If it's possible to express sentiment over a sausage, then the merguez would be considered my first true love. I had my first taste of this North African sausage when I lived in Paris. It was unlike any I ever tasted. Finger-thin and fiery red-hot, these lamb sausages were taut, feisty and not to be underestimated. They were abundant in the myriad couscous restaurants sprinkled throughout the city, from street vendors, and sold in specialty markets. Eaten alone, with couscous, or in a bun with frites and sauce, merguez were fragrant with cumin, coriander and fennel, dry and hot like the desert heat, and fiery red with harissa. One bite, and you were transported.

Since then, and following moves farther north in Europe and to the U.S., the Parisian merguez became a wistful food memory, reminisced over at the dinner table and used as a point of comparison when encountering other sausages. Nothing seemed to match the memory; so, to that end, I began tinkering with making my own bulk sausage meat.

Bulk sausage is easy to make, since it’s simply spiced ground meat, and it was key to first nail the flavor before attempting to actually stuff the meat into casing. It’s also crazy simple to do -- so much that I frequently return to the ground meat method and mix it into stews and sauces or form it into patties.

These patties are easy to eat, grilled or pan-fried, stuffed in pita, piled on couscous, and drizzled with a garlicky yogurt sauce. To be honest, at this point I can’t say if they precisely replicate my first love, but they sure do hit the spot.

Merguez Bulk Sausage

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes, plus chilling time

Yield: Makes 1 1/2 pounds

1 teaspoon fennel seed

1 teaspoon coriander seed

1 teaspoon cumin seed

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons harissa paste

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 pound ground lamb

Olive oil

Yogurt Sauce:

1 cup Greek whole milk yogurt

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Toast the fennel, coriander and cumin seeds in a small pan over medium heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a mortar with pestle or spice grinder and finely grind.

Transfer the spices to a large bowl. Add the garlic, harissa, salt, paprika, cinnamon and cayenne and mix to form a paste. Add the lamb and, using your hands, mix to thoroughly combine without overmixing.

Test the flavor of the meat by pan-frying a spoonful in a little olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. The meat should have a robust flavor, full of spice and heat, and not shy of salt. When the flavor is to your liking, form the meat into 1 1/2-inch patties and place on a plate. Cover the plate with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. In batches, pan-fry the patties, without overcrowding the skillet, until brown on both sides and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.

Whisk the yogurt sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Serve the patties warm with the yogurt sauce, pita bread, harissa sauce and fresh mint leaves.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

The cooler season begs for layers -- and not just when it comes to clothing. Behold the lasagna. This hefty casserole is layered with three cheeses, a meaty tomato sauce and -- wait for it -- kale.

Now, before you roll your eyes, realize this: This lasagna can handle a little kale. In fact, it will put the hearty greens in their place, allowing them to shine without overtaking this admittedly nonvegetarian recipe with excessive leafiness. It will invite a layer of freshness into an otherwise robust, gooey and loaded lasagna. And if you are trying to sneak a few vegetables into someone's diet, this may do the trick.

With that preface, let me add that this recipe can easily be made vegetarian by simply omitting the meat from the tomato sauce. The choice is yours, and both versions are delicious. I've provided a meat sauce in the recipe, but you can skip it if you prefer. And if you have a favorite prepared sauce that you swear by, then by all means, make your life a little easier and use it.

Now, back to the layers. Stack your lasagna as high as your dish will allow (let's hope it's at least 2 1/2 inches deep). And do include kale leaves in the mix. They will soften and melt into the lasagna, tempered by the rich cheese and bright sauce, while providing color and, of course, extra nutrients. You might even have room for seconds.

Lasagna

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes

Yield: Makes one 9-inch-square lasagna. For a larger rectangular lasagna (pictured), double the ingredients.

Sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 pound ground beef

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 (28-ounce) can crushed Italian plum tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Ricotta:

16 ounces whole-milk ricotta

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons half-and-half

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 box lasagna sheets

One bunch Tuscan (Lacinato) kale leaves, ribs removed, torn into large pieces

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, shredded

1 cup finely grated Parmesan and/or Pecorino Romano cheese

Make the sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the beef (if using) and cook until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring as needed. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the remaining sauce ingredients and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Whisk the ricotta ingredients in a bowl until smooth.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Spoon a thin layer of sauce in bottom of a baking dish. Place a layer of lasagna sheets over the sauce, breaking them to fit to size as necessary. Smear some of the ricotta over the lasagna sheets. Arrange some of the kale leaves over the ricotta and drizzle some of the sauce over the kale. Scatter some mozzarella over the kale and sprinkle with grated cheese. Repeat the layering process, gently pressing down on the layers as you stack the lasagna. (You may not use up all of lasagna sheets.)

Cover the dish with foil, transfer to the oven, and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the lasagna sheets are tender when pierced with a knife, the cheese is bubbling and the top is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

This bright and festive starter is part-salsa, part-ceviche. It’s not meant to be a simple dab to complete a chip, but rather a command to attention with a jumble of shrimp awarded star billing in a kaleidoscope of colorful ingredients. In this concoction, sweet and briny shrimp are lightly poached and steeped in a bright, citrusy sauce that continues to “cook” and infuse the shrimp with flavor. A whole bunch of fresh ingredients are added to the mix, including chile peppers, tomato and corn, which add substance and round out the flavors with juicy sweetness and heat.

The key is to gently poach the shrimp without overcooking, which can toughen them. Simply add the shrimp to boiling water and then immediately remove the pan from the heat. The residual heat will cook the shrimp until they brighten in color and are opaque through the center -- in other words, just cooked. Then let the shrimp cool and chill in the spiced juices, which will continue to marinate and slightly pickle them. All of the other ingredients contribute to a chunky mouthful that’s more than a mere dip.

Serve the salsa with tortilla chips for scooping, or simply spoon it over garden greens and call it a salad. You can also wrap the salsa in lettuce leaves for fun finger food (just pass the napkins). No matter how you serve it, it’s guaranteed to steal the show.

Fiesta Shrimp Salsa

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes, plus chilling time

Yield: Serves 6 as an appetizer

1 pound medium shrimp, shelled, deveined

2 Roma (plum) tomatoes, seeded, diced

1 poblano pepper, finely chopped

Corn kernels from one ear of yellow corn

1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup

1 jalapeno chile pepper, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shrimp and remove from the heat. Cover the pot and let the shrimp poach until bright in color and just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and cool to the touch, then coarsely chop.

Combine all of the remaining ingredients, except the cilantro, in a large bowl. Add the shrimp and mix well to combine. Taste for seasoning.

Cover and refrigerate the salsa for at least 2 hours or up to 6 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cilantro before serving.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS