I love roast beets in the winter time. Fresh from the market beets are nothing like the canned or pickled versions. Try them in salads, soup, juice, or just by themselves. It's rumored that during WWII bakers used beets in place of sugar due to food rations, hence red velvet cake (although I don't think many cake recipes use beets today). In addition to their notorious sweetness, beets are also very high in folic acid, potassium, and calcium. Chard is part of the beet family, and sugar beets are often used in sugar production (though, the refined sugar upholds none of its parent's goodness). Beet greens also make a lovely side dish in addition to their red root. Next time you need a tasty fresh side, think beets!

Living in New York, I am blessed by lush farmlands and local farm fresh produce. One of the perks of my 9-5 is being just a stone’s throw to the Union Square farmers’ market. I’m a big supporter of local business, especially when it’s delicious and good for me. The farmers’ market also allows me to eat what’s in season. Oddly enough, it was the creator of Twinkie the Kid who first brought to my attention this idea that we should eat in harmony with our surrounding.

This is a typical meal from my day to day. It’s basically a cheese sandwich; however, all my ingredients come from the farmers' market. It really makes a world of difference. For the bread I’ve chosen a wood-fired bread from Bobolink Dairy. Good bread is the basis of any good sandwich, plus artisanal breads are typically higher in fiber and nutrients than anything prepackaged. If you do not live near a farmers' market, I urge you to step away from the wonder bread and make a trip to your local baker. Bread making is a magnificent craft far too underappreciated in the States.

For the cheese I’ve mixed a grass-fed cheddar (ripened in a cave apparently) and a fresh soft white cheese called Bianca (also from cow’s milk). The soft white is similar to a soft chèvre but not quite as tangy. It pairs beautifully with vegetables, which brings me to the beet greens. Fear not if you hate beets, beet greens taste nothing like their red root. They have a distinctive flavor, similar to a sweet chard. However, if you do like beets, you can roast them up for an additional side dish. Simple and delectable, all it really takes is an appreciation for food craft and a visit to your local farmers' market.

In Peru we call it maja blanco, but with the onset of the Latin invasion you may know it as dulce de leche. It's amazingly simple to make, way easier than caramel. All you need is a can or two of sweetened condensed milk, a pot of boiling water, and plenty of time. That's it. There is one peril involved with making this delicious sweet treat: if the proper precautions are not taken, the can will explode. No joke. Kaboom! Dulce de leche everywhere. The trick is to keep the can completely submerged in water. Do not remove the can from the water until the entire contents of the pot have cooled down. This usually means leaving the pot out overnight.

We use dulce the leche to make alfajores, a traditional pastry popular throughout Latin America. Think of it as a Latin Oreo: a dollop of dulce de leche sandwiched between two small cookies. My family makes the cookies from an unsweetened pie crust, try my recipe for sweet pie crust but omit the sugar and reduce the butter to 1 cup. However, this is not the only use for dulce de leche. Any way you would use caramel you can use dulce de leche. Try it with cakes, ice cream, fruit, cocktails, or even straight from the can.

I think most herbs taste like soap. It’s probably just my palate. Growing up my mother seldom used herbs. What does this have to do with turkey? Well, I like turkey. I don’t like to bombard my turkey with a barrage of ornamental flavors like sage and thyme. Simple, tender, juicy… that’s my turkey motto. However, that doesn’t mean I throw a plain cold turkey into the oven. There are necessary preparations involved with making the perfect juicy turkey. For starters, I like to brine.

Brining is an important process in tenderizing the turkey. Liquid soaks in and keeps the meat moist while it cooks in the oven. However, the brine can have a great influence over your turkey. I use this opportunity to introduce simple flavors that naturally compliment the best flavors of the bird. The brine I use is fairly straightforward; however, I admit I do have one secret ingredient that is a bit out of the ordinary: Allspice Dram.

Allspice Dram is a rich rum made from molasses and combined with allspice. You could substitute a good quality rum, preferably something dark, but the dram gives the bird an indefinable wow. However, even if you skip the liquor all together, the bird will still be tender and delicious.

The base of my brine is made from apple cider, fresh from the farmers market. I let the bird brine for two nights so I use less salt than most recipes. If you can only brine for one night, increase the salt by half a cup. However, I don’t recommend brining for more than two nights or less than one. Also, make sure the turkey is thawed before you brine; think of it like an ice cube in a glass of water.

I do like to stuff my turkey. I use a bag of store bought stuffing but I cook it up with a celery stick, a small onion, and a small apple before stuffing the bird. If you have a favorite stuffing, whether bought or made fresh, feel free to use it. If you prefer an unstuffed bird, go for it, just decrease the cook time by 10-15 minutes. I like to use a food thermometer to be sure the turkey is done. The innermost part of the thigh should read at least 165˚ F.

Puff pastry is the artist's dough. A little bit of creativity goes far in creating a beautiful and unique puff pastry treat. I like to sketch my ideas out before hand because the possibilities can be overwhelming. Whether it's a bear claw or a croissant, there's something magical about watching a flat piece of raw dough puff out into something beautiful and elegant. Because the addition of butter to the dough is fairly straight forward, puff pastry is a great starter crust for novices. Good puff pastry is 90% patience, the rest is just a sturdy rolling pin and a little muscle. If you can leave dough alone in the fridge for a couple of hours, you can make terrific puff pastry.

