Chicken

If you buy fresh game hens, ask the butcher to cut them in half for you. To halve frozen thawed game hens, first cut out the back bones using poultry shears, then cut hens in half.

What to drink: Pinot Noir or dry rosé.

A good hit of curry spices up this classic. Begin marinating the chicken in the buttermilk mixture the night before.

You'll have some leftover creamy ginger soy dressing for salad later in the week.

This recipe serves 4 as a main course if you set aside 2 chicken breasts for another meal. Otherwise, it serves 6.

Pair this surf-and-turf dish with white rice to soak up the delicious rock-shrimp sauce — a quick and easy variation on Marcella Hazan's pink shrimp sauce (from "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking"), which she serves over pasta.

This West Hollywood Rat Pack hangout still attracts big-name diners like Sheryl Crow and Meg Ryan. The Italian bistro offers a variety of delectable dishes, including Ricotta Fritters With Chocolate Hazelnut Sauce and Grilled Artichokes. The popular entrée below boasts satiating lean protein and a helping of vitamin-rich carrots.

The classic apple and cheese combo gets a fun twist in this delicious dish. What to drink: Taz 2003 Chardonnay, Santa Barbara ($20).

The glaze gives the chicken a sweet, spicy kick. What to drink: Zaca Mesa 2003 Viognier, Santa Ynez Valley ($15).

The skewers grill above the flames, suspended between two bricks to keep them from touching the grates of the barbecue. No bricks handy? Substitute disposable foil mini loaf pans (found on the baking aisle at the supermarket).

Here's a grilled chicken technique that's become a cult hit with backyard barbecue masters. For luxe and delicious twists on the technique (from the Japanese-flavored "Roppongi Roaster" to the Italianate "Toscana in a Can"), see the article "Beer Can Chicken Goes Upscale" in the Starters section of the August 2005 issue of Bon Appétit.

If you're craving an aromatic Chinatown-style noodle soup, this recipe is a quick fix — especially if you use a roast chicken from the supermarket deli. (For another variation, try using roast duck from a Chinese deli instead.) The chrysanthemum leaves are a beautiful match with the delicate broth redolent of star anise, but watercress can be substituted if you like.

I can't begin to guess how much fried chicken I've cooked in my lifetime! Becaue it was a staple in our home during my childhood, it was a rite of passage for each girl child to learn to fry chicken like the womenfolk.