DC: First of all, do not go making big batches of mashed potatoes, carrots, and roast turkey just to make this soup. This recipe is meant for you to look at your leftovers as a mise en place for something “new.” This baked soup is always a hit in my household. It’s an unexpected way to use leftovers, but once you consider that broth plus cream plus mashed potatoes add up to what is essentially cream of potato soup, adding a few extra vegetables and turkey meat isn’t so odd at all.

If you’ve ever had a craving for the flavors of Thanksgiving dinner in, say, the middle of February, this recipe is for you. The turkey breast, slathered in mayonnaise and fragrant za’atar (a Middle Eastern mix of dried herbs, sesame, and sumac), roasts up gorgeously moist and juicy while the sweet potatoes caramelize and the brussels sprouts turn crisp and brown. I like to serve this with a creamy za’atar sauce on the side, but if you’re going full-on Thanksgiving, your favorite cranberry sauce might be a more apropos option.

Savoury bread pudding is a great way to use up leftovers and feed a bunch of hungry kids (and adults). This one-pan dish is perfect for a sleepover breakfast, brunch, or a lazy dinner with some simple greens or a salad.

I love the simplicity and beauty of an elegant, iced Bundt cake—especially the way the icing falls down the sides. Decorating the cake with the best of the harvest season, using apples, figs, and pomegranates, makes this a stunning holiday centerpiece. And with apples and honey, it’s perfect for Rosh Hashanah.

This recipe for baked cheese is so simple and so perfect. There is nothing extra here; you will find only hot, oozy—and just a touch boozy—cheese. In a nod to the 1970s-era kitsch within which this dish was likely conceived, I like to serve it in the little wooden box the cheese comes in. I recommend époisses cheese here, which you can find at most specialty cheese shops, but a decent-quality camembert or brie will be fine as well. Baked cheese is not here to be fancy, but it will steal the show, and it will, without a doubt, be replicated by all your friends in due course because, honestly, what’s not to love?

This is a special occasion cake. I make it most often for big-ticket events like birthdays, graduations and weddings. But you can also make it to celebrate smaller events, like the first crocus flower in spring, getting all the laundry done or just generally crushing it. It is also an excellent breakfast cake. If you ask me, the very best thing about it is the salted honey. Salt enhances the flavors of other foods, especially sweet ones. The usually subtle delicacy of honey gets such a boost from the sea salt that you’ll be eating the frosting with a spoon (which is perfectly acceptable, of course).

This is such a simple dish to prepare, and the flavor that develops when roasting vegetables is incredible. The addition of herbs and garlic in this recipe takes the carrots to new heights, but the real magic comes when the honey and the lemon juice are added. If you can’t get a hold of baby carrots, regular carrots will work too, just chop them into large irregular pieces first.

Rough day? I’m getting tacos dorados from my favorite local Mexican place. Hit an important milestone? I’m getting tacos dorados. Casual lunch? Tacos dorados. No food in the fridge? Ordering tacos dorados.

My favorite Mexican restaurant in town serves these crunchy, fried corn tortillas stuffed with plain, shredded chicken, topped with a massive amount of lettuce, radishes, avocados, and jalapeños. They’re crisp, crunchy, refreshing, and so awkward to eat due to the number of toppings they’re covered in—which is probably my favorite part.

I wanted to re-create a not-very-traditional version of my favorite take-out order, stuffing them with spiced chipotle salmon. Instead of deep-frying the tacos, I bake them to crispy perfection. Top with a ridiculous amount of crunchy veggies and drench in a chipotle sour cream and salty cheese.

Here we have taken a classic “Sunday supper” staple and made ferments the star of the show. This dish really lends itself to other types of kimchi as well—green onion kimchi and turnip kimchi would both fit in nicely here. Serve as a side for grilled chicken or on its own with rice.

This is an easy one-bowl cake that comes together in a flash. To make it even easier, I chose to bake it in a deep springform pan so there is no fussing or mussing with cake layers and icing. However, I encourage you to put an extra-generous pile of icing on the top of the cake so no one feels shortchanged in that department. This cream cheese whip recipe has become one of my personal favorites—it’s a much lighter alternative to the buttercream I have traditionally iced my cakes with but honestly just as delicious!