Saute

As you may know, orecchiette is Italian for "little ears." Their size and rounded shape are just right for holding chunky toppings—pancetta, pine nuts, and broccoli fit that bill nicely. Grating Parmigiano-Reggiano over the entire dish is always a good idea.

Food editor Lillian Chou, who is also gourmet's resident runner of marathons, swears by quinoa: "I have so much more energy if I eat it before a race!" And transforming this power grain into crisp cakes topped with a substantial rustic sauce and gooey softened mozzarella creates another compelling reason to love it—it just tastes so good.

Little bites of cauliflower add wonderful texture to this open-face omelet; salty-tangy feta gives it character.

A dish to convert all the Brussels sprout haters. By cooking the sprouts only briefly, you preserve their great nutty flavor. This side pairs nicely with roasted rack of lamb or whole chicken. For a Middle Eastern-flavored meal, rub either meat with olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper before cooking.

If your pears are on the dry side, the caramel will form more quickly than if they are juicy. Any variety of pears can be used in this recipe, but Bosc pears hold up especially well because of their firm texture. Almost any cheese would be great with the pears: Head to your local farmers' market or cheese shop and do some sampling.

Any variety of kale will work in this recipe. If available, try ruffled Red Russian kale, Tuscan kale, or Salad Savoy.

You don't often see turnips served raw, but they're crisp, sweet, and surprisingly tasty. At the market, look for small fennel bulbs and small turnips. They'll be tender and have a mild flavor.

Serve with warm flatbread or pita bread.

Serve this classic and satisfying stir-fry over brown rice.

Grains and nuts are great at balancing the bitterness of broccoli rabe.

Russian blinis traditionally call for yeast, but our mini-pancake version is blissfully easy. Use as much or as little caviar as you like, depending on how indulgent you're feeling.

This shrimp's gentle preparation yields an utterly soothing broth that tastes just right first thing in the morning. Grab some grits or a warm biscuit to help sop up the juices.

Pastourma (also spelled basturma) is seasoned, cured beef.

The intensity of the garlic is balanced by the freshness of the parsley.

This is a clever combination of steak au poivre and Stroganoff.