Potato

Baking the potato adds an interesting depth of flavor to the salad and lends a mouth-pleasing texture.

This salad is excellent with burgers and corn on the cob.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This simple, comforting, home-style dish evolved after the Meiji Restoration, when beef entered the Japanese diet. You can easily use pork or chicken instead of the beef. Enjoy it on a snowy winter night with a side of greens.

Despite its name, the "hot ajvar" called for in this recipe from Zov Karamardian, of Zovs Bistro and Bakery in Tustin, California, is fairly mild. If you cant find ajvar, a substitute can be made by pureeing a seven-ounce can of drained roasted bell peppers with two tablespoons of tomato paste and two tablespoons of purchased chili-garlic sauce, which is available at most supermarkets.

A simple salad with a tangy dressing-perfect for and April picnic.

Serve this delicious curried chicken dish with steamed basmati rice or Indian flatbreads.

Juana Vázquez-Gómez of Redondo Beach, California, writes: "Growing up in Cuernavaca, just outside Mexico City, I remember my grandmother cooking elaborate Mexican meals every day. My mother continued that tradition, but not in such an all-consuming manner. For her it was a great joy to plan a menu and then invite people to help with the preparation. "The women in my life taught me the beauty of a good meal. I still use many of their recipes today, but unlike my grandmother I don't spend an entire day in the kitchen. Fortunately, my husband and kids like to cook, so I've found a balance between my grandmother's time-intensive recipes and my mother's practicality. "

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Simple and low in fat.

These pretty rolls are baked side by side in cake pans. To serve, turn the rolls out of the pans, and let your guests pull them apart.

This recipe for breiks comes from Kitty Morse, the celebrated expert on North African cuisine. She serves them with lemon and harissa paste, available at Middle Eastern Markets.

Purchased wonton wrappers stand in for fresh pasta in this easy recipe.