Tomato

You will have twice as much of the pesto as you need. You can cut the pesto amount in half, but I encourage you to make the full recipe. It will disappear quickly on bread, toast, or baked potatoes. This salad is even greater if you use your best olive oil.

"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."

Fresh corn from a farmers' market or a grower's farmstand will taste the sweetest.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 30 min

New York Filipinos are sentimental about adobo — meat or fish with lots of garlic, soy sauce, and vinegar. We used cider vinegar to good effect, but authentic Filipino cuisine calls for coconut, palm, or sugarcane vinegar. Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 40 min

Regular mozzarella can be substituted for the smoked variety in this quick and easy dish.

Treat yourself to fresh clams for this recipe — they make all the difference. This dish originated in Rhode Island during the late 19th century, when, as story has it, Portuguese immigrants added tomatoes to their chowder. British New Englanders believed their creamy chowder to be superior and named the Portuguese version after Manhattan, presuming that New Yorkers were the only people crazy enough to add tomatoes.

The oversize croutons add a nice crunch to this warming dish, which is a cross between a soup and a stew. Serve with: Romaine salad with sliced oranges, black olives, and balsamic vinaigrette.

Note that part of the honey-mustard sauce is also used as the marinade.

Lisa Caiazza of Franklin Square, New York, writes, "At the Manhattan law office where I'm a legal secretary, it seems as though the phones are always ringing. And if it isn't the phones that have me occupied, then there are lots of documents that need my attention. By the time I get home from the city, I usually have only about 45 minutes to put together dinner for my husband, Angelo, and myself. Still, that's enough time to make something filling and delicious, like a salad and a hearty pasta or soup." A quick and flavorful pasta dish that's special enough for company.

Great served with grilled lamb, steak or any Mediterranean-style menu.

An old-fashioned pasta dish with a new-fashioned filling. Basil and chives accent the luscious ricotta and feta cheese stuffing in this comforting main course. Conclude supper with fruit and your favorite cookies.

Cooking the fish en papillote, in parchment paper or foil, keeps it moist.