Dec. 24, 2014 8:29 AM PT

[The Perfect Menu]

All-time favorites

Sure, we all love to cook fancy stuff, but after a long day at work writing and thinking about food, most of us here at the Food section go home like everybody else and stare at the refrigerator. Fortunately, we do have go-to recipes that aren't that complicated, that we turn to again and again, that we make for dinner instead of going out for xiao long bao again. Here are a few dozen of our favorites.

Russ Parsons,
Food Editor Noelle Carter,
Test Kitchen Director Amy Scattergood,
Daily Dish Editor

(Los Angeles Times)

Russ Parsons

Food Editor

According to a quick search on our California Cookbook, I’ve written more than 600 recipes for the Los Angeles Times – and that’s just since 2000. I don’t know whether that number is accurate, but specifics don’t really matter. I’ve written a lot of recipes, and trying to choose a dozen favorites is nearly impossible. But here are 12 recipes that I turn to often when I’m cooking for family and friends, which is probably as accurate a definition of “favorite” as you can come by.

- Breakfast -

Cornmeal pancakes

- Sides -

Turnip and potato gratin

- Soups and stews -

Cioppino

No overnight soaking required for this hearty winter warm-up.

Smoky black bean stew

- Mains -

Oven-steamed wild salmon with Green Goddess dressing and radish salad

Roast pork shoulder master recipe

A tri-tip roast is marinated simply in garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper before cooking to perfection on the grill. Get the recipe.

Ultimate tri-tip

Flavored salts add a new twist to dry-brined turkey.

Dry-brined turkey with three seasoned salts

- Desserts -

Meyer lemon curd tart

Snickerdoodles

Quince season in California is relatively short, but Food Editor Russ Parsons always tries to make the most of it by preparing seemingly endless batches of this recipe from cookbook writer Deborah Madison. With a bowl of sweet, spicy nearly candied quince in the refrigerator, you're never stuck for a dessert. Recipe: Nearly candied quince

Nearly candied quince

Panna cotta

Amy Scattergood

Daily Dish Editor

Food writers, who think about food all the time, can get really manic about what they actually cook. You bounce between making great dishes from cookbooks, testing recipes, cooking whole menus with farmers market produce — and then burning out completely and just eating toast or bags of chocolate. This is not, as my kids repeatedly point out, normal eating. Thus we all have a few go-to recipes, dishes that bridge the gap to normalcy. For which we, and the children, are all very grateful.

- Soups and salads -

Fresh oregano, basil, parsley and watercress flavor a tomato and bread salad.

Tomato-herb panzanella

Quinoa salad with shiitakes, fennel and cashews

Cuban black bean soup

Warm salad of black-eyed peas, wilted mustard greens and bacon

- Mains -

Ragu alla Bolognese

A pressed sandwich stuffed with things like tuna, eggs, potato and red onion that actually gets better as it sits, giving the variety of flavors time to marry. Recipe: Pan bagnat

Pan-bagnat

Chavez, Carlos ¿¿ ¿ 133057.FO.0124.food Studio day for German Chocolate Cake recipes. wine of the week and cook stuff. Green tacos with salsa verde

Dandelion green and Christmas lima bean tacos

Roasted Cornish game hens with Meyer lemons

Grilled wild salmon with fennel slaw

Monday meatballs

- Desserts -

Recipe: Oven Spoonful's chocolate chip cookie

Mom's chocolate chip cookies

This was named one of the best L.A. Times recipes of 2010.

Lazy Ox Canteen's rice pudding

Noelle Carter

Test Kitchen Director

I’m often asked what I like to cook at home. This list is totally random, but these are dishes I find myself coming back to again and again. Some, like Paula Wolfert’s sizzling shrimp or the mixed greens with chicken salad – are weeknight staples I can count on when I’m low on time and energy. Others, like the potato salad, mac ’n’ cheese, Julienne’s graham cracker chewy bars, Huckleberry’s apple butter cake or bowl of red, are dishes I love to fix for potlucks or when I’m planning a weekend gathering. When I have a little extra time, homemade English muffins or pretzels are a favorite project – make them yourself and you might never go back to storebought again. And on a lazy weekend morning, I love to cook up a batch of French toast or doughnuts. Because they’re fun.