Good morning. Besha Rodell has a terrific interview with my old colleague Nigella Lawson in The New York Times today, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of her cookbook “How to Eat.” The article shows Nigella off in all her glamour and erudition, and explores her incandescent fame in Britain, while at the same time underscoring her plain-spoken argument that really what we all ought to be doing more of is cooking at home, and sharing the bounty with family and friends.

To go with it: a classic recipe from “How to Eat,” for beef tenderloin with red wine, anchovies, garlic and thyme (above). You might make that this weekend and toast Nigella when you do. Or take a spin through 20 of her most popular recipes on NYT Cooking, recipes she wrote when she was a columnist for The Times. For her coq au Riesling alone, you’ll be shouting praise and thanks.

On Wednesdays, of course, I don’t just advocate for cooking recipes but for cooking without them as well. I wrote all about that this past week in a special section, “You Don’t Need a Recipe,” and offered a collection of 38 no-recipe recipes to go along with the prose.

Here’s another, for this evening: seared scallops, with a parsley salad. For the scallops: scallops, fat as field mice, and a honking big pat of butter or a spoonful of bacon or duck fat. Sear them hard on one side over high heat, then turn them carefully and heat through, then serve with the salad. Which is chopped parsley, sliced shallot, a little olive oil, a lot of lemon juice and a sprinkle of kosher salt. Maybe some toast on the side? These midwinter scallops are so sweet and luscious I like to have a little crunch from the bread, just for contrast.

Or you could make pizza, if you made dough in advance as I advised the other day. (Have you seen Suzanne Lenzer’s recipe for quick pizza dough?) To top yours tonight, try tomato sauce, mozzarella, banana peppers, sliced red onion and a healthy drizzle of Julia Moskin’s classic ranch dressing. That’s a taste of America right there, and pretty fantastic. (Also great: Julia’s report today on the opening of Upside Pizza, a fancy new slice shop in Midtown that has dollar-slice backing.)

No to scallops? No to pizza? How about some white-bean burgers tonight, then? You could make a fennel and apple salad with walnuts. Or a big bowl of loaded miso soup. Or some Kerala roadside chicken.

Thousands and thousands more recipes are waiting for you on NYT Cooking. (Please subscribe if you haven’t already!) Visit us as well on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. (You can find me out there, too: @samsifton.) And please write for help if anything goes wrong along the way, either with our technology or your cooking: [email protected].

Now, it doesn’t have anything to do with parsnips or sugar cookies, but “Russian Doll” sent me down a Harry Nilsson rabbit hole and I think you’ll like this 1971 recording of him playing “Gotta Get Up” for the BBC.

Elizabeth Dias on gay Catholic priests in The Times is just devastating.

How into wrestling is the state of Iowa? The Des Moines Register didn’t just cover the state high school championship last week. It published every photograph its staff took during the tournament.

Finally, if you read Fredrik Backman’s novel “Beartown,” you may wish to return to the town for his sequel, “Us Against You.” It’s deceptively simple, kinda tricky work, manipulative but kind, arresting. See you on Friday.

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