Chilly? Chili.Chili has no season, really. Yet once we hit February it seems we all need a bowl of it, consciously or not, with the same urgency with which we need a clean slice of watermelon no later than July 1. I didn’t grow up eating chili; it wasn’t a staple at my house. But I have come to love it deeply in its many manifestations. We have many good chili recipes on New York Times Cooking — helpful intel, since the Super Bowl is coming up on Sunday — but among the fastest and most cooked is the vegetarian skillet chili from Melissa Clark below, which you can truly make after work even if you’re dead tired. As with all bowls of chili, I believe you should garnish as maximally as you can. On another note, I hope you got a chance to read the beautiful essay by our beloved friend and colleague Yewande Komolafe in The Times this week, about a devastating illness that led to the amputation of her legs and fingers, and her journey back to the kitchen to cook again. The essay inspired an outpouring of love from all over the world, not just for the writer but also for her recipes, one of which is below. If you haven’t cooked Yewande’s food yet, you are in for something good. Many of you have written in to share what you’ve cooked in January. Keep the notes coming, please! I’ve got recipes you’ve recommended lined up for future newsletters. I’m dearemily@nytimes.com, and I love to hear from you. I’m also making:Lemony white bean soup with turkey and greens; creamy macaroni and cheese; snickerdoodles.
1. Vegetarian Skillet ChiliThe chili from Melissa is the pantriest pantry recipe of them all, a quick-simmered jumble (I say this with love) of canned tomatoes, beans, garlic, onion and spices. The pickled onion topping is what makes this dish come alive; if you can’t make it, sub in jarred pickled peppers like jalapeños. You need that bright, acidic bite.
2. Sheet-Pan Gochujang Chicken and Roasted VegetablesThis is one of Yewande’s most popular recipes on Cooking, and it shows off her mastery of flavor. The roasted bone-in chicken is glazed with a mixture of gochujang, ginger and soy sauce, and topped with scallions and radishes tossed in rice vinegar and sesame oil.
3. One-Pan Roasted Fish With Cherry TomatoesFancy enough to serve for a special occasion, quick enough to make tonight — Lidey Heuck’s recipe is the definition of a keeper, something to save and come back to whenever you want a healthy, lightly saucy seafood dinner. Serve with couscous, rice or another grain.
4. BBQ Pepper ShrimpKorsha Wilson adapted this recipe from the chef at the Lobster Pot, a restaurant that’s a local landmark in Provincetown, Mass. Tabasco is the animating flavor here, infusing the creamy sauce with cayenne heat. If the thought of making a French-style butter sauce intimidates you, don’t let it — just follow the steps here and you’ll be fine.
5. Preserved Lemon PastaThis recipe from Hetty Lui McKinnon is for true lemon lovers, or anyone who wants to go beyond the sunny slash of citrus you see in most dishes. Preserved lemon is salty, funky and more complex, and Hetty uses it here in large doses. You can buy preserved lemons and paste at the supermarket or make the quick version at the bottom of Hetty’s recipe. (Or make true preserved lemons, of course, if you have time!) Thanks for reading and cooking with me. If you like the work we do at New York Times Cooking, please subscribe! (Or give a subscription as a gift!) You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest, or follow me on Instagram. I’m dearemily@nytimes.com, and previous newsletters are archived here. Reach out to my colleagues at cookingcare@nytimes.com if you have any questions about your account. View all recipes in your weekly plan.
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