I've made plenty of tortilla soups from cookbooks over the years, but none has pleased me as much as the simple one I improvised last week. Although my gut tells me that means it was the kind of success that comes only when the planets are aligned, I want to share the recipe because it's an ideal one for fridge-clearing. It's so flexible that it could be called tortilla soup with or without tortillas. More

The real pleasures of tortilla soup come with the garnishes: the smooth coolness of avocado, the smoky chew of dried chiles, the burst of cilantro, the crunch of cabbage. Add all that to a golden, chickeny broth, tinged with tomatoes and the mellow heat of toasted chiles, and you have a restorative meal to last through these remaining weeks of winter doldrums. More

In the Crisper Featured Veg: Tomatillos Flavor affinities: Lime, cilantro, tomatoes, green chilies, onion, garlic Prepare: Remove husk, wash well Cook: Dice and eat raw, simmer, roast The first time our CSA delivered tomatillos a few years ago I... More

I'm somewhat amazed that this recipe hasn't made it to Dinner Tonight already, between Nick being an unabashed Rick Bayless devotee and me having cooked it at least five or six times, which happens to me with recipes only rarely... More

Today's Cook the Book recipe isn't intended for Thanksgiving, but the day after. As a vehicle for leftover turkey, Martha Stewart's tortilla soup couldn't be further away from the turkey and cranberry sandwiches that can seem neverending in the last... More