Recipes! Chocolate Peanut Butter Apology Cookies; Spaghetti With Meat Sauce; Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes and more

What to cook during the week ahead, from Post Food editors.

We can use food to say so much. I'm thinking of you. I appreciate you. I like you and I want to impress you, but please don't judge me based on my cooking skills. (That was me, 20 years ago.) I love you.

For food writer Jaime Lewis, a batch of Chocolate Peanut Butter Apology Cookies helps her say one specific thing: "I'm sorry." As Jaime explains in her essay, "I come from a long line of angry folks, and I have always hoped that I'd be the one to change." Even with all the work she has put in, sometimes she still loses her cool. "The best way I know to repair the damage is with food." Whether you're asking someone for forgiveness or just want to do something nice, it would be hard to say no to these generous cookies packed with crunchy peanut butter and dark chocolate chunks.

So many of us felt the love our parents put into the food they fed us when we were younger, and Aaron Hutcherson is no different. This week, he shared a recipe for Spaghetti With Meat Sauce, a riff on the dish his mother made for his family many, many times. His version uses Italian sausage and Italian seasoning, as well as onions, for bold flavor, with just the right amount of brown sugar for sweetness.

If you're looking to say "thank you," allow me to direct you to Ellie Krieger's Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes. While they'd be just the thing to serve to the moms in your life on Mother's Day next week, these light and bright whole-wheat and almond flapjacks would show anyone that you care.

Does your idea of conveying appreciation look more like a party for your nearest and dearest? Anna Rodriguez has just the recipe. Tacos de Canasta (Basket Tacos) are a staple of the Mexico City street food scene, and they work particularly well if you need to serve a crowd. Pile your choice of potato or chorizo tacos (or both) painted with a vivid guajillo chile oil into a lined basket or pot. Entertaining, done! It takes some effort, but the payoff is more than worth it.

We're here to help you find a dish no matter the occasion or feeling, so be sure to join Aaron and me in our live weekly chat on Wednesday at noon Eastern. We'll be taking your questions, sharing your wonderful advice and just generally having a good time. Submit your queries now, and come back next week to join the conversation.

For now, happy cooking!