Oven Bake

Elise McBryde of Stamford, Connecticut, writes: "I would love to have the recipe for the Valrhona chocolate pudding served at the City Limits Diner, in Stamford, Connecticut."

Tony Kerum's deliciously satisfying version of Croatian moussaka — featuring potatoes in place of the more traditional eggplant — keeps film crews well fed.

Inspired by Big Night Set in New Jersey in the 1950s, this 1996 film revolves around the conflict between two immigrant brothers who decide to open a restaurant. Primo defends his purist Italian cooking to Secondo, his brother, who is more concerned with the bottom line. Frustrated with customers who want simple plates of spaghetti and meatballs, Primo prepares timpano, a complex, drum-shaped dish of pasta-filled pastry. We've taken the timpano and simplified it into a timballo, a molded casserole without a pastry crust. For added flair, arrange the ziti in a decorative pattern as you make the first layer of the timballo.

Serve this quiche (John Travolta's favorite) for lunch or dinner with a green salad.

Serve as dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or on its own as a wonderful brunch dish.

Armandino Batali of Salumi in Seattle, writes: "My son, Mario Batali, may be the most recognizable foodie in the family, but the Batalis' interest in Italian cooking and culture goes back generations. My grandfather opened Seattle's first Italian-food import store in 1903. It was located just a few steps from where my restaurant, Salumi, is now, and it's one of the things that inspired me to get into the business. "The idea behind Salumi was to create a restaurant, deli, and meat factory in one place, just like the salumerias in Italy. We're known for homemade sausages and salami, but we also attract a large lunchtime crowd. Some of the specials, like the meat loaf and frittata, have been in our family for years. They're also easy to make at home." This Italian-inspired version is filled with sausage, mozzarella cheese, and basil.

The mushrooms that top this pizza are simmered in a white wine reduction, which gives them a zippy sweet and acidic bite.

Slender wedges of this creamy quiche also make a wonderful appetizer.

Fresh fennel adds crunch and goat cheese lends tang to this meatless pizza.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Roasting the vegetables and adding red wine are the secrets to the satisfying flavor of this pot pie. Other root vegetables such as turnips or parsnips would work well here, too.

A moist pan stuffing that mirrors the herbaceous flavor of the turkey and gravy.

In summer, this bread can be cooked on the grill; in cold weather, it's just as good prepared in the oven.

All you need to complete the meal is a simple green salad and your favorite Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.