Rosemary

Homemade rubs are a quick way to transform roasted meat, poultry, and vegetables into something special. Use this one on both steak and potatoes. Improv: Fennel, cumin, or caraway seeds can replace the coriander; intense, earthy herbs like oregano and sage can stand in for the thyme and rosemary.

Lamb with anchovy herb paste is a classic Italian preparation. The anchovy doesn't come across as fishy tasting — it simply lends a savory note that blends beautifully with the meat.

Goes great with: Salad of butter lettuce, radicchio, roasted pears, and toasted walnuts. What to drink: Red Burgundy or Pinot Gris.

This tender chuck roast makes two meals. Most of the meat is sliced and served with onion gravy, accompanied by egg noodles, and the rest gets shredded and saved for a warm beef salad . You might want to round out the first meal with a green salad or sautéed spinach.

Baby beets simply roasted to bring out their sweetness need just the barest slip of butter and a sprinkling of fresh rosemary. Candy cane beets, if you can find them at a farmers' market, look especially festive, but so does a medley of red and yellow ones. If baby beets are unavailable, cut peeled roasted large beets into 1-inch cubes.

Healthy bonus: Magnesium and folate from spinach; fiber from apples and buns; antioxidants from rosemary and sage

Bone-in cuts (like this pork loin roast) require a longer cooking time, but the payoff is big flavor and succulent meat. The meat closest to the bone is always the juiciest, and bone marrow enriches the sauce as the roast cooks.

The mushrooms that top this pizza are simmered in a white wine reduction, which gives them a zippy sweet and acidic bite.

Leigh Santini of Portland, Oregon, writes: "A group of coworkers and I had a fantastic dinner at the nearby Farm Café a couple of weeks ago. While we were waiting for our table, we had drinks and an order of the roasted hazelnuts on the deck. I know I tasted rosemary in the glaze but couldn't place the rest of the flavors. Can you help?" The restaurant uses locally grown Oregon hazelnuts for this recipe. If the nuts have been stored in the freezer, bring them to room temperature before roasting so the coating maintains a smooth consistency.

Red Wine-Braised Beef Tenderloin with Red Pepper and Rosemary

A moist pan stuffing that mirrors the herbaceous flavor of the turkey and gravy.