Bell Pepper

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Jean Anderson, author of The American Century Cookbook, traces the origin of sloppy joes to the depression-era 1930s, and the popularity of this messy ground-beef sandwich increased markedly in the fifties and sixties. We update it with ground turkey, canned diced chilies and ale.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 3 1/4 hr

Unlike most tamal recipes, which use dried corn (masa harina), this one is Cuban-style, made with fresh corn kernels. I've also added a different touch by replacing the traditional pork filling with conch. The flavor and texture proved very popular at Yuca, and it remained on the menu as a fixture. These tamales are very convenient for entertaining. They can be made ahead of time and frozen, or kept in the refrigerator and then popped in the microwave. In fact, it's not worth making a smaller batch, so you'll probably want to freeze some of them. Likewise, the pesto can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated.

Parmesan isn't usually served with seafood pasta, but the cheese adds a nice richness to this linguine.

A cross between spoon bread and tamale pie, this flavorful, colorful side dish is a huge crowd-pleaser. Assemble it at least one hour and up to one day before baking.

Once roasted, the peppers are gently simmered with Sherry wine vinegar and garlic.

To clean leeks, trim off 3 inches of the green and then slice them in half lengthwise. Run under cold water to remove sand, then continue with the recipe.

For a picnic, transport the soup in a thermos.

Linguiça is a garlic-flavored Portuguese sausage available at most supermarkets. Serve with: Frisée salad drizzled with a red wine vinaigrette.

A great way to make a different and light meal with leftover lamb.

If you have leftover cooked chicken or turkey on hand, use it instead of the shrimp.