Potato

Fleer's family enjoys indoor picnics with brandade (made here with a shortcut: smoked trout) and storebought fixings. "We just sit on the floor and chat and chew," he says.

Hit the reset button on your potato salad: These spuds are roasted, not boiled, and tossed with a mustardy vinaigrette and jalapeños while warm.

These potatoes are typically roasted in a blazing wood-fired oven, but you can still get crispy, craggy edges in a home oven.

This simple tangy-style potato salad is inspired by dill pickle-flavored potato chips.

Perfecting this recipe required a mother-daughter collaboration. My mom started it off by cutting the kernels off the cobs, simmering the corncobs in the stock, and then scraping the cobs to capture every ounce of delicious corn flavor. Her friend Darryle Pollack taught her the trick of including potatoes and blending part of the soup to thicken it. I added warming spices like paprika and cayenne pepper to complement the sweetness of the summer corn and topped it with charred red bell peppers. Together we created a perfect soup. —Marea

Here's your chance to master one of Spain's classic tapas. The key is to leave the eggs slightly undercooked; that's what gives this a custardy (not bouncy) texture.

No disrespect to the frozen tots these are based on, but making your own is way more fun than opening a bag (and they taste better, too).

Cooking the potatoes in vinegar seasons them from within, and a final drizzle boosts the flavor.

Add color to any meal at any time of year with this mix of red, purple, and orange vegetables, all roasted together.

Kosher Status: Pareve I created these spuds. Okay, that's an overstatement. God created the potatoes and Hasselback potato recipes probably go back to ancient Bolivia or something. I call them accordion potatoes because they remind me of that instrument that, by the way, is only played today at Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. They really should serve these potatoes at Bar Mitzvahs, too. It's such an elegant way to present a common potato. I make 'em with sliced garlic stuffed into each and every crevice, and then I top them with more garlic for the Transylvanians in the house (that's me). Those Yankees just get a little garlic sprinkle.

Coconut milk is one of my favourite ingredients and it makes a fantastic creamy base for all the other robust flavours in this Asian-style soup. Choose firm sweet potatoes with orange flesh for their vibrant colour.

This comforting broth has the flavour of home at Easter for me. You'll need brisket or silverside for this recipe, and the cooking process is long and slow, but it makes the meat tender and juicy.

Maureen Butler, Meath: Bridge-playing mother of four As a child growing up in Dublin, we always had this served to us at the end of the week when all that was left were rashers, sausages and potatoes. Everything was put into the one pot and cooked. It was delicious, particularly on a cold winter's day.

This recipe is a two-step process, but nothing about it is difficult. Start by cooking the beef the day before (if you also want to have it for dinner that night, just double the recipe). It's chilled overnight, becoming even more flavorful. The next day, shred the cooked corned beef and throw the hash together, then bask in your accomplishment.

Prepared curry paste speeds up this nuanced dish.