Cutlet

Serve with: Warmed tortillas and steamed, buttered summer squash. Dessert: Key lime pie from the bakery.

"My best cooking is done on Sundays during the fall and winter," writes Lisa Caiazzo of Franklin Square, New York, "when I become a football widow. The game doesn't appeal to me at all, so I happily escape to the kitchen while my husband, Angelo, roots for the Giants. Often I prepare a feast that includes meatballs and sauce, chicken cutlets, roasted peppers, hot bread, and crème brûlée. An afternoon of cooking can be very therapeutic after a busy week. And since Angelo is actually a bigger fan of my food than of football, I'm always shown plenty of appreciation."

A spicy arugula and tomato salad accompaniment makes this a perfect light summer entrée that could easily serve as a one-dish meal, or a piatto unico as they are known in Italy. The trick is to cook the chops slowly over even, meduim heat, so that they cook through without burning the bread-crumb crust.

If anchovies rolled around capers aren't available, substitute a two-ounce can of anchovies plus one teaspoon of capers. serve with: Potato pancakes, chunky applesauce, and red-cabbage slaw.

Serve with: Steamed broccoli and roasted potatoes. Dessert: Baked apples.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Fans of Buffalo wings will understand why we suggest serving these chicken cutlets with Crunchy Iceberg and Watercress Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing . Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 35 min

"I spend as much time as I can cooking," writes Brigette Lyons of Allendale, New Jersey, "and I'm equally comfortable feeding two or two hundred. I thoroughly enjoy giving sit-down meals, including an annual Christmas luncheon I do for about twenty guests. I just like to cook, period. Cooking for two hundred may be different from making weeknight dinners for myself and my husband, John, but organization is the key to both. I try to keep things on hand that are simple and easy to prepare." Brigette prepares this dish for her annual Christmas luncheon. It's ideal for entertaining because it can be assembled ahead and baked just before serving.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The sauce is a variation of a classic one from the Normandy region of France, where it's made with apples and Calvados.

Warm and fragrant, this sauce is a versatile use for a surplus of cherry tomatoes. Spoon any leftovers over pork chops, grain bowls, or cheese and crackers.

Everything you love about katsu (the crispy breading, the juicy meat) with a molten, cheesy center.

Torta milanesa usually features chicken or pork; this vegetarian version swaps in thin-sliced eggplant, which goes crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.

Hit all the notes of a fully loaded bagel—complete with tangy yogurt taking the place of cream cheese—with this crispy fish cutlet.