It's the time of year when the best dinners are made with love and served at home. Give the dining scene (and Takeout Taxi) a night off and break out the cookware and the nice china. Need inspiration? We asked chefs at some of the best places around town for their favorite cold-weather recipes, and they delivered. Go ahead, try on your own chef's hat. If it doesn't turn out how you hope, the real deal is just a short drive away.

Part I: Soups & Stews: Warm, soothing, and sometimes deceptively complex, soup is the ultimate meal when the temperature drops.

Eddie V's Roasted Butternut Squash and Lobster Soup, from Scottsdale executive chef Brian Feirstein

INGREDIENTS:
(For the lobster milk)
6-8 each lobster bodies
2 cups of brandy
1 gallon of whole milk
½ gallon of heavy cream
½ cup of blended oil

(For the Butternut Squash Soup)
6-8 each butternut squash peeled and seeded
2 cups of brandy
3 each shallots (sliced thin)
Salt and pepper to taste
½ Tbsp of ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp of blended oil
Lobster milk

PREPARATION:

(For the Lobster Milk)
Heat oil in heavy bottom stock pot
Add lobster bodies and cook until bright red.
A nice fond should develop on the bottom of the pan, once it does deglaze it with brandy.
Make sure brandy is added off of the heat to avoid it from catching on fire.
Reduce brandy to au sec.
Add in dairy and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and allow it to steep for 45 min.
While milk is steeping, proceed to butternut squash.

(For the Butternut Squash Soup)
Cut peeled and seeded squash into large dice.
Heat a heavy bottom sauce pot and add oil.
Add shallots and sweat.
Once soft, add in squash, and season with salt and pepper to caramelize.
Once the orange color is achieved, deglaze with brandy and reduce to au sec.
Add nutmeg and lobster milk.
Cook until squash is soft.
Blend until smooth adjusting the seasoning as needed.

Café Chino's Wonton Soup, by chef May Chan

INGREDIENTS:
½ lb. ground chicken
1 Tbsp green onion (green part only)
Salt & pepper
Couple drops of soy sauce
Good chicken stock
Dash of sesame oil and soy sauce
1 package wonton wrap

PREPARATION:
Mix first 4 things together and wrap the wonton like ravioli
Cook in salt boiling water for 3-5 min. or until done
Cook the chicken stock, salt and pepper, sesame oil and soy sauce
Put the wonton in a bowl and serve with hot soup
Add green onion or any cooked vegetable as you like to the soup

Tony's Signature Chili, by owner Tony Vallone

(Though not technically a recipe, Tony gave us the how-to behind one of his most popular dishes: try to recreate it or grab it to-go from the man himself.)

Begin by trimming off all fat—Tony uses only prime beef
Part of the meat is ground and part is left in stew-meat-type chunks
Saute it
Thoroughly saute onions and garlic
Combine that with the meat with cumin, chili powder, a touch of oregano
Add a bit of water, add Italian tomatoes blended well, salt and pepper to taste
Simmer on the lowest flame possible for two hours after having brought the mixture to a light roll
Serve with cheese, red onions, jalapeños and homemade tortilla chips

Prego's Smoked Butternut and Apple Soup, by executive chef John Wyatt

INGREDIENTS:
18 ounces butternut squash, halved and seeded (save seeds and parings)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 parsley sprigs
Greens of one leek, washed and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
½ chopped onion
6 ounces Granny Smith apples, peeled cored and chopped
¼ ounce jalepeno peppers, seeded and minced
17 ounces water
Sachet (1 bay leaf, 5 sprigs fresh thyme and 1 tablespoon white peppercorns tied in cheesecloth bag)
2 ounces dry sherry
½ tablespoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper

PREPARATION:
Smoke half of the squash halves for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove squash from smoker and place with remaining squash halves in a flat pan, cut side down.
Bake until soft, approximately 30 minutes.
Scoop out pulp and set aside.
Combine garlic, leek greens, squash seeds & parings & parsley with water.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
Strain.
Sweat carrots, onion, celery, jalepeño, and apple in their own juices in a soup.
Add squash pulp, stock, wine and sachet, Simmer for approximately 45 minutes or until flavors mellow.
Remove sachet.
Pour into blender and blend until very smooth.
Return to saucepan and reheat.
Add salt and pepper.