Bon Appétit

The Original: Expensive beef tenderloin cooked with button mushrooms and served over egg noodles. Our Version: Flavorful, inexpensive tri-tip roast in a wild mushroom sauce, served on toasted sourdough bread.

The classic Italian sauce gets wild with a mix of antelope, venison, and beef.

The Original: Eggs baked (or poached) in a spicy tomato sauce. Our Version: A heartier (and healthier) meal, thanks to the addition of artichoke hearts and potatoes.

This recipes accompanies the Ricotta Cheesecake .

Start preparing the liqueur at least three weeks ahead.

This light, pretty dessert can be made up to three days ahead.

Give everyday chicken cutlets a delicious lift with a tangy-savory combination of fresh tarragon and capers. If you don't have a spice mill, a coffee grinder works, too—just be sure to wipe it out before and after using.

Crunchy toffee and rum-spiked caramel turn pineapple into a festive dessert.

Pineapple helps give this Asian salad a perfect balance of hot, salty, tangy, and sweet.

Spicy and bright, this salsa makes chicken breasts party-worthy, and would also be a superb topper for pork or fish.

Use a V-slicer for the vegetables and a peeler for the Parmesan.

This super-quick dessert can be served right away, or covered and chilled for up to four hours. (If you're making the parfaits ahead, let stand at room temperature one hour before serving.) Mascarpone (Italian cream cheese) is sold at many supermarkets and at Italian markets.