Oven Bake

This update on a classic terrine is made with an aromatic broth and olive oil instead of cream. If you're short on time, don't bother with the leek lining—though it is pretty, the terrine works fine without it.

Salmone Sockeye al Forno con Peperoni e Capperi Fresh wild salmon, including the late-season ones from Alaska, would be the best choice for this preparation. What to do when the season ends? Well, there are always available steelhead trout and Arctic char and, of course, farmed Atlantic salmon.

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!

We made our potpie in an oval baking dish, but you could also use a square or rectangular one.

Lauren Beal of San Rafael, California, writes: "When it comes to making dinner, my husband, Stuart, and I have the perfect system. He's in charge of our backyard garden, and I'm in charge of cooking with what he harvests—things like basil, onions, lemons, and even apples. It's our favorite way to create a meal together."

Fresh black truffles are worth the splurge. They are available at some specialty foods stores and from Urbani Truffles (215-699-8780; urbanitruffles.com). Black truffles in jars are sold at specialty foods stores and Italian markets; the most flavorful are European winter black truffles.

The pasta is divided among four 3 1/2-quart baking dishes so they can be baked individually for open-house-style serving. But you can use any size bake-and-serve dishes — even a roasting pan or a paella pan.

Jan Schroeder of Corvallis, Oregon, writes: "A great thing about my job is that I get to do a lot of cooking. I work for the berry industry and one of my duties is developing recipes. I often get ideas from local chefs, but it's also rewarding to see what I can come up with on my own."

This dish would be great served with fried eggs for brunch.

Tracy Jones Midland, Texas, writes: "I wanted to share a Christmas breakfast recipe given to my mother, Cherry Jones, by Ann Westerman, a lifelong friend. My family quickly adopted the tradition of preparing this dish on Christmas Eve, then baking it on Christmas morning while opening our presents." The thick slices of garlicky bread in this dish are known as Texas toast.

These crab cakes are amazingly tender and moist because of the generous proportion of meat. The restaurant uses a combination of claw and backfin meat from Atlantic blue crabs.

Oysters Rockefeller were created in 1899 by Jules Alciatore of Antoine's restaurant, in New Orleans, to make use of local shellfish and greens. Named for John D. Rockefeller, this classic first course is likewise rich. Though Louisiana oysters tend to be quite large, it's best to use small ones, such as Kumamoto or Prince Edward Island, for this recipe. The oysters themselves (not the shells) should be no more than 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

These mushrooms take the place of snails in a play on classic escargots.