Helen Doberstein

These lip-tingling wings boast far less oil-spattering-all-over-the-kitchen fuss and fewer calories than the classic that you'd find at the neighborhood bar. Not that you'll be able to tell from the taste.

A long, slow spell in the oven coaxes this lusciously fatty, fat, fat pork roast into supple, aromatic, cider-infused, sigh-inducing submission.

We’ve got stars in our eyes...and our bowls...and our spoons. All thanks to pastina, the teensy star-shaped pasta that just may make the cutest supper in the solar system.

Looks like upside-down cake. Tastes like upside-down cake. Yet this sticky citrusy dessert couldn't be more right side up as far as we're concerned.

We used to get our gratins and scalloped potatoes confused. But then we tried this gratin. Guess which one is now our favorite?!

This all-butter, no-fuss pastry crust comes together with ease and flakiness thanks to a little well-worded hand-holding that caters to pastry-making virgins.

The spirits summoned for this ghostly glow-in-the-dark Jello hail from a bottle, not the supernatural. (It's just a gin and tonic under a black light. Who knew?!)

What do we adore most about roast chicken? The fix-it-and-forget-about-it-ness of it. That and the countless ways to fancy it up. Here's one of our fuss-free favorites.

This purple-stained cake—er, what's left of it—calls for just old-fashioned goodness and the season's most compelling fruits. Got milk?

Essentially eggs scrambled with chips (or day-old tortillas) and salsa, chilaquiles is equally enticing in the a.m. as the p.m., with a cup of hot joe or a bottle of cold cerveza.

Edna Lewis was loved for many reasons. Her spare prose. Her soulful recipes. Her kitchen frugality. Her endless wisdom. All attributes that are apparent in her famous brisket.

A classic. Bread stuffing filled with celery, onion, thyme, basil, and parsley that's synonymous with Thanksgiving (though honestly, it's equally welcome any time with roast chicken).

This bread stuffing with bacon, apples, and onions is classic Thanksgiving fare and can be cooked inside or outside the turkey.

Wanna outclass every other appetizer you know how to make? Try this little number. Deceptively simple. Impressive and infallible.

An elegant yet uncomplicated chicken dish that seems much fancier and fussier than it actually is when it comes to making it. Lucky you.

A Portuguese classic made with beef and peppers, caçoila de Pico is a slowly simmered affair that's well worth the wait.