Weeknight Kitchen

Kukuye sabsi is a Persian-style omelette, similar to a frittata, and is often served on New Year's Day in Iran. The secret of the texture is to chop the parsley coarsely, not finely.

For fast suppers with sensational flavors, think Thai-style curries. Contrasts really fly in curries. For instance finish a curry of leftover chicken and roasted vegetables with a few chunks of pineapple and a lot of lime juice. Use this Winter Squash Curry as your basic formula and take off from there.

You can serve this soup chunky with a clear broth, or blend it to create a smooth purée.

This recipe is based on a popular Japanese stewed dish called nikujaga (niku means "meat;" jaga means "potato"), which Kathy's mom often made when she was growing up. It's home cooking at its best, the kind of food you want to eat when you're tired or in a funk or under the weather.

Ingredients

In my own personal food awards, frittatas win medals in these categories: Quick; Easy Supper; Vegetarian Entrées for All Tastes; and Everything That's Good About Eggs. In that last one, frittatas are to be commended for their ability to be both sturdy and tender at the same time, and for their willingness to be delicious at room temperature or even cold.

The tomato/meat base of this ragout will work with any shape of pasta. Just use this recipe as a trusty guide. The point is to use whatever meat you have, such as roast pork (or beef or lamb or poultry), and heat it quickly with canned tomatoes to make a succulent sauce. Keep in mind that the meat is already cooked to perfection, so it takes very little time to come together.

Ingredients

Every now and then I like a salad with attitude. This one has it, with its mix of assertive, crunchy radicchio, pungent anchovy-lemon dressing, and crispy croutons. Serve it with a rich main course such as Vegetable-Stuffed Pasta Shells or Crêpe Cannelloni with Mushrooms and Zucchini.

South of Mumbai is a state called Goa that still marches to the Portuguese settlers' tune that influenced its culinary scene, particularly among the masses who converted to Christianity. Pork, vinegar (especially the kind that is extracted from the cashew liquor called feni), and the local cashews appear at numerous meals alongside sweet spices like cinnamon and fiery chiles for balance. For this recipe cider vinegar steps in in lieu of the hard-to-procure cashew vinegar. Serve the pork not with the perfunctory steamed white rice but with buttered, perfectly cooked noodles (wheat, rice, or any other grain).