Steak

Midweek suggestions are thick-cut fries, sautéed mushrooms and peppermint-stick ice cream. For a touch of glamour, begin with Champagne and caviar, offer roasted potatoes and spinach soufflé with the steak, and have chocolate truffles afterward.

Once the polenta is made (which, for convenience, can be done a day or two ahead of time) this dish is a snap to put together. Simply sauté the polenta pieces, grill the flank steak, place them on the plate, and spoon on the luscious roasted shallot vinaigrette and you have a quick and very satisfying plate of food. A mound of sautéed mushrooms, or for something lighter, asparagus or haricots verts, is a perfect accompaniment. Crispy potatoes are a splendid substitute for the polenta.

These steaks would be great served with the Endive Salad . Tip steak is from the round, which is a tougher muscle and has less marbling than other cuts of beef. It should be cooked rare to medium-rare for maximum flavor and juiciness.

At Mirabelle, chef Reuge serves the paillards, in this case thin slices of strip steak, on a bed of red cabbage braised in red wine and garnishes the dish with fresh herbs.

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

This dish takes just minutes to prepare, so steam some rice ahead of time. A salad of sliced radishes and sweet onions drizzled with a light vinaigrette rounds things out. For dessert, try vanilla frozen yogurt topped with sugared strawberries.

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

Grilled rib eyes are sliced and tossed with mint, lemongrass, chili, and lime juice, then served atop a marinated cabbage mixture in this main-course salad.

Using pre-tenderized steak (labeled "cube steak" at the meat counter) makes this bistro-style dish extra succulent. Serve with: Hash browns and steamed broccoli. Dessert: Warm apple pie.

When choosing a steak, look for meat with good marbling (fat that runs throughout). This keeps the meat from shrinking and drying as it cooks.

At Emeril's, in New Orleans, Emeril Lagasse prefers sirloin steaks for this.

Bulgogi Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from restaurateur Jenny Kwak's book, Dok Suni: Recipes from My Mother's Korean Kitchen. Kwak also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. To read more about Kwak and Korean cuisine, click here. As you will see when you are barbecuing this marinated beef, its smell will make your mouth water. Once you try Korean barbecue, it will become something you crave — even if you're not usually a beef eater. Bulgogi is traditionally eaten with white rice and a variety of sides, usually spicy ones. Most important, serve it with fresh red leaf lettuce, thinly sliced raw garlic, and some spicy fresh peppers to make a ssam: holding the lettuce in your palm, make a wrap that envelops the barbecued beef, some rice, the dipping sauce, and, if desired, the vegetables. Feel free to experiment!

This is nice on cold nights, especially when you're craving something rich, comforting, and restorative. It's saucy and intensely flavored, with lots of interesting textures.

Buy steaks that are at least 1 1/4 inches thick; that way, they can be seared without getting overdone. The Mediterranean-flavored butter adds a great taste accent. Also offer mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli, and drink a Burgundy or Pinot Noir.

Serve this citrus-marinated steak with white rice and pinto beans tossed with butter and a marinated cabbage salad for an authentic Central American meal.

"While visiting friends on Cape Cod, I had dinner at the Aqua Grille in Sandwich," says Corolyn Hampton of Saratoga Springs, New York. "The beer-marinated steak, served with a peppercorn sauce and mashed potatoes, was the centerpiece of a fabulous meal."