Vacation lemon pie.

In my book, vacation = pie. But you don’t have to go anywhere to make this citrusy pie, adapted from a New York Times recipe. If you love key lime pie, you’ll dig this close relative.

Super versatile herbed orzo salad.

You’ve had what I call “sad pasta salad” — that takeout deli stuff with corkscrew pasta and way too much bottled Italian dressing. This pasta salad is NOT sad pasta salad! It’s the only pasta salad recipe you need.

Pasta with tomatoes and mushrooms.

This recipe for pasta with tomatoes and mushrooms — called pasta alla boscaiola, or “woodsman’s pasta” — is an old favorite. I think that my brother, Bill, prepared this for us when we visited him when …

Baked chicken and mushroom macaroni and cheese.

So, hey, yeah … Winter is here, amiright? It’s gonna be crappy again this weekend, so you know what to do: Give yourself a fun cooking project that yields the perfectly carb-y, cheesy main dish for dinner. This hearty Baked Mac ‘n’ Cheese with Mushrooms, Chicken and Fontina is just the ticket. It’s easy, but time consuming enough to occupy an hour of your Saturday afternoon. Get the recipe on writes4food.com.

Chocolate orange shortbread hearts.

Baking something nice for your sweetheart for Valentine’s Day? Here’s the thing: Simple shortbread cookies kissed with chocolate and orange … heart-shaped, no less! Get the recipe for Chocolate Orange Shortbread Hearts on writes4food.com.

Lentil soup with tomatoes and greens.

After a December full of cookies, Christmas pastries, Reese’s peanut butter cups and too much wine, I always feel like I need to hit the reset button, eating-wise. This Lentil Soup with Tomatoes and Greens, topped with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, is just the ticket (h/t to 101Cookbooks.com). Ready for something healthy but not at all diet-y? Here ya go. Get my favorite lentil soup recipe over on writes4food.com!

Christmas cookie-palooza: Perfectly delicate chocolate crescents.

Here’s how you know a recipe is a good one: The page has this fine dusting of powdered sugar all over it. And the cookbook is falling apart. And you’ve written all kinds of notes in the margins.

The Findlay Market Cookbook

My cookbook, The Findlay Market Cookbook, is Cincinnati’s local cookbook — a celebration of local food as it’s best represented by Cincinnati’s historic public market.