Italy

This is pretty easy to get creative with. Just about any reasonable hard herb works really well. Think thyme, rosemary, or sage. Delicate herbs like basil will work, but they’ll be a little bit destroyed by the high heat of the oven....

While you can of course use whatever pasta shape you like, I think the traditionalists have a good case that orecchiette works well here. I do think that mixing this up a bit with broccoli rabe — leafier and more bitter than regular broccoli — is a good idea....

Neapolitan pizza will probably always be my favorite, but if I’m honest, it’s a bit of a pain to make at home. The dough really does need to be rested for at least a day, ideally more....

This is one of my go-to desserts. I’ve adapted it from something I’ve had at the wonderful River Cafe in London. The original version has more drama: it’s much larger and made in a very wide cake tin....

I had this at one of those great restaurants that reinvents its menu every day. They usually have one or two house cocktails on, and this one was particularly great....

As with most good fish stews, you can use just about any fish and shellfish. Though I would avoid anything too delicate, because it will fall apart and be difficult to serve....

The original source for this recipe is lost to my memory. It entered my repertoire one Christmas when I needed something new to bake. They’re more or less the sweet version of grissini....

This is one of those dishes that’s ubiquitous and still manages to raise the hackles of purists. I would argue that the purity tests around the ragù alla bolognese are unfounded....

There’s a case to be made for making this as the recipe suggests, with actual live mussels in the shell. It’s more work, but the oceanic flavor of the fresh mussels adds an undeniable complexity to the pasta....

My moment of discovery with alcohol and desserts came one of the first times I went to the River Cafe and ordered the panna cotta. At the time, they were serving it with raspberries and a healthy dose of grappa poured over the plate....