A reminder of just how good simple, steamed vegetables can be.

Perhaps the best salad I've had in the past year. And, unless you absolutely loathe cilantro, you must try it. Simply cilantro leaves and stems tossed with a simple shallot-forward soy sauce dressing, plus peanuts, and asparagus. So good.

I posted a picture of my lunch the other day, and a few of you requested specifics - it was a spring soup made with a ginger & shallot coconut milk broth, spring vegetables, served over egg noodles.

Simple side - asparagus tossed with a garlicky buttermilk dressing, perky radish sprouts, lots of fresh cilantro, and a handful of cooked posole.

A chocolate pudding that is hard to beat. From this day forward, if you come to my house for dinner, and I decide chocolate pudding might be a nice finish to the meal, this is the recipe I'll be using.

There's all sorts of good stuff in this salad - chickpeas, celery, black olives, pepitas, avocado, blanched broccoli. Full of crunch & substance, it's a salad that can stand up to a few hours in a container without collapsing.

Pungent, herby, and assertive, this is an incredibly versatile sauce. From Deborah Madison's new book, Vegetable Literacy, it's made with pounded capers, walnuts, green olives, and a load of herbs - the perfect slather for everything from sandwiches and pasta to egg salad and vegetables.

A quick lunchtime brown rice bowl with kale, capers, salted yogurt, za'atar, toasted sesame seeds - and a poached egg for good measure.

Za'atar is an incredibly versatile Middle Eastern spice blend, one of my favorites. Particularly this time of year when it's a welcome addition to all sorts of roasted vegetables, soups and stews, or simply sprinkled over everything from yogurt, to eggs, to savory granola.

A simple breakfast bowl made with Greek yogurt, fresh pomegranate juice, puffed quinoa cereal, toasted sunflower seeds, and honey.

I inherited a professional juicer, juiced everything in sight, and learned a few things in the process.

A beauty of a carrot salad - tricked out with chickpeas, chunks of dried pluots, sliced almonds, and a toasted cumin dressing. Thank you Diane Morgan.

Winter citrus juice + bourbon + a bit of maple syrup, chilled, and served a tiny glass, is good.

One of the easiest cookies I know how to make - made from rolled oats, they're razor thin and lacy, golden, freckled with poppy seeds, with and anise accent from crushed fennel seeds.

The sort of winter salad I love - heirloom apples, shaved celery, and toasted nuts of your choosing. The dressing is crème fraîche spiked with rosemary, garlic and champagne vinegar

A simple one-pan broccoli recipe I've made no less than three times in the past ten days - Parmesan cheese, tomatoes, orange juice, and oregano.

Whole Wheat Raspberry Ricotta Scones - golden-crusted, tender, moist, barely sweet, and streaked with violet swaths and chunks of blackberry. They're beautiful.

A shredded green salad bulked out with blanched broccoli, avocado, pistachios, a bit of feta, and tossed with a tarragon balsamic vinaigrette & pics from a special visit to Anokhi cafe and HQ in Jaipur.

A fennel mushroom recipe inspired by one of my vintage cookbooks, The Seasonal Kitchen by Perla Meyers. It's a simple, brilliant twist on everyday sauteed mushrooms with dill, chives, fresh fennel, and a kiss of creme fraiche.

Tarragon oil - one of my little secret weapons. Use it as a finishing oil on soups, as a component of anything bread-centric, and as a vinaigrette base. It's vibrant green with grassy anise notes, and just the sort of thing to keep on hand.

The prettiest dip in my repertoire - my take on the Iranian preparation of Mast-o-Khiar (yogurt and cucumber). I use lots of fresh herbs, dried rose petals, toasted walnuts and a pop of added color and tartness from dried cranberries.

Butter a skillet add corn, fresh thyme, red onions, toasted almonds and coconut, and finish with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice...

A summer yellow bean salad with a green chile-spiked, cilantro-flecked, and coconut milk dressing, toasted pepitas, and (if you want to make a meal of it) pan-fried tofu.

A breezy summer-spirited lunch salad made with celery, beans, and Parmesan. And a glance at my attempt at organizing some of my pictures into albums.

A luscious fresh mint frozen yogurt recipe from the soon-to-be-released(!) Sprouted Kitchen cookbook.

My favorite tomato salad this year - made with roasted and ripe tomatoes, capers, mozzarella, almonds, and chives.

A beautiful fried rice made with brown rice, egg, sunchokes, cashews, and basil when Grace Young came over for lunch last week.

