Mushroom

Stir the mushrooms and leeks frequently enough so they caramelize without burning, then serve on top of steak.

Thanks to frozen puff pastry, making this savory hors d'oeuvre is a snap.

Sandwich this burger between English muffin halves or serve with lots of arugula.

Indulgent, seasonal, easy, and vegetarian—what more could you ask for?

Selling skeptics on the idea of a vegetarian dinner is easy when it's in pie form. Maitake mushrooms add heft.

Chef Nemo Bolin at Cook & Brown Public House in Providence, RI, turned us on to the technique for this streamlined, no-knead gnocchi dough.

MY FRIEND DANIELLE CENTONI, Portland, Oregon, food writer and editor of Mix magazine, showed up at a potluck one day with a roasted broccolini dish similar to this one. When I asked Danielle if she would share the recipe, she responded in a way that made me chuckle: "It's very loosey-goosey. I used what I had around." I rarely pay attention to quantities when I am throwing something together at home, either, but with Danielle's guidance—and excellent memory—we were able to piece together what she had done. The broccolini tastes great at room temperature, so you can cook it ahead of time, or you can make the mushroom sauce while the vegetables are roasting.

I love visiting Buddhist temples in Asia, not for religious reasons but because I enjoy the food served in their restaurants. This recipe was inspired by the fried vegetarian spring rolls I ate at the Shaolin Temple. While I enjoy crispy fried spring rolls, I dislike their high calorie count and the mess from deep-frying them. I found that by brushing a little olive oil on these rolls and broiling them in the oven, they came out just as crispy and delicious.

Spinach and lowfat ricotta make it hearty—and good for you.

Yogurt subs for heavy cream, so it's lowfat and only tastes splurgy.

An easy fancy meal with a bonus: Mushrooms and tomato may fight cancer.

Sesame seeds have a powerful antidepressant effect and provide the basis for this healthy, restorative dinner.

No offense to traditional risotto lovers, but risotto made with amaranth is so much easier because it doesn't require 20 minutes of near-constant stirring. Just leave your amaranth to bubble slowly on the back of the stove, while you sauté our mushrooms for the buttery topping. Dried porcini mushrooms bump up the woodsy flavor of the topping, while their soaking liquid becomes a deep, mushroomy stock in which to cook the amaranth. This risotto is ideal for Meatless Mondays and will please all your vegan friends to boot, but if you are craving some cheese, 1/4 to 1/3 cup of Parmesan stirred into the risotto at the end will give it that extra boost that only Parmesan can deliver. Or keep it vegan and pass a bowl of grated cheese separately for those who want it.

Our favorite Dutch oven is heavy-duty, big enough for any stew, and handsome enough to put on the table.

This recipe is a wonderful way to celebrate the spoils of the Southern hunt, though it is just as delicious when made with farm-raised quail. If quail livers aren't included with the quail, chicken livers would be a good substitute. The size of a quail makes each bird a perfect individual portion for a dinner party. To make the stuffing, we've used another reward of the "hunt": wild mushrooms. When we forage in the woods near Summerland Farm, the mushrooms we most often find are chanterelles and hen-of-the-woods, especially prolific during a moist season. If you are foraging, be absolutely sure you know what you are looking for, as poisonous varieties can sometimes look dangerously similar to edible ones. To be on the safe side, visit a gourmet market or natural foods grocery store for a nice choice of mushrooms. We serve the quail on a bed of Wilted Autumn Greens.

Flavor Profile: Spicy, tart, aromatic, salty, umami-rich Try it with: Any Som Tam (Papaya salad and family) and/or Phat Khanaeng (Stir-fried Brussels sprouts). Needs Khao Niaw (Sticky rice). The recipe for steak salad is a classic, but naam tok made with mushrooms is less common. Yet mushrooms are everywhere in Thailand and echo the texture and even the umami-rich flavor of animal flesh. Thailand has a long history of vegetarian food, for strict Buddhists and those celebrating Buddhist holidays. And while I rarely spend time considering the needs of vegetarians, I figured that if I swapped out the fish sauce in the original for thin soy sauce, then they'd have something to eat at Pok Pok.

The mushrooms are not salted as they cook—this is intentional. The teriyaki sauce they're tossed in adds plenty.

The buckwheat in soba is nutritious and a good source of fiber (and it's flavorful, too).