Christopher Hirsheimer

Like many long-simmered sauces, this one, perhaps the most delicious of all the Italian meat sauces, is more flavorful and balanced the following day.

Use this rich, creamy Italian white sauce for lasagna, gratins, and mac and cheese.

A crunchy crust gives way to the tender egg inside, and the crumbs soak up the velvety yolk.

Newsflash: you're messing up your tomato sauce by cooking it.

The best blue cheese for this is salty but creamy, not too sharp or funky.

How is this shortcake different from all others? Cake flour makes it extra-tender, for starters, then it's baked in one big circle and bathed in tarragon-infused butter. You might never go back.

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.

When cooked with aromatics and rich tomato sauce, lentils are anything but bland.

The salmon absorbs more teriyaki flavor as it sits, making it even better (and breakfast that much quicker) if done in advance.

Sesame oil will become bitter if it gets too hot, so cook over gentle heat.

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

Breakfast is just the beginning. Use this in stir-fries, to marinate tofu, or to glaze chicken as it roasts.

The salty-sweet-sour umeboshi complement the earthy notes in the beets.

Beating the butter and sugar until light and fluffy is essential to this cake's moist, tender crumb.

Cook the figs until just softened: Overcooking or intense boiling will render them tough instead of lush.

Using mature arugula leaves instead of the baby variety will make for a more peppery salsa. For a nice variation, try it with fresh basil and/or parsley.

To prevent the pasta from getting too soft, we cook it separately and toss it with olive oil and chopped parsley, then spoon it into each bowl of soup.

You can cut and butter the bread well in advance, but don't bake it till guests arrive.

Grill the tomatoes just before you place the eggplants in the coals.

Once you've charred them, you can drizzle these eggplants with your best extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with some coarse salt for a simple side. But they're even better paired with one of the three luscious sauces (Yogurt and Sumac Sauce , Smoky Tomato Sauce , or Lemon-Mint Sauce ) and some grilled flatbread or pita.