This one is for my sis - homemade Cinnamon Vanilla Sunflower Butter.

A variation on the granola from my last book - this time with rose petals, walnuts, currants, and black pepper.

One of the best salads I've made in a long time (mung bean sprouts, avocado, arugula, yogurt, almonds) & a look at the QUITOKEETO packaging.

A Parmesan cheese spread made with grated cheese, olive oil, a splash of white wine, and any other accents you can think of.

A beautiful ruby-hued rhubarb rosewater syrup. Perfect on (or in) everything from yogurt, spritzers, waffles, or oatmeal.

A spicy lemon coconut sauce that is good on just about everything - noodles, frittatas, soups. Keep a jar in the refrigerator, and you can use it to make things a little special throughout the week.

An excellent impromptu springtime lunch tartine: avocado smeared across toasted day-old slabs of sesame bread, layered with arugula and garlicky caraway asparagus + toasted pepitas.

This is how I like to cook saag paneer - chopped spinach, golden-crusted paneer cheese, assertively spices, and finished with toasted sesame seeds and fresh lemon juice.

A simple tomato soup recipe inspired by a Melissa Clark recipe - pureed, warmly spiced, and perfect topped with everything from toasted almonds and herbs, to coconut cream or a poached egg.

A vibrant ginger grapefruit curd recipe & scans from my Marrakesh photographs.

A few snapshots from my week in Marrakesh, Morocco + the recipe for a platter of roasted vegetables spiced with dried mint, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and a kiss of chile. So good with a dollop of salted yogurt and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.

A hot, filling, wintertime DIY four-grain breakfast cereal that you can trick out with all sorts of different toppings.

New year, new brussels sprouts recipe. This one pan-fried and then finished with a drizzle or oregano deliciousness, and toasted almond slices.

Gougères - I have these little cheese puffs in my freezer, ready to bake, nearly always. This version, a favorite, is made with whole wheat flour, sharp white cheddar cheese, fennel, and ale.

A slight twist makes these scrambled eggs extra special. I drizzled them with oregano pesto and served with a thick slab of toast. Thanks to Serious Eats for the excellent tip :)

I made these Brown Sugar Rosemary Walnuts as a snack to take for my long travel day to The Greenbrier for the annual Symposium for Professional Food Writers. Recipe & photos from my visit.

A tortilla salad made from all sorts of good stuff - heirloom beans, avocado, watermelon radish, and cauliflower. Electric colors, punchy dressing, fresh and filling.

I call this magic sauce. In part, because it makes everything it touches shimmy with deliciousness. It's magic like that. Technically, it's a riff on a chimichurri sauce - one that has veered off the rails in a big way.

Lillet-spiked buttermilk shakes. Just a quick grown-up twist on the classic vanilla milkshake.

A scrambled egg recipe taught to me by the lovely Lynn from Satsuma Press - herby cream cheese is the last-second finish that make these eggs simple but special.

An off-beat pasta salad made with stuffed pasta, seasonal vegetables, and a spice-forward, golden sesame yogurt sauce.

The bread you should make right this minute - yeast-based, farm-style, made from rolled oats and a blend of all-purpose and whole wheat flours.

A crunchy, sweet no-cook summer corn salad & a few snapshots from the nearby dahlia garden in bloom right now. The salad is a breeze, has a ton of toasted pepitas & sunflower seeds, tossed with a brown sugar lemonade vinaigrette.

Homemade celery salt couldn't be easier to make. I keep a bottomless jar of it on hand and use it on just about everything - eggs, soups, salads. It's hard to go wrong with it.

This lemon anise slush is one way I use up the fresh lemon juice I have leftover from all those lemons I zest. Adapted from a recipe in a 2004 issue of Gourmet magazine.

A simple corn soup topped with an electric harissa-yogurt swirl + photos from a walk around North Beach on the Fourth of July.

A no bake chocolate cake I make when I'm feeling particularly lazy and need a crowd-pleaser of a dessert. Good-quality dark chocolate, cream, and whatever you like to infuse the cream - you're set.

A simple Indian-spiced green pea soup, and a few snapshots of things I'm bringing with me in a move up the street.

The perfect simple, spinach side dish - toast a few spices, add a pile of shredded spinach to the skillet, and finish things off with a burst of lemon juice and some shredded coconut.

We picked two new cookbooks to focus on in the 101 Cookbooks Library, and this recipe is inspired by a recipe from one of them. A refreshing chopped cucumber salad loaded with peanuts, spices, coconut, and chiles.

