Black Beans Simmered in an Aromatic Tomato Sauce

Rather like a rajma, a classic North Indian dish characterized by the presence of kidney beans simmered in a spiced and an oh-so-fragrant aromatic tomato gravy that stimulates the appetite before dinner is even ready to enjoy, this time sweet and creamy black beans take the shining legume role. I could have easily named this recipe black bean rajma except that kidney beans did not make an appearance, which is the distinguishing element of rajma, but this dish stands up in its own right. Though the method is the same, and the spicing and ingredients quite similar, each bean provides its own unique profile to a dish, and the pearl-like quality of the black beans are just as fragrant and earthy and filling as their kidney bean counterpart, with a hint of natural sweetness for a delightful twist on a classic. If you can't riff in the kitchen on a theme, the beauty of making good nourishment is unnecessarily diminished. Have fun with your ingredients, and nourish your soul in the process.

Farinata - Italian Chickpea Flatbread

Little more than chickpea flour, water and salt mixed into a loose batter and baked in a pan with olive oil, farinata — literally "made of flour" — is much more than the sum of its simple parts. Crispy, golden and browned on the outside and soft and custardy in the middle, farinata is as much a delight to eat on its own as it is easy to make. It's also delicious served with sautéed mushrooms or aged cheese. I opted to serve the bread as part of a tapas meal, accompanied with some Kalamata Olive Tapenade, with a Mediterranean-style salad and sweet potato rounds to complete the spread.

Saffron Rice with Nuts and Dried Fruit

Though this rice dish is easy to prepare, it is regal indeed, peppered as it is with small jewels in the form of dried fruits and nuts, which make every mouthful an experience with a myriad of textures and flavors. Graced with saffron, which is not only royal because of the precious price but also for the unique and unmatched slightly sweet, yet faintly bitter and refined subtle flavor its presence contributes, and with the addition of fine aromatic spices, this is dish you could serve for any occasion, including one that would highly complement a festive meal.

Deep and Smoky Vegetarian Chili

A decent vegetarian chili is really rather easy to do, and a good choice for not only seasoned vegetarians, but also for those cooks who are new to vegetarian cooking, and those faced with the prospect of cooking for a vegetarian but perhaps rather puzzled about what to prepare. And chili is an ideal meal solution anytime of year that is nearly guaranteed to please almost everyone at the table. Once the prep is done, it's basically just a matter of letting things simmer gently for a while and occasionally giving it a stir. It's pure comfort food on a cold winter day, and over the hot summer months, because you don't have to labor over the hot pot, it's great too, and a nice thick chili like this one can be served over tortilla chips along with other toppings for some loaded nachos.