Oh, "perfect" is a dangerous adjective. This simple combination of thinly sliced celery and red onions tossed with ginger and rice vinegar and a bit of salt adds crunch, brightness, and clarity to otherwise heavy or rich winter menus. You're not hosting a dinner party this weekend? Well, Gingery Celery & Red Onion Salad is so easy and simple you might as well throw it together just for you and yours, no matter how humble your dinner plans.

This Moroccan-style vegetable stew will add warmth and comfort to your Wednesday dinner. It also gives you plenty of wiggle-room in terms of exact ingredients. Serve it with broiled chops, chicken breasts, or sausages on the side or with a poached egg or two on top. Yogurt-marinated chicken is also a delicious addition. But you know what? It's also great all by itself - over a bowl of couscous or rice or with a bit of crusty bread to sop up the rich, spicy broth.

I seriously love beet salads. And I know I'm not alone; and yet, I'm a little bit alone. Beets seem to polarize people. Deep earthy sweetness or cloying dirt-flavor yuck? I can't tell you how to feel about beets, but if you like them, I do have a few ideas about what you might do with them:

• Beet & Escarole Salad
• Beet & Feta Salad
• Beet & Orange Salad
• Beet & Yogurt Salad
• Shredded Beet Salad
• How to Roast Beets

I have a confession to make. I am powerless in the face of popovers. I can eat a dozen. I shouldn't. I don't feel good after I do it. But I can and have eaten a dozen popovers. People usually think of popovers as a dinner-time treat, alongside a big roast or warming soup of soup - and they're great for that. But they are also delicious for breakfast - all eggy and warm and crisp. They're not too shabby dipped in maple syrup either.