Carrot

This soup can be pureed by pressing it through a strainer or a food mill. It can also be pureed in a blender and then strained.

The homey and hearty dishes of Louis Szathmáry—a splendidly mustached man who was the chef-owner of Chicago's well-known Hungarian restaurant The Bakery—are the inspiration for this dinner. Of course, chef Louis cooked using lots of butter and cream, but with just a touch of fat we've retained many of the same earthy flavors that he loved. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1‚ hr

This is a refined version of classic split pea soup. It has a thinner consistency than other recipes (though it's still very hearty), and the addition of frozen peas brightens up the flavor.

Talk about simple stews! You don't have to brown the meat — and the stew cooks in an easy hour.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

When slicing the cabbage, try to go nice and thin. Toss with the dressing and let it rest before serving, so the vegetables will soften. The slaw becomes creamy then.

Because a food processor grates the carrots too fine, I recommend that you grate them by hand for this recipe. Be sure to use the side of a grater with teardrop-shaped holes instead of the kind that look like the metal has been punched out from the back. The punched-out kind will turn the carrots to mush.

There is no dessert course in a traditional Japanese meal. Instead, pickles that refresh the palate are often the last thing eaten.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. From northeastern Thailand, som tai is a salad Thais and farangs-the Thai name for foreigners-have come to love. It is traditionally made with grated green (unripe) papaya that is pounded slightly to soften the fibers before being tossed with lime juice, dried shrimp, and chilies. As the availability of green papaya in the United States is limited, we used cucumber and carrot. We also left out the dried shrimp in order to create a more delicate but still delicious dish.