Side

Using a fresh bay leaf brings the perfume of the herb garden to agrodolce onions that beg to be popped in the mouth whole.

Sliced thin and broiled, eggplant retains a slight chewiness but still melts in the mouth; a caper and mint vinaigrette brightens everything.

Garlic Herb Bread When buttering the bread, gently spread the slices without pulling them apart.

Look for thin zucchini and yellow squash. The squash will have fewer seeds.

Anne Whiteman was the mother of Michael Whiteman, a Brooklyn native and the business and creative partner of the legendary Joe Baum in designing and operating many restaurant projects, among them the food services of the World Trade Center, including Windows on the World, and the restoration and operation of the Rainbow Room. If this is the kind of food Michael grew up eating, then it's no wonder his palate is so finely tuned. This recipe is typical of highly evolved dairy noodle kugels, in that it is dessert-sweet and topped with corn flakes, although it doesn't call for the canned crushed pineapple that so many less refined recipes do. Here, the cottage cheese is pureed with the sour cream, milk, and eggs to form a silken custard to hold the noodles. Michael and I are not certain how his mother arrived at the odd amount of sour cream, but I have decided not to change it. It is called "birthday kugel" because his mother made it mainly for those celebratory occasions.

The faint sweetness and low acidity of balsamic vinegar is a perfect foil for the earthy taste of beets. For the recipe, there's no need to invest in an expensive real balsamic vinegar (labeled "tradizionale"); a decent mass-produced commercial brand works just fine. Baking, rather than boiling, the beets brings out their robust flavor. Vividly colored beets "bleed," so to keep the juices in while they cook, leave on the skins, the "tails" or rootlike wisps on the bottom, and at least an inch of the green stems. After they're cooked, peel the beets over a bowl or a thick layer of paper towels, since beet juice stains are nearly impossible to remove from wood or plastic surfaces. Karen loves beets and is happy to make a meal of this dish, with the main course there "just as an excuse." Two of the good "excuses" to serve alongside are David's Famous Fried Chicken or Herbed Pinwheel Pork Loin.

In this side dish, the veggies are cooked until just tender to retain their fresh-from-the-market flavor. For a delicious finishing touch, a handful of sliced basil is stirred in right before serving.

Serve alongside short ribs .

Cut the bread into cubes to offer with aperitifs, or serve it cut into strips with a salad. It tastes best the day it's made. The day after, try it toasted and topped with butter. For best texture, make sure the dried pears you use are plump and moist.

They look like sticky buns, but these sweet, gooey treats are actually made from biscuit batter. They're great with brunch.

Pronounced "mock shoe," this Louisiana staple (which is like a succotash) is a Cajun take on a Native American dish.

These savory tartlets are similar to quiches.

Serve warm with fillets of salmon, in scrambled eggs or pasta, or on crostini with goat cheese.

Sweet caramelized butternut squash plays well with peppery arugula in this hearty dinner salad.

If you've got the grill going anyway, toss your ears on before you butter them to get a quick char and even deeper flavor.

Honest isn't a word that comes up much when side dishes are being discussed, but that's exactly how these smashed potatoes and peas strike us. Serve them alongside the cornflake fried chicken for a southern-inspired supper for one.

Chunks of chorizo balance the sweetness of spring onions, beans, and peas. A Sherry vinaigrette lends a slight Iberian edge.

Fresh ricotta is sold in cheese shops and specialty delis.