Weeknight Meals

Up until the late 1950s, crawfish was eaten only by the fishermen who caught the crustaceans in the Atchafalaya Basin. Now, crawfish is king and is much sought after by both visitors and locals alike. This étouffée is a classic Cajun-style dish.

This recipe is one of the simplest and most delectable recipes in the book. The flavor of the mussels pairs beautifully with the unique flavor that the saffron imparts to the broth. You will find yourself making this recipe again and again.

Editor's note: This recipe is from chef Wolfgang Puck. If you don't have a Caesar salad on your menu in California, the customers will rebel. For a zesty Provençal touch, the Caesar at Spago is served with croutons slathered with our homemade tapenade. When you can find baby romaine, use it. If you can't, trim the outer leaves of the larger variety and, if necessary, break them into bite-size strips.

Editor's note: This recipe is from chef Wolfgang Puck. I grew up only about 280 miles west of Transylvania, as the bat flies. So maybe my mother cooked with so much garlic to keep the vampires away from my sisters, my brother, and me. Actually, Austrians, like many Europeans, love the powerful bulb, and as a child I ate more than my share of it in soups, stews, sautés, roasts, and other savory dishes. But only as a professional chef did I learn the secret of roasting garlic. Because its texture is buttery and rich, I like to spread it on crostini. Once you've spread the roasted garlic over your toasts you can choose from a number of toppings.

This customizable dinner is made to be deconstructed. Set out the fillings, and let the kids assemble their own at the table.

Freeze these for up to a month for a quick microwaveable dinner.

Seriously, how is a potato chip any different from the fried potato that’s traditionally part of this Spanish staple?

Adding Sherry wine vinegar and herbs at the end of cooking this vegetable stew makes the pure flavors shine even brighter.

Roasted root vegetables and spicy greens complete the meal.

Sweet-and-spicy hoisin sauce is available in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets and at Asian markets.

Who needs meat? The cumin-scented black bean filling is hearty, satisfying, and incredibly easy to prepare. Round out the meal—and get a complete protein—by adding Mexican rice.

In a surprising twist, Tuscan kale is served raw—and makes for a substantial and satisfying winter salad. Be sure to choose bunches of Tuscan kale with small leaves, which are more tender.

Chimichurri, the traditional accompaniment for steak in Argentina, is an olive oil-based sauce with vinegar, parsley, and other seasonings. In Argentina, cattle are grass-fed, and the vinegary relish complements the herbal beef beautifully. The meat is very lean, so it's best rare.

You can use red beets if golden beets are unavailable, but your pasta will turn pink.

These sandwiches are portable and keep well in a lunch box. The hummus should be thick for the sandwiches, but if you want to enjoy the leftovers as a dip, thin slightly with a little extra olive oil.

A fragrant and exotic dish.

Round out the meal with potatoes and a green salad, if desired.

The chops don't need to marinate long to take on great herby flavor.