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Janet and Travis Kuhl of Cranford, New Jersey, writes: "We recently went to chef Ming Tsai's Blue Ginger restaurant in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Our entire meal was top-notch, but the shrimp cocktail was our favorite." Poured carefully side by side into a cocktail glass, tomato puree and avocado puree make a colorful dip for the lightly battered and quickly deep-fried shrimp.

This delicious salad is from Johannes.

"My profession as a real estate agent requires a lot of my time," writes Edi Meadows Morrissette of Westin, Florida, "so it helps that I am lightning-fast in the kitchen. I cook every day, and on the weekends I sometimes make three meals a day. I accomplish that by following my main cooking principles: (1) do a lot of prep work, and (2) keep the kitchen well stocked. For example, at holiday time I might chop onions in advance or bake bread the day before company arrives. And since I converted the bedroom next to my kitchen into a pantry for extra storage, I know I'll always have the right ingredients at my fingertips." Nice with drinks, soup, or salad. The cheese spread can be made a day ahead.

An Asian treatment of chestnuts that will be right at home with all your side dishes.

Susan serves these with homemade pico de gallo, but purchased salsa also works well.

It's worth seeking out Carnaroli rice (from the Piedmont region of Italy) for this recipe: Carnaroli has a higher starch content than Arborio, so it makes a much creamier risotto. Chef Kiffin serves this with braised oxtails and a watercress salad.

A clever way to present every morsel of a cooked whole artichoke is to remove all the leaves before serving, and use their bits of tender flesh as a stuffing for the hollow artichoke bottom. It takes a bit of time to scrape the leaves of an artichoke clean, so reserve this as a special treat for 2, or at most 4.

An inspired mix of flavors.

This pizza is made with no toppings other than oil and salt and should be served as a snack. It's not really a cracker, but it's crisper than focaccia. Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min

A gift from Native American cooks, hominy is dried, hulled corn kernels. Sold rehydrated in cans, it also makes a great addition to soups, stews, and casseroles.

Peg Isherwood of Libertyville, Illinois, writes: "While in Christiansted, St. Croix, we dined at Kendrick's and had the most interesting gazpacho — it was spicy but not too hot, with lots of chopped vegetables. I met the owner, David Kendrick, the next morning and found him delightful. Would you ask him for the recipe?" This gazpacho has a chunkier texture than most (almost like a salsa). To chop the vegetables in a processor, cut them into quarters and process in batches, using on/off turns.

Baccalà Fritto Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 3 days (includes soaking)

"A friend of mine insisted I try the red bell pepper bisque at Ristorante Grano in Williamsville, a suburb of Buffalo," says Lucy Mitchell of Grand Island, New York. "I did, and now I'm hoping to prepare it at home."

Fresh kernels of raw corn are so sweet and tender that they don't need to be cooked. Their natural sugars and crisp juiciness pair wonderfully with the salty Parmesan and peppery arugula.

This spicy curry is wonderful spooned over basmati rice and paired with green beans. For dessert, dust sliced bananas with cinnamon sugar, then broil and serve with a scoop of butter pecan ice cream.