Oven Bake

October is the beginning of white truffle season, but if you have trouble finding white truffles, don't despair — these soufflés are delicious without them. Much of the deep flavor of this dish comes from Bra Tenero cheese. We tried lots of alternatives, and American Münster was the closest, though it won't turn the same golden brown color.

Alice Marcus Solovy of Skokie, Illinois, writes: "Although I'm retired now, I like recipes that are fairly quick. Usually I'm just cooking for my husband and daughter, but occasionally we're joined by our eldest daughter and her family. When it comes to getting dinner ready, I have a system. While the main course is cooking, I'll prepare the potatoes and other side dishes. When guests come over, I'm not too fond of letting them help in the kitchen. I'm kind of a tyrant that way. I'd rather make dinner myself and have it all ready." To cut down on the cooking time, these potatoes are cooked in the microwave first, then stuffed and rewarmed in the oven.

Orzo pilaf and stewed tomatoes simmered with sliced fennel bulb are nice side dishes. Classic chocolate mousse is the perfect finish.

Kathleen Sooy of Richmond, Virginia, writes: "On a visit to Pascal's restaurant, in Newport Beach, California, I enjoyed a wonderful grilled sea bass. What really caught my attention, though, were the luscious, creamy potatoes served on the side. The maître d' kindly shared the very simple ingredients with me, and I worked out the rest by trial and error back home. I have served this dish many times since then, always to rave reviews. " Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Jim Fobel, cookbook author, says. "My mother never put sun-dried tomatoes in her mashed potatoes, as I do in this recipe. She made them ahead, then topped them with Parmesan and butter, and baked them. I've always loved those potatoes, and the layer of chopped sun-dried tomatoes I've added provides some terrific extra flavor."

Chipotle hot sauce and queso fresco can be found at Latin American markets and at many supermarkets.

If you cut up the potatoes ahead of time, keep them in cold water so that they don't discolor.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 10 1/2 hr Look for sugar pumpkins and cheese pumpkins — we find they make the tastiest purée for pies, tarts, and cakes.

A twist on old-fashioned garlic bread.

Serve our Sophisticated Stir-Fried Rice with these irresistible ribs and wash it all down with cold Chinese beer. Buy green tea ice cream and fortune cookies for dessert.

In the book American Gourmet, Jane and Michael Stern describe beef Wellington as a "lardaceous dish" that is "rich beyond reason." The pastry-wrapped beef was the ultimate in dinner-party fare in the sixties. In our re-creation, salmon fillets cook in frozen puff pastry sheets, which arrived in the seventies.

Here's a perfect way to have the taste of fried oysters without all the extra fat. If the oysters are very large, cut them in half before coating them with the cornmeal.