Week of March 25-31, 2026

Halve the sweet potatoes lengthwise. Rub the cut sides with oil, season with salt. Place cut-side down on a sheet pan. Roast at 425°F for 25-30 minutes until the cut side is deeply caramelized and a knife slides through without resistance.

Dice the tomato, slice the red onion thin. Slice the cucumber into coins or half-moons. Warm the frozen pitas directly on a rack in the oven for the last 5 minutes of the sweet potato roast, or in a dry skillet.

Whisk Greek yogurt with a squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and a thin drizzle of olive oil until loose and spoonable.

Warm the pork in a skillet over medium heat -- splash of water to loosen if needed, let it pick up a little color.

Drizzle the hot sweet potatoes with sesame oil and scatter furikake over the top.

Set everything out family-style -- pitas, pork, vegetables, yogurt sauce, and whatever fridge condiments want to come out tonight.

Set the broiler to high, rack positioned close to the element. Place the cold patties on a lightly oiled wire rack over a sheet pan.

Broil for 8-12 minutes, flipping once halfway, until the outsides are mahogany and crisped at the edges. Use the probe -- pull at exactly 160°F. In the last 2 minutes, brush with the flavor cabinet glaze and let it lacquer on.

Rest 5 minutes.

Serve the patties over white rice with the remaining glaze spooned over. Dressed bag salad alongside.

Thaw edamame in hot water or microwave. Toss with a drizzle of sesame oil, a pinch of salt, and a generous scatter of furikake. Set aside warm.

Thaw the frozen chopped cabbage in a colander, squeeze out excess water. Slice 1 bell pepper thin. Toss the cabbage and pepper with rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and a pinch each of sugar and salt. Let it sit -- it improves as it rests.

Blend a few generous spoonfuls of kimchi (including some brine) with a drizzle of sesame oil, a splash of fish sauce, and a pinch of sugar until a loose, punchy paste forms.

Pat the chicken thighs dry. Season with salt. Brush the kimchi paste over the skin side. Press firmly onto a plate of sesame seeds so they adhere. Arrange seed-side up on a wire rack over a sheet pan.

Roast at 425°F for 35-40 minutes until the skin is deeply golden, lacquered, and the seeds are toasted and the thickest part reads 165°F. If the seeds start darkening too fast, tent loosely with foil.

Serve the thighs over or beside the cabbage slaw with the edamame on the side.

Cook udon noodles per package. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.

Crush peanuts roughly -- a zip-lock bag and the flat of a heavy pan works fine. Slice scallions, keeping whites and greens separate. Slice 1 bell pepper thin.

Get a wide skillet or wok ripping hot. Add oil. Cook the shrimp fast -- 60-90 seconds per side until pink and just charred at the edges. Remove and set aside.

In the same pan, add a touch more oil, toss in sliced garlic and scallion whites, then the bell pepper and frozen collard greens straight from the bag. Stir constantly on high heat for 2-3 minutes until the greens are wilted and the peppers have some color.

Whisk the sauce: fish sauce, a pinch of sugar, a splash of water, chili from the cabinet, sesame oil. Taste it -- it should land salty, sweet, spicy, and bright.

Add the udon and pour the sauce in. Toss everything together until the noodles are coated and glossy. Return the shrimp and toss once more.

Serve in wide bowls. Scatter crushed peanuts and scallion greens over the top.

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.

In a wide pan over medium-high heat, brown the Italian sausage (casing removed) in a slick of oil, breaking it into chunks. Don't rush -- let it get genuinely caramelized. Drain off excess fat if needed.

Add the thawed marinara. Stir to combine. Simmer on medium-low for 10-15 minutes until the sauce is thickened and glossy. Splash in pasta water as needed to loosen.

Taste the sauce -- MSG if it needs depth, a pinch of sugar if it's sharp, a knob of butter swirled in off the heat.

Toss the spaghetti in the sauce. Serve in wide bowls with Parmesan grated over. Cherry pepper relish on the table.