Yukon Gold Potato

I like to use Yukon Gold potatoes for these blini because they absorb more cream than other potatoes and thus result in the best possible texture. This recipe will make extra batter, but it's a difficult recipe to reduce. The batter is best when used immediately, but it can be made up to two hours ahead if stored in a warm place (the cream may clot if it gets too cold). Use a scale to weigh the proper amount of potatoes after puréeing them, and make the batter while the potatoes are still warm or the blini will not have the correct texture.

Only 1 tablespoon of oil in the filling makes these a low-fat entrée, and using ready-made wrappers instead of crepes makes it an easy one. These freeze nicely.

This sophisticated soup and salad combination makes a cozy winter lunch for friends.

This recipe originally accompanied Tex-Mex Turkey Meat Loaf and Chipotle Mashed Potatoes .

Potato gratin is, of course, the traditional side dish with roast beef, and this version is just right for a special occasion. Adding flavor are typical steak house ingredients, like mushrooms, garlic and herbs. Place a baking sheet in the oven on the rack below the gratin to catch any liquids that may bubble over.

Store-bought potato chips, heated to crisp and refresh, would make this a very quick hors d'oeuvre.

Mustard greens, increasingly common in supermarkets today, cook as quickly as fresh spinach. Their assertive taste is terrific here in a warming winter soup.

This clever combination of tastes and textures features hominy, cilantro, jicama, jalapeños, lime juice and cumin.

Scrambled eggs are a nice idea to round out the main course for this side dish.

To me, this is the most authentic and most important recipe in this book. It is the gold standard for chowder: a hearty main course with deep flavors, luxurious texture, and generous chunks of fish, onion, and potato. New England Fish Chowder is easy to make, uses simple ingredients, and doesn't require you to be fussy or exact. After making this chowder a few times, you will begin to understand the Zen of chowder.

Cubed and cooked simply with small white onions, Yukon Gold potatoes are combined with crème fraîche and butter while hot.

Cremini mushrooms or their mature form, portobellos—or both—can be used in this side dish from Cory Schreiber's new cookbook, Wildwood: Cooking from the Source in the Pacific Northwest (Ten Speed Press).