Scallion

As a working mother with four daughters, my mom had very little spare time, yet she always managed to turn out meals reminiscent of her native Canton, China. This dish, one of her specialties, takes its name from the moist, velvety texture the chicken gets from being poached at a low temperature. My mother loved the short preparation time (the chicken finishes cooking through heat retained in a covered pot) and that the poaching liquid can be strained and then chilled or frozen to be used again. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Toasted pistachios, apricots, cinnamon and allspice bring great flavor to this accompaniment for the chicken.

We tried this recipe with several brands and varieties of beans, and Goya's small white beans held their shape the best.

Instead of white cubes of tofu bobbing in this African-style soup, where they look decidedly odd, I purée the tofu with a portion of the finished soup until everything is smooth. The tofu is there, but it doesn't intrude. And this is a method you can use with virtually any puréed soup. If you wish, you can purée the entire soup or leave it textured, with bits of sweet potatoes and peppers.

Baking the potatoes first gives them a nice creamy texture. The potency of the mustard will diminish as the potatoes are being stirred over the burner; so if you really want to feel the burn, add an extra teaspoon or so of mustard just before serving.

Brush this slightly sweet lime-scented sauce on shrimp or chicken before and during grilling. The recipe makes enough for 1 1/2 pounds of chicken or shrimp, with some left over to pass at the table.

One of the best ways I know of serving a dish the second time around is to dress up the leftovers in tortillas, bake them in a spaghetti sauce, and top them with crunchy stuff. Even a picky kid might not recognize last night's dinner — if you're lucky. You can use the same fillings and toppings you would with tacos or try some others.

Suzelle Kasaian writes: "Tahoe Joe's here in Fresno may be missing Lake Tahoe's mountain views, but the lodge-style restaurant has plenty of good food. I'd like to get the recipe for the mashed potatoes referred to on the menu as 'mountain mashers.'"

We serve this sauce with both the sugar snap pea tempura and the pork and jicama dumplings . If you make only one of these hors d'oeuvres, however, this recipe should be halved.

·Bear in mind you should only eat the flowering shoots of the garden pea, Pisum sativum. Don't try to cook with the flowering shoots of sweet peas from your flower garden — they're poisonous.

A creamy "comfort" soup that has plenty of richness without a lot of cream.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Called fattoush in Lebanon, this colorful dish is offered as a first course at Al-Amir restaurant in Portland, Oregon.

This colorful Asian-inspired salad is great with grilled ribs, chicken or pork chops.

For a picnic, transport this colorful side dish next to a cold pack in an airtight container.