Root Vegetable

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

We make half of this mac 'n' cheese plain, for kids, and into the other half we stir some chipotle chiles to give it a grown-up kick. Any tubular pasta will do, but we like to use cavatappi, a ridged, spiral macaroni that lends the dish a particularly festive air.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

An easy homemade barbecue sauce makes anything you grill taste even better! Makes lots since it keeps for weeks in the refrigerator.

Bucatini al Fuoco, from Basilicata The ingenuity of Basilicata's kitchen is embodied in this simple pasta: three ingredients, easy to come by and inexpensive, are combined to make a formidably tasty sauce. The method of pounding garlic and chili peppers into a paste, then cooking the paste in olive oil, is common to Basilicata and Calabria and elevates the ordinary aglio, olio e peperoncino of central and southern Italy to new heights of piquancy.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Cheddar Shortcakes with Corned Beef Hash.

Traditional potato latkes are spiced up with hot paprika and enhanced with earthy porcini mushrooms. They are especially good with roasted meats, poultry, or fish. This recipe will serve four to five as a side dish.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Roasted Pork Chops with Serrano Ham Vinaigrette .

Serve this beautiful starter with Champagne or sparkling wine.

Add a salad and lemon meringue pie.

This dressing is best cooked in a dish of its own, which also allows the top layer of bread to brown to an appealing crisp.

Serve crusty bread and a chilled Pinot Grigio throughout the meal. Beer would be fun, too.

Jean-Yves Jaulin's Mojhettes au Jambon

"About a year ago, I discovered a new restaurant in town called Babalu's," writes Richard Shipman of St. Louis, Missouri. "It serves terrific Caribbean food, including a flavorful chili-coated salmon."

This recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of cooked beet. Wrap a fresh beet tightly in foil and put it in the oven with the almond cake if you're making this whole menu (if you're not, simply roast the beet in a 325°F oven for 1 hour). You could use canned beets instead, but fresh beets have far more vibrant color and flavor.

This recipe is an accompaniment for <epi:recipelink id="108054">Chicken, Potato, and Carrot Enchiladas</epi:recipelink>.