Simmer

It's very important not to use all white meat in this recipe — dark meat, which is higher in fat, has far more flavor, so look for ground turkey with at least 7 percent fat.

Unlike salmon fillets, salmon steaks have bones in the center. Any leftover red-wine butter is delicious on beef, lamb chops, chicken, or mushrooms.

Santo Stefano di Sessanio produces some of the best lentils in Abruzzo. Small French lentils make a good substitute.

Diane Semrad Anderson of Louisville, Kentucky, writes: "This is a peasant dish inspired by my Bohemian grandmother, who used her own homemade sausage in a similar creation. It is simple and delicious."

Jennifer Janesko of Kansas City, Kansas, writes: "I had an amazing egg drop soup at the Canyon Ranch SpaClub at The Venetian, in Las Vegas. It had a slight kick of lemon and was perfect after a long night of blackjack. Could you get the recipe?"

Bhel poori is a savory puffed rice snack that's usually served with crackers (we like to eat it with a fork). The recipe for this one, which combines a surprising range of sweet, tart, and spicy flavors, was given to us by our art director Erika Oliveira's mother, who is Indian. The sev you buy should be thin but not very thin, or your bhel poori will be too mushy.

We love the flavor of Black Forest ham in this soup, but you can use any variety of ham, or even kielbasa, smoked turkey, or bacon. A dollop of sour cream rounds out the acidity of the tomatoes.

This tomato-based chowder tastes a bit like Creole jambalaya. Because the broth can be prepared one day ahead, the recipe is especially convenient for dinner parties.

This main-course soup showcases some of summer's best flavors. Serve with: Flaky biscuits, and a baby spinach salad with roasted red peppers.

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.

Despite their name, pink peppercorns aren't really peppercorns, but rather dried berries from a rose plant. They add a hint of color and a spicy floral note to this delicious ice cream. Grind a few of the peppercorns over the top for a pretty garnish. This recipe is an accompaniment for Warm Chocolate Tarts .

This recipe is an accompaniment for Peanut Butter Beignets with Caramelized Bananas . Make this up to one week ahead.

Serve with: Sesame breadsticks, and arugula tossed in balsamic vinaigrette.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Peach Barbecue sauce . This side is also great with barbecued ribs or chicken.