European

A hearty sweet and savory stew that's a perfect seasonal meal when teamed up with crusty bread and a green salad.

Parmesan goes a long way on this meatless entrée, so use sparingly. Pour some Chianti.

The robust flavor of Grey Celtic salt complements the greens perfectly.

At the restaurant Becco in New York, where this dish is served, fresh porcini mushrooms are used when they are in season.

Team this outstanding entrée with some steamed broccoli and a fruity Zinfandel.

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

Classic French tapenade is a spread of black olives, capers and anchovies, among other ingredients. This version has green olives instead of black.

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.

This Majorcan specialty is usually topped with homemade almond ice cream or ice milk, but purchased almond ice cream can also be used.

This low-fat rendition of the classic dish comes from Gil Martínez Soto of Restaurante Virrey de Palafox in El Burgo de Osma, Spain.

This traditional, regional vegetable side dish is utterly simple and absolutely delicious. The addition of raisins and pine nuts is distinctively Catalan.

This eggplant and lamb casserole, a taverna staple, is known the world over as the Greek national dish. In this lightened version, it's topped with yogurt rather than the customary béchamel sauce. (Moussaka is often made with beef instead of lamb.)

(MEZZELUNE AI PIGNOLI) Cookies made with pine nuts can be found in bakeries all over Umbria, which probably isn't too surprising for a region filled with pine trees. These crescents have a wonderful chewy texture. The dough is very soft, so you will need to flour your fingers to shape it. But don't inadvertently use too much flour, or the cookies will be tough.