Weeknight Meals

Daryl Getman of New York City, NY, writes: "I'm a second-year theater student at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, so most days are more about running from class to rehearsal to a performance than they are about cooking. But since I moved out of the dorms last year, cooking has become my favorite distraction. And on the weekends, it's my idea of a break." Daryl likes to use top-notch applewood-smoked bacon for this salad.

Low-fat, low-cal: Steaming helps preserve the flavor and nutrients of the fish without adding extra fat or calories.

Stout and brown sugar give these tender ribs a hint of sweetness.

Healthy bonus: Fiber from tomatoes; calcium from basil and fennel

The chicken and pickled vegetables are meant to be wrapped up in lettuce leaves and eaten with your hands.

Goes great with: Salad of butter lettuce, radicchio, roasted pears, and toasted walnuts. What to drink: Red Burgundy or Pinot Gris.

The delicious sauce has the complex, aromatic flavors of a Thai curry, but is very easy to prepare, thanks to purchased curry paste (now sold in many supermarkets). Look for fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves—whose beautiful fragrance is the signature of many Thai dishes—at Asian markets. If unavailable, don't use dried ones; substitute grated lime peel instead. Goes great with: Long-grain rice cooked with a few cardamom pods and grated lemon peel and sautéed spinach. What to drink: Spätlese Riesling or Oregon Pinot Noir.

Broccolini is a hybrid of broccoli and Chinese kale. You'll need to cook and cool the rice before you begin.

Anitra Earle of Yonkers, New York, writes: "I'm a perfume detective who hunts down hard-to-find and discontinued scents. One of the benefits of running my business from home is that I get to cook every day. I usually make dishes that I've relied on for years, like this linguine recipe. It takes just minutes to prepare, and as recipes go, it's practically foolproof."

This colorful salad is a modern, egg-free take on the classic.

I grew up in a household where we didn't eat meat on Friday, which presented a problem because when I was a child, I didn't like most fish or shellfish. My mother solved this dilemma by making me pasta with canned tuna and tomato sauce. This is my adult version of that recipe, made with high-quality preserved tuna with capers and anchovies added to hit the notes one expects in such a classic seafood pasta.

This mackerel, which pairs well with the fennel endive salad , was inspired by our trips to Southeast Asia, where dishes are commonly served with whole sprigs of fresh herbs for diners to pull off the leaves and eat as desired. Incidentally, this means less chopping for the cook. Also, to save time, we minced the ginger and garlic in a mini food processor.

Macarrones con Crema y Queso Poblano and serrano chiles give a mild kick to this cheesy Mexican pasta.

Calabazas are commonly found at Latino markets already cut into large wedges; kabochas are generally sold at natural foods stores.

Editor's note: This recipe is from Brini Maxwell's Guide to Gracious Living. For Maxwell's tips on throwing a summer pool party, click here. This dish is the perfect chicken for meals out-of-doors. It's good both hot and cold and can be eaten with your fingers without making too much of a mess. It also originated with my mother and has always been a crowd-pleaser in our family. These chicken legs make wonderful leftovers, so don't be afraid to overestimate!