Herbs & Spices

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 40 min

Add corn biscuits (you can find them in the supermarket refrigerator case) and a romaine, arugula, and radicchio salad with goat cheese. Coffee ice cream drizzled with Kahlúa is a nice dessert.

To cut down on prep time, use cooked lobster meat, available in some fish markets and supermarkets, or follow the directions below for cooking frozen lobster tails.

For convenience, you can use a purchased roast chicken or substitute smoked turkey.

These delicate fish dumplings are steamed and chilled between layers of cabbage leaves to keep them moist. Leftovers can be refrigerated for a couple of days.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 45 min

I love the nutty, sweet, and spicy flavors of parsnips. Their unpopularity is a mystery to me—it seems many people don't realize how delicious they can be. This dish brings out their best qualities.

Have creamed spinach and sautéed carrots with these updated Swedish meat loaves. Then serve applesauce and spice cookies.

Salsa Mexicana Variations of this fresh tomato-based salsa show up on restaurant tables all over Mexico, where it is called pico de gallo, salsa fresca, or salsa mexicana. The bright flavor of the salsa adds sparkle to anything it touches — quesadillas; grilled chicken, fish or steak; tamales; tacos; and, of course, tortilla chips. This recipe is an accompaniment for Crispy Pork with Avocado Salsa and Tomato Salsa .

This is a simplified version of Havana Harry's recipe; at the restaurant, they deep-fry the pork after braising it.

Karen Azar of North Providence, Rhode Island, writes: "My boyfriend and I recently dined at Terra Mar Grill in the Saybrook Point Inn, in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. He had the campanelle pasta, and it reminded him of a meal his mother used to make. Could you please obtain the recipe?" Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

This fresh, uncooked version of a classic pasta sauce is also delicious served over rice. The rich nutty flavor of brown rice stands up well to the piquant flavors of the sauce. If you prefer a cooked sauce, you can saute the garlic and tomatoes in the olive oil, then add the remaining ingredients except the rice and heat through.

These pork chops go well with rice with julienned carrots .

Pick up grilled zucchini and fresh figs from a specialty market to round out the meal.

This easy-to-make dessert tastes like pumpkin spice cake and apple crisp baked together.

Serve this with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc.