Italian American

Serve with: Steamed broccoli and roasted potatoes. Dessert: Baked apples.

Sheila Stein of Woodbury, New York, New York, writes: "We've eaten several times at La Viola of Syosset. Their chicken française is excellent. Could you get the recipe for me?"

Wendy Popp of Richmond, Virginia, writes: "My job as a physical therapist and my hobby, horseback riding, keep me pretty busy. But my sons — Sammy, two, and Weston, four — keep me moving the most, which has changed my cooking style. I used to be much more experimental, but now I need low-maintenance, tried-and-true recipes that will please the boys (including my husband, Jim) and impress dinner guests."

"When my son was young," writes Mary Gareffa of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, "he used to tease me for standing over the pot of sauce, stirring and simmering it slowly, but that's the way my father showed me. A sauce is like a baby; you have to be gentle with it. And I know I must be doing something right, because my grandson, Jason, called me just last week to get the recipe." This quick and easy version of Mary's heirloom recipe is ready in under an hour.

Fay Felicitas, San Jose, Calif.
If you don't have margarine, 2 to 3 additional tablespoons of olive oil will do, as the sausages release some fat. Two ounces of cheese is a small amount, but that's all you'll need to tie the dish together.

A bagged lettuce mix with "Mediterranean" greens would go nicely here when tossed with red wine vinaigrette and served with ciabatta bread. End with pears and a plate of bittersweet chocolate-nut toffee.

This dish has wonderful smoky flavors and just a touch of sweetness. Using oven-ready lasagna noodles simplifies the preparation.

These are called arancini (little oranges).

Add a glass of rosé and some crusty Italian bread to make a perfect summer lunch.

This pizza is made with no toppings other than oil and salt and should be served as a snack. It's not really a cracker, but it's crisper than focaccia. Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min

This float was inspired by the Italian dessert affogato al caffé, which consists of ice cream that has been "drowned" in hot coffee. We added caramelized sugar to the coffee for extra depth and topped it all off with whipped cream, toasted nuts, and chocolate shavings. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 30 min

"This favorite was inspired by my wife's penchant for sweet onions and mine for bitter greens," says Joe Archibald of Kensington, Connecticut. "The creaminess of the chèvre is set off nicely by the tartness of the vinegar." Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

If you cannot get turkey breast already packed, buy a whole turkey and use the breasts for this dish and the thighs for Turkey Chili.

Coffee Semifreddo "Drowned" in Coffee We have served this dessert at Pó for six years and it is consistently my favorite—a kind of adult milkshake. Be careful to use decaf for the bathing liquid, or your guests may be up yakking all night.

Healthy bonus: Vitamin C and beta-carotene from the squash