European

"I've always loved to cook, and though at eighty-nine I'm slowing down, I still love it," writes Mary Gareffa of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts. "My grandfather and my father were both cooks in a monastery in Reggio Calabria, Italy, before they moved to this country, and luckily for me, my father was my cooking teacher. These are time-tested recipes for some everyday dishes that I grew up with and later served to my own family." Pasta frolla, Italian sweet pastry dough, is the tender press-in crust for this easy tart.

Jamie Oliver calls this "another great pan-baked recipe that is perfect for coping with lots of people without a huge deal of effort." Oliver uses plaice, a popular flatfish in England favored over flounder, but lemon sole is a good substitute. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 hr

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.

We have to be honest: This sfogliatelle recipe is quite an undertaking. Some of our food editors were surprised that these pastries could even be made at home. However, if you're in the mood for a delicious project, sfogliatelle are worth the time and energy involved.

Serve with Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.

Tradition dictates that these Florentine-style steaks be cooked over a grate in a fireplace, but this recipe translates very well to an American-style outdoor grill. Use a vegetable peeler to cut thin strips from a wedge of Parmesan to make the cheese shavings. What to drink: Chianti Classico.

Serve with garlic bread and white wine, such as Pinot Grigio.

The long cooking time makes this lamb meltingly tender. Offer noodles alongside.

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

This rich red nectar may be eaten hot or cold. I serve it in a demitasse or other small cup. Scrub the beets well before cooking. Taste as you prepare the soup, because getting the right balance of sweet and sour is important.

To get you in the mood for summer we are grilling these pizzas, but if you aren't able to grill, you can cook them indoors in a grill pan instead.

This dessert is a dense and rich chocolate mousse-like cake chilled in a mold.

"When I was staying at the Metropolitan Hotel in Toronto," writes Constance M. Shertzer of Indiana, Pennsylvania, "I discovered a fabulous restaurant there called Hemispheres Restaurant and Bistro. The pasta with mushrooms and tomato sauce was as good as any I've ever had in Italy."

Omelette Pomme Colette Jan Case of Cornelius, Oregon, writes: "A jar of confiture de lait, a caramel-like sauce made from whole milk and sugar, along with some fallen apples found on a morning walk after my return home from France, where I spent three perfectly glorious months, inspired this omelet." We substituted dulce de leche for the confiture de lait because it is more readily available in the U.S.

A cross between brioche and challah, this bread is a lightly sweetened, egg-glazed cylinder, often baked in a coffee can to make a tall loaf. The kulich would sit proudly in the center of the family Easter basket, surrounded by meats, cheeses, butter, and eggs. It's a central part of the Easter meal, served with sweet paskha cheese or unsalted butter.

Lindsay McDougal of Corona, California, writes: "When my husband and I first moved to Southern California from a small town between Edinburgh and Glasgow, we were amazed by the variety of foods available. It's almost unfair to compare the two places, since there are so many different ethnic cuisines here. We've come to love Mexican and Italian cooking, but we still find ourselves yearning for the traditional Scottish recipes we grew up with, like Scotch eggs and meat and potato pies. They're hearty dishes and so easy to make. " A variation of the popular Scottish snack Forfar bridies, these meat-filled turnovers are similar to Cornish pasties. They make a great lunch, but also can be cut into wedges and served as an appetizer.