Quick

Note that the chops need to marinate for at least three days, so begin preparing this dish well in advance. What to drink: A white wine with snappy acidity and lemon-lime notes, like dry Riesling or Grüner Veltliner.

Without the ice cream and served warm, these make a great brunch dish.

If you have trouble finding pea tendrils, pea sprouts (young pea tendrils) work very well with this dish; you'll find them at Asian markets and farmers' markets.

A good-quality extra-virgin olive oil makes all the difference here. Elena uses Barbera Frantoia XV, from Sicily, which, when tossed with the warm beans, bursts with a gentle grassy flavor.

Caramelized shallots and a dark vinegar glaze turn chops into an extremely flavorful sweet-and-sour dish.

Tossed in a fabulous country-style dressing, these bitter greens are a wonderful counterpoint to a hearty main course.

This fusion of many Sephardic recipes makes an extremely realistic “mortar.” The nuts and spices can be varied to suit individual tastes.

Straccetti di Manzo Generations of Roman cooks have relied on this trattoria favorite — made with classic ingredients — for dinner in a hurry.

The distinct flavors of fresh cilantro and curry powder, along with the unexpected addition of peanut butter, turn a simple tomato-based soup into something special. You can make it vegetarian by using vegetable broth.

Couscous is one of the fastest side dishes to prepare, but this jazzed-up, garlicky rendition shows that it need not be bland. Serve it with the Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Paillards or with grilled Italian sausages.

Katy Hees of Santa Fe, New Mexico, writes: "Eating local, fresh, organic food is important to me. It doesn't get much more local than the eggs I use, which come from our own chickens. I came up with my fried eggs on toast recipe as a great way to dress them up for dinner."

Using purchased pizza dough to make one large calzone saves lots of time. lighten up: For a lower-calorie, lower-fat calzone, use part-skim mozzarella.

Better than anything you can get at your local takeout joint, this way of making the Chinese classic can be done in record time.

The simplicity of this pasta dish lets the escarole shine. Excellent as an entrée or as a first course served before roasted chicken or beef.

Katy Hees of Santa Fe, New Mexico, writes: "Eating local, fresh, organic food is important to me. It doesn't get much more local than the eggs I use, which come from our own chickens. I also have a garden, which inspired my roasted green beans."

A fantastic way to use jarred peppers.