Stew

Associate Food Editor: Alexis Touchet
Father: Rodney Miller, Abbeville, LA
When I was a kid, our summer routine started with the opening day of shrimp season — my dad would get the boat ready and out we would go, winding our way down the bayou until we reached Vermilion Bay. He would check to make sure the trawl net was securely tied before tossing it into the water, and would then let it be dragged down slowly along with the trawl boards. When we painstakingly pulled the net up onto the boat and untied the bag, it spilled out a catch of shrimp, crabs, and fish. These fresh shrimp were the stars in Dad's favorite gumbo recipe.

Try this alongside roast chicken, spoon it over toasted baguette slices as an appetizer, or top it with poached eggs for brunch.

Goes great with: Couscous flavored with chopped mint, toasted slivered almonds, and grated lemon peel. What to drink: Australian Shiraz or red Faugères from the Languedoc in France.

Asopao de Pollo Angel Rodriguez of New York, New York, writes: "My family in Puerto Rico used to make this asopao for special occasions or when we needed something to eat while fishing by the river. This dish is made with sofrito, a flavor base in Latin American cooking.

Pozole can refer to hominy, as well as to the name of the stew made with it.

Ciuppin Although many San Franciscans think the zesty fish stew known as cioppino was invented in their city, it can actually be traced back to Genoa — ciuppin is the Genoese term for "nice little bowl of soup." Almost any white-fleshed saltwater fish will do, as long as it's very fresh.

Flavia Schepmans of New York, New York, writes: "One of many Belgian regional variations, this beef stew hails from my mother's natal city, Ghent." Our associate art director Flavia Schepmans's mother uses American-style beer in this recipe. If you want to try another beer, go for a Belgian ale — an imported pilsner might be too bitter.

Packed with sea vegetables such as arame and kombu (both loaded with beneficial minerals), this recipe from Alexandra Jamieson, vegan chef and girlfriend of Super Size Me's Morgan Spurlock, is as good for you as it gets. Adding the miso after the stew is cooked ensures the preservation of its healthful microorganisms.

Santo Stefano di Sessanio produces some of the best lentils in Abruzzo. Small French lentils make a good substitute.

Serve over couscous, if desired.

Here, sautéed polenta triangles add another dimension to a southwestern-style stew.

Great over rice or toasted French bread.

A simplified version of a nineteenth-century stew that originated in Virginia and included squirrel. Today, diced cooked potatoes are sometimes added.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.