Poultry

The almonds and crisp green beans lend good crunch. For a light lunch, serve this with French bread and a fruit salad.

Here's a delightful variation on the fried-chicken theme, with cornmeal adding welcome crunch. To accompany the meal, serve white wine spritzers and fresh lemonade garnished with mint sprigs.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 12 hr (includes soaking beans)

Serve with: Steamed broccoli and roasted potatoes. Dessert: Baked apples.

A watercress salad would be good with these. And how about a lemon meringue pie to finish?

This dish is delicious over couscous, which will absorb the flavorful broth.

It's easy to keep the Greek theme going by starting with stuffed grape leaves, widely available at supermarkets. Accompany the chicken with orzo and steamed baby carrots with mint. Finish with purchased cheesecake.

Sheila Stein of Woodbury, New York, New York, writes: "We've eaten several times at La Viola of Syosset. Their chicken française is excellent. Could you get the recipe for me?"

Fegato alla Veneziana The keys to success with this classic Venetian dish are to slice the liver and onions very thin and to work rapidly to avoid overcooking. A nice accompaniment is soft polenta.

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

Wendy Popp of Richmond, Virginia, writes: "My job as a physical therapist and my hobby, horseback riding, keep me pretty busy. But my sons — Sammy, two, and Weston, four — keep me moving the most, which has changed my cooking style. I used to be much more experimental, but now I need low-maintenance, tried-and-true recipes that will please the boys (including my husband, Jim) and impress dinner guests."

Probably our favorite simple chicken recipe.

"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.

Chris Gavenda, Wildwood, Mo.
For those of you who may not know, the tortilla chips form a crispy crust on the bottom of the casserole.