Onion

Serve with: Steaks, burgers, sausages, pork, duck, or salmon. Combine with: Sautéed greens (such as escarole). Use as: A topping for thin-crust pizza sprinkled with Gorgonzola.

"An Indian friend of my mother's gave her this recipe for beef curry back in 1936," writes Bill Goodhue of Chino, California. "The recipe has been passed on to me, so I can still enjoy the sweet-spicy flavors of this stew more than 60 years later."

This Basque dish is essentially a fish pâté or pudding, called budíns in Spain.

This recipe was created to accompany <a></a>Turkey with Sherry Wine Vinegar Gravy .

This recipe was created to accompany <epi:recipelink id="4576">Herb-coated Lamb with Port-Red Wine Sauce</epi:recipelink>

For decades, the restaurant Lutèce—with chef André Soltner behind the stove—was the pinnacle of French cuisine in New York City. Soltner's Alsace onion tart, one of the best we've ever tasted, was the inspiration for this version.

"While my husband and I were vacationing in the Cayman Islands, we had the pleasure of dining at Fidel Murphy's Irish Pub on Grand Cayman," writes Regina Stewart of Acworth, Georgia. "We travel a lot and have enjoyed many good Irish stews, but the pub's rendition is the best ever."

Active time: 3 hr Start to finish: 4 hr

Look for rice vinegar in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.

This superb starter has no cream and just one tablespoon of oil.

This rich, silky soup has a touch of spice.

These rolls are baked instead of deep-fried, making them a healthful, satisfying alternative to traditional egg rolls.

We make this rich, intensely flavored stock for our mushroom soups, sauces, and ragouts. The dried shiitake mushrooms give the stock depth and tremendous flavor. They're readily available in the Asian section of most grocery stores, but if you can't find them, substitute another variety of dried mushrooms — fresh mushrooms alone will make a weak stock. This stock freezes well.

Wondra, a fast-blending flour, is a supermarket staple that's ideal for thickening sauces and gravies. It is put to good use in this quick pasta dish.