Simmer

Nigella seeds can be hard to find; look for them in Indian or Middle Eastern markets, or find them easily online at www.worldspice.com.

Pasta, lush tomatoes, and a pool of ricotta lend this dish all the flavor of a lasagne—without the heaviness.

Instead of tossing all of the ingredients together in this healthy, mayonnaise-free take on potato salad, the potatoes are served on a bed of the creamy avocado-chia dressing. The contrast of the purple potatoes against the green dressing is a real showstopper. If purple potatoes aren't available, this recipe also works well with red-skinned potatoes.

You can use any firm fish and fresh shellfish you like for this brothy stew. (A little crabmeat is a luxurious addition, as well.) Make the base a day in advance for a low-stress Christmas dinner.

Ellsworth uses creamy bomba rice and orange-flower water to make an elevated rice pudding for her daughter—for breakfast: "It's a weekend treat."

Chef Rachel Yang likes her rice "chopstickready": sticky enough to hold together lightly, but with defined grains. To get that texture, rinse shortgrain white rice (a.k.a. sushi rice)—Alison Roman

There's no substitute for minty sweet perilla (a.k.a. sesame leaf); seek it out at Asian markets.

Where a chutney and mustard sauce overlap. Choose a very ripe– even bruised–peach for easy peeling.

Barley has nice heft and chew, but don't feel limited–use cooked farro, quinoa, or brown rice if you prefer.

Liquid from the grated corn enriches and helps thicken the grits; fresh corn added at the end makes for nice bites.

The jammy mash-up of berries with coconut milk and cardamom makes these pops just rich enough-and irresistible.

Lamb's-quarters is a common weed that is being rediscovered as the super-food it was reputed to be centuries ago. It goes by many names, but the most descriptive is wild spinach because that's exactly what it tastes like: Spinach, only way better! If you like creamed spinach, you'll love creamy lamb's-quarters, baked under a cheesy crumb crust.

Bar-shaped desserts abound in the Midwest. This version is particularly rich.

Between the rich chestnuts and the buttery rice, this dish has the chops to be a main.

Serve up the Polish pair as a hearty soup.

Lyon, France, is filled with bouchons - old-fashioned bistros - where everything is seasonal and driven by the classics. I learned this classic at my very first job, at the legendary restaurant Nandron.

A pleasingly fiery cold buster that belongs in your fridge all winter long.

At Sqirl, they make almond milk from scratch. You can, too (really): Visit bonappetit.com/nutmilk for our recipe.

Cooking the shrimp with their shells on helps them retain flavor; scoring them along the back lets you remove the vein and makes peeling easier. Win-win.