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Of course, the benefits of a home-cooked meal extend beyond nutrition—as the Pollan sisters, who have ten children between them, know firsthand. "We ate dinner together every night as kids," Lori continues. "It was the highlight of the day. Mom was always trying new things. Our friends would come for dinner and exclaim over her artichokes, which they had never seen before."

"Nobody else was making artichokes at home in the '70s!" Tracy says. "Or Mexican food, Indian food or Italian food."

"She made it look effortless," Dana says.

Cooking for your family may be simpler than you think, but choosing what to make every night can be a challenge—though being part of a clan as tightly knit as this one does help. The Pollan women, all but one of whom live within walking distance of one another, have quite the culinary phone tree going on.

"We're constantly calling each other up to ask, 'What are you doing for dinner tonight? I don't know what to make. I can't even think!'" Lori says. She peeks into the oven to see how the pecan tartlets are coming along.

This crowdsourcing strategy makes sense, considering that each member of the family has her own specialty. Dana is known for unfussy cooking, Lori for vegetables. Corky is the queen of sweets.

Get the Recipe: Pecan Tartlets

Next: The two-bite appetizer anyone can make

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