Looking around to use up some previously made mushroom broth for risotto, I modified slightly a deeply flavored garlic soup hailing from Spain - the warmth of the paprika and garlic melded with the egg and the mushroom broth was just the ticket for a cold, rainy night. This is an amazingly simple recipe that comes together very quickly. Beef broth is traditional.

This recipe is adapted from French chef Eric Lecerf's "Spice-Braised Leg of Lamb" in Food and Wine magazine.

At a recent dinner at Acquerello in San Francisco, I had a wonderful pasta with foie gras and truffles. This is a poor man's version, with chicken liver and a cream sherry standing in for foie gras.

An unctuous treat that works equally well as a first course or as a snack, and is really simple to make.

This is as basic as it gets - good fish, a simple ground paste to marinate the fish with, a hot grill, and a weekday dinner is done with minimum fuss.

I have had pork cheeks braised in white wine during a trip to Barcelona, and having found this cut at the farmers' market, I jumped at the opportunity to recreate what I had eaten. The only change I made was to use sweet potatoes instead of potatoes. Long braising at a low temperature turns this humble cut into tender, unctuous morsels that are perfect for enjoying with bread and a dry white wine.

Shami kebabs are fried patties usually made from beef or lamb, lentils, and spices. They are popular in India and Pakistan.

This is a really simple marinade with a deep flavor base - wonderful for when you need something quick to throw on the grill. The leftover chicken can be used for salad or sandwiches.

This dish is one of the oldest omelet-like dishes known - it was very possibly the model of such diverse dishes such as Frittata from Italy and the Spanish Tortilla. Stuffed with herbs, with the richness of butter and walnut, it is a fantastic brunch dish for spring. It can be served cold as well.