Tomato

This salad is so simple and refreshing. The spiced matzo chips can be made a few days in advance and stored in a ziplock bag. I always make some extra to serve with soup or dips at another meal.
Parve
Gebrokts

This multi-culti recipe brings a moroccan flavor (the spice blend ras-el-hanout) to pastitsio, the classic Greek pasta dish.

This hearty, veggie-filled rigatoni recipe requires a little bit of work, but makes plenty for a group and is full of flavor.

Enhance eggs with spinach, which has mounds of magnesium, a mineral that helps keep blood pressure steady.

Home turf: Texas
Local flavor: Chili is practically a religion in Texas. The thick, meaty "bowl of red" dates back to San Antonio in the 1820s. By the 1880s, the city's plazas were full of pushcarts run by "chili queens" who would lure customers with live music. And Texans may argue about chili ingredients—but purists agree that the hearty stew would never, ever involve beans.
Make it a meal: Round things out with cornbread, iceberg wedges with artisanal blue cheese, and Shiner Bock (Texas, $8 per six-pack), a full-bodied Texas brew. A few tablespoons of masa (corn tortilla mix) is used to thicken this chili.

This hearty dish was inspired by frango na púcara, a Portuguese chicken dish that's cooked in a terra-cotta jug. We've streamlined the method, but kept all of the smoky, tangy, sweet flavors. The chicken is even better the next day, when the flavors have had a chance to meld. Serve with crusty bread.

Bulgur, or quick-cooking cracked whole wheat, isn't just for tabbouleh. The grain also makes a delicious, healthful side dish that's a good alternative to couscous or rice.

If you can't secure any Big Island wild boar, use some free-range pork instead. If you've got the time, try to order a boar shoulder from Texas-based Broken Arrow Ranch—a favorite of chefs like dean Fearing—or send for a full-flavored heirloom pig breed like Berkshire or Red Wattle from heritage Foods USA (brokenarrowranch.com and heritagefoodsusa.com).

Home turf: California
Local flavor: In health-conscious California, chili is as likely to be made without meat as it is with it. No self-respecting Texan would sign off on chili with beans, squash, and bulgur—but this lean, mean dish is as delicious as it is healthful.
Make it a meal: continue the Cali fantasy with whole grain bread, an arugula salad with mushrooms and garlicky vinaigrette, and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (California, $8 per six-pack).

If you've never tried drying your own tomatoes, you're missing out. The drying process condenses all the tomato sweetness into a savory and chewy piece of heaven. Those store-bought leathery things are good, but your own will be a million times better. All that olive oil makes canning for long-term storage unsafe, but they're so good they never seem to sit around long enough anyway. I like to eat them piled on toast with a fresh basil leaf and slivers of good Parmesan cheese. You'll find your own way to enjoy them soon enough.

Season: June to August. I love the sweet, earthy flavor of beets and I hate to see it swamped in strong-tasting vinegar, as so often happens. This light preserve is quite a different proposition: roasting the young roots really concentrates their robust flavor, while the sharp pungency of horseradish adds a liveliness to the sweet beet. Serve this summery relish alongside smoked mackerel. It’s also fantastic in sandwiches with cold meats.

There are some high-quality, great-tasting low-fat tomato sauces available on the store shelves these days, so if you don't want to make sauce from scratch (don't tell Mama!), you'd do well with any of the leading brands. But my name is Rocco, after all, and I figured I was under obligation to include at least one from-scratch marinara sauce. There's just a hint of olive oil in it; everything else was bulked up to create great flavor.

This Italian marinade and glaze is truly all-purpose. It can be used over roasted sweet peppers, marinated mushrooms, olives, or even pizza. If the sun-dried tomatoes feel brittle, refresh them by placing them in a nonreactive bowl, add 1 cup boiling water, and let them set until plump. The parsley and basil are interchangeable, so feel free to double up based on availability and preferences.

Enjoy this soup-stew as is or, for a one-dish meal, ladle it over brown rice. Pass the hot-pepper sauce, please!