A couple book signing pics. And in an effort to expand my crostini repertoire, I made this flavor-packed liptauer cheese spread on black bread crostini - goat cheese, paprika, capers, pickles, onions.

A quick spring pasta made with leftover noodles, market vegetables, egg, and a bit of avocado.

A favorite five-minute lunch quesadilla - corn tortilla, egg, a bit of cheese, fresh herbs, and a dollop lemon-zested Greek yogurt or creme fraiche. The egg helps make it more substantial and extra good.

If you're looking for a jolt something bright, invigorating, spicy and citrusy - this is just the thing. You steep grated ginger in a bit of sugared water, and then strain it into a lime & grapefruit juice blend. It's from the Rose Bakery inspired cookbook, which a number of us are cooking from in the coming weeks.

A six recipe PDF sampler from my new cookbook, Super Natural Every Day. It includes a few of my v. favorite recipes - Millet Muffins, Ravioli Salad, Avocado & Mustard Seeds, Black Sesame Otsu, Tinto de Verano, and a Tutti-Frutti Crumble. Enjoy!

A rustic oat soda bread you can make in less than an hour. Seriously. Made from a simple ingredient list of rolled oats, flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk.

At the heart of this recipe is a completely quirky and off-beat sauce made from pureed green olives. Served with golden, pan-fried gnocchi, capers, toasted almonds and chives. You can easily tweak it to work with pasta or grains as well.

Cauliflower tastes great like this. Imagine a skillet of caramelized onions cooked down with fragrant cumin, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds and chiles. Add cauliflower and cook until tender. Vibrant, spicy, sweet earthiness, all on one plate.

I inherited a CSA box packed with greens the other night, inspiring this simple one-pot winter pasta with a sauce made from a full bunch of kale, shallots, garlic, and goat cheese.

The first thing I made after getting back from Rome. A red chile spiked, shredded raw kale salad tossed in a vibrant, lemony-pecorino dressing. From Melissa Clark's new cookbook, In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite.

A few more Rome pics & a simple pasta dish made from ricotta-stuffed tortelli tossed with brown butter balsamic sauce, arugula, pecorino cheese, and lemon zest.

Adapted from a Susan Herrmann Loomis recipe - charming, snappy, salty-sweet olive-flecked shortbread deliciousness. Quirky yet sophisticated, they exist in some middle Earth realm between cracker and cookie.

A limoncello macaroon recipe along with a batch of photos from a cabin weekend in Mendocino. The cookies are golden-crusted, powder-coated, almond-citrus gems spiked with limoncello liqueur my sister made for me.

I spent Saturday brewing beer with my brother-in-law. For dinner, later on, I brought a simple lasagna, using this golden tomato sauce as the base - garlic, red pepper flakes, and olive oil. That's it. It's good on pasta, pizza, and only takes a few minutes to pull together.

A buttermilk farro salad inspired by one I had at Clyde Common in Portland, Oregon - farro with shaved radishes, zucchini, and fennel tossed with a tangy herbed buttermilk vinaigrette.

Coins of zucchini are browned in a pan, but the thing that makes it special is the toasted gold slivers of garlic combined with lots of fresh dill, plus a sprinkling of almonds for a bit of crunch.

Seasoned with a good amount of cumin, cayenne and mustard, these are hearty, filling, easy to make, dump-everything-in-the-food processor tofu burgers.

Inspired by a recipe in the September 2007 issue of Gourmet Magazine - a slow-burning, sweet and spicy, chile-infused blackberry syrup. It's great in spritzers, cocktails, on toast, in oatmeal, and on and on.

Inspired by a recipe in Miranda Gardiner's Teaching Dad to Cook Flapjack - a simple bean salad tossed with lots of toasted almonds, fresh thyme, and an assertive honey-balsamic dressing.

Soba noodles and grilled tofu tossed with a garlic-cilantro dressing. I prepped all the components for this ahead of a camping trip, but you could take the same approach for a quick, mid-week lunch if camping isn't your thing.

Inspired by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's soda bread recipe, this version is made with a blend of spelt flour and all-purpose flour. The dough is littered with seeds - sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, flax seeds, and fennel seeds. It bakes into a perfect, rustic, crusty loaf of bread with relatively little effort.

A recap of my Sunday, including a few portraits I shot, plus a top-notch pasta with spiced butter and asparagus inspired by a recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi's new book.

