Simmer

Shullie Neumark of Rancho Palos Verdes, California, writes: "I like cooking but I'm a little bit impatient, which is why I make dishes that can be done ahead of time — and quickly. I hate being rushed before meals, especially when guests are on their way over. Those guests are usually good friends or members of our large family. My husband and I emigrated from South Africa seven years ago. I am retired from preschool teaching, but I still keep busy by cooking for the family. A typical South African dinner is a barbecue with lots of grilled lamb chops and sausages."

Both easy and inexpensive, tuna-noodle casserole stretched proteins and carbohydrates to the limits and fed at least a generation of American kids very well. Canned tuna will never go away, but fresh tuna has joined it as a culinary staple, and it stars in this deconstructed version of the classic. All the elements that make tuna casserole so appealing and comforting are here, just slightly rearranged. And there’s no need to serve this on a cafeteria tray: It’s good enough for your best china.

This soup is from Russia and Poland.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 45 min

The walnut oil adds a distinctive flavor here. You can substitute olive oil and just sprinkle toasted walnuts over each serving.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 35 min

In this luscious soup, the restaurant uses a squash that is relatively new to the American market: the kabocha, a beautiful jade-green winter squash with deep orange flesh. Chipotle chilies canned in a spicy tomato sauce, sometimes called adobo, are available at Latin American markets, specialty foods stores, and some supermarkets.

Gulyássuppe Hotel Bristol The liver in this recipe enriches the stew without adding any distinct flavor that might be objectionable to those who don't care for liver.

The test kitchen used wonton wrappers instead of homemade pasta to simplify this.

If you wanted to entertain in the '60s, a fondue pot was de rigueur, presenting a casual alternative to the formal dinners of earlier eras. Some of us still have the dregs of that original bottle of kirsch in the back of the liquor cabinet. This is fortunate because, with the current and unprecedented cheese renaissance in this country, it's time to unearth that old fondue pot and light up the Sterno.

This classic uncooked relish gets an aromatic edge from cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.

Using the risotto method with long-grain rice yields rich flavor and light texture.

"On a trip to San Francisco, I had a terrific bowl of cioppino at Rose Pistola, star chef Reed Hearon's Italian restaurant," says Gail Haines of Westerly, Rhode Island.

Carol Gilbert of Saratoga, California, writes: "I've been working full-time since my daughter was in high school, but it took about ten years to get over the notion that I should be cooking everything — the way my mother did — and climb the corporate ladder. There's simply not enough time. I finally realized I didn't have to make everything from scratch; now I give myself permission to buy a dessert or a salad dressing if I need to." Sweet and spicy, this compote is a great topping for vanilla ice cream. Carol also serves it with pound cake. Begin the recipe at least four hours and up to one day ahead.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

Buttery, slightly sweet pumpkin is the perfect mate for the briny flavor of oysters, scallops, or other crustaceans. This soup is made with shrimp, whose shells are turned into an aromatic stock that serves as the soup's liquid. Classic shellfish bisques are thickened with rice, but here pumpkin provides body for the soup. Sage's earthy flavor complements both pumpkin and shrimp and steers the focus of flavor from sweet to savory. This is a satisfying soup to prepare throughout the fall. If you serve it as a first course for Thanksgiving dinner, you might start a tradition in your family.

Sprinkle caraway seeds into tomato soup to begin the meal. Serve assorted mustards and pumpernickel bread with the choucroute, an Alsatian dish of sauerkraut and sausage. Then enjoy another flavor from Alsace: kirsch (clear cherry brandy), drizzled over cherry ice cream.