The bane of my childhood candy experience was a Mounds bar. I just didn't get it. I would bite into the promising chocolate nugget, which would immediately give way to a chewy, shredded, nutty interior, that, in my opinion, had no rightful place in a chocolate bar. It was clearly the texture that I did not like.

I was mystified by my friends, who bought super-sized packages of Almond Joys to scarf down when we went to the movies. Every Halloween, when my brothers and I would pile our loot in the middle of the kitchen table, gloating and eyeing trade-ups, my chocolate-covered coconut bars were the first I'd offer up with no regrets. Sadly, my brothers were not so keen on coconut either, so the negotiating could get ugly.

As a parent, it baffled me that my children loved coconut. But as chief cookie baker, I stepped up to the plate and used coconut more and more freely in bars, cakes and cookies. And you know what? I, too, developed a fondness for this tropical "nut," appreciating its flaky fresh and nutty interruption in a sea of sugar. I guess you could say I grew up.

I eat coconut now, unforced, and prefer it paired with dark chocolate. Sometimes I make macaroons, a jumble of coconut bound together with egg white and condensed milk. Yes, the milk is icky-sweet, but it seems to yield the best juicy-soft interior, which is what prevents dryness and distinguishes a great macaroon. I've followed a recipe from Ina Garten from time to time, but switch out some of the sweetened coconut with unsweetened, which I find reduces some of the cloyness, and add a whiff of almond extract. Oh, and I always give them a generous dunk in dark chocolate, which has a magnificent grounding effect on, well, everything.

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Yield: Makes about 24

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

7 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

7 ounces unsweetened shredded coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 large egg whites, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 ounces dark (70 percent) chocolate

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine the milk, coconut, vanilla and almond extract in a large bowl and stir to blend.

Beat the egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gently fold into the coconut.

Drop heaping tablespoon-sized mounds of coconut, about 1 1/2 inches apart, on the baking sheets. Bake on the center rack in the oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheets to ensure even baking. Remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

While the cookies are baking, melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water at low heat, stirring until smooth. Dip one half of each macaroon in the melted chocolate and transfer to a board or platter lined with parchment.

Refrigerate until set. Store at room temperature for up to 4 days.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

For an easy and warming weeknight meal, nothing beats a hearty vegetable soup or stew. Soups are often quick to prepare and nonjudgmental when it comes to emptying the contents of the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator, and they always portend a healthy and resourceful dinner. One of my favorite go-to soup stocks is Italian-inspired and tomato-based, sometimes with a splash of wine, and often with a rind of cheese added into the mix to exude delicious umami flavor while the soup simmers. I'll then finish with beans or grains and handfuls of sturdy greens, which obligingly wilt when simmered in the stock just long enough to soften without discoloring.

For this soup, I tweaked my favorite method and took a detour farther south and east to Greece for inspiration. A splash of ouzo and a handful of feta cheese made me do it. Ouzo is a Greek anise-flavored liqueur, which nicely amplifies the fennel in the soup while smoothing out the natural acidity of the tomatoes. And rather than my usual hunk of parmesan rind, I remained in Greece for inspiration and sprinkled crumbled feta over the soup for sharp and salty oomph. I must say I was pleased with this little detour, and I hope you are too.

Greek White Bean Stew With Tomato, Feta and Ouzo

Active time: 35 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

Yield: serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced, fronds reserved for garnish

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 1/2 cups dry white wine

1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes, with juices

1 1/2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for a vegetarian option)

2 tablespoons anise liqueur, such as ouzo

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 small bunch, about 6 leaves, Swiss chard or lacinato kale

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Crumbled feta for garnish

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and fennel and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent and the fennel softens, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, thyme and red pepper flakes and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste to blend and then add the wine. Simmer until the wine is reduced by about one-third, about 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, ouzo, bay leaf, sugar, salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon, and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning, and add another tablespoon of ouzo if desired.

While the stew is simmering, remove the tough stems from the chard or kale, stack the leaves, and slice crosswise into thin ribbons. Stir the greens and the white beans into the stew and cook until the greens wilt, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. If the stew is too thick, top off with additional chicken stock and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

Ladle the soup into serving bowls and serve garnished with crumbled feta and the reserved fennel fronds.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Cool, clean salads may not seem appropriate for March, when the weather wobbles between the tentative spring rays of sunshine and the stubborn gray remnants of winter. But maybe that's why this salad is perfectly timed. You can apply the cliches "less is more" and "what you see is what you get," but why not view this bright salad as a cleanse -- a refreshing and nourishing plate of unpretentious and seasonally inspired ingredients, pure in their own right, and deliciously united with an uncomplicated splash of olive oil and lime juice.

As with most simple dishes, each ingredient and how it's presented counts. There are three important techniques to assembling the ingredients in this salad. The first is to briefly soak the onions, which helps to extract their pungent sulfuric juices and allows their natural sweetness to shine. The second is to supreme the grapefruit, or to remove the membrane from each segment. It may sound fussy, but the membrane is bitter and relatively tough. When it's removed, the sweetness of the grapefruit is heightened, and you are left with a supple and glistening segment of pink citrus.

Finally, don't skimp on the fresh herbs for garnish. You can use all of the herbs listed below, or simply one or two, but don't hold back on showering the plate with a generous amount -- they will add a crisp, bright and aromatic garnish to this healthy and cleansing salad.

Shrimp, Avocado and Grapefruit Salad

Active time: 25 minutes

Total time: 40 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon plus 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

12 large (16/20) shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large Hass avocado

2 pink grapefruits

2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley leaves

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chervil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Combine the onions and the 1/4 cup lime juice in a small bowl. If the onions are not submerged, add just enough cold water or more lime juice to cover. Let stand for 15 minutes, then drain and blot the onions dry with a kitchen towel.

Heat the 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the shrimp with salt and black pepper. Arrange in one layer in the skillet and cook until brightly colored on both sides and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes, turning once or twice. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Halve and pit the avocado, and then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices.

Cut away the skin and pith of the grapefruits. With a paring knife, cut away the membranes and seed the segments.

On individual serving plates, arrange a spiral of avocado. Top with the grapefruit segments, onions and shrimp.

Whisk the 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl. Combine the herbs in a separate bowl. Drizzle each salad with some of the dressing and generously garnish with the herbs. Serve immediately.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS