Bean and Legume

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 30 min

This recipe incorporates two popular foods from the Toi San region of southern China: One is the Chinese boneless barbecued pork strips known as cha siu, and the other is fresh rice noodles. The latter are sold in 1-pound packages, either as rumpled sheets that must be cut into strips or as precut 1/2-inch-wide strips.

Here's an all-new tuna-noodle casserole; just add a salad of arugula and sliced oranges. Dessert might be big spice cookies sandwiched with vanilla ice cream.

"I run my own salon, and I’m an instructor at a cooking school," writes Sandy Ercolano of Ridgewood, New Jersey. "It seems that I’m always in the kitchen. At home I cook meals and come up with recipes for my classes. My son Andrew appears to have inherited my culinary interest. He likes to lend a hand with the cooking, especially with desserts. Unfortunately, he’s not as interested in helping with the cleanup."

This one-pot dish is delicious over couscous. What to drink: Wines with distinctive spice notes, such as Gewürztraminer or Syrah.

Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 45 min

Serve this soup with a sandwich or a salad for a delicious lunch or light supper.

At Las Ventanas this soup and a corn soup are ladled side by side into the serving bowl.

Cilantro, sour cream, grated cheddar or Jack cheese, chopped red or green onion and salsa would be great toppings. Look for chorizo in the refrigerated meat or deli case.

Sosizza chi Linticchi The hearty, warming goodness of this one-course meal is only increased by its utter simplicity of preparation. Accompany the stew with crusty bread.

Serve with: Warmed flatbread. Dessert: Vanilla pudding with sliced mango.

Roasting the lamb, instead of braising, intensifies its flavor.

Fèves au Lard Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 4 1/2 hr

Navain d'Agneau Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 2 hr

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 1 hr