Rice & Grains

We like to bake with a combination of apples: some sweet and some tart, some that keep their shape and others that will break down and get saucy. Adding the pear lends a perfumey quality to the cake.

These pretty cookies look as though they are fussy to make, but they are actually slice-and-bake cookies, with holes cut from half of them about halfway through the baking. Buckwheat pairs well with any dark berry or cherry flavor, so feel free to try different preserves. The cookies keep well, but they should be assembled only shortly before serving. Leftover filled cookies will soften a bit, but they will still taste great.

A filling of bittersweet chocolate, dark corn syrup, and rolled oats make this a rich, delicious pie.

The flavors of a strawberry rhubarb crumble mingle in this satisfying smoothie, which is thickened by uncooked oats.

If you can't find sweet, savory dried Chinese sausage, use an equal weight of maple-cured bacon instead.

If using large mustard greens, remove the tough stems and tear leaves into bite-size pieces. Smaller leaves can be left whole.

Wrap a mixture of spiced ground lamb and raw jasmine rice in layers of onion and bake in a low oven until the onions are fragrant and tender.

This cowboy-style "bowl of red" is all about tender chunks of beef chuck and a five-chile-pepper purée.

Jaew is a tart, smoky dipping sauce from Thailand, usually served with grilled meats and sausages. Watson takes it to a Tex-Mex place in this eggy, cheesy rice dish that might remind you of nachos (it works).

"At home I cook quick, healthy, and vegetarian," the chef says. Cue this soy-and-ginger-marinated tofu (no cooking required!) that tastes way better than takeout.

Watson, who's from Louisiana, grew up on his mom's dirty rice; that dish helped inspire this bastardized fried version. The chicken-liver base tastes very concentrated and intense on its own, but becomes nicely balanced in the finished dish.

Ellsworth uses creamy bomba rice and orange-flower water to make an elevated rice pudding for her daughter—for breakfast: "It's a weekend treat."

Not your ordinary side of rice. Two types means more textures to layer with crunchy nuts and tender beans.

This fresh and filling salad gets gently tossed with a creamy, garlicky tahini dressing and topped with fresh herbs and crunchy walnuts.

Chef Rachel Yang likes her rice "chopstickready": sticky enough to hold together lightly, but with defined grains. To get that texture, rinse shortgrain white rice (a.k.a. sushi rice)—Alison Roman

A proper tabbouleh will be mainly vegetables and herbs, with just a smattering of bulgur threaded through.