Poultry

"Usually I rely on cookbooks or magazines for recipes, but occasionally I develop one of my own," writes Kimberly R. Diamondidis of Germantown, Maryland. "A few years ago, I created this delicious, hearty soup as a new way to enjoy turkey."

Don't be alarmed by the 4 tablespoons of Tabasco called for below—the resulting marinade is spicy, but not incendiary.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Chef Boulud prefers guinea hens for this recipe, but we found free-range chicken to be a worthy substitute.

This very typical Lao dish may also be made with fish, pork, beef, or, in Southeast Asian tradition, water buffalo meat. While laap is often made with raw meat or fish, our chicken-based rendition is stir-fried, as it was when Lao cooks served it to us. A powder made from toasted glutinous rice subtly flavors the dish.

Serve this with the Crispy Potato Galette, buttered green beans and a red Côtes du Rhône or white Burgundy.

(Pollo alla Diavola) This entrée, a specialty of Florence, can be found at restaurants throughout Tuscany. If you see alla diavola on an Italian menu, it means that dish will be slightly spicy. Chicken alla diavola is usually flattened, then blackened on a grill or under the broiler, but the same technique works well on the stove, too. This recipe uses game hens to stand in for the smaller chickens of Tuscany, and a heavy pot takes the place of the brick.

This filling is definitely not peas and hard carrots and tough chunks of chicken. Instead, there are sun-dried tomatoes and shiitake mushrooms with flavorful pieces of thyme-seasoned chicken. And best of all, the individual pies can be assembled a day ahead, leaving only the baking to be done before sharing them with the family.