Soup

Top with sour cream and chopped cilantro.

Crème de Courgettes à l'anis Serve this soup either hot or cold.

The following soup can be made with any variety of pumpkin except the traditional jack-o-lantern variety, which is too watery and lacks flavor. Apple Schnitz, time-honored Pennsylvania Dutch preserved apples, make a healthy snack as well as a novel garnish.

A delicious soup from Tágide.

This warming and satisfying winter soup is a delicious starter, and the vegetables add color and sweetness.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Editors' note: The original recipe calls for Chinese wheat noodles, but we also like this soup made with somen (Japanese thin wheat noodles) or soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles).

Jennifer Martin of Portland, Oregon, writes: "I am not formally trained in cooking but grew up working in food service, from chopping vegetables at food festivals to catering parties for a little extra income. Today I own Epicure Custom Cooking, a gourmet takeout shop and catering company with a few tables for dining. Our specials change weekly and are geared toward what I like to cook and eat. I simply love the business, even with my 12-hour days."

Miso soup — a fermented-soybean broth — is not difficult to make at home. Freeze the ginger and thaw it before squeezing; that way, extracting the juice will be easy. Chilled sake goes well with the meal.