12 link recipes

From-scratch breakfast sausage links made with pork, fresh pork fat, sage, thyme, and cracked peppercorns stuffed into natural casings. A charcuterie project that rewards patience with incredible flavor.

Have you ever seen a ling cod? They are almost primeval looking - huge, gaping mouths with very sharp teeth. As with any fish, the most important factor for how good it tastes is its freshness. I picked up this fillet at my local fish market where they told me that the ling cod had just come in that morning. With the lemon-garlic butter sauce it was divine.

Italian sausage bread stuffed with sausage, mozzarella, onion, and bell pepper rolled into pizza dough. Bakery-style sliced bread that doubles as a meal.

Strawberry punch made with frozen strawberries in syrup, pink lemonade, orange juice, and ginger ale. Four ingredients, no booze, ready in 5 minutes for a crowd of 32.

Smoked salmon gets wrapped in blanched spinach leaves with a cream cheese and pink peppercorn spread. Chill it well for an elegant make-ahead appetizer.

Hearty smoked pork and bean soup built from ham hocks, dried pink beans, and beef stock with paprika and sauteed garlic. Partially pureed for a thick, velvety body. Serves 6.

A delicious punch that's made with pink lemonade and rainbow sherbert.

Beans for burritos slow-cooks pink beans with onion, garlic, and chili powder in the crockpot, then mashes with green chiles and salsa for the perfect refried-style burrito filling.

Chili bean soup made from scratch with dried pink beans, stewed tomatoes, and chili seasoning. Half the beans get mashed for body, the rest set aside for a second meal.

Fresh citrus vinaigrette with diced orange, grapefruit, lime, and lemon segments in olive oil, champagne vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, pink peppercorns, and cilantro. Restaurant-quality.

Mediterranean style marinated feta cheese and toasted-spiced pita bread triangles are a great pair, delicious and tasty appetizer. Or they can be served as a main course.

Hearty six-bean soup with lima, white, black, chickpea, pink, and kidney beans simmered with vegetables, fines herbes, and chicken noodle soup mix. Topped with Parmesan and tomatoes.