Potato

One mention of a food that interests us, and we're off. Our friend Luisa, who writes a food blog called The Wednesday Chef, spent a good part of her summer in Italy, with her family there. Clearly feeling nostalgic for her time there, Luisa spent weeks trying to replicate her grandmother's focaccia bread. The photographs of her last, successful attempt left us both a little dazed. We wanted some. Of course, we had to change it quite a bit, since hers contained gluten. I was shocked to find that most authentic Italian focaccia breads contain a potato. But it makes sense. Boil the potato and then put it through the ricer and you have a light-as-air starch. Focaccia breads are lighter than other breads. The egg white, beaten to stiff peaks, adds lightness here too, like a soufflé. Try this bread with rosemary or oregano. It's a little taste of Italy, right in your kitchen.

In many sweet-potato pies, the ginger and spices overwhelm the flavor of the potatoes. This version plays to the flavor of the tubers; a little spicy nuttiness from the gingersnap pecan crust just emphasizes the pie's luscious creaminess. It is perfectly normal for the surface of a custardy pie, like this one, to crack in the course of baking and cooling—the pie will taste no less delicious.

Not only is our mash low-cal, but it also provides more than a quarter of your daily requirement for cell-building vitamin B6.

They're flakier and lighter than your usual biscuits because we've replaced some of the butter with the carotenoid-filled root vegetable. Stash any extras for a hearty Black Friday breakfast.

The technique: Eggs change everything: The yolks add richness and texture, and folding in beaten egg whites elevates the sweet potato casserole to new heights.
The payoff: A sophisticated take on the classic marshmallow-topped sweet potato casserole.

The technique: Parboil sliced potatoes in whipping cream, then layer them with mushrooms and top with Gruyère.
The payoff: Great texture and flavor through and through—the cheese gets browned and toasty in the oven, and the layers of creamy potatoes and mushrooms are rich and satisfying.

The technique: High heat equals great flavor—roasting the new potatoes browns and crisps the skin, providing a little bit of crunch.
The payoff: Hearty potato taste and texture with only 25 minutes of prep.

The technique: It's ridiculously simple: Cut the potatoes into wedges, toss with olive oil and ground cumin, then roast.
The payoff: The ideal ratio of crisp to creamy, since there's more surface area exposed in the oven when the sweet potatoes are cut into wedges.

The technique: The perfect mashed potatoes aren't actually mashed. The key is using a potato ricer (which looks like a giant garlic press). This gadget gently breaks the potatoes into tiny, flaky pieces (rather than smashing them into a gluey mass), creating just the right texture.
The payoff: Light, fluffy, perfect potatoes. For horseradish mashed potatoes, replace the butter with five tablespoons olive oil (do not use extra-virgin), and mix in two tablespoons cream-style horseradish before seasoning the potatoes with salt and pepper.

This single recipe is a complete Thanksgiving dinner.

Happy Noodle Restaurant uses local farmraised hybrid striped bass, rated a "Best Choice" by Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch guide, for this Thai-inspired dish.

Brovade (turnips that have fermented for several months) is a common dish in Friuli. This recipe has a similar acidity—and is ready in an hour.

A classic Moroccan tagine (or stew) is typically made with meat. This satisfying vegetarian main course features three kinds of root vegetables—and a delicious spicy, crunchy chickpea garnish.

The combination of shrimp and root veggies is unexpected—and fantastic. For a vegetarian main, skip the shrimp.

Simmering the celery root and potatoes in a combination of broth and milk enriches the flavor without weighing down the mash. Roasted cubes of Jerusalem artichokes make a great finishing touch. Serve the puree with roasted chicken or pork.

Save some of the brine that the olives are packed in—adding a dash or two at the end of cooking is a quick and easy way to bump up flavor.

There are so many variations on mashed potatoes—but this combination of potatoes and basil is a marriage made in heaven. Creamy potatoes and the fresh peppery basil really complement each other, and the Parmesan doesn't hurt, either. Everyone asks for seconds!