Garlic

While in Costa Rica, Boston chef Steve Johnson was inspired to make fish cakes from leftover red snapper and boiled yuca. The combination takes clever advantage of the vegetable's starchy character, which binds the cakes together while allowing the flavor of the snapper to come through cleanly. We prefer to use frozen yuca, which has a better consistency and is easier to prepare.

"My husband and I just returned from a trip to Italy," writes Kim Riemann of North Brunswick, New Jersey. "Of all the great meals we had there, a few stand out in my memory. One was at Buca Mario in Florence. The rosemary-scented bean soup was unforgettable." Serve this with a drizzle of olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

This soup can be pureed by pressing it through a strainer or a food mill. It can also be pureed in a blender and then strained.

Terrine de Lapin aux Olives Vertes et Pistaches Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 11 1/2 hr (includes chilling)

"When I moved to Seattle last year, I found myself really missing my Studio City, California, neighborhood," writes Tim Westmoreland of Seattle, Washington. "There were so many great places to eat there, especially Pinot Bistro. I am craving its roasted chicken with caramelized onions. Would you see if chef Miki Zivkovic would send me an order? If not, the recipe will do just fine." At the restaurant, the chicken is accompanied by shoestring fries sprinkled with chopped fresh parsley and the chef's own garlic-salt mixture.

Nuoc Tuong Pha This vegetarian dipping sauce can be made with any soy sauce, including the Japanese-style Kikkoman, although the Vietnamese prefer the lighter-bodied Chinese-style products marketed under the brands Kim Lan, Bo De, and Pearl River Bridge. Like dipping sauces made with fish sauce, you can embellish this with different aromatics such as ginger and cilantro.

Tom Valenti was the first chef in New York City to cook this great recipe. It can be found in his book Welcome to My Kitchen, just published by HarperCollins.

This specialty is about as regional as you can get. Although the recipe's name and origin are shrouded in mystery, in central Iowa it's a traditional steak dish topped with butter, Italian herbs, and garlic. The version featured here uses fresh herbs for extra flavor.

Try this side with trout or lamb chops, then apple upside-down cake.

"Recently I had dinner at a fine restaurant with a peculiar name: The Place Next to the San Juan Ferry," says Beth Fogarty Day of Redmond, Washington. "It's right by the water in Friday Harbor, Washington. I'd love the recipe for the mushroom and goat cheese appetizer."

This rich, savory dish (pronounced shrimp mah-lih-tone) is pure Cajun comfort food. In Louisiana it's often served as a side dish; it also works as a first course.

This dip was inspired by a recipe for bissara, a garlicky purée from Egypt made from dried broad beans, in Claudia Roden's Mediterranean Cookery.

These can be made one day before serving.

"In your September 1997 issue, page 146, you answered a reader's inquiry about why pesto discolors," says Al Herron of Prescott, Arizona. "You offered a traditional solution, but I believe there is a better one: Mix fresh pesto with yogurt, and the pesto will not turn brown over time as it ordinarily does. (For many years I used the olive-oil-on-top trick with limited success.) I have kept leftover pesto mixed with yogurt in the refrigerator for several days with no discernible change in color or flavor. The proportion can vary — as little as one part yogurt to eight parts pesto, or as much as you like for flavor."

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 10 min

Talk about simple stews! You don't have to brown the meat — and the stew cooks in an easy hour.

Play off the Provençal flavors by passing an arugula salad tossed with red wine vinaigrette. Sliced peaches topped with honey and sour cream would make a great finale.