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6 garlic cloves, chopped

1¾ cups canned diced tomatoes

2 teaspoons stemmed thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1½ teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1 bay leaf

2½ cups Arborio or Valencia rice

Have a large platter standing by to hold all the meat that you’ll brown. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. (If you’re going to use a 14-inch cast-iron pan to make the paella, use it to brown the meat.) Swirl in 2 tablespoons olive oil, then slip in the quails and brown on both sides, about 8 minutes in total. Transfer to the platter.

Add the chorizo and cook, stirring often, until well browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the platter as well; cover and set in the refrigerator.

Drain all but 2 tablespoons fat from the pan and slip the rabbit quarters into the pan. Cook, turning once, until browned, about 8 minutes.

Pour in the broth, red wine, and saffron; bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits in the pan. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer slowly until the rabbit is tender and cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove the rabbit to the platter and cool until you can handle it, about 10 minutes. Keep the cooking liquid warm in the skillet over very low heat; you should have about 4 cups broth (add more if necessary).

Once the rabbit has cooled, so you can handle it, take the meat off the bones, discarding the bones and cutting the meat into bite-sized pieces. Also take the meat off the duck confit legs, shredding it with a fork. Set all the meat aside at room temperature.

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.

Heat a 14-inch paella pan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Swirl in the remaining 4 tablespoons (¼ cup) oil and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the tomatoes, thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and bay leaf. Cook, stirring often, until almost all the liquid has been absorbed, about 10 minutes.

Add the rice to the pan and stir over the heat until translucent, about 1 minute. Strain the warmed broth mixture into the pan (thereby removing any bits of bones and such) and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Tuck all the meat into the simmering sauce, arranging it around the pan. Place in the oven and bake until almost all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is fairly tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and set aside at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: If you use standard canned beef broth, enrich it with 2 teaspoons beef or veal demi-glace, found in the freezer case of high-end markets.

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Beans and Lentils

With their high protein content, dense pack of important minerals (like calcium, phosphorus, and iron), and portability when dried, these legumes have been a staple for at least four thousand years. Dried beans should be firm and tight with few cracks, wrinkles, or indentations (all signs of improper storage).

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Black-Eyed Pea and Ham Hock Stew

Black-eyed peas are a popular American legume, originally from China but brought to the States via the slave trade. Makes 6 servingss

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 celery ribs, thinly sliced

1 quart (4 cups) vegetable broth

3½ cups canned diced tomatoes, drained in a fine-mesh colander in the sink

1 cup dried black-eyed peas

2 teaspoons stemmed thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

One 1-pound smoked ham hock, preferably nitrate-free

1 garlic head, roasted

Heat a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. Swirl in the peanut oil, then add the onion and celery. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the broth, tomatoes, black-eyed peas, thyme, and cayenne; bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Nestle the ham hock into the stew; then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Remove the hock from the stew; cut the meat off the bone and shred it into small bits. Stir these