5 Ingredients or Fewer

Cauliflower is a bunched mass of flower stems. The mass of flowers is referred to as the curd. Cauliflower is typically white, but there are green and purple varieties as well. The leaves are the best indicator of a cauliflower’s freshness. Look for bright fresh leaves, and heads with tight, brightly colored curd. There should be no brown spots; these are signs of age, as is a coarse-textured curd. Wash the cauliflower well. Trim away any damaged leaves, but leave the nice ones, as they are actually quite tasty.

The part of the broccoli plant that we eat is the unopened budding sprout, meaning that broccoli is, more or less, a big unopened flower. The most typical variety of broccoli is green and fairly large. Other types include sprouting broccoli, which produces small, dark green sprouts that are harvested individually. Romanesco broccoli looks a little otherworldly; it is chartreuse-green with a conical head made of pointy spiraling florets. There is also purple broccoli, some of which has such compact heads that it looks more like cauliflower than broccoli. Select broccoli that is brightly colored and firm, with compact heads that are not wilted, yellow, or blooming. Remove the florets from the main stem and cut or break them up as desired. Trim the end of the stems, and when they are large, peel them with a paring knife or peeler. Cut the peeled stems into sticks or slices.

This is an utterly simple dessert that is a refreshing finish to any meal. Be sure to use bright red ripe berries.

Roast pork, with its tender interior and crusty juicy exterior, is superb eating. Pork loin can be roasted boneless or as a standing rib roast. When requesting a bone-in roast, ask your butcher to cut it from the rib end and to remove the chine (or spinal) bone. A bone-in roast can be carved into thick chops with rib bones attached or it can be completely boned after roasting and sliced thin. In that case, cut apart the bones and serve them along with the meat.

Many fish can be served raw as tartare: tuna, albacore, halibut, and salmon, for example. It is exceptionally important to use impeccably fresh fish; be sure to tell your fishmonger that you intend to eat the fish raw. At home, keep the fish chilled over ice at all times. Cut the fish on a clean board with a sharp knife, and put the cut-up fish in a bowl nestled in a larger bowl filled with ice. For an ample appetizer, figure on 1/2 pound of fish for 4 people; you will need more if serving the tartare as a main dish. To cut the fish, first slice it very thin across the grain, removing any fibrous connective tissue. Cut the slices into a thin julienne, and then cut the julienne crosswise into fine dice. The fish can be cut ahead and covered tightly with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. Stir in the other ingredients just before serving. Serve fish tartare on little croutons or endive leaves, or on a bed of simply dressed greens.

This is a very simple preparation to satisfy that wintertime craving for deep tomato flavor. Exact proportions are unimportant.