Simmer

"As a student at Bloomsburg University, I spent many Sunday afternoons at Russell’s restaurant in downtown Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania," writes Marganne Hoffman of Lebanon, Pennsylvania. "A decade after graduating, I still crave their cheddar-crusted broccoli soup. I would be thrilled if the owners would share the recipe—and so would my family." The stems and florets are added to the soup separately so that the stems will cook until tender and the florets won’t overcook.

A quintessential Polish comfort food, pierogies can be stuffed with potatoes, cheese, sauerkraut, or wild mushrooms. Here, dried porcini are combined with cremini mushrooms, adding a woodsy depth to the filling. Served with golden sautéed onions and sour cream, these dumplings make a delicious main dish.

Caramelized Fresh Fruit These crackly-coated fruits bring back childhood memories of candied apples. I've given the Roman recipe here; in Venice, where they're coated with a thicker layer of caramel, they are called golosezzi veneziani. Set aside about 1/2 hour for the caramelizing and finish the procedure no more than 1 1/2 hours before serving so that the fruit remains crisp.

The thing Hom likes most about this dessert is the contrast of the warm, sweet fruit and the cold, tangy crème fraîche. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 20 min

Cornmeal may be either fine- or coarse-grained. Both work well in the following recipe; we used a fine-grained variety found in most supermarkets.

A low-fat version of the Mexican soup.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Yogurt Panna Cotta with Cherry and Peach Compote .

This recipe is an accompaniment for Toasted Coconut Dacquoise with Orange Pineapple Ice Cream .

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The early Yankees often cooked local shellfish in milk-based chowders with potatoes. True to their English heritage, the colonists planted kitchen gardens with as many herbs as they could cultivate, which they put into all kinds of dishes, including chowders.

Present this delightful tart-sweet spread in a glass jar that has been encircled with a ribbon. For a nice touch, tie a spoon into the bow. If you want to omit the canning process, go ahead. The preserves can be stored in the refrigerator up to one month.

There are several varieties of mustard cabbage; for this recipe we used wrapped-heart mustard cabbage, also called swatow or dai gai choy. Sharp and pungent when raw, mustard cabbage sweetens and mellows with wilting and slow cooking. Try serving this dish with mashed potatoes, which go very well with the gravylike tomato sauce the stuffed cabbage is cooked in.

With such hearty vegetables, this can easily be served as a meatless main course.

The nutty, slightly spicy flavor of the sweet red wine works well with the berries in this dish. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 45 min

Steve Delaney, West Chester, Pa.
"My recipe reflects the Caribbean influences in the foods of Miami, where I lived for many years."

One for the nut-lover. A refreshing apple compote is topped with an almond (or hazelnut) sponge. Simple and delicious, it's an ideal Passover dessert.