Chicken

Pass warm biscuits, or stick with tradition and mound some cooked white rice in the center of each bowl of soup. For a nice go-with, toss shredded lettuce with artichoke hearts, sliced mushrooms and creamy buttermilk dressing. Stay with the southern theme by ending with pecan pie.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. For a side dish, serve couscous mixed with sautéed red bell pepper, carrots and dill. Buy a strawberry tart to finish.

Poussin à la Confiture d'Oignons Cornish game hens are a delicious and more readily available substitute for the guinea hens that the chef at Restaurant Hiély-Lucullus uses to prepare this. (Have the butcher quarter the hens and remove their backbones.) When in season, peaches are caramelized and served with this dish at the restaurant.

"For our anniversary, my husband and I went to Fiddle Heads in nearby Buffalo — a restaurant that’s always our first choice for special occasions," says Noreen Flynn of Kenmore, New York. "The chicken with mashed potatoes and greens I had last time was terrific; it would even be good enough to serve to guests during the holidays." Marinate the chicken overnight to make the most of the fresh herbs — their flavors will infuse the meat, with delicious results.

(POULET AUX ARTICHAUTS)

Sprinkle shredded cheddar over some tortilla chips, and pop them under the broiler for a minute-you'll have instant first-course nachos. All you need with the salad is a basket of tortillas or crusty bread. Mix some cinnamon into chocolate pudding to wrap up this Mexican-style dinner. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Serve buttered noodles, potato salad or rice pilaf alongside this entree.

This is probably the simplest soup ever made from scratch: you just throw everything into the pot at once and walk away. The rice cooks in the pot along with the chicken long enough to give its starches over for extra body. Everything you dislike about brown rice — its starchiness and heaviness — works to advantage here. It turns soft and almost falls apart but still has texture. Don't substitute white rice, because it would get mushy. This soup may not be beautiful, but it sure is good.

Complete the main course with buttered sweet potato chunks (they can roast alongside the chicken) and sautéed Swiss chard. Serve purchased éclairs for dessert.

A century ago, spicy English mustards like Colman's were too pungent for American tastes, even in small quantities: Back then, mustard was used only in salad dressings. George French came along in 1904 with a formula for a milder condiment he called French’s Cream Salad Mustard. Eventually slathered on everything from bologna sandwiches to soft pretzels, French’s mustard is also delicious in this barbecue sauce.