Sheri Castle

This recipe ushers in a fresh start for cabbage soup.

I don't like to brag, but I think these are the mashed potatoes you've been searching for.

Pile it onto buns, drape it over nachos, roll it into burritos, spoon it over rice, or simply eat it straight-up. You will be overjoyed.

Our search for the perfect recipe is over.

The basic ingredients for this cheerful salad are easy to find, but lend themselves to an upgrade. Perfect citrus fruit is plentiful and affordable during winter, so mix in some of the more exotic specimens you’ve been tempted to try.You can cut the fruit into simple bite-sized chunks or elegant citrus supremes (see our lesson here on how to cut citrus into pith-free segments).

This retro Southern summertime favorite is one of the easiest, prettiest, and most refreshing fresh fruit desserts around.

Great slaw can upstage salad whenever it gets a chance. This one, full of sweet and crisp apples and dressed with honey and lime, is familiar yet not run-of-the-mill. It pairs with everything from a ham sandwich to fish tacos, but is satisfying enough to stand on its own as a meatless meal. Take note of the first prep step, where the shredded cabbage is salted and set aside for a bit.

I am a born-and-bred Southerner who surely spent at least one past life in Italy. I am deeply devoted to both Southern and Italian cuisines and am convinced they have the same soul. I often apply the techniques of one to the ingredients of the other. That explains why I make my Hoppin’ John — an iconic Southern dish — like risotto, creating a large pot of creamy rice and field peas studded with sausage.

When the temperature drops in January, what we really want is food that fills us up and nourishes at the same time. So start your day with a hearty smoothie, but finish it with a wholesome stew. This is one of a series of stews designed to make you feel good in every possible way. Brimming with veggies and spices, each of these wholesome stews will support and reward your best New Year’s intentions.

Coconut, chicken, turmeric, peanuts, tomatoes — how can you say no to this Brazilian-inspired stew?

A wholesome stew that depends on a glorious, meat-free Parmesan-garlic broth. (You're gonna want to double it.)

When the temperature drops in January, what we really want is food that fills us up and nourishes at the same time. So start your day with a hearty smoothie, but finish it with a wholesome stew. This is one of a series of stews designed to make you feel good in every possible way. Brimming with veggies and spices, each of these wholesome stews will support and reward your best New Year’s intentions. Beef stew is the esteemed granddaddy of stew, but it doesn’t have to feel stodgy.

When the temperature drops in January, what we really want is food that fills us up and nourishes at the same time. So start your day with a hearty smoothie, but finish it with a wholesome stew. This is one of a series of stews designed to make you feel good in every possible way. Brimming with veggies and spices, each of these wholesome stews will support and reward your best New Year’s intentions.

Say hello to your favorite new addition to the cold-weather recipe rotation. It sounds like a cliché (because it is), but this recipe adds up to far more than the sum of its parts. Ribbons of crunchy cabbage, the fresh sweet pop of peas, and an underlying smokiness powered by sausage turns what could have easily been a standard one-pot pasta into something crave-worthy week in and week out.

When paired with acidic ingredients, such as pineapple and lime, raw rhubarb holds it color and crunch in this fruity salsa. It’s great in fish tacos, but it’s equally good served with crisp corn or sweet potato chips. The raw rhubarb in this salsa is a fresher take on this often-cooked veggie. When left uncooked rhubarb is crunchy, juicy, and pucker-inducing, similar to fresh cranberries. Raw rhubarb lures you back for another bite, and then another.

It is easy to see why cooks love breakfast casseroles. They can be made ahead. They are hearty and satisfying. They handily serve a group. It’s the name that trips us up. People are leery of casseroles, which is why I prefer to call this, my signature crowd-pleasing brunch bake, a savory bread pudding. A casserole by any other name is swell to eat. This bread pudding is deeply flavored, brimming with ham, cheese, and fresh herbs.

This is what happens when an old-fashioned country recipe called scalloped cabbage gets dolled up and heads into town for a dinner party. It elevates cabbage into elegance with a creamy Gruyère sauce and a tumble of sautéed mushrooms. The Gruyère and bacon add flavor, of course, but cabbage still reigns in this dish. Should you prefer to keep this meatless, all is not lost — simply omit the bacon and replace the bacon fat in the béchamel sauce with butter.

These are inspired by what my Southern grandmother called “stickies.” She would pat out her homemade buttermilk biscuit dough into a rectangle, top it with soft butter and cinnamon-sugar, roll it up into a log, cut it into rounds, and nestle them into a cake pan. Delicious for sure, but some cooks — even accomplished ones — can feel a little intimidated about making homemade biscuits. This short-cut version is equally divine, but really easy.

The contenders: Alton, Ina, Martha, and Ree.

Between its 5-star rating and Ina Garten's reputation for perfection, Ina's turkey is, arguably, the most popular bird on the internet.

The most important thing you need to know is that Martha drapes her turkey in a cheesecloth soaked in wine and butter.

It's touted as Alton's Brown's most popular recipe ever. But is it his best?

I made her famous roasted turkey and brine for the first time — and it didn't exactly go as planned.

These melt-in-your-mouth potatoes are what dreams are made of.

It's the one dish Chrissy says everyone should make from her cookbook. But did it live up to the hype?

It's so simple, yet so brilliant.

This was not the cozy, comforting casserole I had hoped for.

This is the only way I'll cook steak from now on.

It's the method most of us were taught to use. But is it the best?

Here's what I'll do differently next time.

I’ve talked about it for weeks — but not for good reasons.

I can't stop talking about it.

It's the answer when you're expecting an extra-large crowd this Thanksgiving.

Turkey gets the talk at Thanksgiving, but many of us are all about the dressing (or stuffing, as some call it, regardless of whether it’s stuffed inside a bird). Few foods peg regional preferences and hometown traditions more accurately than the style of dressing preferred by a family. This one says California, and it’s inspired by Judy Rodgers’ legendary warm bread salad served with her perfect roast chicken at Zuni Cafe in San Francisco.