Recipes

Recipe from Adrienne D. Capps, whose blog, Vegetarianized (vegetarianized.com), is a Sacramento Connect partner with sacbee.com.

he easiest way to dress up a meal is to turn the obligatory vegetable into something special. It's especially nice to use seasonal flavors.

Super Bowl Sunday (this year on Feb. 3, and featuring the San Francisco 49ers) surely is one of the meatiest eating days of the year. But it's still somewhat surprising the lengths some people will go to push their game-day feed over the top. Last year, for example, some enthusiastic carnivores went as far as to build football arena replicas out of deli meats, cheese and bread.

Recipe from Amber Stott, whose blog Awake at the Whisk (www. awakeatthewhisk.com) is a Sacramento Connect partner with sacbee.com

Adapted from avocadocentral.com

Recipe adapted by the Associated Press from one by Dyan Solomon and Eric Girard, the chefs-owners of Olive et Gourmando restaurant in Montreal.

The delicate flavor of crab and the soft, buttery texture of avocados give a rich taste. You can make the crab cakes dinner-size or smaller.

Much as I love mashed white potatoes, my favorite potato is the sweet variety.

Salads made with lardons are a bistro staple in France. Chef Joseph Manzare's version (Globe restaurant, San Francisco), which uses cubes of bacon cut from a slab served over frisée with poached eggs, is more meal than starter. It's great for lunch or dinner – or even before breakfast.

Recipe adapted by Alison Ladman of the Associated Press from Old Bay Seasoning.

This over-the-top recipe was created by J.M. Hirsch of the Associated Press.

Total time: 20 minutes, plus marinating time

Any fresh melon will work in this salad – you're going for a sweet-salty contrast. If strawberries aren't available, substitute grapes or blueberries.

I had the best ginger carrot bisque at Ten22 restaurant in Old Sacramento.

Wild Ginger's Dungeness crab cakes with lime dipping sauce

Recipe adapted from "The Art of Simple Food" by Alice Waters.

Still feeling a bit on the bloated side after the holidays? Pants a little tighter than they were?

The recipe makes 12 large meringue cookies. We like the appearance of one meringue on top of each serving, but if you want to go all out, by all means include a second one. If not, enjoy the extras with a cup of tea.

The pleasant sweetness of apples and cider complements fresh cabbage, and pecans add crunch. The cabbage is cooked only until it is barely tender, before it gets slick.

As the "Downton Abbey" series first opens, the Titanic has just gone down at sea, taking with it the heir of the elegant Yorkshire estate. Perhaps he had recently eaten this dish, served to the ship's first-class passengers as part of a multicourse dinner.

Cool days call for cooking that is low, slow and wet. Which is to say, braised.

Drizzle the glaze over the short ribs, sprinkle on green onions if using, and serve.

Chef Jeff Tunks returned from travels in Peru with a love of the food and the inspiration to create this dish, which he makes at home.

Rice and potatoes, together? Yes, in Peru it's common to find the two starches sharing a plate.

You'll need one or two doughnut baking pans. If you have a convection oven, turn the fan off when baking these.

A home cook who's not used to measuring, Silvia Duarte wanted to use up the rest of a leftover rotisserie chicken. This mixture is the result.

I would like to have a recipe for peppermint bark. It has dark chocolate on the bottom, then a layer of white chocolate, maybe with peppermint mixed in with it, and topped with crushed peppermint candies.

It begins with a store-bought rotisserie chicken, so this salad comes together fast after a little chopping. At the Source in Washington, D.C., executive chef Scott Drewno serves it in a sandwich.

The zingy filling makes these little treats special; it can be served on the side as well, for dipping.

The almost perfectly round shape makes these doughnuts look striking. Refreshingly, they are not too sweet. It's best to weigh ingredients for this recipe, and you'll need a thermometer to monitor the frying oil.

Even defrosted and reheated, these meatballs are light and full of flavor. Use them atop pasta (with basil leaves and cheese as garnishes) or in long rolls, with a sauce or slaw.

This is a Southern classic. Recipe adapted from Magnolias in Charleston, S.C., by the L.A. Times.

When it comes to food, "recooked" isn't generally a term met with much affection. The dairy world, however, gives us a fine exception in ricotta cheese.

It's easy to have romantic visions of the holidays – cozy fires, perfectly wrapped gifts, your house decorated like a magazine spread, all your friends gathered to celebrate, marveling at your culinary prowess.

Spinach dip could use some ramping up. This certainly does the trick. Divide among small ramekins before baking and place them in several places around your party.

For a spur-of-the-moment semi-fancy meal, you can't beat scallops.

These Italian cookies are tender and cakelike, thanks to the ricotta, but not at all cheesy. They're moist, so don't store them with other kinds of treats. The recipe makes a lot of cookies; it can easily be halved.

From "100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know" by Cindi Leive and the editors of Glamour magazine (Hyperion, $24.99, 304 pages). White bean dips are low in fat. The arugula adds peppery bite and flavor to this green and vibrant version.

From Kathy Rowan of Charlotte, N.C. Rolling these is easier and faster than folding individual triangles. Even better: Make the rolls in advance and freeze up to 6 months, ready to put in the oven.

My mother used to make a German kuchen, which was a yeast-type cake spread on a baking sheet. It was then covered with berries and topped with streusel.

Recipe from J.M. Hirsch of the Associated Press.

From "Tiny Party Food!" by Teri Lyn Fisher and Jenny Park. Eggnog doesn't needn't be too-sweet stuff from a carton. But it's rich, so you can get away with small servings.

Maybe you have a favorite holiday recipe that's been passed down for generations. Or maybe you have a new healthier option for the holidays.

Have the butcher trim the tenderloin for you. Cut it so you have one even center cut. Roast the tapered end separately and for less time than the center cut. Recipe from and tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Detroit Free Press Test Kitchen.

From Kathy Rowan of Charlotte, N.C.

Use the point of a sharp knife to slit dates open lengthwise. Pull out the pits. Stuff some blue cheese inside

Baking is as much chemistry as art. This week's recipe, for the final Cookie Corner column of the year, demonstrates that fact in a test of a very basic cookie.

Adapted from "Tiny Food Party!" by Teri Lyn Fisher and Jenny Park. This mixture can be doubled easily. The raspberry mixture can be made in advance and chilled.

Recipe courtesy of chef John Paul Khoury.

Recipe from Catherine Enfield, whose blog Munchie Musings is a partner with Sacramento Connect.

Recipe from the Associated Press.