Make Ahead

Most braises start by browning the meat. Not this one. The cooked meat is sliced, floured, and seared at the end, which lends a pro touch to this dish.

Adding cream thins lemon curd and makes it extra spoonable—delicious in more than just this dish.

Rather than fussily cutting the grapefruit into neat segments, Mattos cuts them crosswise into disks; he likes the slightly bitter flavor of the membrane itself.

It might seem fussy to separate the vegetables when pickling, but if they're combined, the colors will bleed and they won't be as vibrant.

When making the candied almonds, stir them until the caramel transforms into a dry, crystallized coating.

Cutting the vegetables into similarly sized pieces helps them cook at the same rate, so this entire dish—sauce included—can be made in one pan.

This stew calls for water instead of stock to be added. The pork shoulder will create a rich cooking liquid on its own.

A mix of fragrant spices, garlic, and fresh ginger turn this stewed chicken into the most perfectly warming dinner for an October Sunday.

Cooking the potatoes on a wire rack lets hot air circulate around them, so they get extra crisp.

A virtuous, herby grain salad with a heart of indulgent butterfat. We love the white-on-white effect of using barley, but it's delicious with basically any whole grain; try wheat berries or spelt.

Think of the crunchy, granolaish sesame clusters as seedy croutons for this juicy and bracing salad.

Rompope is served chilled, often over ice, but it can be served warm, which is how I prefer it when cold weather sets in. Either way, it's rich, velvety, fragrant, and certainly full of cheer.

A sparkling drink made blush with a tart beet granita. Ruby-skinned beets are an unexpected but welcome ingredient in cocktails: their high sugar content and bright hue make them an excellent, all-natural way to add a pop of color and flavor. Here, the beets are pureed into a granita, with spicy star anise and allspice to complement their earthy undertones, and then topped with a refreshing dose of prosecco.

My Mom, Veronica, is pretty much a vegetarian these days. When she invites us over for "meatloaf," this is what we get—and I like it a lot; in fact, even Todd does. The lentils and the brown rice make it hearty while at the same time kind of fluffy and light. My favorite part about it is the fresh tomato sauce, which is almost like a salsa. Checca is a Southern Italian term for this fresh sauce, which is called by different names in different regions. Some of it goes into the lentil loaf and the rest is served alongside.

When Jade says, "Make me my breakfast sandwich," we know she means this recipe. This is an all-in-one, colorful, hearty wrap that's perfect for making your own. Customize this according to what's in your fridge, swapping spinach for the kale or jarred red bell peppers for the tomatoes. And if you don't have time to poach the eggs, just scramble them instead.

Writer Peter Jon Lindberg's Swedish grandmother Alice Lindberg made these cookies each Christmas. The recipe makes about 9 dozen cookies, making it great for holiday parties and edible gifts.

This is one of those serendipitous, stumbled-upon creations. I had made a big pot of polenta, and I poured the leftovers into a baking dish in a thin layer. The next day, foraging in the fridge for lunch, I came upon the polenta, a little fresh mozzarella, a little Parmesan (or was it Pecorino?). To make a pizza of sorts, I layered on the cheeses, added a splash of oil, crumbled over a handful of dried sage leaves, and put it into a hot oven. The result was completely satisfying. So what if it's not truly a pizza?—though perhaps it has a culinary ancestor somewhere, since there's really nothing new under the sun.