Hanukkah

For an easy make-ahead dessert recipe that’s also a showstopper, look no further. Pouring the cream over at the table adds a dramatic touch.

This recipe is in the Mains chapter of my cookbook, but I have to say, I've eaten it at all times of day. It's made it to my breakfast table, and I've definitely whipped it up for a weekend lunch. After I eat it, I always feel so nourished and happy—and my body seems to love me for that. The spices are definitely what make this dish so special.

The smoky sauce and mix of spices in this meatball recipe complement lamb perfectly.

Trimming a generous amount of the stem from the brussels sprouts makes it quite a bit easier to tease apart the leaves for this winter slaw recipe.

For deep apple flavor, the fruit in this pie is macerated. The juice is then reduced to a syrup and returned to the filling, along with Chinese five spice powder (a blend of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, and Sichuan peppercorns).

I‘ve substituted sage here for the more commonly-used dill, to keep the soup’s flavor more in line with Thanksgiving. If it’s post-holiday time and you have leftover turkey meat, feel free to add it to the soup in hunks, about 5 to 10 minutes before serving, to warm it through without overcooking it. You can use neutral oil in place of the chicken fat, or even melted butter, if you don’t keep a kosher kitchen and/or want to make your ancestors turn over in their graves.

Sticky rice is worth using for this porridge-y, comforting chicken soup recipe; it releases lots of creamy starches and helps builds nice body as it cooks.

This cumin and paprika-spiced number gets added punch from a tangy green sauce and an avocado and cucumber salad.

The real magic here is in the pool of schmaltz, AKA rendered chicken fat, sizzling in the pan.

Sure, this recipe can make standard-size latkes, but the minis are just right for noshing while chatting.