Potato

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 2 3/4 hr

"My favorite lamb dish in recent memory was a lamb shank at Bistro 110 here in Chicago," writes Valerie Young of Chicago, Illinois. "The waiter told me that it was seasoned with cumin, coriander, and curry, then braised for a very long time." The secret to this recipe? The lamb marinates overnight in a fragrant oil-and-spice mixture. If you don't have a spice grinder or coffee grinder, use a mallet to crush the seeds in a resealable plastic bag.

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.

Skordalia is a garlicky Greek dip made with mashed or pureed potatoes.

These small potato cups (each one is half a russet potato) are a great choice if you're short on oven space. The potatoes can be baked and stuffed one day ahead and chilled, then warmed in the oven for 20 minutes while the turkey rests before carving.

Just a few ingredients are all it takes to prepare a wonderful side dish that's great for any time of the year.

Pasta e Fagioli Venetians prize a soup made thick by using mashed beans. This recipe is based on the preparations at Venice's Fiaschetteria Toscana and Osteria alla Bomba. A tablespoon of salt may sound like a lot, but it is needed to bring out the beans' flavor.

This autumnal dish is especially appropriate and welcome as the first course on a cool fall evening. The subtle sweetness of the squash is enhanced by the flavors of the pears, orange, and ginger, making it a great addition also to the Thanksgiving Table.

Though the chips and purée can be served at room temperature, the caviar should be chilled, so assemble these hors d'oeuvres in batches as platters need replenishing.

Hot-smoked fully cooked salmon is flaky in texture and fragrant with alder smoke. This dish can be completely assembled and chilled one day before baking.

This classic regional dish is from Ralph Potter, chef at Darley's at Lilianfels in the Blue Ridge Mountains west of Sydney. "Wild mushrooms are so plentiful when the sun has come out after it's been raining for a few days, why not be indulgent and make a special soup out of them to celebrate the season."

A favorite steak-dinner starter served at Cattlemen's Steakhouse in the historic Stockyards City area of Oklahoma City.

I leave the roots on the leeks until after cooking, so they don't fall apart. Just wash and trim beforehand.

Coconut, lemon rind, and raisins are a bright surprise. "A lot of people buy my cookbook just to get this recipe," says Mrs. Wilkes.