Looking for a few simple ways to freshen up the go-to dish of the Super Bowl? We cobbled together a mighty tasty basic guacamole, then came up with four ways to turn basic into unbelievably good.

The nice thing about cooking a monster brisket for Hanukkah — aside, of course, from the fact that the meat can be mouth meltingly delicious — is that it is a dish you can mostly ignore as it cooks.

The key to a great food experience around the holidays is extending it as long as possible.

To stand out in a Thanksgiving spread, a salad must be bold and flavorful. Yet it should not compete with the other flavors on the table. To strike this delicate balance, we created this easy arugula salad that is topped with spiced and sauteed pears and goat cheese, then drizzled with a pomegranate-Dijon vinaigrette.

Mmmm. Nothing says good eats like soy residue.

Duck is one of my favorite foods. No matter how you make it — roasted, braised, the legs confitted, the wings fried, the breasts grilled like a steak — it’s just plain scrumptious.

Weeknight cooking is all about getting gobs of flavor from just a few ingredients, no special techniques and as little effort as possible.

A few years ago I created a recipe for a killer barbecue sauce. It was exactly the way I like it — thick, rich, a lot savory, a little sweet and bursting with cumin, smoked paprika and so many other delicious seasonings.

Summer makes us long for the grill. But by the end of the season, even our favorite burgers and dogs can feel a bit tired.

First lesson of Indian cooking — not all brown powders are curry powder.

First lesson of Indian cooking — not all brown powders are curry powder.

Salads can be a great way to pile on the vegetables, not to mention serve as a fine canvas for showing off summer’s bounty. So we decided to create a salad that is both jammed with healthy vegetables — including a whole mess of greens — but also has tons of flavor (without tons of fat).

Bold flavors shine in this simple summer salad of corn and jumbo lump crabmeat from my new cookbook, “Hero Food.” The fresh flavors of both ingredients are set off by the addition of briny pickled shallots and creamy avocado.

Unlike winter squash, which can be stored in a cool dark place for many months, summer squash have a shorter shelf life and are harvested when their rinds are still tender and edible. Since summer squash varieties such as zucchini, yellow crookneck and patty pan squash must be eaten quickly, it’s essential to have an arsenal of squash recipes at hand.

My recipe for a romantic picnic? A roasted chicken with sandwich trimmings.

Dads love grilling. Dads love burgers. Trouble is, good burgers don’t always love Dad back.

Dads love grilling. Dads love burgers. Trouble is, good burgers don’t always love Dad back.

When I think about summer, I think about deviled eggs. Beginning with Easter and going straight through September, just about every activity — from camping and cookouts to beach vacations and July Fourth gatherings — can be enhanced by a plate of deviled eggs.

Rule No. 1 about spicy ingredients — you don’t need to love spicy foods to love what spicy ingredients can do for the foods you do love.

Rule No. 1 about spicy ingredients — you don’t need to love spicy foods to love what spicy ingredients can do for the foods you do love.

There’s really no way around it. Kumquats are an odd little fruit.

A stromboli is kind of a cross between a grinder and a calzone. Bread dough is rolled out, filled with sliced meats, cheeses and vegetables, then rolled up into a tube and baked.

A stromboli is kind of a cross between a grinder and a calzone. Bread dough is rolled out, filled with sliced meats, cheeses and vegetables, then rolled up into a tube and baked.

Let's have a quick show of hands among the diet-conscious: Who is craving a plain baked chicken breast right now?

It's winter. It's cold. You want something hearty. But you're also trying to eat better and don't want to ruin your diet by diving into a cream-laden casserole.