Bean and Legume

If hojiblanca or cacereña olives are unavailable, use other Mediterranean olives.

Thick slices of eggplant are topped with a salad of roasted red bell peppers, feta cheese, olives and garbanzo beans; then the salad is drizzled with a tangy balsamic dressing. It's nice with a Pinot Blanc or a Chardonnay. Pears poached in red wine and served with chocolate sauce and a glass of Sauternes make a lovely dessert.

Barley gives this a wonderful chewy texture.

Great with tortilla chips as a dip. Or try it as a vegetarian filling for burritos adding grated Monterey Jack cheese, too.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Just like some Mexican moles, this chili has a bit of chocolate in it. Serve sour cream and shredded sharp cheddar cheese alongside.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This dish is a characteristic Moroccan Jewish preparation. North Africans, Jews and non-Jews alike, are particularly skilled at cooking fish because the long coastline yields so much. Dried chickpeas, a staple starch in the Mediterranean, traveled with the Jews when they emigrated.

To begin, offer a bowl of brine-cured green and black olives, another of marinated artichoke hearts, and some pâté and toast. The cassoulet needs only red wine and a loaf of good French bread as accompaniments. A pear or apple tart would add an appropriate French country flourish.

This side dish would be a perfect way to round out a meal of leftover roast chicken (or a bird from the local deli).

Kraft introduced Velveeta in 1928, and its special cooking properties quickly caught on: When melted, it was as smooth as velvet (hence the name), and it would never curdle when heated. While many Americans today prefer regional or handmade cheeses, a lot of them still secretly indulge in a little Velveeta. After all, Grandma’s macaroni and cheese would never be the same without it. Velveeta makes this dip unbelievably creamy, too; scoop it up with tortilla chips, or try it in tacos.

Adding lemon peel shortly before the rice has finished cooking gives it a bright flavor.

This is one of my mother's recipes and call me biased, but it's the best around. This is a vegetarian black bean soup, and one of the keys to its success is the quality of the olive oil: use the very best you can find. You can make the soup a day in advance and it will taste even better the next day. This is a no-fail recipe that I know you're going to enjoy.

Khoresht Gheimeh This Persian stew recipe is adapted from the one that chef Homa Khakpour serves at Shiraz Kabab Cafe and Food Market. It's a terrific main course, which she pairs with chelo (steamed rice with melted butter). Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 2 hr

The best way to eat sugar snap peas is right off the vine. This recipe ranks a close second, though. I pickle any sugar snap peas that the kids don't eat right away, and continue to enjoy them for weeks after the pea vines have wilted away.

This vegetarian version of the Spanish classic is perfect for spring. You will need a 12-inch-diameter skillet with 3-inch-high sides.

It wouldn't be Christmas without some red and green on the table.

These Asian-inspired lamb shanks are wrapped and baked in individual foil packets, then placed atop bowls of steamed rice. Serve with stir-fried bok choy or other Chinese greens. What to drink: Asian lager beer or a fruity red Zinfandel.