Bean and Legume

This recipe uses dried chickpeas, which must be soaked at least 8 hours or overnight. Depending on their age, chickpeas can take more or less time to soften during cooking, so use the cooking time as a guideline, not a rule. Check the chickpeas occasionally — if they seem too dry, add additional water in 1/4 cup increments.

In the islands, black-eyed peas are known as black-eyed beans.

Red peas and kidney beans are one and the same.

Since the beans need to soak overnight, be sure to begin one day ahead. Spicy Italian sausage is a good substitute for the chorizo.

This gorgeous winter salad would go well with the Mediterranean Supper Omelet. The seasoned rice vinegar takes candied walnuts from ubiquitous to inspired.

Cara Brunetti Hillyard of Hamilton, Virginia, writes: "I come from a long line of great cooks. My father owns an Italian market in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where my mother gets a lot of the ingredients she uses in her wonderful dishes. My mother-in-law is a recipe developer, and I've been known to sit next to my great-aunt Stella with a pen and paper as she details her amazing recipes. I live far from home now, but I reconnect with my family traditions every evening when I make dinner." Pureeing the soup gives it a smooth richness — without any cream.

Serve with cucumber rounds, red bell pepper strips, and sticks of jicama.

A far cry from the crisp-tender green beans of recent fashion, this is a classic example of the popular Ottoman-era dishes called zeytinagli, in which vegetables are cooked for a long time in olive oil, then served at room temperature so that the flavors are at their peak.

An Eastern-inspired spiced butter makes filet mignon even juicier than usual. Artichokes and haricots verts, cooked separately and then baked together, taste luxuriously rich in a way that complements the meat nicely.

Stout makes the beef taste beefier in this chili. For best results, pick out a five-pound boneless chuck roast and have the butcher grind it for you. WHAT TO DRINK: Sam Adams Cream Stout has a malty sweetness that's just right.

A colorful and satisfying stew is priceless this time of year, and you can't do much better than a tomatoey broth full of hearty cannellini beans, baby greens, and cubes of baked ham.

A fennel trifecta—you'll find that the sweet fronds, bulb, and seeds mix harmoniously in this dish.

Chickpeas add meaty body to a home-style vegetable soup; round out the flavors with a sprinkling of grated cheese.

Chicken thighs are a natural for braising because they stay nice and juicy. Plus, the dark meat is a good counterpoint to the sweetness of peas and the slight acidity of the artichokes.

This hearty stew is brightened by a sprinkling of lemon peel and chopped fresh parsley.

The colors are pale, but the flavors in this winter mix are vivid and fresh.

It is said that eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day will bring good luck. Here's a fresh take on the southern dish traditionally made with salt pork (we've subbed in andouille sausage) and served over rice.