Nearly every food on the planet has some environmental impact, whether that’s agricultural runoff from overfertilization, or cutting down forest to make room for new pastures or farms. As filter feeders, bivalves, too, have an environmental impact. The difference is, it’s a positive one. (Plus, nutritionally, they shine.)

Silky orange pumpkin soups, stewed chicken in creole sauce, and fragrant rice and beans, all spiked with a kick of epis, a common Haitian flavor base, always brought warmth and comfort to Chris Viaud while he was growing up in a Haitian family in Massachusetts. Fortunately for us, Viaud—a James Beard nominee and Top Chef contestant—has shared those family recipes with us, just in time for fall.

Somehow, aside from making socca, we haven’t been utilizing chickpea flour as much as we should be. So effective immediately, we’re making room for more recipes using this terrific ingredient, starting with a panzanella-style bread salad made with torn socca, a rich and deeply flavored gravy, and many fried things.

I’m a big fan of single ingredients that can, all by themselves, bring deep, complex flavors to the pot. In other words: little work, big flavor. And in the world of malt beverages, that means stout. If you’ve ever tasted this dense, dark brew, you know why: Along with its edge of bitterness, it brings rich undertones of chocolate, coffee, caramel, even a bit of smoke; and it’s great for braising, grilling, baking, and glazing.

We often judge recipes by sight: We look at the picture — Nice? Great! — and then we look at the ingredient list. That can be an immediate turn-off. Because one thing that makes a recipe simple, easily executed, less-than-intimidating, is a short ingredient list.

For me, a two-crust fruit pie is more of a romantic notion than a dish I’m realistically going to make again and again. Tarts I like better, but they still require some combination of patience, practice, and work. I’ll take cobbler over those two any day. Objectively, they’re way less elegant; subjectively, they’re way more irresistible.

If there was ever something most of us could agree on, it’s this: Tinned fish has legs. There was always tuna, of course, now alongside sardines, several kinds of salmon, kippers, mackerel, and smoked oysters and mussels. And all of them can easily find a home on top of something. Greens, socca, mashed potatoes – the list goes on.

When cooked, millet – those itty bitty spheres that dot many multi-grain breads and provide some gentle crunch – “explodes,” morphing from pleasantly gritty kernels to fluffy clouds, capable of anything from soups to patties. Here, a mash, a chowder, and millet “munchies,” inspired by a millet snack Mark had and loved on his recent trip to India.

Some people plain don’t like beets (to the point where some plant breeders have tried to produce a beet that doesn’t taste like a beet—really), but I think most people are just afraid of ruining their shirt or simply can’t deal with the potential stainage. There are ways to cook them without mess, also. Here’s the one I’ve relied upon for thirty or so years (taught to me by Jean-Georges), plus the one it turns out I like best of all.

If you were to ask me about desserts, I’d tell you that I don’t love them … In fact, there are times when even the word “dessert” makes me crinkle my nose. There are some exceptions, of course: Payday bars, one or two very specific cakes, candy in general. And all these exceptions to my I-don’t-like-dessert rule led me to think that maybe it’s not so much about the type of dessert we like—cake, cookies, ice cream—but about the flavor dictating the dessert.

When a reader asked us “how do you become really good at cooking?” (or, as she also put it, “how do I develop nonna skills?”) I couldn’t resist the temptation to take a crack at the “answer.” Here’s the email, along with responses from me, Kerri, Kate, and our pal and former colleague Daniel—some of my favorite home cooks.

My definition of “real” pickles is this: the kind you put up in jars and eat in January and think of summer, the kind that in my mind a real pantry is full of. But I’m rejecting that notion, because not only is canning a hassle of the first order, but I don’t even like those kinds of pickles. What I like are vinegar-free, salty-garlicky half-sours, which is not surprising since that’s what I grew up with. They’re pickle-barrel pickles and, as it happens, they’re among the easiest things in the world to make.

Without trolleys, uniforms, or any grand gimmicks, informal tableside dining takes shape with a sense of play and silliness. Served in the most laid-back environments, these recipes make the season feel less fleeting and more invigorating. Salads, sides, and starters loaded with vegetables and fresh takes on classic dishes come with a show that’s as pleasing as a warm August breeze.

You can do it — but do you really want to?

Once you discover the easy impact of flavoring cooking water with simple additions, whole grains can stir up some real mealtime excitement. It only makes sense: If dried foods absorb liquid as they cook, isn’t that another seasoning opportunity? We put this technique to the test with a summertime favorite – the farro salad.