Tomato

Carey Paquette of Arlington, Virginia, writes: "When it comes to cooking, I make an effort to prepare healthful meals, but wouldn't call myself a fanatic. I believe that olive oil goes in everything and wine goes with everything; I just use them in moderation."

In a restaurant, speed is of the essence. Dishes must be quick to make, easy to prepare ahead, and just a little bit different, like this little sauté of red peppers piled on crusty bread and broiled with a topping of goat cheese.

"I've always loved to cook," writes Mary Gareffa of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, "and though at eighty-nine I'm slowing down, I still love it. My grandfather and my father were both cooks in a monastery in Reggio Calabria, Italy, before they moved to this country, and luckily for me, my father was my cooking teacher. He showed me how to make the tomato-and-sausage sauce for the pasta. When my son was young, he used to tease me for standing over the pot of sauce, stirring and simmering it slowly, but that's the way my father showed me. A sauce is like a baby; you have to be gentle with it. And I know I must be doing something right, because my grandson, Jason, called me just last week to get the recipe." Tender meatballs — bound with bread softened in milk — in a good old-fashioned Tomato-Sausage sauce.

This uncooked soup isn't for the timid — raw garlic, ginger, and shallot impart strong flavors. Unless you can get freshly made vegetable juice from your local juice bar, you will need an electric juicer to make the tomato or carrot juice. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 2 hr

Tostadas caseras — corn tortillas that have been seasoned and fried — can be found with the tortillas in most supermarkets. The soup can be made one day before serving.

Lobster stew is a very traditional dish made with lobster, milk, butter, salt, and pepper. You will find this in many restaurants in Maine, the best being the ones with the most lobster. I have embellished on the original dish but have left intact the strong and rich lobster flavor. When Craig Claiborne asked me to put together a New England Thanksgiving dinner, this was the soup I served. It is also great as a hearty main course soup.

Broil slices of packaged polenta to go with the chicken. Round out the main course with an arugula salad and chunks of crusty whole wheat Italian bread. For dessert? Brownies topped with vanilla gelato drizzled with sambuca.

An adaptation of a classic Northern Italian dish, spezzatini di pollo al pomodoro e vino bianco (chicken sautéed with tomato and white wine). Serve sautéed broccoli rabe and a crusty ciabatta alongside. What to drink: Barbera or Italian Chardonnay.

Traditional flavors (honey and orange) and contemporary ones (cumin and chilies) come together in the glaze, which also gives the gravy some heat and zip. See how to carve a turkey.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Though you may associate bocconcini with the tiny mozzarella balls sold at Italian markets and cheese shops, the word simply means "little bites" (the veal in this stew is cut into bite-size pieces). When purchasing dried porcini, look for packages containing large, flat, recognizable slices of the mushroom. Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 45 min

This salad is dressed with a red pepper and tomato sauce.

Huachinango a la Veracruzana In a traditional Veracruzan household, you would find papas cambray (roasted tiny white potatoes) and a bowl of savory white rice served alongside.

"I'm a social worker running my own practice," writes Susan Haskell of Boston, Massachusetts. "In addition, I'm getting a doctorate in social work. So most of my time is spent either working with patients or writing my dissertation. Still, no matter what's on my schedule, nothing can stop me from going into the kitchen. During the week, I make the time to pore over food magazines to find recipes I want to try. On Saturdays, I cook for friends — because next to cooking, sharing the results is my favorite thing to do." The spicy mayonnaise adds a nice kick.

"For me, cooking is a very relaxing and creative process — I just wish I had more time for it," writes Katherine Burk of Seattle, Washington. "I make a point of fixing dinner during the week, but with my hectic schedule (I work in information technology), there are some nights I'm too wiped out to attempt anything more complicated than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Usually, though, I can put something together in under thirty minutes." A fast, colorful, and delicious pasta dish loaded with goodies.

In this recipe, based on a dish from the Republic of Georgia called tabaka, small chickens are flattened and weighted so they cook evenly and quickly. We call for poussins or Cornish game hens, but the same technique works well with a frying chicken.