Mushroom

Goat cheese and truffle oil add rich flavors to the humble sweet potato.

CHAMPAGNE A dish that's refined yet spirited, much like the bubbly that has made the region so celebrated. For a first course, serve steamed leeks bathed in a simple vinaigrette. What to drink: Champagne, of course.

Hominy was as common on the table when I was growing up as rice is today. It is not used too much anymore but is still readily available in some regions, particularly in the south. You can buy it in cans or loose, sold in bulk, and sometimes you can find it in health-food stores and packaged alongside the other grains in the supermarket. The brand I buy is Monte Blanco or Goya. I have found that Spanish brands are more tasty. After you have opened the can, wash the hominy 3 or more times with cold water and drain well. This removes the taste of the liquid it soaked in. Hominy is dried, hulled whole kernels of corn; grits are finely ground hominy. Usually hominy is boiled and served hot for breakfast, plain or with gravy. Because I think it is a little like tiny dumplings, I like to cook it with sautéed chicken so that the juices from the chicken and the vegetables can mingle with the hominy.

"I love going to Peter Schott's here in Boise for special occasions," writes Tracie Merrell of Boise, Idaho. "The restaurant is elegant but relaxed, and the food is memorable, especially the mushroom soup with Brie croutons." Freezing the Brie firms it, so removing the rind and slicing the cheese are much easier.

This hearty soup is served at Belvedere Mansion in Staatsburg, New York.

This Boston-area restaurant is dedicated to using locally grown organic produce.

Pour a Chardonnay with the meal; if there are kids at the table, offer them apple cider.

"On Saturday mornings I like to go to the farmers' market near my house and buy whatever produce is at its peak," writes Justin Kulongowski of Portland, Maine. "One weekend I came home with all the ingredients to make this great salad."

Pasta with shellfish is an old Italian tradition. Have crusty bread on hand to serve.

"Being a vegetarian, I was delighted to find a hearty meatless main dish at the Stamford Plaza hotel in Auckland, New Zealand," writes Barbara Abbott of Santa Rosa, California. "The mushroom risotto was outstanding; I'd be pleased if you could get the recipe."

"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."

This elegant entrée deserves special accompaniments, like buttered baby carrots sprinkled with chopped tarragon, twice-baked potatoes (available frozen) and a spinach salad tossed with toasted walnuts. New-York-style cheesecake with strawberries provides the properly indulgent finale.

H.F. Lippincott of Montgomery, Alabama, writes: "The chicken marengo at O'Briens Bistro, in Pensacola, Florida, is delicious. I'd love to have the recipe."

Decadent and inimitably French, this recipe was inspired by Jacques Drouot, manager of Le Dôme in Paris. Any leftover fresh truffle can be shaved over scrambled eggs, pasta, or risotto. Jarred truffles are an option, too, but don't have the same intensity of flavor. Or the truffles can be omitted altogether.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 40 min

There are many different kinds of pork dumplings, and siu mai are one of the most popular, typically served in dim sum restaurants. When homemade, the dumplings are unsurpassed, if they are made with an equal amount of fresh water chestnuts to ground pork, Chinese mushrooms, cilantro, and scallions. Siu mai are distinctly different from other dumplings, because they are made with round won ton skins, not the typical square-shaped skins. Each brand has a different thickness of dough, but the thinner the better; the dumplings will be more delicate. If round won ton skins are not available, I cut square wrappers into 3-inch-wide circles. This recipe makes about 3 1/2 dozen siu mai. Steam as many as you need, or cover in plastic wrap, refrigerate, and steam within two to three hours.

Use fresh button mushrooms if wild mushrooms are hard to get; you will still have delicious results. Yukon Gold potatoes have a pale yellow color and a buttery taste that adds to the richness of this dish.