A simple spring crumble - rhubarb, strawberry, and a splash of port wine with a buttery black pepper, pine nut and oat crumble top. Sounds a bit fancy, but really, it couldn't be easier to make.

This particular salad came together on a whim - slender, barely-cooked asparagus and carrots alongside lots of deeply toasted almond slices, tossed with a jalapeno-cilantro drizzle.

A rustic, minimally structured, custard-topped, crusty-edged, herb-scented corn-quinoa skillet bread.

A one-dish meal, inspired by a recipe in Harumi Kurihara's Everyday Harumi - asparagus, broccoli, and tofu tossed with a salty-sweet miso dressing.

Poppyseed-flecked and made with a blend of barley, oat, and rye flours, these multigrain waffles are buttermilk-moist with a golden crust and a hint of tanginess.

A light, almost billowy, hummus topped with "green goo" a flavor-packed, bright green emulsion made from olive oil, garlic, jalapeño, and parsley.

I came across a cookie when I visited Portland, it was a crackle-edged puddle of chocolate with a texture that made me think of the collision between a soft meringue and a fudgy brownie.

Inspired by a recipe in the River Cottage Preserves Handbook I made my own bouillon. I've been using it in soups and stews all week, and it's so much better than any canned broth I've tasted.

Inspired by Mona Talbott's recipe in the new Coco cookbook, a pounded walnut pesto with marjoram and parsley, tossedwith farro pasta and Pecorino cheese.

This is simply heirloom beans and roasted broccoli with shallots and pan-fried seitan. Something I threw together one night after getting home from the airport. It's filling and hearty, and quick to make - particularly if you have cooked beans stashed in the freezer...but canned beans will work too.

A simple, everyday broccoli soup made special with crusty, mustardy croutons. Perfect for those days when I need some extra nutritional punch.

Inspired by a recipe in The Complete Tassajara Cookbook, a warm winter salad made from sauteed shredded red cabbage. Feta, balsamic vinegar, and golden raisins make it sweet and salty, rich with color, texture and flavor.

From the new Anna Thomas cookbook, Love Soup - a soup cramming more spinach, leeks, sweet potatoes and chard into each bowl than I ever thought possible.

A twist on the classic, I use crisp brown rice cereal slathered in a decadent peanut butter maple syrup sludge. This version of treats has bits of chopped, toasted pistachios throughout - also vegan (no marshmallows) and gluten-free.

An old-fashioned blueberry cake sweetened with molasses adapted from a reader submitted recipe to the July 1974 issue of Gourmet Magazine - rustic, dark as chocolate, tender, and punctuated with lots of tiny pockets of oozy, magenta berry flesh.

The perfect summer salad inspired by a memorable meal at Contigo - green beans, cherry tomatoes, roasted hazelnuts, and a bit of frisee tossed with a creamy herb vinegreta.

I spent the weekend at my friend Lori's Northern California cabin and she made this tasty cherry tomato couscous for us - cherry tomatoes, cucumber, chopped basil, and chickpeas tossed with couscous, olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice. Finished with a bit of feta.

Warm, coin-shaped slices of pan-fried carrots, white alubia beans, and chopped dill tossed with a tangy-sweet lemon shallot dressing. It tastes good the day you make it, even better the day after.

A simple tofu salad recipe made by marinating cucumbers and chopped dill in lemon juice and olive oil, then tossing with tofu, pine nuts, and avocado.

And orzo salad packed with nutritious ingredients - asparagus, almonds, feta, sprouts, broccoli, cucumber, and a zesty lemon dressing.

A favorite week-night cauliflower recipe. Tiny florets of pan-fried cauliflower are tossed with garlic, chives, lemon, Parmesan, and flaky sea salt.

Inspired by the new farmers market up the street from my house, I made this sauteed asparagus and broccolini salad. Finished with slivered radishes, a chunky lemon-pinenut dressing, and a bit of shaved Parmesan it works alongside pasta, topped with poached eggs, or, on its own.

A pea salad jazzed up with spicy mint-date dressing and tossed with shredded romaine and toasted pumpkin seeds for crunch and texture. A tasty, off-beat, almost burner-free recipe.

Poached spinach noodles, tofu, and baby broccoli in ginger broth. Finished with a splash of soy sauce, mint, basil, lime juice and red pepper flakes. Quick, simple, and invigorating.

