John Velek, Recipe Tester

A little spicy, salty, and sweet and altogether satisfying. A weeknight salvation when you need dinner pronto but you want something that’s not predictable or boring.

A winter classic made with navy beans, a ham hock, and a handful of pantry ingredients that somehow meld together into a sum that’s far, far superlative to its parts.

Cold outside? Baby, come inside where there’s beef slowly braising in a heady mix of Italian red wine, garlic, tomatoes, thyme, and rosemary.

Salmon mousse pinwheels are an elegant way to kick off a tea, cocktail party, or dinner. The pinwheels can be made ahead and sliced just before serving.

This spicy tomato soup gets its heat from Thai Sriracha sauce and depth from blue cheese. San Marzano tomatoes are used, so the soup can be made anytime.

This supple, falling-apart tender pork roast may require a lot of time in the oven, but barely any time at all from the cook.

For caramelized onion and balsamic vinegar bruschetta, the onion is cooked until brown then drizzled with balsamic vinegar and piled on the bruschetta.

This Southwest chile cheese fondue is brimming with chile ingredients, cheese, and spices. This is a fondue with brio. Dip chorizo for a flavor blast.

Shredded curried chicken is spooned into radicchio cups for a sweet-hot bite of chicken deliciousness. Serves these chicken cups as a party nibble.