Leafy Greens

Vinegar adds some pleasant zip to this side dish, which gets its richness from the sautéed bacon and onions. Serve the kale with roast pork or chicken.

Pressing excess moisture out of your tofu will increase its firmness and its ability to absorb the flavors of the marinade.

Pretty, sophisticated, and easy to eat.

A young sheep's-milk cheese such as Italy's ricotta salata or pecorino Romano (which is easier to find) is best for this salad. Other good choices include Italian Toscanello and Manchego from Spain, which are also made from sheep's milk.

The dressing for this salad is based on an old Pennsylvania Dutch recipe.

"I spent a weekend in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains," writes Elizabeth Haworth of Columbia, South Carolina. "The Riverwood restaurant in Blowing Rock was a real treat—I especially enjoyed their fig and Stilton salad with Port dressing. Would the chef share the recipe for this unusual salad?" The sweet-tart dressing paired with creamy Stilton cheese strikes a great balance in this winter salad.

For this fabulous salad we used red onions, beets, zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers, but any mix of summer vegetables would work. The salad gets served with grilled bread and is nice with a white wine, like Sauvignon Blanc.

The genteel ladies’ tea, at which guests wore hats and white gloves and nibbled tiny sandwiches, was very much a part of home entertaining during the thirties. Borrowed from the British, it was a trend that flickered and then died out, but has now come back in homes and hotels across the country. These modern tea sandwiches are more savory than sweet, and would go well with a glass of Sherry if you’re in need of something a little stronger than Earl Grey.

Not to worry: There's just enough bacon in the snappy dressing to add flavor but not much fat to this colorful salad. Serve it alongside grilled chicken or fish for a healthful summer dinner.

"I had three kids in three years when I was a 'young married' in my twenties," writes Sheryl Hurd-House of Jupiter, Florida. "That’s when I started cooking and realized I liked it. But I’m having even more fun cooking now that our children are grown and it’s just me and my husband, Garry." Fresh greens and a variety of colorful veggies add up to a great salad you can throw together in minutes.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

In many parts of the country, pierogi, Eastern European dumplings, are sold fresh and frozen in supermarkets. Like premade egg rolls, they've become a convenience food for cooks with limited time. Served with the cabbage and bacon, they're all you need for dinner. These turnovers are typically deep-fried, or boiled and then panfried. Instead, we used a method often employed for cooking frozen Asian dumplings and found it works very well. If pierogi aren't sold in your supermarket, try a local Polish or Eastern European deli.