One of my favorite cookies - a carrot oatmeal cookie sweetened with maple syrup. They are made with fragrant coconut oil, plenty of chopped walnuts, rolled oats, and a bit of fresh ginger. They also happen to be egg-free and vegan.

Known in some circles as Japanese pizza, this is my take on okonomiyaki. Plenty of egg-battered cabbage is pressed into a skillet and cooked until deeply golden on both sides. It is served cut into wedges and sprinkled with toasted almonds and chives.

Fresh popcorn is tossed with melted butter, lime juice, jalapeno peppers, red pepper flakes, cumin and a splash of tequila.

A shredded brussels sprout salad recipe, slaw-like in spirit, accompanied by lots of toasted hazelnuts, and shard after shard of aged cheese. The sprouts are tossed with a few glugs of olive oil and a big squeeze of fresh, fragrant lemon juice.

A simple, last-minute curry recipe - curry powder in coconut milk, deeply toasted cashew nuts, a handful of green beans, two handfuls of tiny cauliflower florets, and a bit of tofu for good measure.

A simple, everyday approach to miso soup - it yields me a bowl of soup in five or ten minutes. You can keep it simple if you like, but in this version I add soba noodles and tofu, and a few garnishes.

The best tempeh recipe I've highlighted to date - it features a simple ginger and garlic-spiked orange glaze that plays of the nutty earthiness of the pan-fried tempeh beautifully.

A porcini mushroom soup recipe made from seven ingredients including potatoes and porcini mushrooms in an intensely flavorful broth peppered with rosemary and tiny pools of golden olive oil. Great with a big chunk of garlic bread.

A classic cheese fondue recipe. I've included dozens of my favorite things to dunk - don't limit yourself to just bread!

This lovely, jeweled pomegranate salad recipe is from Samuel and Samantha Clark's book Moro East - toasted walnuts, celery, mint, parsley, and garlic. An easy, delicious, and a pretty addition to any table.

If you love sauteed greens, give this recipe a go. I avoid overcooking, and throw plenty of garlic into the pan. You can use kale, chard, or spinach.

A chunky celery soup perfect for a winter day - celery, carrots, a potato, an onion, a bit of garlic, and some leftover wild rice.

My take on the classic fantasy fudge recipe - made with Scharffen Berger chocolate, butter (not margarine) , and organic cane sugar.

A favorite green bean recipe - dill, green beans, leeks, salt and olive oil. That's it - five ingredients, one skillet - tasty green beans.

A great pasta dish using just six ingredients. Whole grain linguine matchsticks and barely cooked red kale are tossed with golden pistachio dressing. Pomegranate seeds provide ruby-colored accents and little pops of sweetness.

A deliciously unfussy and relatively healthy apple cake recipe. Red-skinned apples punctuate a buttermilk batter and a final sprinkling of sugar before baking lends a nice top crust.

Shredded brussels sprout ribbons, apples, garlic, pine nuts, and tofu in a skillet with a hint of maple syrup.

a pot of quick-cooking, beautiful, brothy couscous soup topped with a bit of melted goat cheese and bright broccoli and cauliflower florets. It is all punctuated with a spoonful of finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

A great pepita salad that can brighten up any table. Made from a simple combination of yellow split peas, toasted pepitas, and cilantro pesto.

A beautiful, spicy hummus recipe made from pureed garbanzo beans, toasted walnuts, and spicy crushed red pepper oil finished with a few chopped olives and a bit of cilantro.

A great broccoli recipe, one of my favorites! Tiny green florets, crisp apples, crunchy shallots, candied nuts and slivered red onions are tossed in a barely sweet, creamy almond vinaigrette. Add baked tofu or pan-fried tempeh and you can easily turn this side into a main course.

A big, slurpy bowl of whisper-thin spinach noodles draped in a spicy curry and herb broth - inspired by a beautiful box of noodles I picked up in Mill Valley, Ca.

A one-skillet quinoa recipe - quinoa, corn, chopped kale and pan-toasted tofu tossed with a big dollop of pesto and finished off with a few roasted cherry tomatoes.

A remarkable healthy cookie recipe - banana-batter, shredded coconut, dark chocolate chunks, and oats. Butter-less, flour-less, egg-less, and potentially sugar-less cookies make great after school or after work treats.

A tasty, quick, and easy stir-fry recipe featuring golden crusted, pan-fried chickpeas, chopped kale, summer squash, tofu, and a bit of lemon zest.

Inspired by a trip to Argentina, small crackers topped with an apple-zucchini relish, a tiny kiss of goat cheese, and a couple flecks of black pepper.

This bean salad recipe salad features pretty heirloom beans along with a few black lentils, splashed with a brightly-flavored ginger-curry vinaigrette.

Simple to make, this lemon achiote grilled tofu recipe gets a nice tangy backbone from and achiote and cayenne-spiked marinade made with freshly squeezed lemon juice and a bit of brown sugar.

A unique and flavor-packed pasta recipe. Whole wheat pasta noodles, olives, kale, pine nuts tossed in a pan for a tangle with a garlic-charged harissa and olive oil sauce.

Not your typical peanut butter cookie recipe - but just as good. Tastes pretty darn close to the classic bu without all that butter, and with maple syrup in place of the white sugar. Vegan, egg-free, and easily made wheat-free if you like.

Charlotte's edamame soup recipe was a big hit with Wayne - a bit of olive oil, potato, frozen edamame beans, and vegetable stock come together to make a satisfying, protein packed bowl, of pale green tastiness.

A rustic, cherry cobbler recipe made from fresh cherries - though you can certainly try this recipe with other types of summer fruit and berries.

A delicious rice gratin recipe - a hearty casserole of baked rice flecked with spinach. The top bakes into a golden cheese crust made even better with a generous sprinkling of black olives, red onions, and toasted pine nuts.

A fantastic salty-sweet grilled tempeh recipe. The marinade is made from a simple (but effective) combination of maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic and ground chipotle pepper.

A favorite buttermilk cake recipe, I love the way smashed berries bleed into the sugar-crusted top of this cake. Swap in whatever fruit is in season.

This feather-light, mayo-free, coleslaw recipe uses toasted peanuts, cherry tomatoes, and lime vinaigrette and is perfect alongside fajitas, or whatever you have coming off the grill. Keep in mind - great coleslaw is rooted in great knife skills.

A spring twist on a panzanella recipe. This panzanella features asparagus, spinach, and peas with hearty, garlic and time toasted bread cubes.

Itty-bitty pasta plays the lead role in this simple orzo soup recipe with an egg drop soup style broth that has been boosted with flecks of chard and topped with vibrant, fire-roasted tomatoes. It's finished with an all-important thread of golden olive oil and a flurry of grated cheese.

Imagine a honey-sweetened graham cracker crust filled with a cream cheese chocolate filling. From the book Country Wisdom & Know-How - the recipe calls for equal parts tofu and cream cheese in the filling. This combination creates a decadent, mousse-like texture that's also a breeze to cut into precision slices.

My go-to cherry tart recipe - unfussy, and quick to make with a moist, coconut macarooned top.

A quick and delicious green curry recipe - peas, asparagus, and tofu swimming in a fragrant, not-overly-rich Thai green chile broth.

A quick and delicious dumpling soup - tender, translucent pasta pillows, pale green from their pea-stuffed bellies, are buoyed by yellow lentils in a simple clear broth. Golden puddles of olive oil are suspended across the surface, pooling in various cracks and crevices.

This spring ragout recipe delivers a stunning pan of fava beans, green peas, and asparagus finished off with a tiny touch of cream, lemon zest, and grated cheese.

A stunning, delicious sweet strawberry panzanella recipe. Bread cubes are tossed with a sweet brown sugar glaze, strawberries are mashed into a dressing, and it is all served family style.

A springtime twist on a traditional tabbouleh recipe featuring peas, asparagus, chives and farm-fresh hard-boiled eggs.

A uniquely delicious pancake recipe. If you can imagine coconut macaroons in pancake form - moist, golden, coconut-packed, with just a hint of sweetness - that's what you'll get.

A favorite carrot salad recipe - carrot ribbons sauteed in a bit of salt and olive oil and finished off with lemon zest, finely chopped serrano chiles, a quick squeeze of lemon juice, and lots of cilantro.

Delicious garlic soba noodle recipe made with soba noodles, Parmesan, greens, and garlic powder topped with golden Parmesan-crusted tofu.

Not a traditional hotpot recipe, instead...a fast-cooking bulgur cooks in a light orange-juice accented broth. Plenty of chickpeas, tiny cauliflower pieces, onions, and greens add texture and substance to the hearty pot.

A favorite (and quick) tofu scramble recipe using shaved fennel, caramelized onions spices and dried fruit, and then counter-balancing those flavors with cilantro and chopped nuts.

A delicious, healthy, textured split pea soup recipe made from an impossibly short list of ingredients. Vegetarian, no ham hocks in this version.

A variation on my favorite egg salad recipe, this version uses plain yogurt in place of mayo and incorporates curry powder, chopped apples, toasted pecans, and minced chives.

A homemade powerbar recipe packed with lots of toasted nuts and coconut, crisped rice and ground espresso beans. Video how-to as well as written instructions.

A favorite guacamole recipe. Served with toasted naan bread (or chips!), I've added a couple pinches of cumin and curry powder for to incorporate a slightly unexpected flavor profile.

One of my favorite tofu recipes, caramelized strips of tofu served over sauteed shredded brussels sprouts. It come together quickly and uses just one pan.

An updated, healthier version of my favorite artichoke dip recipe. Artichokes pureed with yogurt, tofu, Parmesan cheese, and garlic and baked until golden.

Hearty, healthy, and satistfying - this cabbage soup recipe is super simple to make. Slice a cabbage into thin ribbons and cook it down in a simple pot of sauteed potatoes, onions, beans, garlic and flavorful broth. Finished each bowl with a generous drizzle of great olive oil and a dusting of shredded cheese.

An unassuming yet satisfying little rice bowl recipe - simply a reasonable serving of chard-flecked whole grain rice topped with a poached egg.

Healthy, quick, and satisfying this lentil soup recipe delivers layer after layer of flavor. The tang of the tomatoes plays off the earthiness of the lentils, and the fragrant bolt of saffron yogurt brightens each bowl.

One of my favorite party-friendly ways to use hazelnuts. This butter-toasted hazelnut recipe uses toasted butter, fresh tyme and lemon and orange zest to add a simple yet sophisticated twist to a nut bowl.

The prettiest, tastiest, frittata recipe. Made with potatoes, onions, and eggs drizzled with a cilantro chile sauce.

A twist on the shortbread recipe I included in my book -perfectly golden pine nuts and just enough rosemary and lemon zest to infuse the buttery sweet dough with fragrance and flavor.

This skillet smashed potato recipe make delicious, golden-crusted potatoes. With a bit of prep you can boil them off (pre-cook) the night before. They come together in just a few minutes just as you are ready to serve the rest of your breakfast or brunch.

A quick and easy brussels sprouts recipe that will convert the biggest skeptics. Vibrant green, tender brussels sprouts that become deeply golden and crusty where they touch the pan, dusted with cheese.

This millet bake recipe is a largely hands-off, winter squash-based casserole that uses golden millet, baked squash, pumpkin seeds and jewel-toned cranberries. A perfect Thanksgiving recipe for those of you collecting ideas.

This fettuccine recipe was inspired one of the many trips I made to the Testaccio Market while in Rome. Fresh ribbons of pasta with olive oil, porcini mushrooms, garlic, black pepper, and pecorino cheese.

A deeply dark and impossibly decadent coconut chocolate pudding recipe. Creamy coconut milk base infused it with a whisper of warming spices.

Quick, simple and easy tomato sauce recipe. Bright and clean flavors, a vibrant red in color, exudes the essence of tomatoes.

Eggs cooked crepe thin and stuffed. A delicious and lighter alternative to heavy, cheese-stuffed omelette recipes - great for lunch and brunch.

A tasty white bean salad topped with toasted walnuts, crumbled cheese, and a hint of citrus. Makes a good side dish, a satisfying lunch, or light dinner.

Baked eggs in edible cups with cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and lots of vibrant spices.

Creamy tarragon spiked yogurt pistachio sauce combined with sweet green peas.

An easy wonderfully tangy, not-too-sweet, creamy white cloud of perfect frozen yogurt deliciousness.

A big bowl of asparagus, sauteed garbanzos, chopped onions, toasted almonds, tossed with brown rice and drizzled with a bit of garlic-tahini dressing.

Made from polenta, buttermilk, cayenne pepper, and Parmesan cheese, this is a perfect party cracker recipe.

The egg salad sandwich recipe I turn to multiple times a week. Light on the mayo, with good quality eggs, chopped celery, and a sprinkling of chives on thinly sliced whole grain bread.

Trying to improve on typical pasta salads, this ravioli salad recipe features ricotta-stuffed raviolis, asparagus, peas, spinach, and toasted pine nuts.

My dad shares his oft-requested garlic bread recipe - garlic, lots of butter, chives, and lemon zest slathered on a wide baguette. A garlic-studded, golden crusted masterpiece.

