Roast

A good roast potato isn't about showing off or about striving desperately to impress. Nor is it a difficult thing to achieve, but I can't pretend it isn't a high pressure zone. You either get it right or you don't, and anything less than perfect is a disappointment. It's brutal but it's the truth.

This simple roasting method brings deep, bright flavor to winter tomatoes.

Standing rib roast is a special event; it's also surprisingly easy to make. This version gets a spice rub and a rich, earthy sauce that can be largely made ahead.

These are delicious warm or at room temperature—especially convenient when you're cooking for a crowd.

Be sure to rub the turkey with the spice mixture the day before roasting.

Simply pour this rich dressing over wedges of crisp iceberg lettuce or quartered heads of romaine for a salad, or use it as a dip for crudités.

Serve with red wine sauce .

This original take on cauliflower (the florets are thinly sliced) is equally good at room temperature.

Mint brings a hit of freshness to this classic side.

Easy and elegant: a beautifully simple bird and a rich wine gravy.

Traditionally, gremolata is made with parsley, lemon peel, and garlic. Here, Parmesan adds richness and pecans add crunch.

This one-skillet meal is an instant classic — and a perfect Hanukkah dish.

With today's leaner pork, the traditional crown roast technique (which requires cutting between each rib chop to form the "crown") tends to produce overcooked meat before the bone end is done. So instead, ask the butcher to french the bones of two rib racks and present them back-to-back.

To save a step, rather than making the Balsamic Pan Sauce , drizzle an aged artisanal balsamic vinegar (12-year-old "vecchio" or 25-year-old "extra vecchio") over the carved portions of the goose. This recipe must be started at least a day ahead.

Lewis Rossman of Half Moon Bay, California, writes: "I'm a chef, and Mediterranean is probably the best way to describe the kind of cooking I do at my restaurant, Cetrella. There's an emphasis on seafood, plus several dishes inspired by places I've visited like Provence and Catalonia. This is one of my favorite recipes from the menu. It also happens to be the thing I make at home all the time." Thinly sliced lemon — peel and all — gives this dish bright flavor. (No need to peel the lemon since roasting softens the rind.)

What to drink: Roberto Santibañez recommends a Petite Sirah (a full-bodied, peppery red wine varietal) from L.A. Cetto in Mexico's Guadelupe Valley. Or try the Guenoc Petite Sirah from California's North Coast.

Chef Rathbun's method of roasting a turkey involves brushing the skin and packing the cavity with butter, then starting the roasting at a relatively high temperature — 450°F. As the turkey browns, the butter and turkey fat melt and pool under the grate, eliminating the need to add water to the pan juices. After 40 minutes, the oven is turned down to 350°F and the buttery drippings are used as a basting liquid. This technique seals in the bird's natural juices, producing crisp, golden skin and moist meat.