Chicken

Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 2 hr

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 4 hr

Offer either brown or white rice and Asian beer, like Tsingtao. The chicken is especially tender because of the egg white and cornstarch coating.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 25 min

Doris Murphy of Pompano Beach, Florida, writes: "When I was raising my children, the dishes I made were definitely home style to suit everyone's tastes; but even without the demands of feeding a family, I still prefer simpler recipes. Nevertheless, I notice that most of my kids are pretty adventurous cooks. Maybe they did get some of that creativity from me; when I recall the potato-meat-and-vegetable meals my mother served, I realize that I did branch out a bit."

Serve a salad and some wine alongside, and you're ready for company.

Here's a hearty and satisfying pasta that makes an easy entrée for a dinner party.

Serve rice with this dish from Le Colonial, a Vietnamese restaurant in West Hollywood.

Marinating the chicken in the yogurt mixture overnight tenderizes the meat and adds a delicious tang.

In Indian cooking, tikka refers to chunks of meat cooked on skewers.

Rupa De of West Lafayette, Indiana, writes: "Since I am originally from India, many of my non-Indian friends have asked me for a chicken curry recipe, and this is the one I give them. I hope your readers will enjoy it, too."

This lively salad is from Jorge Navarro, the chef-owner of Café Navarro, a cozy, Caribbean-style spot in Eugene, Oregon.

Scalloped potatoes, steamed broccoli, and sliced tomatoes with blue cheese dressing go well with these drumsticks. We like lemon meringue pie for dessert.