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Asparagus is one of the vegetable world’s harbingers of spring. It may be tempura-ed, stir-fried, made into a cream soup, wrapped in thin slices of ham, put into an omelet or frittata or tossed with pasta. For me, asparagus is most appealing at its simplest: boiled, steamed or roasted, then dipped in Hollandaise sauce. I used to choose only the thinnest of spears, looking askance at the sturdier stalks, but recently I’ve come to appreciate asparagus in all its variety of sizes. Whether you prefer skinny or chubby, for ease of cooking, pick stalks that are generally the same in diameter…

Easter is a holiday I associate more with two of my favorite baked goods than with jelly beans or chocolate rabbits. Hot Cross Buns, fragrant with spices and full of dried fruit, are traditionally made on Good Friday. Hoska is a braided, fruit-and-nut-laced bread from my husband's maternal grandmother's family from the Czech Republic. I make it every Easter and Christmas, and lately, every time I visit my mother-in-law. The original recipe for Hoska made one very large, very impressive four-layer braid. I made that once and realized it wouldn't fit in a zip-sealing plastic bag to keep it fresh. Now…

I once shared a driveway in Missoula, Mont., with Carol, a transplant from Jackson, Miss. She was an enchanting anomaly, with her thick Southern accent and dainty shoes. Among other things, she introduced me to Sherwin Williams "Peanut Cookie" paint, Spode "Buttercup" china and the Jackson Junior League cookbook, "Southern Sideboards." One of the recipes I've used most often is for "Bride's Biscuits," a cross between a biscuit and a roll. They rise from three leavenings (baking powder, baking soda plus buttermilk and yeast.) Maybe either the bride or the one who gave her the recipe thought even the most inexperienced…