Onion

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Like American-style chili, picadillo is great over rice or with warm tortillas.

This recipe is from Winnie Spazano, my second mom/housekeeper, who by day ran an elementary school cafeteria and by night cooked "something special" for my brothers and me. The following is a standout. As it was placed in front of my nine-year-old face, I thought, "I can't each something this large!" To this day, I don't understand the name.

For this recipe you may use whatever mushrooms you happen to have on hand. Serve the dish as an accompaniment to grilled or roasted meats, seafood, or chicken or with soup as a light lunch or dinner.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. This refreshing condiment is great with the ham, or try it with grilled fish or chicken.

Flat omelets known as frittatas are popular throughout mainland Italy. In Apulia, this version is made to celebrate the harvest of spring onions.

This main-course soup is called pho in Vietnam, where it is eaten at any time of day.

Many Americans first tasted this cold vegetable soup at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. Gazpacho came into favor partly as a vehicle for showing off blenders, the popularity of which created a boom in recipes that called for liquefying ingredients. This recipe goes the Spanish classic one better with the addition of smoky chipotle chilies.

Serve this over the Baked White Polenta with Two Cheeses, and season with any — or all — of the suggested toppings (chocolate adds mole flavor).

A Syracusan recipe adapted from Mary Taylor Simeti's book Pomp and Sustenance.

Potato salad, grapes or fresh figs, and brownies round out this lunch. To make things even easier, use raw onions.

Vellarikkai Thakkali Vengaya Pachadi Pachadi is the southern version of North Indian raita. You can substitute plain low-fat yogurt for the whole-milk yogurt here, but drain it in a sieve overnight first.

This would be nice with any roasted meat.

Parsley puree and green onions give this dish its vibrant — and appropriate — color.

Plump scallops, sprinkled with salt and pepper, are lightly grilled and served with a salsa rich in parsley and diced vegetables. The salsa should be made just before eating; otherwise the liquid content of the vegetables will turn the dish watery.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 40 min

Peg Isherwood of Libertyville, Illinois, writes: "While in Christiansted, St. Croix, we dined at Kendrick's and had the most interesting gazpacho — it was spicy but not too hot, with lots of chopped vegetables. I met the owner, David Kendrick, the next morning and found him delightful. Would you ask him for the recipe?" This gazpacho has a chunkier texture than most (almost like a salsa). To chop the vegetables in a processor, cut them into quarters and process in batches, using on/off turns.