Poultry

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

"My grandmother was a reporter in New York before she got married and moved to Montana to start a new life on a ranch," writes Joyce Litz of Albuquerque, New Mexico. "At the time she didn't know how to cook, and learning wasn't easy — the place didn't even have running water. Still, she appreciated good food, so she persevered and became a great cook. Later my grandmother taught me ranch-style cooking, a lot of which involved getting simple but flavorful, hearty meals ready in a hurry."

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 4 hr

Offer either brown or white rice and Asian beer, like Tsingtao. The chicken is especially tender because of the egg white and cornstarch coating.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 25 min

Doris Murphy of Pompano Beach, Florida, writes: "When I was raising my children, the dishes I made were definitely home style to suit everyone's tastes; but even without the demands of feeding a family, I still prefer simpler recipes. Nevertheless, I notice that most of my kids are pretty adventurous cooks. Maybe they did get some of that creativity from me; when I recall the potato-meat-and-vegetable meals my mother served, I realize that I did branch out a bit."

Serve a salad and some wine alongside, and you're ready for company.

Here's a hearty and satisfying pasta that makes an easy entrée for a dinner party.

The business card from Tante Louise reads: "A very special restaurant"—and it truly is. This romantic spot has been going strong for 27 years. Owner Corbin Douglass is known for fulfilling all sorts of requests, from ensuring that guests are seated at their favorite table in front of the fireplace to presenting an engagement ring on the dessert cart. Chef Duy Pham changes the contemporary French menu seasonally. The following dish was inspired by roast Peking duck, a Sunday tradition in Pham's family.

Serve rice with this dish from Le Colonial, a Vietnamese restaurant in West Hollywood.

Marinating the chicken in the yogurt mixture overnight tenderizes the meat and adds a delicious tang.

In Indian cooking, tikka refers to chunks of meat cooked on skewers.

Rupa De of West Lafayette, Indiana, writes: "Since I am originally from India, many of my non-Indian friends have asked me for a chicken curry recipe, and this is the one I give them. I hope your readers will enjoy it, too."

This lively salad is from Jorge Navarro, the chef-owner of Café Navarro, a cozy, Caribbean-style spot in Eugene, Oregon.