Canned Tomato

(Pasta allo Scoglio) Tuscany is not famous for its seafood dishes, but fantastic fresh fish and shellfish are available all along the coast. A scoglio is a rocky seashore, and in the traditional pasta allo scoglio, only shellfish from the rugged Mediterranean seaside can be used in the sauce. Many kinds of fish are included in the various renditions prepared up and down the Tuscan coast today. Watch how to clean and prepare shellfish and how to make your own pasta.

This Italian-style stew — called cioppino — makes a hearty supper. Serve it with a green salad, garlic bread and a crisp white wine.

Try this rich sauce over pasta or over the <a></a> Parmesan Polenta Squares

Market Tip: Avoid packaged ground lamb, which can be extremely fatty. Instead, buy shoulder meat or lamb stew meat, which has some fat, and ask the butcher to grind it.

There are several varieties of mustard cabbage; for this recipe we used wrapped-heart mustard cabbage, also called swatow or dai gai choy. Sharp and pungent when raw, mustard cabbage sweetens and mellows with wilting and slow cooking. Try serving this dish with mashed potatoes, which go very well with the gravylike tomato sauce the stuffed cabbage is cooked in.

Though Rose Pascale always uses fresh octopus (sold as pulpo in many Latino markets), we found that it's generally sold frozen. You may need to special-order or reserve octopus from your local fish market several days ahead.

Alongside this colorful main course, offer simple side dishes like white rice mixed with black beans, and steamed chunks of zucchini. Holiday cookies from the bakery top off the meal nicely.

Here's a chunky, hearty beef stew that's just right on a cold winter day.

Save the beet tops for a quick side dish: just sauté them with garlic and olive oil, sprinkle with lemon, salt and pepper, and serve.