Soup/Stew

"Even in the spring it can be very chilly here in New England," saysMichelle M. Littlefield of Feeding Hills, Massachusetts. "My mom and I like to prepare this soup on weekends — and our entire family loves to warm up with a bowl of it."

The tortilla strips need to dry overnight, so begin making this one day ahead.

Truffle oil adds earthy nuances to this summer soup, but don't worry if you don't have any on hand: The soup will still be good without it. Open a nice bottle of Champagne to go with the meal.

Ribollita In leaner times, this hearty soup provided a delicious way for Tuscans to use their leftovers: Ribollita means "reboiled," and the soup was always eaten two days in a row. Plus, it was poured into the bowl over a slice of stale bread, which we recommend that you do, too. Begin making it two days ahead, and don't leave out the final drizzle of olive oil.

"As a student at Bloomsburg University, I spent many Sunday afternoons at Russell’s restaurant in downtown Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania," writes Marganne Hoffman of Lebanon, Pennsylvania. "A decade after graduating, I still crave their cheddar-crusted broccoli soup. I would be thrilled if the owners would share the recipe—and so would my family." The stems and florets are added to the soup separately so that the stems will cook until tender and the florets won’t overcook.

This pretty and refreshing soup - flavored with curry, cumin, ginger and garlic-is quick to prepare: Just put everything in the blender and puree it.

A classic of the Balearic Islands, where lobster is found in abundance, this stew (known as caldereta) is intensely flavorful and fun to eat. Live lobster is essential, since the tomalley (liver) is a key ingredient. Serve the stew with plenty of crusty country-style bread.

A low-fat version of the Mexican soup.

For a special touch, serve a fresh tomato chutney (recipe follows) alongside.

The early Yankees often cooked local shellfish in milk-based chowders with potatoes. True to their English heritage, the colonists planted kitchen gardens with as many herbs as they could cultivate, which they put into all kinds of dishes, including chowders.

Steve Delaney, West Chester, Pa.
"My recipe reflects the Caribbean influences in the foods of Miami, where I lived for many years."

A soothing soup for any time of year.

Thai food lovers will recognize this soup as the classic tom yaam goong. In its homeland the dish would have far more hot chilies. We've toned down the heat for newcomers to this cuisine, but veterans can add more chilies to make this soup as incendiary as they wish.

Posto, cardamom pods, and whole dried red chiles are available at Penzeys (800-741-7787; penzeys.com) and Kalustyan's (800-352-3451; kalustyans.com).

The lavish efforts involved — the vegetables are braised, then marinated, and finally sautéed — result in a succulent savory casserole that's spicy with pepper and juniper berries and sweet and sour with cherry nectar and vinegar; each vegetable gives the sweet and sour a slightly different twist. The chestnuts, cooked with salt pork, are particularly wonderful, salty and satisfying. Begin preparations at least 7 hours ahead of serving, since the vegetables must marinate for 6 hours.

Basmati-rice pilaf studded with peas and carrots is ideal on the side with this mild curried soup. Have chutney, yogurt and warm pita bread as additional accompaniments. Slice fresh bananas atop papaya or mango sorbet for a refreshing dessert.

Garam means "hot" and masala means "spiced," though the mixture is not chili-hot. Instead the classic garam masala spices called for in the recipe-cardamom, cloves, black pepper, cumin, and cinnamon-are warmly aromatic.