It's the time of year when I have an urge to travel. Call it cabin fever or simply the craving to be somewhere warm and exotic, where the sights, sounds and smells of a new culture are revitalizing. It just so happens that this is also the time of year when my urge to travel collides with real life. It's the middle of the school year, I have work deadlines and the contents of my piggy bank were spent at Christmas. So, instead, I improvise, and my travel occurs in the kitchen, where I replace my passport with the jars in my spice cabinet and concoct recipes inspired by the flavors and aromas of far-flung destinations.

This lamb stew is inspired by the cuisine of North Africa; I've combined elements of a traditional Moroccan tagine with Mrouzia, a rich celebratory stew flavored with fruit and honey. This Moroccan stew's sweetness is scaled back by reducing the honey (or brown sugar, in this case) and relying on dried apricots, which melt into the stock while simmering.

A key ingredient in this recipe is ras el hanout, which is an important spice blend in North African cuisine. The name, translated, means "head of the shop" -- or the best on offer -- and includes a laundry list of aromatic and piquant spices. Like many spice blends, there is no singular way to make it, and variations exist from home to home and merchant to merchant. You can find ras el hanout in the spice section of your supermarket or in specialty stores. (Or you can just make your own blend.)

Moroccan Lamb Stew With Chickpeas and Apricots

(Note: The meat can be rubbed with the spices and cooked straightaway, but if you have the time, rub the meat the night before preparing and refrigerate. The longer the meat can marinate in the spices, the deeper the flavor.)

Active time: 1 hour

Total time: 4 hours

Yield: 6 servings

1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

2 teaspoons salt, divided

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

2 1/2 to 3 pounds lamb shoulder or leg, excess fat trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

1 medium onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon grated fresh peeled ginger

1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

1 (15-ounce) can crushed Italian plum tomatoes

2 to 3 cups chicken stock

12 dried unsulphured apricots (or dried figs), halved

1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick

2 teaspoons ras el hanout

1 large carrot, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey

Harissa or red chili paste, optional

Fresh cilantro sprigs

Combine the 1/4 cup olive oil, the coriander, cumin, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl and mix to form a paste. Place the lamb in a large bowl and rub the paste all over the meat. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour (or refrigerate for up to 24 hours).

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven or ovenproof pot with lid over medium-high. Add the lamb in batches and brown on all sides, taking care to not overcrowd the pan. Transfer the lamb to a plate or bowl and repeat with remaining lamb.

Pour off the fat and add 1 tablespoon oil and the onion to the same pot. Saute the onion over medium until softened, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring up the brown bits. Add the garlic, ginger and red chili flakes and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, 2 cups chicken stock, the apricots, cinnamon stick, ras el hanout, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Return the lamb and any collected juices to the pot and submerge in the stock. (Add more chicken stock to cover, if necessary.) Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and transfer to the oven and cook until the lamb is tender, about 2 hours, stirring once or twice.

Transfer the pot to the stovetop and stir in the carrots and chickpeas. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the carrots are tender and the sauce reduces and thickens to a stew consistency, about 20 minutes, skimming the fat as much as possible. Stir in the brown sugar and taste for seasoning. If more heat is desired, stir in a few teaspoons of harissa.

Serve warm, ladled over couscous, and garnish with cilantro.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

It took a good long while for me to reconcile with the flavor of beets. I eyed them from the sidelines, attracted to the striking colors of their nutrient-rich flesh, yet wary of their earthy flavor. As a cook, I wished to like beets, and as a parent, I wanted to serve them -- so I willed myself to eat beets until I learned to love them.

At first, I took baby steps. I nibbled small bites. I doused them with citrus. I grew bolder and roasted beets in olive oil, and discovered that fire and char nicely counteract their earthy flavor. My go-to beet became the golden variety, which is pleasantly mild and nutty. Eventually, I succeeded; with time, my family followed me down the beet path and became converts.

This recipe is one of my favorite ways to eat beets, especially in the winter, when rich gratins are warm and satisfying. It's also a great way to introduce the beetroot to any skeptical family members. Small or baby beets are mild and sweet, and their flavor is less assertive than their grown-up relatives. In this recipe, they are thinly sliced and smothered in layers of garlic-infused sour cream flecked with orange zest and a generous shower of nutty Gruyere cheese. All the ingredients meld together, and while the beets are present, they are not overwhelming in flavor. As they cook, the beets release their juices and saturate the dish with spectacular color, which makes this one of the prettiest gratins I have seen.

So give it a try, and let the skeptics eat with their eyes -- and also, hopefully, with a fork.

Roasted Beet Gratin

Active time: 30 minutes

Total time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Yield: makes 1 (8-by-8-inch) gratin or 6 (4-ounce) ramekins

Unsalted butter

2 cups (16 ounces) whole milk sour cream

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

16 baby beets, about 2 pounds trimmed, scrubbed clean

4 ounces finely grated Gruyere cheese

Finely chopped thyme leaves

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-by-8-inch square gratin dish (or 6 individual ramekins). Whisk the sour cream, garlic, orange zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a bowl.

Thinly slice the beets with a mandoline or knife.

Arrange 1/3 of the beets in the baking dish so they're slightly overlapping. Spoon 1/3 of the sour cream mixture over the beets, carefully spreading to cover. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over the top. Lightly season with salt, pepper and a pinch of thyme. Repeat with two more layers.

Transfer the gratin to the oven and bake until the beets are tender and the gratin is bubbly and golden, about 50 minutes. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

When it's cold, snowy and gray outside, it's the season for root vegetables. We can count on these not-so-fair-weather friends to usher us through the frigid months, gracing our tables and fortifying our diets with their sweet, nutrient-rich roots. These winter workhorses are storehouses of energy, flavor and natural sugar -- guaranteed to brighten up your plate and palate on a dreary, chilly day.

In this recipe, root vegetables replace the ever-popular russet potato, and while they are called "fries," they are oven-roasted, so you can feel virtuous while you scarf down a batch. Mix and match your favorite roots and spices to your taste. If you can get your hands on purple sweet potatoes, give them a try -- they have a slightly spiced and sweet earthy flavor, and remain firm while roasting.

As for peeling, I prefer to leave my organic root vegetables unpeeled and simply give them a good scrub because their skins are a wonderful source of nutrients and flavor. Roast one root vegetable or choose a variety for striking color. I prefer a combination of parsnips, carrots, celery root, rutabaga and sweet potato.

Roasted Root Vegetable Fries

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

2 pounds root vegetables, such as parsnips, carrots, celery root, rutabaga and sweet potato

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Dipping Sauce:

3/4 cup Greek whole milk yogurt

1 tablespoon Sriracha

1 small garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the root vegetables into 2-inch batons, about 1/3-inch thick. Place in a large bowl. Add the oil and generously season with salt and pepper; toss to thoroughly coat.

Spread the vegetables in one layer on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment. Roast on the lowest rack of the oven until golden brown on the bottoms, about 15 minutes. Move the baking sheet to the top rack of the oven and roast until the vegetables are tender and golden brown on top, about 15 more minutes. (If desired, turn on the broiler for the last few minutes of roasting.)

While the vegetables are roasting, whisk dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Serve the fries warm with the dipping sauce.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS