Quick

Peppadews, small peppers from South Africa, add a briny-sweet note. Look for them in jars or in the deli section of some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores. You can order them from igourmet.com or amazon.com.

The filling: rich chunks of leftover brasato and vegetables . The topping: mashed parsnips and potatoes.

Piquillos are sweet Spanish peppers with a rich, full flavor.

This easy main-course soup is great on its own or with toppings, such as tortilla chips, avocado, and sour cream.

Use shaved Parmesan in place of the goat cheese, if you like.

These flavorful pancakes make a great breakfast (drizzled with maple syrup) or appetizer (topped with chives).

This drink was featured as a Cocktail of the Month.

Formaggio Crucolo Fuso con Speck e Patate What makes this dish so exceptional is Crucolo, a semisoft cow's-milk cheese, sweet and creamy like a fresh Asiago, that's made by a single producer in Trentino's Valsugana Valley. The region's speck, which comes from the hind leg of the pig, combines Italian salting and drying techniques with the smoke-curing common in Austria, where speck is more like bacon.

Spaghetti con Salsa di Olive e Pinoli All'arturo This pretty, confetti-like dish is sure to become one of your weekday standbys. Not only is it easy to prepare, but you've likely got all the ingredients right there in your fridge. The trick is to hand-chop everything very finely, so that you get just the right amount of fiery crunch in every bite.

Sweet sun-dried tomatoes and earthy black olives enliven thin veal slices with the vibrant flavors of a sunny coast.

A colorful and satisfying stew is priceless this time of year, and you can't do much better than a tomatoey broth full of hearty cannellini beans, baby greens, and cubes of baked ham.

Corkscrew pasta gets a wake-up call with the unexpected übercrunch of toasted panko and a salty jolt from anchovies.

Chickpeas add meaty body to a home-style vegetable soup; round out the flavors with a sprinkling of grated cheese.

Think beyond the salad bowl: Cooking escarole tempers its slight bitterness; pine nuts are a mellow complement.

Inspired by an antipasto that's popular at New York City's Lupa, this substantial salad takes a hearty, rich green that's usually cooked and proves how delicious it can be when served raw.

For something refreshing after a rich meal, look no further than this classic combination of Campari and grapefruit.