Gourmet

Salads don't always need vinegar or lemon juice. A mix of Boston and Bibb lettuce, seasoned with only good olive oil and salt, goes well with the more piquant dishes in this menu.

A Dutch Baby—basically a cross between a pancake and a popover—is tremendously popular in Seattle; according to local lore, it originated at a restaurant there called Manca's. Serve it with fresh berries or nothing more than jam or a lavish sprinkling of lemon sugar.

No need to call your local pizza joint. Thanks to prepared dough and bottled roasted red peppers, making your own calzones can be easy and far more satisfying.

These wafer-thin cookies may have been created with Passover in mind, but their shattering crispness and perfume of almonds and lemon make them alluring at any time of year.

This handsome roast elicited oohs and aahs in the test kitchen when Ruggiero pulled it out of the oven, and the succulent meat disappeared in a flurry of forks. The rosemary, thyme, sage, and savory sprigs on which the pork loin roasts infuse the meat and mingle with its mustard and shallot cloak. The luscious sauce is argument enough for keeping a bottle of dry vermouth on hand.

Haroseth, a thick condiment of fruit, nuts, and wine, symbolizes the mortar the Israelites used in Egypt. Roberts's particular mix of almonds, pistachios, dates, and dried apricots, reflective of the Middle East, is outstanding (note that we prefer the sweet-tart complexity of California/Pacific apricots to the bland sweetness of Turkish ones). Enjoy leftover haroseth slathered on matzos or crackers; we discovered it's great with Manchego cheese as well.

Food editor Melissa Roberts learned the ins and outs of making escabeche—a Spanish dish that preserves fish by frying it, then pickling it—at Alicia Juanpere's Catacurian cooking school, near Barcelona. As the fish (in this case, robust sardines or mackerel) absorbs the vinegary dressing over time, its flavor deepens, picking up the notes of paprika and cinnamon, orange and lemon.

Food editor Maggie Ruggiero was humming for weeks after enjoying a salad of fresh buffalo mozzarella, cucumber, and the Italian wheat called farro at the Manhattan restaurant Il Buco. She set about reimagining it, and her version’s accents—tender lettuce, basil, and a light, lemony dressing—beautifully complement the cheese. Since fresh mozzarella is the star here, it's essential to use the best you can find. We love the kind traditionally made in Italy from the milk of water buffalo for its custardlike texture and sweet, milky tang. Recently, some American producers have gotten in on the act as well.

Chicken thighs are an excellent choice if you're looking for big, meaty flavor that's easy on the wallet. Here, they're seared until the skin is golden-crisp and then roasted with the classic combination of lemon and oregano until juicy.

There's no doubt these are some seriously cheesy biscuits, but dill adds a dose of herbal brightness, making them the ideal partner for grits with rosemary bacon (page 61) and fried eggs.

Honey provides the sweet, and lemon juice the sour, in the Passover dish known as apio, which has origins in Turkey (the Ottoman Empire became a haven for Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition in 1492). As the celery cooks, it soaks up the braising liquid and becomes silky.

Hams with a thick honey glaze can sometimes be too cloying. This recipe takes a more balanced approach that results in a light sweetness and a beautiful shine.

This gorgeous tart features an easy no-bake filling and is topped with fresh strawberries in a rich port glaze.

As a harbinger of spring, artichokes have a special place on the Passover table and in our hearts. One of Roberts's favorite ways to enjoy them is this elegant Roman preparation. (Rome is home to the oldest Jewish community in the Western world—the first Jews arrived in 161 b.c.e. as ambassadors from Judah Maccabee in Jerusalem.) The trimmed artichokes are braised in a lemony broth zinging with garlic and mint, which is later reduced to a satiny sauce.

The color yellow symbolized joy for medieval Arabs, who were cultivating saffron in Spain by 960 c.e. Sephardic Jews were equally inspired by the coveted spice, and golden rice became a holiday and Sabbath tradition. This version, made with basmati rice, is punctuated by caramelized onion, currants, and fried almonds.

Thanks to frozen puff pastry, you can put a stunning dessert on the table in no time. A sweet citrus glaze offsets the rhubarb's tartness, as does a scoop of ice cream.

This salsa verde, which balances a meal full of spiced dishes, would also complement anything from grilled steak to steamed vegetables.

Here comes the sun: Topped with graceful fans of candied fennel and bathed in a golden syrup, this lemony upside-down cake is a cheery sight. The fennel's subtle sweetness and beautiful form are quite sophisticated, but the cake's buttermilk crumb is pure homey delight. A cloud of whipped cream makes a fitting accompaniment.

Most people keep celery salt around primarily for Bloody Marys, but its grassy brightness also pairs well with green beans, which offer a counterpoint to the rich flavors of this meal. Like all dried seasonings, celery salt loses flavor over time—if you can’t remember how long your jar has been in your pantry, pitch it and buy a new one.

Boneless top round roast is a cut taken from the flavorful leg. Here, we sliced it across the grain into steaks that are grilled and served with a Mediterranean-inspired combination of artichoke hearts, olives, and fire-roasted tomatoes.