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Scallion Goat Cheese Muffins

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Salmon with Mustard Maple Sauce

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

Sauteed Bass Fillets with Mushrooms, Scallions, and Soy

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min

Linguine with Chipotle and Red Pepper Sauce

Braised Rabbit with Olives

A 3 1/2-pound chicken works well, too, in this dish from Syracuse.

Sage, Onion and Wild-Rice Risotto Cakes

In this recipe, the delicious taste of risotto is blended with the crispiness and convenience of griddlecakes. They can be reheated in a very hot oven at the last minute.

Polenta and Bacon with Fontina

Karla Medina of League City, Texas, writes: "At a food festival in downtown Houston, I had a sampler plate from Carmelo's Italian Restaurant. The eggplant Parmesan and spicy meatballs were very good, but the polenta was out of this world. I'd love to know how they prepared it."

Chicken Mole with Chipotles

Mole, a classic Mexican chili sauce, gets streamlined here. Chipotle chilies (available canned at Latin American markets and many supermarkets) add heat, while unsweetened chocolate provides subtle sweetness. Serve the stew in shallow bowls with steamed rice. Add an arugula, orange, and red onion salad and a basket of warm corn tortillas. For dessert, offer cinnamon-spiked hot chocolate and wafer cookies.

Shepherd's Pie

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 2 3/4 hr

Grilled Vegetable Salad with Greens, Tomatoes, Herbs, Olives and Cheese

For this fabulous salad we used red onions, beets, zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers, but any mix of summer vegetables would work. The salad gets served with grilled bread and is nice with a white wine, like Sauvignon Blanc.

Baked Polenta with Swiss Chard and Cheese

Caramelized-Onion and Parmesan Cream Scones

An Italian twist on an English favorite.

Creamed Corn Gratin with Fried Onion Rings and Bacon

Maine Lobster with Wild Mushrooms and Rosemary Vapor

This dish combines aroma and flavor in a unique fashion: Bowls of steaming rosemary vapor accompany the luxurious main course. The piney fragrance of fresh rosemary adds another dimension to the taste experience.

Sliced Steak with Roasted-Corn Salsa

Grilled steak with late summer corn and a squeeze of lime juice. Sound wonderful? It is. Grilled potato wedges make a terrific side.

Andrew Engle's Montauk Wild Striped Bass with Tomatoes and Roasted Corn

Andrew Engle is the chef at The Laundry in East Hampton, N.Y. This eatery has been a Long Island classic for years. How great that striped bass is available year-round! "If the fish is thinner than 3/4 inch, do not turn it," Andrew says. "Just cook it skin-side down."