Shiitake Mushroom

Mario Batali, star of the Food Network's Molto Mario, is one of the top chefs in New York City, where he owns three restaurants with Joe Bastianich — Babbo, Lupa and Esca. This dish, from Batali's book Simple Italian Food, is served at Lupa.

"Recently I had dinner at Highlands Bar & Grill in Birmingham, Alabama. To say I was dazzled by the baked grits is not overstating the case," writes Mary Lane Stiglets of Jackson, Mississippi. "This divine and truly southern recipe should be printed in your magazine for all to enjoy."

"When I was staying at the Metropolitan Hotel in Toronto," writes Constance M. Shertzer of Indiana, Pennsylvania, "I discovered a fabulous restaurant there called Hemispheres Restaurant and Bistro. The pasta with mushrooms and tomato sauce was as good as any I've ever had in Italy."

"On the last night of a teachers' conference in Boulder, Colorado, I had dinner with some colleagues at a delightful little restaurant called Dandelion," says Cindy Chassee of Wyoming, Michigan. "We sat on the patio and shared a memorable gnocchi and wild mushroom dish." Gnocchi, tender potato dumplings, aren't difficult to make. A hint of truffle oil intensifies the flavors in the sauce, which would also go well with other types of pasta.

Try braised lettuce flavored with thyme, carrots and garlic to accompany this satisfying dish.

Uncork a Zinfandel or a dry Riesling.

This pretty slaw with a celery seed and cider vinegar dressing is perfect for a Fourth of July picnic.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

If you don't happen to have any day-old corn bread on hand, just follow our recipe — fresh regular corn bread may be too moist. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 hr (includes making corn bread)

Green beans go upscale in this fresh take on a favorite Thanksgiving dish.

Beefy shiitake mushrooms stand in for the standard ground pork in this version of ma po tofu. What to drink: The bit of heat here calls for a spicy white wine with ripe fruit and crisp acidity, such as a Riesling from Alsace or Germany's Rheingau.

"Recently I had dinner at a fine restaurant with a peculiar name: The Place Next to the San Juan Ferry," says Beth Fogarty Day of Redmond, Washington. "It's right by the water in Friday Harbor, Washington. I'd love the recipe for the mushroom and goat cheese appetizer."

This recipe is a great use for cold leftover rice. Order extra rice with Chinese takeout or make a double batch of your own one night — you can keep it, chilled, up to 1 week. Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 35 min

This venerable cold-weather dish has never looked so pretty or tasted so good. Partner it with a tossed green salad and French bread. Uncork a dry red wine.

Tarragon brings its distinctive flavor to this salad. Serve it alongside the strata.