This recipe can be used for both savory and sweet treats. I love puff pastry baked with a little cheese in the middle, perfect for tea time or breakfast. I also like to whip up some elegant desserts. Try a round base of puff pastry with a small cored apple on top. Place a couple of cinnamon sticks and a little honey in the center of the apple then bake. The cinnamon and honey melt into the apple but don't overwhelm its natural flavor. The crisp flakiness of puff pastry also lends itself well to pie crust. Try it next time you make apple pie, it soaks up the juices quite nicely but still retains a lovely crunch.

Pizza crust is quite simple to make. It just takes a little patience and a warm house. The first time I attempted to make pizza crust it was the dead of winter and my little Kips Bay apartment had terrible heat. Needless to say, my dough was not very successful. Here are a few pointers for a successful pizza crust:

1. Salt kills yeast. Don't add salt directly to yeast, mix in the bulk of the flour first. You definitely need salt in a good crust so don't skip it all together, just add it last.
2. If the water is too hot for your hand, it's too hot for the yeast. Boiled water will kill your yeast. I prefer to use hot tap water since it's restricted to a safe temperature for humans. If you must use boiled water, let it sit long enough so that you feel comfortable placing a finger in it (preferably, one attached to your hand).
3. Pizza crust isn't terribly kneady... Wa wa waaaa. Knead the dough just enough so you can form a tight clean ball, one minute tops.
4. Warm spot! Again, yeast needs warmth to rise. A cold house will kill or constrain its potential to rise. Placing it near or over your radiator in the winter is not a bad idea.
5. Finally, while it is tempting to make a whole wheat crust, yeast will have none of it. This recipe calls for 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour to 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour. I find this gets the best rise and adds a flavorful hardiness to the crust.

This is a very old family recipe, it comes from my Northern Italian great-grandmother who, my mother informed me, had some Greek influence in her cooking. It's incredibly easy to fix and a staple at family gatherings and parties. Traditionally, this pie is made in a large rectangular casserole and served as an appetizer or party snack. I love it so much I usually have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Throw a poached egg over a slice and you've got a scrumptious brunch.

Recently, I began to make spinach pie as a more traditional round pie with a crust recipe all its own. I use a little bit of whole wheat flour and reduce the amount of butter to just 1/2 cup. The earthiness and texture of this crust compliments the spinach beautifully. Unlike a Greek spinach pie, this recipe comes together with a few eggs and Parmesan cheese, rather than feta. I like to use grated Parmesan, as it thickens the filling but I've used freshly shredded Parmesan as well. Whatever you use, make sure it is of high quality. Cheap cheese = bad pie.

I think I witnessed my mother boil fresh spinach once or twice for this recipe. We use 5 packages of frozen spinach, which equals a great deal of fresh spinach so unless you're growing it yourself or got a bulk discount at the farmer's market, stick to the frozen stuff. Also, you can save a lot of time and cleanup if you let the frozen spinach thaw overnight.

This recipe is a family staple at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It makes a wonderful side dish for those big holiday meals (or if you just need to nosh while the turkey is cooking). As it tastes best lukewarm or room temperature (and tastes even better the next day) you can easily bake this pie ahead of time and warm it in the oven when it's time to serve.

This is an old family favorite my mother often made for breakfast on weekends. Traditionally, the spread is made with garlic and black Peruvian olives. However, if you do happen to find Peruvian olives, they are never pitted. As a young teen, I was often given the chore of pitting the olives and developed an animosity towards the task. So, I now use Kalamata olives, which are easier to find, bursting with flavor, and pre-pitted.

If you love the sharp kick of garlic, go ahead and add up to 3 garlic cloves. On occasion, I go overboard with the garlic but it's still dang good, I just have to keep my mouth shut for the remainder of the day... This spread has a very powerful flavor that will subdue anything else so it's best served with a warm crusty bread to even out the snappy salty bite.

I feel pie crust is often the subject of much debate and speculation, but to clarify, pie crust is not difficult to make. It just takes practice. The big problem remains that pie (for most us, unfortunately) is an occasional treat, something for a special occasion we don't want to ruin. Don't let this frighten or discourage you! Make that tough nasty pie crust from scratch, your friends and family can just smoother it in ice cream. Otherwise, you will never get good at it (not to mention that the end result will benefit everyone for years to come).

It amazes me that every pie recipe I've encountered calls for the use of a food processor. The food processor was invented in the 1960s, yet pies go back as far as the 12th century. Its not that I hate food processors, its just that I've never owned one... So, I employ the two tools I always have readily available: my hands, my hot sweaty woman hands. But won't that melt the butter? Yes, a little, but that's the point. Besides, the engine of a food processor gets hot too.

The trick is to smoosh most of your butter into the flour with your finger tips (just like biscuits). When mixed properly the flour takes on a yellowish hue and has a texture similar to grated Parmesan cheese. If you plan on making dough, make sure to refrigerate the flour, sugar, and butter the night before. That way, you save time with a cold start. Also, keep in mind, good dough needs a good rest. If you let your dough rest accordingly, it will pay off big time.

One last thing to consider is the weather. Weather and moisture commonly affect pie crust so just stay flexible. The climate will definitely change how much butter or water you will use. Go by sight, smell, texture, and taste. Yes, make sure to taste the uncooked pie dough. If it tastes bad raw it will taste bad cooked. This dough should be very buttery (obviously) and sweet. If your dough tastes flat, try adding more salt.

This recipe is for a basic sweet dough. There are other types of dough I make, like dough for savory pies, or puff pastry dough (which is surprisingly great for crust newbies) but this recipe is a solid crust staple. This is also the dough I use for my Heirloom Apple Pie and it's excellent for Sweet Fried Pies, but due to my doctor's orders, don't expect the latter recipe anytime soon.