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Add the crushed tomatoes and their juice, sun-dried tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low and stir in the baking soda. Add the half-and-half, stir well, and bring to a simmer. Do not boil.

Carefully transfer the soup, in batches if necessary, to a blender and puree until smooth.

Season with salt and pepper.

HOW LONG? 25 MINUTES

HOW MUCH? 4 SERVINGS

CHAPTER FOUR

MAINLY SPEAKING

Head Case Pesto Chicken

Deep-Dish Pesto and Prosciutto Tortilla Pizza

Panko-Crusted Salmon Croquettes

Garlic-Lime Steak with Avocado Salsa

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Child’s Play Spice and Brown Sugar–Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

Lamb Kofta with Tzatziki

Mustard-Thyme Chicken with White Wine Pan Sauce

Chicken Mole

Peppery Pumpkin Risotto

Anchovy Butter Chicken with Fettuccine

Toasted Cumin and Rosemary–Rubbed Lamb Chops

Chili Balsamic Marinated Sirloin with Fettuccine and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Doro Wat Chicken

Red Curry Beef

Panko and Parmesan–Crusted Cod with Wilted Spinach

Middle Eastern Chicken and Veggies with Hummus

Wasabi Miso Glazed Salmon

Ground Turkey Moussaka

American Chop Suey

Middle Eastern Beef with Apples and Couscous

Beef Stroganoff with Egg Noodles and Sour Cream

Turkey, Leek, and Gouda White Pizza

Pulled Pork over Soft Polenta

Spicy Ground Lamb with Hummus

Baked Breaded Eggplant with Marinara

Roasted Rosemary-Rubbed Chicken Breasts and Cherry Tomatoes

Chili-Stuffed Twice-Baked Potatoes

Bangers and Mash

Pork Chops with Red Wine Cranberry Sauce

Curried Haddock with Coconut Milk

Sweet-and-Savory BBQ Chicken

Chinese Pie (What the Rest of the World Calls Shepherd’s Pie)

Cheater Chicken Curry

Spicy Black Bean, Sausage, and Rice Burrito

Chicken Chimichurri with Roasted Asparagus and New Potatoes

White Wine Braised Chicken

Porcini Chicken with Wilted Spinach

Barbecue Pulled Chicken Nachos

North African Grilled Chicken

Prosciutto-Baked Tilapia Stuffed with Sun-Dried Tomato Tapenade

Hummus Meatballs

Three-Chip Baked Chicken Cutlets with Cranberry Sauce

Ginger Tomato Shrimp Curry

Panko-Coated Chicken Cutlets with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

I’ve been dreading this for several years, but it’s time to come clean and come out of the closet. Mom doesn’t know. She probably won’t like it. My wife does know. She does like it.

I’m talking about meat. The animal type. I eat it.

A ho-hum revelation except that my first cookbook won 2004 book of the year from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. It was vegan. I was vegan.

Now I’m not. In a big way. And this book most definitely isn’t. (Have you seen how much bacon and prosciutto I call for?)

The Associated Press is to blame.

Six years ago, my job changed. I went from doing a weekly vegetarian cooking column to overseeing food coverage for the AP. And since part of the job is developing recipes that appear in your local newspaper, staying the vegan course suddenly seemed a career hazard.

So I embraced meat. In a really big way. As in we recently hosted a pig roast party.

Not a big deal, except that I wrote that first book with Mom, who has been vegetarian since before I was born. I didn’t have the heart to break it to her.

And so for the past few years, I haven’t lied, but I also haven’t confessed. She hasn’t asked how I abstain while running a department responsible for everything from July Fourth burgers and Thanksgiving turkey to Easter ham and Christmas goose.

Willful ignorance meets passive deception? Sorry, Mom.

Head Case Pesto Chicken

This one is named for the head of garlic used in the pesto, which doubles as marinade and sauce.

This is a great dish to prepare in the morning and let marinate all day. The pesto can even be made a day ahead. Serve the chicken with plenty of pasta or rice to sop up the sauce.

If you have the time and own a mortar and pestle, use it instead of the food processor to make the pesto. The flavor is better, and bashing garlic is oddly therapeutic.

1 small head garlic (about