A great way to use up leftover noodles. These savory noodle cakes make a great lunch and are easily adaptable a hundred different ways.

From Skye Gyngell's cookbook A Year in my Kitchen this simple, satisfying cauliflower soup recipe is perfect served up with a bit of cold winter weather.

Puff pastry serves as the foundation for this simple yet eye-popping butternut squash tart. The golden crust supports a ricotta cheese slather, caramelized onions, thin slices of bright orange squash, and goat cheese.

A healthy, simple and delicious alternative to deep-fried potatoes. These baked oven fries are finished with salt, pepper, a spritz of lime juice, and a dusting of Parmesan cheese.

A delicious cranberry jam recipe, the most riveting shade of ruby red you've ever seen. Would be perfect with toasted walnut bread and an antique gruyere cheese.

Oven-roasted cauliflower florets with breadcrumbs, garlic, red chile pepper, salt and olive oil.

Made from carrots, this is a healthy, simple and delicious alternative to deep-fried potatoes. These baked oven fries (made from carrots) are simply roasted with olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt.

Don't let all those pumpkin seeds go to waste, toasting pumpkin seeds is easy! This year I tried some different flavor combinations: Sweet & Spicy Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Black Tea & Butter Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, and Curried Toasted Pumpkin Seeds.

Couscous, apples, curry powder, butter, mint, toasted pine nuts and green onions are highlighted in this dynamic, colorful couscous recipe.

Fantastic Peter Reinhart inspired rustic, thin-ish crust pizza dough recipe - made from white whole wheat flour, yeast, olive oil, salt, and ice water.

An impromptu quinoa salad recipe made by tossing a quick tahini dressing with chickpeas, red onion, and cilantro.

One-inch wide slabs of toasted, cheesy, heirloom tomato filled deliciousness slathered with a basil-chive ricotta spread.

Make crispy crackers from wonton wrappers. The great thing about this cracker recipe is the way the wrappers provide a quick and easy blank canvas to experiment with - sweet or savory, spicy or seedy - there are countless directions to explore.

Great for dipping with olive oil, this dukkah recipe is a crumbly nut and spice blend typically associated with Egypt - hazelnuts, cariander seeds, sesame seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, fennel seeds, dried mint leaves, and salt.

Rajasthani buttermilk curry recipe from the award-winning cookbook Mangoes & Curry Leaves, by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid.

Actually two different takes on hummus. One with an Italian twist, and one a lovely shade of green from the incorporation of a bit of sauteed spinach.

Makes a fantastic lunch, and it comes together quick and easy. For those of you unfamiliar with shiso, it is a fierce looking herb with spiky leaves, and wonderful edgy green nose.

This candied walnut recipe was is the perfect solution to a New Years Eve hors d'oeuvres dilemma. Made with walnuts, sea salt, black pepper, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and powdered sugar.

Served in shot glasses this peppermint semifreddo recipe makes a fluffy, dreamy, cloud-like, winter wonderland dessert.

This melon sherbet recipe is all-natural, and refreshing. The addition of honey gives it a richness and depth of flavor that you don't normally get when you use refined white sugar.

Simple-yet-decadent this dairy-free chocolate mousse recipe wins over non-vegans and vegans alike.

So simple, a fresh ricotta recipe should be part of every cook's repertoire. Made from just two ingredients - buttermilk and whole milk.

A great way to use up stone fruits. Simple, fast, and decadent using just five ingredients - cream, egg yolks, maple sugar, seasonal stone fruit, and a splash of liquer.

Michele Cranston's Honey-toasted Fruit Muesli Recipe. Made from lots of oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, coconut, honey, dried fruit and seeds.

Art Smith's sour cream waffle recipe - delicious, light yet structured waffles that cook up golden brown with just the right amount of outside crunch.

A lovely salad recipe utilizing a vibrant citrus and Parmesan vinaigrette. I did a demo of this salad at the San Francisco Ferry Building Farmers Market.

Stuffed dates are rich, indulgent, and delicious. I strongly suggest trying this recipe the next time you are looking for a nice, simple dessert to top off a nicer than average meal.

The seasoning from this popcorn recipe hits you in waves - the smell of the dill, the tang of the buttermilk powder, a bit of kick from the onion and garlic powder. You'll never go back to the movie theatre variety.

Cool, refreshing, and tropical, this icebox cake recipe features a gingersnap crust, vanilla ice cream, rum, macadamia nuts, and toasted coconut.