Seed

Often used in southwestern and Mexican cooking, the crunchy, green hulled pumpkin seeds called pepitas add delightful texture to this smooth soup. Uncork a Gewürztraminer.

"Last year I spent the holidays in Arizona with my aunt and uncle, who took me to a restaurant in Scottsdale called CREW," writes Lisa C. Holley of Washington, D.C. "I loved the goat cheese and mixed-green salad with candied nuts, and have looked for similar recipes on-line. I haven't found anything nearly as good." The candied almonds in this recipe are also delicious as a snack on their own—or sprinkled over ice cream.

Here is a colorful dressing that is baked alongside—rather than inside—the turkey.

A lovely do-ahead pasta salad for spring.

Dijon mustard and dry white wine add French flair to this longtime favorite.

In the 1600s, "flapjack" referred to a thick pancake that was cooked on a skillet and turned by being tossed (flapped). By the 1930s, it had come to mean a biscuit like this, made from rolled oats, syrup and butter--sort of the granola bars of their day. They're the perfect thing to have with a cup of tea or coffee.

Don't think of toasted pumpkin seeds merely as a topping for the Risotto with Tuscan Kale — they also make a terrific hors d'oeuvre or snack.<

Besides serving these crunchy pumpkin seeds in our chili and chopped salad, we love to make up a batch to keep on hand as a snack.

Market tip: All rainbow trout sold in markets are sustainably farm-raised.

If you can't find raw unhulled pumpkin seeds, you can substitute 6 ounces of the hulled (green) ones, but the pipián (seed-thickened sauce) will be richer. Active time: 1 3/4 hr Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

Posto, cardamom pods, and whole dried red chiles are available at Penzeys (800-741-7787; penzeys.com) and Kalustyan's (800-352-3451; kalustyans.com).

These little cakes can be put in the center of a gift basket filled with other goodies, or wrapped in foil and festive holiday paper to be given on their own.