Leafy Greens

I discovered Pot Stickers at about the same time I was introduced to Scallion Cakes. Pan-fried on only one side, the dough for these dumplings is at once crisp and chewy. When I was about eleven years old, I could sometimes devour a dozen of these fried dumplings at one sitting. It was such a sweet pleasure to eat as much as you wanted and still be a skinny child. Filled with pork, cabbage, and a rich broth, every bite was heavenly. The secret of these pot stickers is to reduce the Homemade Chicken Broth until it is concentrated enough to jell when refrigerated. The broth should then be roughly chopped and stirred into the filling mixture right before the dumplings are formed. The Pot Stickers are pan-fried only on one side a few minutes until golden. A little water is added, the lid is placed on the pan, and then, as the dumplings steam-cook, the broth melts. To eat, place a pot sticker in a deep spoon (traditionally, a Chinese porcelain spoon) and sprinkle with a few ginger shreds and a little red rice vinegar. Gently bite into the dumpling and the delicious broth that has now melded with the flavors of the pork filling will burst forth.

Autumn has officially arrived, and after a summer of cool, light cooking, it's time for some homey, hearty meals. Braised meats, with their rich flavors, tender texture and intense, reduced sauces, are definitely homey, but you may never have tried to make them at home. They sound as if they might be complicated to prepare—like something best left to a restaurant chef—and what exactly is braising, anyway? Relax. Braising is easy—there are only two steps: The meat is browned first, then covered and simmered in seasoned liquid. According to Cory Schreiber, the chef at Portland's super-popular Wildwood Restaurant & Bar, braising is a great way to cook lamb shanks. In the recipe here, he does something slightly unusual: He simmers the shanks uncovered in the oven. That way, he says, "the dry heat caramelizes the top of the meat—giving it a bit of a crust—which adds nice texture and color." The lamb is accompanied by a roasted squash purée and wilted Swiss chard. With this recipe in hand, you can actually have your next homey meal at home. Add a salad and crusty bread, and you've got your first dinner party of the season. Use a pot that's at least 12 inches across.

Rita Martucci of Wilmington, Delaware, writes: "Can you please get the recipe for the Saigon beef served at Zinc in New Haven, Connecticut?" Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 hr

Owner Dick Varano knows a thing or two about traditional New England lobster rolls: He sells about 20,000 of them a year. His customers love this dish so much that it's the only recipe he hasn't changed since he bought the restaurant 13 years ago.

While at The Boathouse restaurant in Sydney, we sampled a dish of baby bok choy so good that it led us to create our own version. It would be delicious with pan-seared shellfish and Asian eggplant.

Use packaged prewashed mixed baby greens to make this salad in practically no time. A chilled Sauvignon Blanc pairs well with the dish's fresh, bright flavors.

"Before we got married, my husband, Gregg, and I were working at a small restaurant, and it kept us ridiculously busy," writes Anita L. S. Eberhardt of Beverly, Massachusetts. "Now that we have both left the restaurant business, we have a much saner schedule, although raising two kids certainly keeps us busy. My experience as a professional cook makes it easier for me to throw together a quick meal, which is good because I'm not a convenience-food mom: I try to limit fat and salt, emphasize fruits and vegetables, and use a minimum of prepared foods." Serve with rice to soak up the flavorful sauce.

This recipe makes great use of the tough outer leaves of romaine, which are often discarded.

Serve with: Potato and green bean salad.

Inspired by the classic Sicilian winter salad of blood oranges and fennel.

Pairing chick-peas and Swiss chard is nothing new—Armenians have been doing it for generations. But with great tomatoes and a squeeze of lemon, this quick vegetable stew is as fresh as summer. If you can’t find Swiss chard, spinach is an authentic substitute.

Top the grown-ups' burgers with the caramelized onions with barbecue sauce and be sure to have mayonnaise and mustard on hand. Serve corn on the cob and the baked potato wedges to the whole crowd.

Buy cooked fresh lobster meat and you can whip this salad together in about 30 minutes. Cooking your own lobster, however, not only ensures the freshest flavor and the tenderest meat, but you get more bang for the buck—you can use the lobster shells to make stock and lobster oil.

Here, you get an entire meal with a single, 45-minute recipe. Udon, Japanese wheat noodles with a chewy, stretchy texture, are available dried in the Asian food section of most supermarkets (along with mirin and chile paste with garlic) or fresh in the produce section. Sliced pineapple or mango sorbet would be an ideal dessert.