Cheese

This salad yields generous portions. Combined with a loaf of crusty bread, it’s easily a meal in itself.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A yellow pepper purée gives these egg white omelets color and tenderness without adding fat.

Capirotada The cheese in this recipe melts into the pudding and contributes more texture than flavor.

Tortelli di Zucca con Mandorle Don't be fooled by the broth — this is not a soup recipe. Only a very small amount of broth is poured over the tortelli before serving. To grate the cheese, use the ragged-edged holes of a box grater (not the teardrop-shaped holes we recommend in our Recipe Tips). That way, you'll have the correct texture for the filling. Active time: 2 hr Start to finish: 6 1/4 hr (includes making stock)

The rice-shaped pasta orzo is sometimes labeled riso or rosamarina.

A rich, delicious stove-top side dish with a silky texture. This pairs especially well with the Porcini-Rubbed Turkey with Shiitake-Madeira Gravy — or grilled steaks on any other day in November. You can make the potatoes eight hours ahead and reheat them just before serving.

October is the beginning of white truffle season, but if you have trouble finding white truffles, don't despair — these soufflés are delicious without them. Much of the deep flavor of this dish comes from Bra Tenero cheese. We tried lots of alternatives, and American Münster was the closest, though it won't turn the same golden brown color.

Crusty Italian bread and a simple salad round out a delicious meatless meal. What to drink: A robust Italian Barbera.

Ana Garcia of Cuernavaca, Mexico, writes: "My great-grandmother, Josefina, was a highly regarded butcher, and she taught me the communal style of cooking that Mexico is known for. That's one of the reasons I opened my own cooking school, La Villa Bonita — to show others how authentic Mexican cuisine is prepared, as opposed to the usual tacos, burritos, and Tex-Mex dishes. "My husband, Robb, and I also run our own restaurant, Reposado. He insisted that we open the place because he thought my recipes deserved a wider audience. At the restaurant I like to experiment — the menu at Reposado is nouvelle Mexican — but at my cooking school I feature more traditional recipes. Working at both places gives me the chance to show off both cooking styles. " Unlike the classic delicate flans, these are made with condensed milk and cream cheese, which results in a rich texture.

In this rendition of a classic antipasto, fresh herbs infuse the olive oil marinades, which double as dressings.

(Pastiera Napoletana) "My mother, who is a native of Calabria, Italy, but now resides in Brooklyn, learned to make the Neapolitan specialty, pastiera napoletana, from her sister-in-law when my parents were married, in 1941," writes Marie Pacella of Howard Beach, New York. "Since then, our family and close friends look forward to having this pie every Easter. My mother and my daughter and I still get together to make them—it has become a family tradition.

Donna Knowlton of Atlanta, Georgia, writes: "As the oldest of five children growing up in rural West Virginia, I was always helping in the kitchen. Today I mostly cook pasta and seafood dishes because they're so easy. My husband is a doctor and works long hours, but we still like sharing a meal at the end of the day. I don't want to be in the kitchen late at night making something complicated, so I rely on dishes that can be ready in minutes."

Jim Fobel, cookbook author, says. "My mother never put sun-dried tomatoes in her mashed potatoes, as I do in this recipe. She made them ahead, then topped them with Parmesan and butter, and baked them. I've always loved those potatoes, and the layer of chopped sun-dried tomatoes I've added provides some terrific extra flavor."