Side

To make fresh whole wheat breadcrumbs, cut off the crust from country-style bread. Tear the bread into two-inch pieces and grind in the food processor until the breadcrumbs resemble very coarse sand.

This yeast sweet bread, traditionally prepared for the Mexican Day of the Dead, is usually designed to look like crossbones and skulls. It's given as an offering to a family's ancestors, but it's labor-intensive to make, and it's delicious, so I would recommend that you make two batches: one for your ancestors to enjoy, and one for your family to eat.

Pilafs may be served at everyday meals but are grand enough for entertaining as well. If you like, you could add a generous pinch of saffron threads to the rice just before you cover it and let it simmer. You could also use chicken stock instead of the 22 cup water.

This is one of our most beloved family dishes. It is very much in the Hyderabadi style, where North Indian and South Indian seasonings are combined. Over the years, I have simplified the recipe. Here, you may use the long, tender Japanese eggplants or the purple "baby" Italian eggplants or even the striated purple and white ones that are about the same size as the baby Italian ones. Once cut, what you are aiming for are 1-inch chunks with as much skin on them as possible so they do not fall apart. Serve this hot with meat or vegetable curries, rice, and dal or serve it cold, as a salad, with cold meats, Indian (see Chicken Karhai with Mint) or Western. I love it with slices of ham.

Vinny Dotolo & Jon Shook, Animal, Los Angeles, California
James Birch, Flora Bella Farm, Three Rivers, California (bitter greens) In 1991, Jim started selling all sorts of his seasonal vegetables and fruit to the most popular restaurants in Los Angeles. Jon and Vinny love the flavors and textures of this dish—the smokiness of grilled bitter greens cooled with a creamy soft-cooked egg and balanced with the sweet and salty pancetta dressing, finished with a crunchy breadcrumb topping. This makes a great supper in itself. Use escarole or kale if you can't find broccoli rabe.

This late-season squash is roasted to coax out its subtle sugars before being mixed with citrus juice, chile, and cilantro.

Because the mushrooms aren't cooked, it's important to use very fresh cèpes in this salad. When shopping, look for firm mushrooms with no dark brown spots.

For this twist on classic risotto, The Kitchen uses farro (hence the name "farrotto") instead of rice. No endless stirring required!

Brovade (turnips that have fermented for several months) is a common dish in Friuli. This recipe has a similar acidity—and is ready in an hour.

Celery leaves (which are left over from the celery used in the soup) are great in the dumplings.

This striking side dish (it's bright pink) is a delicious new way to dress up humble beets. Pair the gratin with roasted lamb.

The shredding disc on the food processor makes quick work of grating the beets and carrots. For a pretty presentation, spoon the salad onto a bed of beet greens, spinach, or arugula. Serve with burgers or fish.

Simmering the celery root and potatoes in a combination of broth and milk enriches the flavor without weighing down the mash. Roasted cubes of Jerusalem artichokes make a great finishing touch. Serve the puree with roasted chicken or pork.

The glaze adds just the right sweet-hot note to this interesting mix of vegetables. Try the roasted veggies with pork chops or chicken.

Bulgur can be found at natural foods stores.

The bris (circumcision) of my twins, Jake and Joey, was rather hectic. After Jake's turn, I was instructed by the mohel to take him upstairs and comfort him. That meant that I completely missed Joey's turn. I was starving and remembered that my friend Trudy Jacobson had brought me her challah. It has a unique sweetness from the honey, a very soft texture from the margarine, and I think the saffron performs some other magic to create a very tasty challah. The rising times are longer that my classic challah, but worth the time.