Make Ahead

Pearl-like sushi rice cooks up slightly moist and sticky, so it forms a cake easily. Chilling the cakes before browning helps them hold their shape.

Chunks of tender cauliflower and potato tossed with Indian spices give this stuffing a lovely, distinctive texture and flavor.

A mixture of mushrooms gives these Mexican tamales a rich, almost meaty flavor.

Get the most out of every ingredient by layering flavors. Roasting portobello mushrooms before adding them to the lasagna lends a meaty smokiness. Creamy béchamel sauce makes this lasagna even more luxurious.

A vanilla bean is an extravagance that lends a note of sophistication to this drink, but extract is a fine substitute.

Elise McBryde of Stamford, Connecticut, writes: "I would love to have the recipe for the Valrhona chocolate pudding served at the City Limits Diner, in Stamford, Connecticut."

Use a block of Asian (Thai) tamarind rather than the Indian kind. It's usually thicker, softer, and easier to work with.

Combining the best of lemon meringue pie and lemon tart, a cloud of soft meringue tops the sprightly lemon curd filling and buttery cookie crust.

A few blocks from Seattle's Pike Place Market, Cascadia is an occasion-worthy restaurant that celebrates regional ingredients with impeccable taste. Same goes for the dessert menu: No flights of fusion fancy here or innovation for novelty's sake, just suavely executed renditions of old favorites that feel new. You can freeze any extra unfilled cream puffs for another use.

Armandino Batali of Salumi in Seattle, writes: "My son, Mario Batali, may be the most recognizable foodie in the family, but the Batalis' interest in Italian cooking and culture goes back generations. My grandfather opened Seattle's first Italian-food import store in 1903. It was located just a few steps from where my restaurant, Salumi, is now, and it's one of the things that inspired me to get into the business. "The idea behind Salumi was to create a restaurant, deli, and meat factory in one place, just like the salumerias in Italy. We're known for homemade sausages and salami, but we also attract a large lunchtime crowd. Some of the specials, like the meat loaf and frittata, have been in our family for years. They're also easy to make at home." This Italian-inspired version is filled with sausage, mozzarella cheese, and basil.

Serve over couscous, if desired.

This recipe is an accompaniment for <edit:recipelink id="230642">Sausage-Wrapped Lamb Chops</edit:recipelink>. Also great tossed with grilled vegetables, stirred into pasta, or as a topping for grilled fish or a portabello burger.

Steve Mosel of Bremerton, Washington, writes: "I was in Minneapolis last month for a family wedding and stayed at the Radisson hotel downtown. I'm very rarely impressed by hotel restaurants, but the meal I had at FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar was really wonderful. The Bundt cake I ordered was one of the best desserts I've had outside of my mother's kitchen." Although the recipe calls for baking the cakes in mini Bundt pans, large muffin pans work equally well.

Raymond Williams of Minneapolis, Minnesota, writes: "Every November, my wife and I drive to our winter home in Scottsdale, Arizona. We always look forward to warming up in the desert sun and eating at our favorite restaurant in town, Zinc Bistro. Last winter we had an outstanding artichoke and celery root salad there."

This recipe is an accompaniment for Chai-Spiced Honey Bundt Cakes . Any leftover syrup would be delicious drizzled over pancakes.

Michael Shrader of Nine Restaurant Group in Palm Springs, Florida, writes: "Both sides of my family cooked a lot when I was growing up, so I've had plenty of inspiration to draw on as a chef. From my mother's Sicilian heritage, I learned about homemade pasta, braised meats, and biscotti—before they became fashionable. My dad is part German, and he was known for his talents working the grill. Now that I'm a professional chef, my entire family is paranoid about cooking for me. I find that funny because I still love their food and look forward to it." This recipe makes two cakes, so freeze one to enjoy at another time.

A topping of chopped Heath bars gives these brownies a satisfying crunch.