There are few foods in this world that I love as much as pasta carbonara. And though I've tried a few different variations over the years, I'm still partial to this very simple version I wrote about nearly four years ago. So what are we doing here with a recipe from Gourmet, which features a poached egg? Well, while I might enjoy that raw egg yolk perched on top of a mound of pasta, some people don't. When I decided to make a version for my mom, she appreciated the presentation. Luckily, this version seemed to be even more hedonistic than the other version.

Although there is always a whole egg present in that other version of carbonara, there is something about seeing it here that makes it seem heavier and even more filling. Of course, the ease of this dish will depend completely on your egg poaching skills. I definitely wouldn't consider myself an expert at the process. Luckily, this great slideshow is easy to follow and worked perfectly for me.

I love a traditional cassoulet but am rarely prepared to devote several days to prepping and sourcing all the ingredients. Just reading through those long recipes and trying to decide which region of France has the best version can be enough to turn me away.

Then it dawned on me: what I love most about cassoulet is breaking through that crispy bread crumb crust into the hearty, umami-laden mix of beans, meat, and aromatics. Creating that experience does not have to be complicated.

I'm not going for a 30-Minute Meal here, but for a cassoulet, this recipe is pretty speedy.

Instead of the more classic ingredients like duck confit or goose leg, sauccison, mutton, and pork belly, I have substituted chicken drumsticks and small sausage links. Of course, you can use whatever meats you'd like, the point is to use what is available to you. After all, isn't that what the original cassoulet was all about?

Warm corn tortillas filled with spicy chipotle shrimp and garnished with cilantro, onion, and lime.

The Lentils with Pancetta have been one of my favorite vegetable antipasti at Molto Gusto by Mario Batali and Mark Ladner I had assumed that it was either red wine vinegar or lemon juice but once I took at look at the recipe I realized that the secret ingredient was in fact Dijon mustard.

Bacon goes with everything, including rice. It’s salty and bacon-y. I’ve souped it up by adding some Japanese flavors sweet-salty flavors. The result is almost like bacon candy. A little goes a long way.

It’s great sprinkled on just about everything. Besides rice, you could sprinkle it on eggs, vegetables, your tongue…

Edamame Corn Chowder (Adapted from Everyday Food)

Corn and Fingerling Potato Chowder with Applewood-Smoked Bacon (Adapted from CL)

Broccoli Chowder with Corn and Bacon (Adapted from Everyday Food)

Chipotle macaroni and cheese with bacon (adapted from the NY Times)