Easy

Almonds were brought to Spain by the Moors, and they've featured in Andalusian cuisine ever since. Typically they are used as a thickener for sauces and, most famously, as the base of ajo blanco. Whole Marcona almonds are roasted with sweet or hot smoked paprika–I prefer to use sweet paprika, introduce a little heat via cayenne, and round it out with cumin and salt. In the event of a crippling Marcona almond shortage, regular blanched almonds will do the trick.

These irresistible garlic bread bites can be served as an appetizer or a snack. If you have leftovers (though we doubt you will!), try them sprinkled over soups or salads.

Garlic oil is one of my favorite "secret ingredients" for finishing pizzas. It's quick and easy to make, but it's best made at least an hour in advance. The longer you leave it, the more the garlic flavor infuses into the oil, so I recommend making it a day ahead, at the same time you make your sauce.

This is what I'd call the quintessential American pizza dough, inspired by New York-style pizza: medium thin, satisfyingly chewy, and the ideal companion to mozzarella, tomato sauce, and the pizza toppings Americans love best, from pepperoni and sausage to olives, mushrooms, and other vegetables. It's the dough I teach first to new students, and the one I recommend experimenting with because it's so versatile and user-friendly.

Here is a starter I use frequently in my restaurants. My poolish follows the traditional proportions of equal parts water and flour, so its hydration is at 100 percent. In general, unless I specify otherwise, use the same flour in your starter that you will be using in your dough. I always make starters with cold water to slow down the fermentation process for greater flavor complexity. It's helpful to use a clear glass bowl so you can see how well your starter is fermenting.

This popular Thai dish has been cooked regularly in our kitchen ever since we first tried it in Bangkok. The first time we made it at home, we stayed true to the original recipe by stir-frying rice noodles in a sweet and a slightly spicy sauce, but through the years, it has slowly transformed into something new. Instead of stir-frying rice noodles, we now simply peel a daikon radish (courgette/zucchini also works fine) into thin strips that we toss with carrot strands, tofu and fresh herbs and cover with a peanut butter and lime dressing. Even though we have changed both cooking method and ingredients, it still has that wonderful flavor combination of sweet, nutty, tangy and a little spicy and the experience is light, fresh and, in our opinion, even tastier.

Swap in veggie stock and make all your vegetarian relations happy.

Brighten up simply broiled salmon steaks with an unexpected salsa of poblano chiles, capers, and lemon.

Prettiest when not piled too high; divide the salad over two platters and put one at each end of the table.

Choose a country-style sourdough, preferably not too tangy, and if you prefer hot Italian links, go for it.

Too-cold doughs can crack and split when rolled; let this sit at room temperature for five minutes first.

This is our hands-down favorite way to make mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving.

Tart, sour, and just as refreshing as ye olde cranberry sauce.