Vegetarian

Despite some tall tales, Hostess Twinkies do not last forever. The box of Twinkies that my friends gave me as a gag gift were, in fact, hard as a rock in less than a year. These cream-filled chiffon cake snacks, made with real, unprocessed dairy and eggs and whole-grain flours, won't last nearly as long as preservative-laden Twinkies, but you will almost certainly gobble them up in no time at all.

This broth, the backbone of many of our soup recipes and an ingredient in many others, was developed with brain health in mind. It includes onions, fennel, parsley, oregano, and rosemary, all of which contain antioxidants, as well as parsnips, which are a good source of folic acid. The recipe uses water as liquid, but you can start with chicken stock or fish stock to make an especially flavorful broth that would be great for sipping on its own.

The key to this recipe is using a ripe, in-season peach. Here in Arizona, we get amazing peaches from the farms in the city of Queen Creek, as well as from Utah. It's always good to get to know the produce guys at your local grocery store because they will tell you when peaches are in their prime. Peaches contain numerous nutrients that are good for your body, including niacin, thiamin, potassium, and calcium. They are also high in beta-carotene, which promotes healthy hearts and eyes. The darker the peach's color, the more vitamin A it has in its pulp. Peaches may also help in maintaining healthy urinary and digestive functions. There's some evidence that flaxseed oil, which is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, may help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and even diabetes.

This dish draws on both Mediterranean and Asian influences and uses the very different flavors of sage, miso, and nori in complementary ways. It's a brain-healthy recipe: legumes such as lentils are a key component of the Mediterranean diet, both kale and onions are good sources of polyphenol antioxidants, and sweet potato supplies a dose of beta-carotene.

There is not much to say about this salad—it is as charmingly simple and straightforward as it appears. You could likely just copy it without a recipe. The point I do want to stress, however, is the necessity of making your own salad dressings. There is all sorts of junk in store-bought dressings and they don't taste nearly as fresh—not to mention that it's ridiculously easy to whisk a few things together or put them in a mini blender. This particular dressing hovers around the vinaigrette family, with just enough crème fraîche to coat the leaves with the thinnest amount of creaminess. Be sure your leaves are cleaned and fully dry so the dressing can cling on. The recipe yields enough for the given salads, but I typically double it so I have extra on hand.

Celery root and potatoes are a mash made in heaven. Transfer cubed potatoes and celery root to a bowl of water as soon as you cut them to keep them from turning brown.

Adding cream of tartar to the caramel prevents the sugar from crystallizing. Drizzle the sauce over the cake; save the rest for passing alongside.

Braising the fennel and simmering the potatoes in cream before assembling the gratin infuses them with extra flavor.

Hearty greens like escarole or kale shine in this fall or winter salad, thanks to tangy kumquats and a vibrant, apple-laced dressing. You can prepare the greens and kumquats in advance, making this an ideal choice for holiday gatherings.

For a bonus do-ahead, peel the potatoes the day before, place them in a bowl of water, and refrigerate to prevent browning.

Grapes appear here in three forms: crushed and whisked into the vinaigrette, halved and tossed with arugula, and aged in saba, a balsamic-like syrup made from grape must.

A sformato is essentially a soufflé that doesn't rise because there isn't any air or egg white whipped into it—foolproof! I serve it in place of mashed potatoes, since it has a great flavor without an excess of butter and cream. If I have people over, I'll bake it in individual gratin dishes with a few fresh thyme leaves on top for presentation's sake. Delicata squash has a flavor similar to that of butternut, but the skin is much thinner—edible, in most cases—and the squash is more delicate overall (hence the name). The flesh of a butternut or acorn squash would be a fine substitute. Cooking with squash in the fall and early winter months will yield the best results with this recipe. I find that out of season the squash become a bit waterlogged. You can do everything but bake the sformato in advance. Bring the dish to room temperature before baking.

After Hugh and I got married, just before I started writing this book, I started experimenting with vegetable dishes that could qualify as "man food." I came up with this dish featuring the fabulous combination of barely sweet squash and savory onions. At this point I count on one hand how many times I had made a tart, so I was pleasantly surprised when this went over as well as it did. I will not lie; this tart has a fair number of steps and will leave you with a sink full of dishes, but it's well worth it. If you like, you can make the tart shell, roast the squash, and sauté the chard a day in advance, then bring everything to room temperature before assembling it. Make sure that there are no holes in the tart crust and that it is completely cooked before adding the filling. I've had the egg mixture leak through the crust before, so hopefully I'm sparing you the same frustration.

Be sure to use Deglet Noor or another firm date variety; Medjool dates are too soft and sticky for this recipe.

Forget the rule about cooking vegetables just until they're crisp-tender. The oven-roasting method used here results in lusciously soft beans with intensified flavor. Be sure to use fresh beans; older ones can be dry and tough.

The more carefully you arrange the potato slices, the prettier the results and the better the individual-size cakes will hold together.

Thanksgiving flavors (squash, cinnamon, butter) with a Persian-inspired touch. The spiced butter is also a treat mixed into couscous.

Swiss chard, olives, raisins, and pine nuts make this dressing irresistible.

Peas and onions are a classic holiday duo. Relying on frozen ones, along with a quick béchamel, is a smart move on a busy day of cooking.