Bell Pepper

This hearty stew was inspired by the flavors of Spain and Portugal. Because it can be made ahead, it's a perfect dish to enjoy after a day of skiing or other winter play. Offer the stew with some crusty bread and a chilled bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. Follow with the curly endive salad. For dessert, serve a seasonal fruit tart from your favorite bakery.

This flavorful bread uses just a tad of canola oil instead of lots of butter.

Dry-toasting the barley adds a nutty taste and helps the barley retain its texture in this excellent meatless dish.

By mid-decade, indulgence foods were back with a vengeance-a sign that too much of a good-for-you thing was starting to get boring at the dinner table. And when the diet gurus switched their focus from complex carbohydrates to protein, steak regained some respect from nutrition buffs. Also, many specialty foods shops began catering to the most health-conscious meat eaters by offering beef raised without hormones.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Turkey Meatloaf .

This is a satisfying vegetarian main course that takes full advantage of the flavor possibilities of garlic, here cooked until soft for sweetness and body, sautéed until golden for depth, and added raw for brightness.

Make the components of this salad early in the day, then toss in the shrimp just before serving. (Buy cooked shrimp, if you like, to save a little time.) Offer cold Mexican beers and Margaritas alongside.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional sitting time.

This is a great summer salad, perfect with all kinds of barbecue and grilled foods. It's also a wonderful way to brighten up a winter dinner of broiled chicken or beef.

"For my birthday," writes Cynthia Black of Kansas City, Missouri, "my husband took me to Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale. One night we ate dinner at Top of the Rock, a restaurant at the resort. As a side dish, they served incredible cheese and jalapeño grits." This colorful side dish would be delicious with roast chicken, steak, or pork.

The salsa has a nice balance of sweet and spicy flvaors and is a perfect compliment to purchased frozen spring rolls or egg rolls.

This dish is delicious over couscous, which will absorb the flavorful broth.

South of Goa, the coastline of Karnataka state is scalloped with palm, mango, and jackfruit trees. This recipe comes from the city of Mangalore, where it is usually made with bangade, a small fish resembling smelt. We used salmon for this curry. And, when we can find them, we toss in about 10 fresh curry leaves along with the onion, garlic, and gingerroot.

Many years ago there was a health food restaurant on Hollywood's famed Sunset Strip named The Aware Inn. It was the first to make hamburgers, called "Swingers," stuffed with a mix of onions, tomatoes, and green peppers — almost a salsa except it was sandwiched between the meat. They tasted so good, we have been preparing hamburgers this way ever since.