Weeknight Meals

Begin making this one day ahead. If you plan to take this on a sailing trip or a picnic, grill the chicken at home, then transport it in a cooler and serve it cold, or let it stand at room temperature up to two hours. Crusty bread and white wine are perfect accompaniments.

"My husband and I celebrated my fiftieth birthday on the island of St. John, where we enjoyed many terrific meals," says Eileen Hruby of Tom's River, NJ. "One day, we had lunch at Pusser's Ltd. in Cruz Bay. The coleslaw they served was extraordinary: cool and hot at the same time. I have no idea how it was made." Serrano chilies give this dish a real kick; the lime juice makes it refreshing.

This salad, crunchy with red pepper and fennel, pairs well with the broiled trout or with grilled lamb or chicken.

The saffron adds not only a lovely aroma but vivid color as well. Open a bottle of Chardonnay to go with the meal.

Add rice or soft oriental noodles, and this becomes a quick supper. Look for wasabi powder and sesame oil in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.

Chipotles give these burgers — from Hal's Bar & Grill in Venice, California — a terrific kick.

Serve steamed rice with this dish to sop up all the garlicky sauce. You'll be amazed at how much the turkey tastes like veal—at a fraction of the cost.

We've substituted Cornish game hens (which are much easier to find) for the squab used at Gary Danko in San Francisco. At the restaurant, the squab is stuffed with a mixed-grain pilaf. We suggest serving this with couscous or rice pilaf.

Feel free to create your own mesclun mix. We suggest baby red oakleaf, baby arugula, mâche, and bite-size pieces of Belgian endive, frisée, and radicchio.

Pescado Zarandeado Although you can broil the fish, it is at its best when cooked outside (placing the fish in a grill basket makes it easier to turn over on the barbecue). Ask the fishmonger to remove the head and scales and to clean and butterfly the fish.

Look for peanut sauce in the Asian foods section of the supermarket. Serve with: Couscous and a cucumber-romaine salad tossed with mint-yogurt dressing. Dessert: Mango sorbet and coconut macaroons.

The heat in fresh poblano chiles varies considerably; you may want to use more than one in this dish if they are not too hot. The sautéed vegetables can sit at room temperature for several hours before serving.

Jennifer Smith of Tyler, Texas, writes: "Now that I'm a stay-at-home mom, I cook more than I used to. My husband and I have discovered that dining out with a 16-month-old is messy at best, so we tend to eat in. Even then, cooking is a challenge, since my daughter is always underfoot. My husband and I like simple comfort foods, so I don't have to spend too much time preparing elaborate meals. I just keep plenty of garlic and herbs on hand to spice up whatever I'm making. My must-have pantry staple is flavored petite diced tomatoes. They're great in chili and my black bean soup."

Paulette Sexton of Tustin, California, writes: "Although I've loved to cook since I was a kid, I didn't really hone my kitchen skills until my husband and I started entertaining frequently. When we were first married, we had dinner parties several times a week — it got to the point where people would call me around 4:30 in the afternoon and ask, 'What's for dinner?' We're still having people over and we're still informal, especially in the summer. Everyone sits around the large island in our kitchen, drinking wine and eating appetizers. Usually there's grilled chicken or fish or a simple main-course salad for dinner. It's our favorite menu."