Spring cleaning is a refreshing and cathartic ritual, and the kitchen is a great place to begin. Clean out the refrigerator, toss any items with long-past use-by dates, and refresh those old spices parked in a drawer. As you fill your trash and recycling bins, keep one exception in mind: Under no circumstances should you throw out any stale bread.

Stale breads are the faded belles of glorious loaves past. In their prime, they are tender and golden, piping hot from the oven and swirling with yeasty steam when broken apart. Dressed with a pat of butter or a drizzle of olive oil, they are luxuriously simple. And while the pleasure of eating freshly baked bread is sublime, it’s also fleeting. Once the loaves are exposed to air, they cool and begin to lose their moisture, drying out and hardening as time passes. After a day or two, the fragrant fresh loaf is often considered a has-been, banished to the corners of the bread tin, the back of the refrigerator or discarded.

Now, before you decide to use that wedge of week-old sourdough as a doorstop, or smash Tuesday's baguette into bird food, have another think. Stale bread still has a few culinary tricks up its sleeve. Not only are these tricks sensible and frugal; they are smart and delicious. After all, without stale bread, we wouldn't have bread puddings, croutons, bread stuffings and breadcrumbs. An Italian panzanella salad without stale bread would be a mere tomato salad. A layered breakfast strata without any bread to absorb and elevate the eggs might be mistaken for a frittata. And how would we “au-gratin” the cheese in French onion soup without a sturdy slice of stale bread on which to spread it?

Of course, these might be fine dishes without any bread at all, but what truly defines them is the comfort of stale loaves, gallantly providing crispy vessels and sponges to absorb and float the juices, garnishes and cheeses in dishes we love. So, don't throw out that old bread just yet. It's spring, after all, which is also the time for renewal and new beginnings.

Pasta With Roasted Tomatoes, Arugula and Cheesy Breadcrumbs

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

1/2 cup toasted breadcrumbs (recipe below)

2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound grape or cherry tomatoes

1 clove garlic, minced or pushed through a press

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound gemelli or fusilli

3 cups arugula

Combine the breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons Pecorino in a bowl.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and cook until they begin to break down, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and continue to cook, 2 to 3 minutes more, stirring frequently. Add the salt and pepper and taste for seasoning. Transfer the tomatoes and pan juices to a large bowl.

While the tomatoes are cooking, make the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook per package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta.

Add the pasta, arugula, the 1/3 cup cheese and half of the breadcrumbs to the tomatoes. Toss to combine. If the pasta is too dry, add some of the reserved water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time. Divide among serving plates and sprinkle with the breadcrumb gremolata. Serve immediately.

Toasted Breadcrumbs

Active time: 25 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

Yield: Makes about 2 cups

4 cups torn stale bread

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the bread in a food processor and pulse to make fine or coarse crumbs. Transfer to a bowl. Add the oil and toss to coat. Lightly season with salt and toss again. Spread the breadcrumbs on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake in the oven until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring the crumbs once or twice. Turn off the oven and crack the door open. Let the crumbs cool in the oven. Store in an airtight container for up to one week or in the refrigerator for up to one month.

581-7500

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood

I won’t lie: This chili takes three hours to make. Now, before you roll your eyes, just hear me out. When you make this rich and meaty black bean stew, you will be rewarded with a comforting, deeply flavored chili, tinged with smoke and fragrant with spice. Your family will be grateful, your guests will be impressed, and any neighbors in proximity to the aromas wafting from your kitchen window will be quite envious. In fact, you might want to share a bowl with them.

If this is not enticing enough, here is more good news: While the chili-making process will take several hours, most of the time will require little effort from you in the food-prep department. This chili is self-sufficient. It will do most of the work itself, simmering and bubbling away in the oven, allowing the meat to tenderize in a heady, smoky ragout, absorbing the flavors and mingling in a swirling brew of beer, tomato and spice. It will generously make you feel useful by asking for an occasional stir; otherwise, you can go read a book. The only other responsibility required of you is to wait while it finishes cooking. It will be worth it.

Beef and Black Bean Chili

Active time: 1 hour

Total time: 3 to 3 1/2 hours

Yield: Serves 6

2 1/2 to 3 pounds beef chuck, excess fat trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large white onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

4 garlic cloves, minced or pushed through a press

1 teaspoon chile powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 cup tomato paste

12 ounces Mexican beer or pale ale

1 (28-ounce) can crushed Italian plum tomatoes

1 cup beef or chicken stock

2 minced chipotles in adobo with juices

2 cups cooked black beans or 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Season the beef on all sides with salt and black pepper.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven (or ovenproof pot with a lid) over medium-high heat. In batches, without overcrowding the pan, brown the meat on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with the remaining meat.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon oil from the pot. Add the onion and bell pepper and saute over medium heat until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the chile powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, oregano and cloves. Stir to toast the spices, about 15 seconds, then add the tomato paste and continue to stir to blend and darken, about 1 minute more.

Pour in the beer and deglaze the pan, stirring up any brown bits. Add the tomatoes, stock and chipotles. Return the beef to the pot with any collected juices. The meat should be completely submerged in the liquid. If not, top off the stew with more stock to cover the meat.

Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Transfer the pot to the stovetop. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the chili reduces and thickens slightly, about 20 minutes, skimming any fat that rises to the surface.

Stir in the beans, brown sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Taste for seasoning and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Serve in bowls with garnishes, such as diced avocado, sliced jalapenos, chopped red onion, sour cream, fresh cilantro sprigs and lime wedges.

581-7500

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood

It’s easy to be greedy with citrus when summer fruits are a mere warm weather promise. Early spring is high season for lemons, and these bars will bring a warming ray of sunshine to your plate.

The key to a good lemon bar, in my book, is that the filling must be intensely lemony. It should pack a wallop of puckery tartness balanced by just enough sweetness without being cloying. For this task, rely on the Eureka lemon, the ubiquitous lemon readily found in our markets. They have the requisite tartness for these bars, which their sunny cousin, the Meyer lemon, lacks. No knocks to Meyers -- they are delicious in their own right. However, they're likened to a cross between a lemon and a tangerine and are noted for their sweetness and lack of tartness.

The infallible Eureka lemon will deliver the zingy, cheek-sucking filling you want for these bars. A thick curd, rippling with lemon zest, is spread over a simple, supportive shortbread crust. A smidge of sea salt is a final flourish, which deftly highlights the lemon while restraining the sugars from tipping into a sugary abyss. Now if you’ll excuse me, all this writing has made me crave another bar.

Lemon Bars

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: Makes 16 (2-inch-square) bars

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened but still cool, cut into cubes

Filling:

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Sea salt flakes, for sprinkling (optional)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch-square baking pan, then line the pan with parchment.

Combine the crust ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix until the dough is lumpy and just begins to stick together. Dump the dough into the prepared pan and evenly press the dough to cover the bottom of the pan.

Bake the crust until it just begins to turn golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, but do not turn off the oven heat.

Whisk the filling ingredients together in a large bowl until blended. Pour the filling over the crust. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the filling is set but not coloring, about 25 minutes. Remove and cool completely on a rack.

Cut into bars. Dust with powdered sugar and lightly sprinkle with sea salt flakes.

581-7500

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood