Simmer

A different, easy way to enjoy ground beef.

'80S THE COSBY SHOW In the well-appointed Huxtable kitchen ("The Drum Major" first aired on February 4, 1988), Cliff explains to his family why it's essential to wait three days before eating his famous chili: "If you tasted this on the first day, you'd say, 'What can did this come out of?' If you tasted this on the second day, you'd say, 'Oh my goodness, somebody's grandmother got up off her chair and just took this to the mountain!' But on the third day you don't even have to taste it. You just walk by the pot and something says, 'Hey, come here!'" Although this chili can be eaten the same day it's made, it really does taste better if you wait another day or two. Active time: 1 3/4 hr Start to finish: 6 1/2 hr (plus 1 to 2 days for flavors to develop)

Bettina says that this recipe is one of her delicious and dependable standbys.

Peas and chives really dress up this side dish.

This is great warm or at room temperature.

Made with bacon, cream and Parmesan cheese, this resembles the spaghetti dish of the same name.

Buy a heavy coconut that has no cracks and that sounds full of liquid when shaken.

Our take on this soup is faithful to the classic flavors. Assorted marinated vegetables from the local Italian deli are nice to start, and wedges of almond cake with espresso are a great finish.

Buy cooked fresh lobster meat and you can whip this salad together in about 30 minutes. Cooking your own lobster, however, not only ensures the freshest flavor and the tenderest meat, but you get more bang for the buck—you can use the lobster shells to make stock and lobster oil.

The roasted acorn squash tastes fabulous when scooped up with spoonfuls of the beet soup. But if oven space is limited, simply serve the soup in bowls.

Serve this quick and easy sauce warm over vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

"Pease porridge in the pot nine days old" fairly well summarizes the technique of stew preparation in Shakespeare's day. A thick soup would have been left cooking for days at a time, with new vegetables, stock, and bits of leftover meat continually added. This Italian version contains rich duck meat, a delicious and unusual addition to pea soup.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.<P> This recipe originally accompanied epi:recipeLink="101050"Rack of Lamb with Spinach Pine-Nut Crust and Minted Pea Sauce</epi:recipeLink>.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but may require additional sitting time.<P> This recipe originally accompanied epi:recipeLink="101927"Grilled Chicken Wings with Two Thai Sauces</epi:recipeLink>.<P>You'll need to marinate this salad for at least 2 hours so that the flavors have a chance to develop.

Chinese five-spice powder is available in the spice section of most supermarkets. Serve with: Steamed broccoli and an Asian rice pilaf mix. Dessert: Vanilla ice cream sandwiched between gingersnaps.