Parsley

Offer this main course with plenty of crusty bread to soak up the delicious saffron broth. A crisp Sauvignon Blanc is good here, too.

Dried pears lend a subtle sweetness to the deep, earthy taste of this stuffing.

Creamy potatoes are baked in a casserole.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 3/4 hr

On Maryland's Eastern shore, watermen make a living pulling the "beautiful swimmers" (blue crabs) out of Chesapeake Bay. This recipe was given to me many years ago by a waterman's wife — pre-food-processor. Note: This one's for the mini food processor because amounts are small.

"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.

This lovely first course has the texture of risotto without the constant stirring. What to drink: Arneis or Soave.

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.

Food editor Melissa Roberts-Matar figured out what makes The Harrison's clams so special: the lightness of the coating. That's achieved by draining the buttermilk-soaked clams well and shaking off the excess coating after you dredge the clams. One restaurant touch that we loved was the delicious addition of fried thin lemon rounds and parsley sprigs; another was Joey Campanaro's accompanying Lemon Coriander Aïoli .

Serve a dry Riesling to complement the subtle ginger flavor of the roasted chicken.

A persillade is a mixture of chopped parsley - persil in French - and garlic that is added to dishes as a flavoring or garnish.

(Tonno alla Livornese) Of the countless preparations for tuna that diners will run across in coastal towns in Tuscany, this one is the most well known. It comes from Livorno, a populous port famous for its seafood restaurants. Simple and quick to put together, the dish combines the best of the area, from the delicious red tuna available mostly in spring and summer to the tomatoes that have become a hallmark of all of Italy. The sauce begins with a trito, a mixture of aromatic vegetables. Ripe tomatoes, a bay leaf and plenty of fresh basil complete it.

"While visiting Long Beach, California, we dined at a bit of elegant, imported Italy called L'Opera," writes Shirley Harris of Sun Lakes, Arizona. "The service was excellent, each dish divine, but the veal scaloppine was what my husband begged me to try to re-create. It would be great to surprise him with this dish at home." If you can't find porcini powder in the spice aisle of your supermarket, grind 1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms in a spice mill; that will be enough for one tablespoon.

The oats in this salad are a distant cousin of the familiar breakfast staple oatmeal. As whole grain, oats have a wonderful, slightly chewy texture and nutty flavor.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.