Garlic

If I could use only one marinade for the rest of my life, it would be this one. Redolent with garlic, piquant with fresh lemon juice, and fragrant with extra virgin olive oil, it instantly transports you to the Mediterranean. I can't think of a single food that doesn't taste better bathed in it. You can use it as both a marinade and a basting sauce. If marinating poultry, meat, or seafood, simply set a portion aside for basting.

Here's a hearty and satisfying pasta that makes an easy entrée for a dinner party.

The business card from Tante Louise reads: "A very special restaurant"—and it truly is. This romantic spot has been going strong for 27 years. Owner Corbin Douglass is known for fulfilling all sorts of requests, from ensuring that guests are seated at their favorite table in front of the fireplace to presenting an engagement ring on the dessert cart. Chef Duy Pham changes the contemporary French menu seasonally. The following dish was inspired by roast Peking duck, a Sunday tradition in Pham's family.

The 2nd Avenue Deli in New York offers this satisfying soup.

Mark Taylor of West Hartford, Connecticut, writes: "I started cooking out of necessity when I first graduated from college, since I couldn't afford to eat out. Having grown up watching my mother cook for our large family, I used her recipes. She was always trying new dishes whenever we had guests and sharing her adventurous attitude toward eating. These days, even though my wife and I both work, we still cook several times a week. Now I tend to rely on recipes I've picked up from restaurants and friends. I enjoy experimenting with different ingredients and figuring out new ways to improve a recipe, as I've done with the one here."

Rupa De of West Lafayette, Indiana, writes: "Since I am originally from India, many of my non-Indian friends have asked me for a chicken curry recipe, and this is the one I give them. I hope your readers will enjoy it, too."

Grill thick slices of parboiled potatoes alongside the beef and serve a chunky tomato salad dressed with a simple vinaigrette. Purchased vanilla custard or pudding topped with fresh berries is a lovely way to end the meal.

Pork tenderloin makes a delicious replacement for veal in this dish. Rice and chutney complete the meal.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional sitting time. Butterflied leg of lamb can sometimes get a little unwieldy. To secure loose flaps of meat, run 2 long metal skewers lengthwise and 2 skewers crosswise through the lamb, bunching the meat together. Securing the lamb this way will also help it cook more evenly.

There will be enough of this delicious make-ahead soup for seconds or leftovers.

Take these olives along on your next picnic.