Soup

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Plantain Soup This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Rice sticks turn up in soups in many parts of Asia. This recipe was inspired by an aromatic soup offered at Bo Ky, a Vietnamese noodle parlor on Bayard Street in New York City.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A thick, rich soup that's very satisfying on a cold day, especially with warm tortillas or biscuits alongside.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Japanese connoisseurs of the noodle hold soba, made primarily of buckwheat flour, in particularly high regard. Here the nutty taste of the soba noodles is set off by a restorative broth in which miso is a savory option. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Teri Carpenter of Albuquerque, New Mexico, writes: "On a trip to British Columbia, we dined at Blue Heron Inn, on Porpoise Bay, in Sechelt. They served a fabulous onion and fennel bisque. Could you get the chef to share the recipe with Gourmet?" This bisque is so lush that demitasse cups make an ideal serving size. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 hr

For more information about forming tortellini, see Wrapped Around Your Little Finger. Active time: 3 hr Start to finish: 3 1/2 hr

Country bread and a salad of thickly sliced tomatoes sprinkled with oil, vinegar and crumbled bacon complete the supper. Strawberry tarts make a lovely finale.