White Wine

Sauerkraut gets a smoky taste from bacon and sausage in a recipe from Orbit, a Polish restaurant in Chicago.

Duck, turkey or dark chicken meat can substitute for the goose with equally delicious results. Fine accompaniments are a green salad with Roquefort vinaigrette and hot crusty bread. For a quick and sophisticated dessert, add a bit of red wine and ground cinnamon to canned pears with their syrup.

This dish, a specialty of northern Italy's Emilia-Romagna, is named for the regions capital city. Although the meaty sauce is classically paired with tagliatelle (ribbon pasta just slightly wider than fettuccine), it also marries well with a variety of pasta shapes that trap the savory sauce.

Based on a recipe from chef Angel García of Lúculo in Madrid, Spain.

A clever combination of textures and flavors in a spectacular entreè. Asparagus and French rolls are good on the side; offer a dry GewÜrztraminer to drink.

While fondue originated in the French-speaking part of Switzerland (the word means "melted" in French), the dish has become an international favorite. The principal ingredients are cheese (usually Gruyère mixed with either Emmenthal or Appenzeller), white wine, kirsch and garlic. But there are as many variations on that theme as there are mountains in Switzerland.

For a quick sauce to go with the fish, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and chopped fresh dill.

We admit we've never been big clafouti fans, but this recipe won us over. It's the lightest version of the dish we've ever had. In the fall and winter, innkeepers Bob and Caroline Taylor like to make this dessert with pears, flavoring it with powdered ginger.

As accompaniments to this great-tasting main course, serve the Risotto-Style Barley with Spring Greens, and pour glasses of chilled Pinot Grigio.

In the eighties, the popularity of this homestyle dish caused take-out rotisserie chicken shops to spring up across the country.

Buttery, slightly sweet pumpkin is the perfect mate for the briny flavor of oysters, scallops, or other crustaceans. This soup is made with shrimp, whose shells are turned into an aromatic stock that serves as the soup's liquid. Classic shellfish bisques are thickened with rice, but here pumpkin provides body for the soup. Sage's earthy flavor complements both pumpkin and shrimp and steers the focus of flavor from sweet to savory. This is a satisfying soup to prepare throughout the fall. If you serve it as a first course for Thanksgiving dinner, you might start a tradition in your family.

Mario Batali, star of the Food Network's Molto Mario, is one of the top chefs in New York City, where he owns three restaurants with Joe Bastianich — Babbo, Lupa and Esca. This dish, from Batali's book Simple Italian Food, is served at Lupa.

"Recently I had dinner at Highlands Bar & Grill in Birmingham, Alabama. To say I was dazzled by the baked grits is not overstating the case," writes Mary Lane Stiglets of Jackson, Mississippi. "This divine and truly southern recipe should be printed in your magazine for all to enjoy."

In this dish, Elena Rovera prefers the clean, fruity flavor of Roero Arneis, a dry white wine from the Piedmont region of Italy. She typically serves the chicken with rosemary potatoes. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

If anchovies rolled around capers aren't available, substitute a two-ounce can of anchovies plus one teaspoon of capers. serve with: Potato pancakes, chunky applesauce, and red-cabbage slaw.

Serve with: Mixed baby greens with shredded radishes in a citrus vinaigrette, and a sesame baguette.