Salad

Other top-quality blue cheeses-like Maytag, Danish or Roquefort-are fine replacements for the Stilton. And if arugula is unavailable, choose another slightly bitter salad green, such as curly endive, chicory or baby salad greens; spinach mixed with some watercress would also work quite well.

Great on its own or served alongside grilled fish, chicken or steak.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. We serve this salad with slices of bread or crackers.

(Panzanella) In Tuscany, leftover bread is put to many uses: It stars in all kinds of recipes, from appetizers like crostini and fettunta (the Tuscan term for bruschetta) to soups like ribollita and pappa al pomodoro. Stale bread even appears in salads; this one is called panzanella, which comes from the word pantanella, meaning "little swamp." Although the name is unfortunate, it is appropriate: The chunks of bread are first soaked in water, then mixed with the rest of the salad, where they sop up the zesty vinaigrette. There are several versions of panzanella, but no matter how the salad is made, the bread should be a few days old and coarse in texture. Sometimes wheat bread is used, but the salad is better with white.

This recipe makes more dressing than you'll need. The remainder makes a great everyday dressing for any type of green salad, or a delicious dip for chicken wings or raw vegetables.

Quinoa, an ancient grain eaten by the Incas, is naturally coated with a bitter-tasting substance called saponin. But once the residue is rinsed away, you have a versatile, nutty-tasting grain that makes a fine alternative to rice and barley. For convenience, grill the bell peppers in this dish at the same time as the vegetables and beef for the main-course kebabs.

For a milder dish, use fewer Thai chiles and seed the serranos before mincing them. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Grated black radish salad is exquisite too. Try it with the most common black radish in the U.S. (Raphanus sativus), which is round and has a similar flavor and texture to Raphanus sativus niger.

Gorgonzola cheese adds great flavor to this southwestern winter salad.

This salad is a cook's dream because it must be made the day before serving. If you would rather eat it on the same day it is made, cook the cracked wheat in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, then drain through a fine sieve. Proceed with the recipe, but serve immediately without refrigerating.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.