Quick

This recipe is a favorite of mine on a cold winter's night as it always reminds me of times with friends when we would ski and snowboard all day then sit by a log fire and eat and drink all night. If you don't have maple syrup on hand, use a spoonful of honey instead.

Editor's note: Chef, nutritionist, and cooking teacher Lourdes Castro shared this recipe for Cuban coffee, or cafecito, as part of a festive Cuban party menu she created for Epicurious. No Cuban meal is complete without a cafecito, or Cuban coffee. More than just an espresso, a well-made cafecito has sweet crema floating over strong espresso coffee. Despite its name, crema has nothing to do with cream—it's actually foam made from sugar that's been thoroughly beaten with a splash of coffee. Many don't realize that it's the technique for making the crema—not the type of coffee beans used—that makes the coffee Cuban. But for the full Cuban experience, Castro recommends using Café Bustelo espresso.

Serve these refreshing beer-and-lime coolers over ice.

A little sugar never hurt anyone. But make sure you're only having a little—and not the whopping 40-plus grams in a can of commercial pop—by using simple syrup. The sweet base for many homemade sodas lets you control how much sugar goes into your drink. Start with just a small amount—a tablespoon has 8 grams of sugar—adding more as desired.

SHERYL: The first time Wyatt had one of Chuck's zucchini muffins it was as if he'd died and gone to muffin heaven. I was thrilled, of course, because I knew he was actually eating zucchini without the fuss factor. Now, the first thing out of his mouth every morning is, "I want a keenie muffin!" Being the creature of habit that he is, I believe he would start every day with one of Chuck's muffins, and the nice thing about it is that Mommy can make them, too!

This variation on the traditional Indian beverage is like a frosty cold, bright ginger beer. Cardamom gives the drink a floral undertone, and tart lime juice and sea salt add refreshing balance.

Two seemingly disparate ingredients pair perfectly in this brightly flavored and creamy sauce.

This versatile condiment is a staple in Mexican kitchens and adds refreshing acidity to both the pinto beans and tacos.

Fresh and piquant, this crowd-pleaser is a classic.

We're big fans of associate food editor Mary-Frances Heck's method for poaching eggs in the microwave.

Whole wheat couscous, a newcomer to supermarket shelves, gives this dish a nutty flavor—though standard couscous works just as well. Serve it with Slow-Baked Salmon or Miso-Glazed Salmon Steaks .

Shaving asparagus with a vegetable peeler transforms the texture of a raw stalk into silky strips. This revelatory technique works well with all kinds of vegetables, from carrots to zucchini.

At San Francisco's Contigo, chef Brett Emerson created this muddled soda to showcase the small, sweet strawberries he finds at the farmers’ market.

My mom used to make this yummy, Parmesan-and-broccoli-flecked pasta a lot when we were growing up because it was a relatively painless way to get us kids to eat broccoli. And when I went to college, she packed up the recipe for me as part of a set of family recipes that she thought would be easy enough for me to make in my new apartment. This was one of the first dishes I had the courage to cook on my own, and it became a staple of my college years. But leaving home isn't so easy. I remember the first time I set out to cook this in my new life. It wasn't until I was at the grocery store with recipe in hand that I realized that I couldn't actually read it: I never could read my mom's handwriting—I'm forever calling her up to ask her to translate her scrawl. But there I was, first time out, walking up to strangers in the supermarket asking, "Can you read this?" These days, my friends have a habit of calling me from the supermarket at five p.m., looking for a suggestion for dinner. This is the recipe I give them because it's completely easy and if it's five o'clock and you're still in the supermarket, you can still be eating by six fifteen (assuming you don't live too far away). Note that the broccoli cooks long enough to turn soft and buttery. When you work it all together with your wooden spoon—broccoli, olive oil, and cheese—the broccoli turns into the sauce. Use a colander with fairly small holes (or a mesh strainer) so that the broccoli buds don't escape into the sink when you drain the pasta.

Again, easy peasy. Not only can this be made while the pasta is cooking, you have plenty of time to make a lovely salad and assemble a cheese plate for after dinner. Parmesan, lemon, and basil are a threesome made in heaven. The cheesy lemon basil flavors are also very kid friendly.

When I was a single gal in NYC and my parents lived in Westchester, we used to meet almost halfway for dinner at Gus's in Harrison, new york. It is a great bar serving delicious seafood and their salad was my favorite—red wine vinaigrette with big hunks of blue cheese. We were always a blue cheese—loving family and my version, with a creamy base (can't compete with Gus!), is fantastic on a wedge of iceberg lettuce or as a dip. It lasts for a good week in the fridge as well.

Serve these delicious, gooey sandwiches with dill pickles and plenty of coleslaw.

Brief high-heat roasting mellows a radish's peppery flavor and turns it into a whole new root vegetable. Using the green radish tops adds color and amps up the radish flavor. Be sure to rinse the green tops thoroughly before using them. This would be a great side dish for roasted pork loin or leg of lamb.

The beauty of this basic recipe is that it can be tweaked in numerous ways. For a spicy version, add some sriracha sauce. Try swapping out the lemon juice for lime juice and use feta cheese instead of Parmesan and mix in some chopped fresh cilantro and chopped red onion or shallot. For a curried chickpea salad, leave out the Parmesan and add curry powder to taste, dried currants, sliced green onions, and shredded carrots.