Dutch Oven

If you can, buy fresh shrimp with shells and heads still intact. If the heads have been removed, don't worry. Peel the shrimp and use the shells to make shrimp stock. Put the shells (and heads) in a small stockpot. Add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for about 1 hour. Remove from the heat, strain through a fine sieve, and set aside. If you don't have shrimp stock, water can be substituted.

If you love spaghetti and meatballs, then you'll love this upmarket rendition featuring perciatelli-long, hollow pasta. The noodles are topped with a rich tomato and porcini mushroom sauce, and meatballs made with ground veal, Italian sausage and more porcini. Start things off with an antipasto platter of olive, assorted marinated vegetables and cured meats. Offer breadsticks alongside, and pour a full-bodied Chianti.

Here's a hearty and satisfying "Mexican lasagna" that comes together quickly.

White rice, currants and pine nuts also go into the filling for this regional specialty.

Any leftover compote is great served over vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Typical of hearty vegetable dishes of the Apulian region of Italy is this easy-to-make mixture of cabbage, onion and prosciutto.

In Austria, warming bowls of goulash soup are served in all kinds of establishments — from quick-service restaurants along the Autobahn to Vienna's elegant Hotel Bristol. This hearty beef and vegetable soup can be found in many areas of central and eastern Europe, especially in regions that were once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Our satisfying rendition has chunks of beef and potato plus red peppers, bacon, onions, and garlic, all fragrant with paprika.

Bianco Another Corfiote fish recipe with an Italian-sounding name. Bianco is pungent with garlic and is called "white" because it is made without tomatoes.

Dill is the secret seasoning in this hearty stew. Serve it with lots of bread.

Although lamb is not commonly found in Chinese dishes, Hong Kong restaurants reach out to explore every nuance of Asian cuisine. Lamb is popular with the nomads of Mongolia and Manchuria; they would most likely cook the meat in a firepot. Here it's used in a more delicate stir-fry.

A winner in the Bon Appétit Recipes Sweepstakes, a reader poll conducted in honor of the brand’s 50th anniversary.

Here's an easy dish to cook ahead for company. Serve it with buttered noodles or mashed potatoes, then add a vegetable to round out a comforting meal.