans and a salty caramel topping give this morning treat a savory dimension.

Chipotle aioli and sushi-grade tuna crown these modern tostadas, which come from Contramar, a lauded Mexico City seafood restaurant.

Like some sort of drug dealer, Joe (aka the big boss) has been known to keep a small plastic bag of this addictive Mexican spice rub in his glove box. And indeed, it's never a bad thing to have on hand. Although the recipe has a few steps to it, it's well worth the effort. At the restaurant, we use it to season everything from corn on the cob to chicken to our Spring booty taco. When cooking with it, just beware that it's quite salty. Also, it keeps for a long time, which means that you may want to make a double batch.

The root vegetables in this dish have a secret umami booster: miso paste. This recipe also offers a delicious way to use those oft-discarded beet and turnip greens. If you can’t find beets or turnips with greens, simply reduce the amount of each vegetable to 1/2 pound.

The best thing about making ranch from scratch? If you like a more garlicky or more herby ranch, the choice is yours to adjust the recipe accordingly.

"Celery is the perfect vehicle for a salty, assertive dressing like this one. Chiles and peanuts make it that much more addictive." —Alison Roman, senior associate food editor

The intensely flavored soffrito is the foundation of this rich pasta; double the ingredients and freeze half for next time.

Loaded with fresh herbs and sturdy kale and then set off by a bright and spicy dressing, this is an ideal counterpoint to the more decadent dishes on the table.

Fleer's family enjoys indoor picnics with brandade (made here with a shortcut: smoked trout) and storebought fixings. "We just sit on the floor and chat and chew," he says.