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Try a heritage Berkshire pork loin rack for great flavor and tenderness. If you are lucky enough to have a pork vendor at your local farmers market you can buy it there (you might want to order it in advance) or it can be mail ordered from www.heritagepork.com or prairiepridefarmminnesota.foodoro.com. Many butchers can cut a loin rack for you as well. Commercially, the loin rack is cut into pork chops but if you call ahead they can cut a roast for you.

The key to a delicious matzo ball soup is in the broth: lots of vegetables and aromatics, including slices of ginger root for a bit of heat, make a perfect vehicle for these matzo balls. Matzo balls can be a very personal thing: some like them light and fluffy, while others fall into the "hard as golf balls" camp. Filled with lots of fresh parsley and dill, these dumplings fall somewhere in between: not feather light, not too hard, but with just enough bite and presence to stand up to its flavorful broth.

Alain Ducasse— If you have cooking juices left over in the lamb casserole dish and it seems too much, put it back on the heat and reduce.
Paule Neyrat— In pearl barley all the husks have been removed. As a result it keeps its richness in carbohydrates but loses most of its vitamins and minerals. Fortunately, the vegetables make up for this.

Alain Ducasse— The lobster must of course be alive, its claws firmly closed with elastic bands. After plunging it in boiling water, keep the lid on the cooking pot to avoid splashes.
Paule Neyrat— The flesh of the lobster is particularly low in fat but rich in protein. The vegetables are low in calories but full of vitamins and dressed with a yogurt sauce. This is a luxury dish but one that's really low in fat.

Tuna and 'shrooms contain two different umami compounds that work synergistically to enhance the savory flavor. This dish is the lightest of this noodly bunch, with only 350 calories per bowl.

Umami-rich cheese and chicken stock make an encore appearance, but this time they share the spotlight with high-fiber chickpeas. Adding 1/2 cup of these lean beans to your daily diet can help you cut your consumption of fatty foods, a study in the journal Appetite notes

Tomatoes are a top plant source of umami, and the riper they are, the better: The fruit's umami components increase during maturation. What's more, whole-wheat pasta has triple the fiber of regular pasta for more fill-you-up power.

Tomatoes keep the fulfilling umami coming. We added almonds to up the slim-down factor: Dieters who ate the nuts daily lost 56 percent more fat than those who didn't, a study from Loma Linda University finds; the nuts' fiber may prevent fat absorption.

These noodles have oodles of satisfying umami, owing to onions, chicken stock, spinach and Parmesan.

Shrimp have glutamic acid, the main taste component of umami. And at only 119 calories per 4-ounce serving, the little fellas are quite the low-cal catch.

This Mary Kettilby recipe produces a classic Potage St. Germain. The name comes from the Paris suburb of St.-Germain-en-Laye, where young peas, a rarity in the early eighteenth century, were sown in boxes for early-spring cultivation. The addition of onions and spinach provide a traditional French touch, making this soup a flavorsome beginning for spring menu. Calendulas, also known as pot marigolds, make a lovely garnish for this soup. They were used as both a flavoring and a medicinal herb. According to one source, calendulas could be added to dishes in place of saffron, an affordable alternative in the days before saffron was grown in England. Sprinkle the shredded blossoms over the soup just before serving it. Please note that the calendula/pot marigold should not be confused with the African marigold, which is used as an insect repellent in vegetable gardens.

Although Nelly Custis omitted sugar in her recipe for these lovely, delicate pancakes, published cookbooks of the period often suggested "strewing" sugar over them before sending them to the table. E. Smith, for one, additionally recommended garnishing them with orange, a suggestion also included here. This recipe can be readily doubled.

This recipe is adapted from one in The Lady's Companion (1753), a popular cookbook of the time. Mrs. Washington's sister Anna Maria (Nancy) Dandridge Bassett owned a copy that is now in the Mount Vernon library. This is an example of one of many "made dishes," including fricassees, hashes, and ragouts, enjoyed by the gentry from the Elizabethan period onward; these comprised "meat cooked and served in a flavoured sauce." Sauce was considered "an important part of all such dishes." This stew is best when made a day or so before it is served, giving the flavors time to blend.

Yes, romaine hearts are surprising in a stir-fry, but once you try their mild crunch in this fresh and lively meal, you may swear off takeout.

White wine and briny shellfish juices marry in the pot, then are puréed with parsley to create a light sauce so flavorful, it needs only a touch of butter.

Chicken wings also work well here. Use 3 pounds, and skip the rice flour and cornstarch coating.

Serve with warm tortillas or rice to make a heartier meal.

To make perfect rings of fresh pineapple slice in 1/2"-thick circles, then round off the edges and punch out the core with 3 3/4"- and 1 1/4"-diameter cookie cutters, respectively.

Redzepi uses whatever foraged mushrooms he finds to make this rich ragout; feel free to do the same while foraging at your local farmers' market or supermarket. Omit the oysters and lardo (used here in place of Speck), if desired.

This waffle recipe is a ham and cheese sandwich disguised as the greatest brunch dish of all time.