| Good Saturday morning, everyone. We've officially entered my absolute favorite month of the year, in part because of personal milestones, gorgeous weather and all the apples at the farmers market waiting for my beloved seasonal bakes. Last week, I talked about how much I adore ground sumac for the way it can enliven a wide array of dishes with its tart, almost fruity essence. Of course, assertive flavor isn't the only way to punch up a recipe. Texture is just as important to how we experience food — the crackle of a hot french fry, the lusciousness of a chocolate bonbon, the snap of a briny pickle. One of my go-to ingredients for introducing textural interest into a dish is as much a pantry staple as any spice: panko. These crisp and flaky Japanese-style breadcrumbs make their finer-ground cousins seem boring in comparison. The size and shape are ideal for when you want to add impressive crunch, whether that's breading a chicken cutlet, topping eggplant parm or garnishing a plate of pasta. Panko can also be used as a filler in meatballs or crab cakes, in the same way you'd employ regular breadcrumbs. In fact, if you were only going to keep one type of breadcrumb in your pantry, I suggest you make it panko. (It's fairly easy to find gluten-free versions, too.) If you need something smaller-grained, you can always crush or grind panko to a more uniform texture. Panko truly shines on top of a casserole, especially mac and cheese. You'll find a golden layer of it on top of this week's 'Nduja Mac and Cheese, which Aaron Hutcherson shared from Gurdeep Loyal's cookbook "Flavour Heroes." The breadcrumbs mingle with a scattering of funky, creamy blue cheese, though the "hero" in this particular recipe is 'nduja, a spicy, spreadable sausage whose texture melts into the dish as dramatically as the panko's stands out. It's exactly the kind of meal I'm craving as chilly temperatures set in. Texture is also the name of the game with Daniela Galarza's Skillet Pepperoni Pizza. This 15-minute bar-style "pie" starts by rendering pepperoni slices in the pan until they curl up and their fat renders. Next goes in a topped 8-inch flour tortilla, which crisps in the pepperoni grease, creating lovely little layers that separate in a way that reminded me of the Domino's-Style Thin-Crust Pizza former Food and Dining editor Joe Yonan shared earlier this year. Sure, the skillet pizza is vastly different from chewy, yeasty delivery (or frozen) pies, but when you don't have the patience or money to spring for takeout, this definitely scratches that itch. On the opposite end of the spectrum is food writer Emily Horton's silky Scrappy Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup. This cheesy, thrifty recipe makes use of underappreciated brassica stems and cores, which readily soften and break down in the blender. For a hit of crunch, serve the soup topped with a flotilla of croutons. You'll find a velvety consistency in the sauce that bathes the Orange Chicken Piccata With Shallots, which Ellie Krieger adapted from cookbook author Lindsey Baruch. Piccata is usually made with lemon, but here the alternative citrus offers a more floral and subtly sweet flavor that dovetails nicely with the shallots and pickled capers. A bit of flour in the sauce thickens it just enough to come together and cling to the chicken. You won't believe this dinner-party-worthy dish takes only 30 minutes to make. Aaron and I will be back in front of our computers Wednesday at noon Eastern to host our weekly live cooking chat. It's always a fun hour of solving your kitchen conundrums and trading tips, so send along your questions now and plan on returning when we get things started. Until next week, happy cooking. | 
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