Yukon Gold Potato

The turbot is roasted on a thin cake of overlapping potato slices and then sauced with a simple pan sauce, garnished with tomatoes and black olives. Turbot is rarely available in the United States, but another flatfish such as a fluke or flounder makes a good substitute. You will need a mandoline or other vegetable slicer to slide the potatoes very thin. Ovenproof nonstick frying pans work best here, so the potato cakes don't stick, but if necessary you can use other 8-inch frying pans or cake pans; line them with rounds of parchment paper.

If your pulse quickens at the suggestion of salt and vinegar potato chips, you'll be hooked on this warm potato salad after one bite. A little Old Bay seasoning gives it a modest kick.

There's no need to set up a deep fryer to make great potato chips—the oven is just fine.

I am delighted to see broccoli di rape in the supermarket almost year-round and of excellent quality: fresh, bright-green stems and leaves, with tight heads of pale-green florets (don't buy any with yellowed, open flowers). I hope you are familiar with this versatile vegetable — related to both turnips and broccoli — and love its unique bitter-almond taste as much as I do. This warm salad is a particularly easy way to prepare broccoli di rape, and its mild flavor and comforting texture will please even those family members who are wary of new vegetables!

Serve this hearty side dish with a pork or lamb roast.

This soup features the flavors of India: aromatic nigella seeds, curry powder, curry leaves, and cumin seeds.

Made without stock, this light vegetable soup (which was passed down from Elena's mother) is not only easy to prepare but amazingly flavorful. It really benefits from the final addition of egg and parmesan.

Masala Dosas
With its fermented dough whirled into a crêpe-like exterior and its rich filling of curried potato, this classic Indian dish achieves a unique balance. The urad dal, black mustard seeds, and curry leaves are available at kalustyans.com.

It's hard to improve upon the honest goodness of mashed potatoes, but here scallions and brown butter do the trick. The scallions provide sweetness, and the brown butter adds a beguiling nuttiness.

Great with: Grilled lobster, shrimp, or filet mignon.

If you're making your vinaigrette with white-wine vinegar, use 1/2 teaspoon sugar (instead of 1/4 teaspoon) to balance the higher acidity.

If you're making this entire menu in a single oven, it's best to roast the potatoes while the pork loin stands (increase the oven temperature as soon as the pork comes out).