Potato

Caramelized onions and chopped red bell pepper add subtle sweetness to this lightly spiced side dish.

Serve this with roast lamb or chicken. Market tip: Let the greens (if attached) be your guide to freshness when selecting turnips. Make sure they are bright green and fresh-looking.

These potatoes, oven-crisped on the outside and tender inside, go especially well with red meat.

"When I had dinner with my son recently at Wild Abandon restaurant in Portland, our bread was served with a garlicky potato spread," says Pauline E. Dickey of Medford, Oregon. "It was a nice alternative to the usual butter or olive oil."

You might have to grill these in batches.

This easy dressing makes a great side dish for roast chicken or fried pork chops.

This tsimmes created by Chef Lenard Rubin of the Phoenician Club in Phoenix, Arizona, is so good that I sometimes serve it alone without stuffing it into the chilies.

The olives can marinate before starting the stew, which cooks in just over 30 minutes.

This sensational dish is best when made with meaty short ribs that are three to four inches long. Serve with a simple green salad and glasses of good Zinfandel.

Whether they feature shellfish, smoked fish or fresh fish, chowders are an essential part of New England cooking. Ours is prepared with a mixture of fresh cod, haddock and halibut, three important North Atlantic ocean varieties. We've made the surprising addition of butternut squash and kale--both popular regional vegetables--to this hearty soup for extra color and texture. Curry powder lends an unexpected bit of spice.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.