Nut Free

Using fennel three ways—bulb, fronds, and pollen (or seeds)—adds great depth of flavor to this quick dish.

"At Linger, we make jam with miso. It's delicious with pork but is especially tasty on bread with cream cheese."

Make the filling ahead of time and you'll need only a few minutes to go from shucking to eating.

Use only the best quality wild salmon in this raw preparation.

Miso is a quick way to add deep, rich savory character to your cooking.

A fine choice for a spring menu, although good whenever you can find fresh asparagus, this frittata has an especially nice flavor because the asparagus and leeks are roasted and caramelized before being added. If you like, roast the vegetables a day ahead of time and refrigerate them until ready to use.

Salmon with fresh morels and peas drizzled in cream sauce is a simple seasonal luxury worth indulging in.

A mix of chopped aromatics, like the Italian blend soffritto, is the base for countless recipes because it lends character to simple dishes. That's why we always have soffritto on hand. Freeze the extra from this recipe, then thaw, and you'll have the foundation for soups and sauces ready to go—no chopping required.

These flaky scones can be made the morning of your party.

Blending ice cubes into the marinade helps to keep the fish and marinade ice-cold while you're preparing and serving.

Sprinkle salt and sugar on produce like cucumbers, tomatoes, or berries (hold the salt!); let stand for 20-40 minutes. This process, also called maceration, draws out the juices, creating a natural sauce.

This take on a Roman vignole showcases the best and brightest of the season's bounty.

Quinoa is native to the Andes, not the Middle East, so it was unknown to the Jews fleeing Egypt during biblical times. With the recent rise of quinoa's popularity in the United States, and the fact that it's not a true grain but rather the seed of a broadleaf plant, some circles of Judaism have approved of and welcomed it to the Passover table, while others have not. If you feel comfortable serving it this Passover, you will love how it absorbs the vinaigrette, bright with lemon and enriched with finely grated hard-boiled eggs, and how it forms a tender bed for the ribbons of scallion and raw asparagus. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for Passover. Menu also includes Wine-Braised Brisket with Tart Cherries and Amaretto Olive Oil Cake.

Lamb is a classic at Easter, particularly leg of lamb. Increasingly, though, lamb legs are sold boned, or even better, boned and butterflied, which makes them ideal for summer grilling. But for Easter, a boneless lamb leg (readily available at the big-box stores) becomes something irresistible to stuff, and because there's no bone, it's a dream to carve. Here, we season the meat all over with a garlicky, lemon- and oregano-scented paste, then spread a flavorful, wilted-arugula filling over the lamb and roll it up. Don't be dismayed by the ragtag appearance of the uncooked roast. Just tie it securely and you will be amazed at how delicious it looks when it comes out of the oven. The vegetables surrounding the lamb not only absorb some of the lamb juices but also create a complete and nutritious meal in a roasting pan. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for Easter. Menu also includes Frisée, Radicchio, and Fennel Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette; and Lemon Pudding with Strawberries and Meringue Cigars.

Beef brisket is the centerpiece of many Jewish holiday meals, particularly at Passover, and every family has their favorite way of preparing it. There are countless recipes out there, but how many do you need besides your grandmother's? At least one more: This one!
Why? Because the meat is slowly braised in Pinot Noir, and the cherry notes in the wine pair brilliantly with dried tart cherries, which plump up with winey beef juices to become little mini-pouches of flavor on their own. Add to that a bit of star anise, which perfumes the brisket and your home with an exotic and enticing hint of licorice. Season the mixture with the sweet-and-sour agrodolce dance of brown sugar and balsamic vinegar, and you have a brisket that is at once counterintuitively familiar and wonderfully different. Like all braised meats, brisket improves in flavor, and slices more easily, if made a day ahead and chilled (see Cooks' Notes). Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for Passover. Menu also includes Quinoa and Asparagus Salad with Mimosa Vinaigrette and Amaretto Olive Oil Cake.

If you have difficulty finding buster crabs or small soft shells, you can use large soft shell crabs, quartered, and they'll still make a great dish.

Blooming spices, or gently frying them in oil, is a quick way to deepen their flavor.