Cured Meat

The ultimate holiday vacation cooking project: lasagna with two homemade sauces and layers of homemade pasta.

These savory puddings work as a brunch or side dish, with their corn husk "handles" making them look like cheerful sunflowers. After you remove the kernels from the cobs, you scrape the corn milk from the cobs with the back of a knife, then simmer the cobs in cream and milk. This mixture forms the base of the pudding batter, which you pour into corn husk–lined muffin tins. The result is part corn muffin, part soufflé.

A light yet flavorful "stew" of tender leeks that comes together practically à la minute.

You can dress this salad about half an hour in advance to no ill effect—the hearty greens can handle it.

Strisce means strips—any long pasta will work—and Chiantigiana refers to the Tuscan wine used to flavor the sauce.

We offer so many mouthwatering buttery, sugary, fruity, chocolaty sweet breakfast treats in the morning that it can be almost impossible to choose just one ("I'll have one of each" is a common humorous request from new customers). That is, unless you're one of those people who need to start off the day with eggs or bacon or anything not sweet. For those customers, we've created the ultimate quick grab-'n'-go breakfast using items we already have in-house: brioche dough, cheese, breakfast meats, and eggs. The dough, after an overnight rest in the refrigerator during which it develops flavor, is stretched and pulled like you would a pizza dough to make a flat round. I've suggested a few of our best topping combinations here, but feel free to use whatever mixture of meats, cheeses, and vegetables you prefer. The egg on top is what makes the pizza shine. After creating a border of meats and vegetables around the edge of each brioche circle, you bake the pizzas about halfway through. Then you crack a whole egg in the middle of each one, blanket them with cheese, and bake until the eggs are just barely set. It's a bit of a messy breakfast, but you won't care once you taste how good it is.

Blanched garlic, which is sweet and mild, is blended with briny clam liquor and olive oil to make a creamy white sauce for this unconventional pizza.

We think our wedge salad recipe is the ultimate iteration, but we're not opposed to innovation—like these embellishments and swaps.

If you'd like, let the croutons sit in the pepper mixture until the bread is fairly soft; it'll soak up the flavorful dressing.

Spicy adobo and cheese are cooled by tomato and cabbage on this eat-anytime breakfast. —Goldman

This is a winning-contestant recipe from Season Four of FOX's MasterChef. The recipe calls for making homemade stock—using bones from game hens, chickens, or pigeons—to cook the farro in, but if you're short on time, you can substitute purchased low-sodium chicken broth.

To make this recipe vegetarian, omit the bacon and add a splash of oil.

Chef Josh Keeler brings out the best in vegetables with…meat. He drizzles a vinaigrette made with cured soppressata over a rotating cast of seasonal produce, like okra and green beans. "It adds a bit of acidity, fat, and richness without overpowering the dish," he says. And it makes a strong case for using meat in a supporting role to veggies, not the other way around.

With favas, you have two choices: Buy fresh, or buy frozen ones at Middle Eastern markets.

If you've ever woken up with a hangover, you know why egg sandwiches have earned their spot in the comfort-food canon. But the day-after staple can cure your dinnertime blues, too. The necessities: a runny yolk; soft, griddled bread; and something fresh to keep the fat attack in check. Once you've nailed these basics, it's about adding a few more elements for flair. This version, from Austin's Noble Sandwich Co., uses quick-pickled onions (proof that pickles make everything taste better), Sriracha mayonnaise to bring the heat (a dash of hot sauce would also do the trick), and arugula for brightness and bite. Throw some avocado on there, or sliced ripe tomato, if you're in the mood. The point is, think savory, think seasonal, and wake up to a new reality.

"I love the crisp texture of this addictive bar snack; the bacon fat is an obvious bonus." —Alison Roman, assistant food editor

These are no ordinary corn dogs. The fragrant buttermilk-cornmeal batter is laced with a hint of honey, spices, and delicious crumbles of bacon.

This recipe is so easy, I'm almost embarrassed to include it in a cookbook. But it just goes to prove how much transformation can come from the simple act of crisping something in the oven for a bit. Try to find a salami that's 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter, for easy snacking size. If it's not presliced and there's a deli slicer in the store, ask to have it thinly sliced for you. Otherwise do your best to cut it very thin, even slices with your sharpest knife. I like the combination of traditional Dijon mustard and grainy mustard for the dip, but if you prefer you can use just one type or the other. The flavor of the dip will be best if it's made at least 2 hours ahead, allowing the flavors to meld nicely before serving.

Ideas for serving: When I've got my grill going, I like to make my almost-Oaxacan tlayudas: I spread out commercially made tortillas (I buy them from a local tortillería and let them cool off completely) into a single layer, brush both sides of each one lightly but thoroughly with oil, then grill them until they're crisp. Once they cool, I break them into big rustic pieces for dipping into this guacamole. Wedges of grilled pita make a delicious and unexpected vehicle for dipping. For a pass-around appetizer, slices of crispy grilled baguette topped with a dollop of bacony guacamole are always a hit.