Leek

Editor's Note: This recipe goes with Daniel Humm and Will Guidara's Manhattan Clam Chowder .

Risotto only sounds intimidating—if you can stir, you can make it. Poaching the eggs ahead of time should quell any lingering performance anxiety.

The addition of celery root is a great twist on the familiar flavors in this dish.

Burning the leek in this recipe lends an aromatic charred note, adding balance to the raw and poached cauliflower.

This twist on pasta carbonara is sweet from leeks and rich thanks to cream (in place of eggs).

Frittatas are excellent served warm or at room temperature, which means that this meatless main is a perfect do-ahead dish.

There’s a lot to like about this classic American stuffing. Sweet Italian sausage has salty appeal, while the combination of tart green apples and dried cranberries delivers a one-two punch of tangy sweetness.

Transform plain chicken breasts into a new feast with this succulent take on the pot pie. Make the filling the night before, then get to work on the aromatic herb crust, stuffed with thyme and butter. The pie demands a fair amount of preparation, but efforts will be rewarded with high praise. Halve the measurements for a weeknight dinner for the kids, or make the whole recipe to serve a crowd of eager guests. And feel free to throw in whatever produce you have on hand.

This dish is as good as the time and ingredients you put into it, so use quality ingredients and patience to get the flavors to harmonize. A teaspoon of white truffle oil can substitute for the black truffles.

In this protein-packed vegetarian version of the French bistro classic, tangy leeks and a garlic-herb bread-crumb topping mean that you won’t miss the sausage and duck that you’d find in a traditional cassoulet. Best of all, this one-pot wonder takes considerably less time to assemble and cook than a meat-lover’s cassoulet. For an easy flavor boost, substitute vegetable broth for the water, and add a can of fire-roasted tomatoes.

A savory tart with a flaky crust by Molly Wizenberg of Orangette.com fame is perfect for a party or potluck because it can be served (and devoured) at room temperature and also can be made a day ahead. The recipe calls for making a leek confit, whose recipe yields a bit more than you’ll need for this tart. Serve any extra confit over a hearty fish like salmon.

This creamy soup, served in tiny cups and bright with chive oil, is easy to make and serve. Kids will like the little cups and the crazy green swirl. Adults will appreciate the healthfulness and the flavor.

This recipe is part of the Epicurious Online Cooking School, in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America. To watch it being made, and to learn how to make other Italian classics, check out the videos.

With more flavor than spinach triangles and packed with vitamins, these quickly became such a hit in our house; we like this so much we double the recipe when we make it because no one can eat just one.

Make the filling ahead of time and you'll need only a few minutes to go from shucking to eating.

A fine choice for a spring menu, although good whenever you can find fresh asparagus, this frittata has an especially nice flavor because the asparagus and leeks are roasted and caramelized before being added. If you like, roast the vegetables a day ahead of time and refrigerate them until ready to use.

This classic French dish is originally made without cheese. It is the starch from the potatoes, and the cream and milk, which give the dish its cheesy taste while the leek and garlic gently infuse their flavors into the potatoes. Of course if you prefer you can add some grated gruyère to the top along with the cream.

Everything I know about getting a party started right, I learned at Houston's restaurant in Atlanta. No kidding. Its creamy, bubbling spinach and artichoke dip was a must on date night in high school, and these days it's the dish that even the snobbiest of food snobs can't resist. I'll whip it up for friends and, no matter what else I serve, it's always the first thing to go. Sometimes I leave out the spinach, add red pepper flakes, or use whatever vegetable is in season. In other words, it stands up to improvisation. We've put a spring spin on the dish, starring asparagus, just-dug-up leeks, sweet peas, and fresh goat cheese. Serve it with crostini, tortilla chips, or crudités. Or just eat it by the spoonful. It's that good.

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.