Little more than chickpea flour, water and salt mixed into a loose batter and baked in a pan with olive oil, farinata — literally "made of flour" — is much more than the sum of its simple parts. Crispy, golden and browned on the outside and soft and custardy in the middle, farinata is as much a delight to eat on its own as it is easy to make. It's also delicious served with sautéed mushrooms or aged cheese. I opted to serve the bread as part of a tapas meal, accompanied with some Kalamata Olive Tapenade, with a Mediterranean-style salad and sweet potato rounds to complete the spread.

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Though this rice dish is easy to prepare, it is regal indeed, peppered as it is with small jewels in the form of dried fruits and nuts, which make every mouthful an experience with a myriad of textures and flavors. Graced with saffron, which is not only royal because of the precious price but also for the unique and unmatched slightly sweet, yet faintly bitter and refined subtle flavor its presence contributes, and with the addition of fine aromatic spices, this is dish you could serve for any occasion, including one that would highly complement a festive meal.

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A decent vegetarian chili is really rather easy to do, and a good choice for not only seasoned vegetarians, but also for those cooks who are new to vegetarian cooking, and those faced with the prospect of cooking for a vegetarian but perhaps rather puzzled about what to prepare. And chili is an ideal meal solution anytime of year that is nearly guaranteed to please almost everyone at the table. Once the prep is done, it's basically just a matter of letting things simmer gently for a while and occasionally giving it a stir. It's pure comfort food on a cold winter day, and over the hot summer months, because you don't have to labor over the hot pot, it's great too, and a nice thick chili like this one can be served over tortilla chips along with other toppings for some loaded nachos.

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Salads are of course a must anytime of year, though during the summer months serving them up as a focal point of a meal is an ideal way to cut down on time spent hovering over a hot stove. Admittedly, there is some cooking time involved in this salad, as the paneer cheese cubes are browned up along with the shallots, but when you experience the fresh and vibrant flavors that feature in this salad, you'll find it was well worth the effort.

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