Simmer

"I visit Portland, Oregon, frequently because my son is in college there. Of the restaurants we've tried, Bread and Ink Cafe is one of the best," says Shelly Pearlman of Fairfax, California. "It's located in a funky part of town not far from the school. The squash and leek risotto I had for lunch was superb." Some shaved Parmesan and fresh sage leaves would make an attractive garnish.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Garlic Sauce .

This elegant first course from American Seasons is topped with parsley oil, which is easy to make and could also be drizzled over roasted fish or steamed potatoes, and other vegetables.

Hoppin' John is a traditional southern dish of black-eyed peas and salt pork served with rice. Here, it's a risotto dotted with black-eyed peas and flavored with bacon and pancetta. This is an unconventional method for making risotto — rather than slowly adding hot stock to the rice, Rollins adds it, unheated, in just 2 batches. This will allow you more time for preparing the chops that go along with it.

"While visiting my daughter near Portland, Oregon, I ordered the soup of the day at Mother's Bistro & Bar," writes Roslyn Levy of Palm Harbor, Florida. "It turned out to be the best sweet-potato soup I've ever had." Buy leafy celery stalks for this soup; the chopped leaves make a great garnish.

This lemony pasta dish is great with sesame breadsticks and a salad of sliced tomatoes and Vidalia onions in a red-wine vinaigrette. End with hazelnut cookies and a mixed-melon compote splashed with Champagne.

Active time: 1 3/4 hr Start to finish: 5 hr

"One night, I promised to make dinner for a blind date, and—as usual—I was running late," writes Hollander Finegold of Eugene, Oregon. "I had few ingredients and little time. Luckily, the dinner was a success, and this recipe has been a staple of mine ever since."

There are generally two kinds of wheat berries available at natural foods stores and Middle Eastern markets: hard (high-protein) and soft (low-protein). Though either will work fine, we prefer the chewiness of the hard variety for this particular recipe. If you can find only soft wheat berries, subtract 10 minutes from the cooking time.

Jazz up the vanilla ice cream in your freezer with this rich, delicious — and easy-to-make — sauce. The recipe uses a bit of melted ice cream rather than whipping cream, so there's one less ingredient to worry about.

The classic dessert gets a holiday twist with eggnog flavors and an opulent presentation. Begin making this one day before serving.

This sauce is for the caramel lover. It's equally wonderful over ice cream, cake, or apple pie. It is just thick enough when hot, but not clumpy or sticky as it cools on the plate. Don't be afraid of making caramel. If you follow the simple but important Pointers for Success below, it will be easy. Do be sure when making it not to have any small children about and give it your undivided attention. Caramel burns are extremely painful.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 7 hr

When spooned over steamed rice, these mussels could serve four. See how to clean mussels . Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 20 min

Vignarola You'll find this dish in trattorias all over Rome during the spring. The long, slow cooking causes the vegetables to lose their bright color, but the sweet flavor of the stew makes up for its rather bland appearance. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

(Café Liègeois Onctueux) Liège is a province of Belgium; café liègeois is usually coffee ice cream with whipped cream, but it can also be iced coffee with whipped cream. This thick drink—served elegantly in wineglasses—combines the two styles into one delicious dessert.