Thanksgivings growing up were always all about the side dishes for me. Mashed potatoes, roasted veggies, green beans, candied yams, and my absolutely favorite—stuffing. Or, as my dad always calls it, dressing. Whatever name you call it, it is hands-down the highlight of Thanksgiving meal for me, and what I look forward to every year…

One of my favorite special occasion meals growing up was a pasta with cauliflower dish that my dad adapted from a recipe out of a cookbook from Nick Stellino: My mom and I have never liked anchovies, so my dad always omitted the paste from his version. Over the years he made some other adaptations,…