Bon Appétit

Allow about 5 1/2 hours for the pizza dough to rise. The small quantity of yeast and a long, slow rise give the crust its great flavor and texture.

Suzanne Rackley of San Rafael, California, writes: "My husband and I had a fabulous dinner at Cobalt in New Orleans. I had the salmon with Martini sauce, and it was great. I would love to impress my friends and family with a new way to serve our favorite fish."

For a quick and easy meal, grill some vegetables — like red onions, bell peppers and eggplant — alongside the chicken. Sharpen your chopping skills and learn how to joint a whole chicken with our technique videos.

Here's a fresh take on the classic combination of fruit and cheese. Placing parchment on top of the pears as they are poaching helps keep them moist and submerged in the poaching liquid.

These creamy custards feature the flavors of chai, a spiced tea that's enhanced with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and ginger.

"My grandmother was a reporter in New York before she got married and moved to Montana to start a new life on a ranch," writes Joyce Litz of Albuquerque, New Mexico. "At the time she didn't know how to cook, and learning wasn't easy — the place didn't even have running water. Still, she appreciated good food, so she persevered and became a great cook. Later my grandmother taught me ranch-style cooking, a lot of which involved getting simple but flavorful, hearty meals ready in a hurry." Serve with diced cucumber mixed into yogurt.

Top this with dollops of chilled whipped cream or scoops of vanilla ice cream.

A nice dish for a brunch buffet.

These delicious waffles will propel you guilt-free through the morning.

Make this at least one day and up to two days ahead for best flavor. This is a much simplified version of the classic smoked meat and bean cassoulet.

Gay Koenemann of Bonn, Germany, had dinner at 300 East Boulevard on a recent trip to Charlotte, North Carolina. There he was treated to the most exquisite salad he'd ever had. Although the restaurant calls it Fall Salad on the menu, it's enjoyable year-round. Dried cranberries would make a good alternative to the dried cherries.

To make the toasted coconut for the meringue, spread flaked coconut on a baking sheet and bake on the center rack of a 350°F oven, stirring often around the edges, until light golden, about ten minutes.

A leek puree adds rich flavor. This side dish is especially good with the Brisket with Dried Apricots, Prunes, and Aromatic Spices recipe.

David Leite's neighbor, Danny Pring, insists that the goose be served with red currant jelly.

Cardamom pods can be found in the spice section of most supermarkets; 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom can be substituted.

Serve with: Orzo with parsley, and steamed carrots and green beans. Dessert: Pear tart.

Lorraine Stevenski of Clearwater, Florida, writes: "As a kid growing up in an Italian family, I loved being in the kitchen. But I didn't become serious about cooking until I got married and had my own kitchen to experiment in. My husband and I lived in Queens, New York, within walking distance of many Greek, Italian, and Spanish food shops. The new foods I discovered there inspired my passion for cooking." Panko is available in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets.