Veal

This dish known, as pastitsatha, is one that evolved from Corfu to stretch scant supplies of meat. Consisting of chicken, turkey, beef or veal braised in tomato sauce fragrant with spices, it is served over thick tubular pasta from Corfu called "perciatellli" (if you can't find it, use spaghetti). Kefalotyri is a nutty tasting hard cheese similar to Parmesan. It is available at Greek markets.

This is a terrific version of osso buco alla Milanese. To bring out the flavors, the veal is sprinkled with gremolata, a snappy mixture of chopped parsley, garlic and grated lemon peel. Uncork a bottle of Nebbiolo d'Alba or Nebbiolo delle Langhe to go with this classic do-ahead entrée.

Open a bottle of fruity Chardonnay to serve with this enlightened take on a classic.

Having relatives who live near Lansing, Illinois, gives Janice and Paul Abrinko a reason to visit that part of the country—and after trying the veal with Gorgonzola sauce and red cabbage at Cafe Borgia, they have one more reason to go.

A stylish dinner party dish with a bonus: Much of the prep work can be done a day ahead. At the store, have the butcher bone and trim all of the fat and membrane from a 4 3/4-pound center-cut veal rib roast, resulting in a 3-pound oblong boneless veal loin.

The secret of making fried rice lies in the use of cold, cooked rice. Freshly cooked rice will only produce a sticky mess.

The stew does need to bake for a couple of hours, but it's very easy to put together.

"My family loves Italian food," writes Seamus Ray of Annapolis, Maryland. "One of my best creations is this veal dish with eggplant; I serve it for special occasions."

Serve with a crisp romaine salad and the Saffron Rice and Red Pepper Pilaf. Marinate the veal six hours before grilling. What to drink: A dry Italian white wine, such as a Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

Filet de Boeuf à la Bordelaise Active time: 3 hr Start to finish: 25 hr (includes making stock and soaking marrow)

Though you may associate bocconcini with the tiny mozzarella balls sold at Italian markets and cheese shops, the word simply means "little bites" (the veal in this stew is cut into bite-size pieces). When purchasing dried porcini, look for packages containing large, flat, recognizable slices of the mushroom. Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

At The Riviera restaurant in Dallas, this delicious main course is teamed with steamed asparagus and fingerling potatoes roasted with rosemary.

Noël McAlpine of Dallas, Texas, writes: "When I was in Florence for a business conference, I had the pleasure of dining at Trattoria Garga. I really enjoyed the scaloppine al carciofi (veal cutlets with artichokes) and would like to add the recipe to my collection."

If you love spaghetti and meatballs, then you'll love this upmarket rendition featuring perciatelli-long, hollow pasta. The noodles are topped with a rich tomato and porcini mushroom sauce, and meatballs made with ground veal, Italian sausage and more porcini. Start things off with an antipasto platter of olive, assorted marinated vegetables and cured meats. Offer breadsticks alongside, and pour a full-bodied Chianti.

Start making this at least one day ahead.

Voli are marbles, the multicolored little balls that were so popular with kids during my childhood. But unlike the glass versions, which were quite expensive, the ones we used to play with were made of clay and colored in various bright, glossy shades. They were fragile, and their glaze would crack, revealing their dark red insides, similar in color to these delicious meatballs with bulgur. This recipe comes from the island of Rhodes, and bulgur is probably the grain originally used. Later, in the stewed meatballs of the mainland, it was replaced by rice.

A light, lemony sauce makes this entrée great for spring dinner parties. Round out the menu with the Chive Jive New Potatoes and Sesame Asparagus. Pour a slightly chilled full-bodied Chardonnay throughout the meal. Conclude the evening with angel food cake from the bakery and fresh berries.