Casserole

All the flavor of individual tamales, but much easier to make.

Although it would be years before most Greek cooking would become familiar to Americans, one Greek dish, moussaka, did catch on in the seventies.

Serve this with roast lamb or chicken. Market tip: Let the greens (if attached) be your guide to freshness when selecting turnips. Make sure they are bright green and fresh-looking.

This easy dressing makes a great side dish for roast chicken or fried pork chops.

Pasta Fazool is slang for the classic Italian pasta e fagioli (pasta and beans). This recipe includes Italian sausage and beef along with kidney beans and pasta. It's all topped with Fontina.

Root vegetables became a mainstay of the New England diet. The crops grew well during the summer and could be stored in barrels of sand or in root cellars to keep through the long winter. This spectacular casserole has potatoes, parsnips, turnips and carrots, and is sweetened with just a hint of pear. The pureed vegetables are swirled together in the baking dish to create a pretty marbled effect.

Margaritas and some guacamole with chips and/or vegetable "dippers" would start this Mexican-style dinner off right. Ladle out black bean soup to precede the tamale pie, and serve a Caesar salad with it. Finish by teaming lime sorbet with orange segments that have been marinated in tequila.

My grandmother Mignon Smith estimates that this tamale pie recipe is at least 40 years old. She's been making it for us for years.

Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr