Canned Tomato

Judi Kerr of Mendham, New Jersey, writes: "I'm a professional chocolate taster. I know it sounds like a dream job, but I get so much chocolate at work that I tend to avoid sweets when I'm at home. At the end of most days, I actually look forward to cooking dinner and making something hearty, like my chicken and white bean chili."

Chicken, not fish, is the star in this version of the hearty Provençal soup. IMPROV: Make this dish even more flavorful by adding a faux rouille. Combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise with 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika; season with salt and pepper. Top each serving with a dollop.

This dish, typical of West Africa, is traditionally accompanied by foo-foo (a porridgelike side dish made from corn, sweet potato, plantain, or cassava meal). We strongly recommend serving the stew with rice to sop up the delicious sauce.

If you soak the dried chiles in the morning, they'll be ready by evening.

This recipe serves 4 as a main course after you set aside half of the veal shanks and sauce to make Eggplant and Veal Pastitsio . Otherwise it serves 8. If you will be making the pastitsio, the reserved shanks will give you an extra marrowbone for each serving of braised shanks.

When dinner needs to be on the table fast, you can rely on this colorful and flavorful dish. You have the option of spooning the shrimp onto a bed of rice or orzo, or just using crusty bread to soak up the juice.

Editor's note: This recipe is adapted from Sardinian chef Raffaele Solinas. Solinas also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. To read more about Solinas and Sardinian cuisine, click here. This pasta dish, similar to a ragù, features wild boar, a common Sardinian ingredient with a distinctively rich and gamy flavor. "A good butcher will carry wild boar," says Solinas. But in a pinch, the best alternative would be duck breast.

Doris Jacobson of Anaheim, California, writes: "I host many family gatherings, and I always get requests for my lemon bars and my caponata appetizer. They're easy to make and perfect for picnics at the beach or an evening at the Hollywood Bowl. Plus, both recipes can be made ahead. Fresh basil brightens up this traditional eggplant spread. Serve it on baguette slices or crackers.

Fire-roasted salsa adds depth of flavor to this fat-free soup; it can usually be found in the supermarket deli case.

We all have memories either of great or terrible meatloaf meals from childhood. My mom's meatloaf is a fond food memory. It was always moist and juicy, with a touch of Italy from the tomatoes and pecorino Romano cheese. It also passed the test of any respectable meatloaf: it made good sandwiches the next day.

Executive Food Editor: Zanne Early Stewart
Father: Hobe Early, Wilmette, IL
Our family first encountered tomato pudding nearly 50 years ago in northern Michigan, where we rented a summer house on Lake Charlevoix. It quickly became the mandatory side dish to whatever Dad was cooking on the grill.

This sauce, called caldillo de jitomate ("tomato broth"), has a consistency closer to a light tomato soup than an Italian marinara.

Maccheroni e Melanzane This is a pasta dish that is served in Sicilian homes and home-style restaurants, rather than upscale places. The recipe calls for perciatelli or bucatini, which is what Italians consider maccheroni.

Healthy bonus Vitamin C from the bell peppers, B6, and potassium from the tomatoes

Stout and brown sugar give these tender ribs a hint of sweetness.