Bean and Legume

A dollop of yogurt adds a creamy richness and cuts the heat of the chiles.

A twist on hummus, this sunset-colored dip also makes a delicious sandwich spread. Allow time for soaking the beans overnight.

Serve with: A green salad and crusty bread.

Susan Richardson of Edina, Minnesota, writes: "My mother worked full-time when I was growing up, so as the oldest daughter in a family of six children, I did a lot of cooking. From the time I was seven years old, my mom taught me how to cook and bake — salad, bread, vegetables, and dessert were pretty much part of every dinner. Even today, I make it a point to prepare and eat dinner with my two teenage children. Though we're very busy, we'll never abandon our dinner ritual. It's the time when we can talk and reconnect."

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Here is an almost effortless soup. Everything goes into the pot at once, and the finished dish is just the thing on a cold winter day.

The people of Tuscany are known in Italy as mangiafagioli, or bean eaters, and when I was in Florence as an art history student and then in Lucca as a teacher I learned the reason why. All the trattorie served fagioli all'uccelletto for only a few lire. I was fortunate to find an Italian friend in Arkansas who had a recipe.

Because the lamb in this recipe is marinated in a barbecue-style sauce and then grilled, the hotel nicknamed the dish "paniolo", which means "cowboy" in hawaiian.

A quick vegetarian main-course salad.

This is a fine dish for a cold day, and one that cries for ice-cold akvavit and beer. So popular is this soup with all the Nordics that it is said that the King of Sweden eats it every Thursday.

An appetizer that is simple to make, delicious and very appealing.

A fine version of a hearty classic.

Umeboshi, or pickled plums, are not technically plums at all, but apricots. They are mixed with rice to make a popular summer dish in Japan. We've enlivened this salad with pickled ginger and sugar snap peas.

A colorful and delicious side dish reminiscent of succotash.

This is lovely paired with Champagne.