Rather than waiting for someone to give you a treat, why not make one of your favorites for yourself? Something you can snack on all week when no one's around. Or, better yet, something you don't have to share. Food writer T. Susan Chang recommends slow-roasted pecans, salty-sweet matzo candy and more.

Salted and aged, the fruit develops mellow yet intensely lemony flavor, with none of the nose-tickling bright, high notes of the fresh version. Though they do take some time, preserved lemons are easy to make, keep practically forever, and make everything around them seem a little sweeter.

Like many other intrinsically boring foods — say, tofu or grits — lentils shine because they get out of the way. They provide a vehicle and a backdrop for other flavors — whether it's good olive oil and gently gilded onions, or ground spices and lemony pesto.

If you're the sort of person who thinks nothing of a midnight turn on the dance floor, you can handle mixing up a simple dough or cracking a couple of eggs while the moon sets sail across the sky. Then, when morning comes, flip on the oven or stovetop, and sip your coffee smugly while breakfast essentially makes itself.

Culinary scholars and serious home cooks share their hard-won wisdom in 11 new cookbooks. They've spent years toiling in the kitchen, and now these experts are here to help you perfect your roast, indulge your sweet tooth or feed your 12-year-old.