Simmer

Buttery-tasting Yukon Gold potatoes can now be found in grocery stores and farmers' markets all across the country, but this recipe can certainly be made with russet potatoes instead.

This main-course soup is ideal for winter evenings. It originated in Portugal's Ribatejo province, famed for its horses, bulls and bullfighters. The soup gets its name from the kidney beans, which are referred to as "stones" by the Portuguese.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Top with sour cream and chopped cilantro.

Risotto de Bulgour aux Pois et Asperges At the restaurant, this is made with spelt, a chewy grain that requires much longer cooking than does the more readily available bulgur called for here.

Delicious with orzo or rice.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Start with a romaine salad tossed with Dijon vinaigrette, and pass rolls for dipping into the mussel broth. Lemon tarts from the bakery would be a nice finale.

Crème de Courgettes à l'anis Serve this soup either hot or cold.

A narrow strip of land at the southwestern tip of India, the state of Kerala is interlaced with a network of lagoons, canals, lakes, and rivers. Peddlers sell fish from these waters and other food by boat along the canals. This curry is styled after the ones these boatmen cook for themselves. It incorporates many ingredients of the Kerala kitchen: black peppercorns, fiery red chiles, mustard seeds, and the ubiquitous coconut. In India they toss about 20 fresh curry leaves into the kettle along with the onion, garlic, gingerroot, chiles, and peppercorns. These aromatic leaves can be difficult to find in the U.S., but if you locate some, by all means use them.

The sweet potato and coconut milk balance the spiciness of this dish. Serve it over white rice, and dinner is ready.

The following soup can be made with any variety of pumpkin except the traditional jack-o-lantern variety, which is too watery and lacks flavor. Apple Schnitz, time-honored Pennsylvania Dutch preserved apples, make a healthy snack as well as a novel garnish.

This is delicious served with French bread or over steamed rice.

"Here is a simple dish I came up with that is especially good during the cold months, as the chipotle chiles can be pretty fiery," says B. Fairbrother of Chicago, Illinois. "My Mexican neighbors were the inspiration."