Anchovy

Instead of calling for slices of roast veal—which would take some work—I went for white-meat turkey, an easily found option (I bought mine at a deli), and one that doesn't differ all that much in taste and texture from cold veal.

Alexis Watson of Irvine, California, writes: "You could say I'm a bit obsessive when it comes to cooking. Often I'll take a particular recipe and spend months perfecting it, as I've done with the Caesar salad here. My wife wanted an easy do-ahead dressing that was creamy but didn't use egg yolks. Now we make this salad several times a week, so it was certainly well worth the effort."

Food Editor: Shelley Wiseman
Father: John Wiseman, Somerset, England
When my father and stepmother moved from Mexico to England, my father started to help with the cooking. The first thing he learned to make was this Caesar salad.

Begin any informal dinner party with these fun Roman-style crostini.

Anchovy and red pepper flakes balance the bitterness of the escarole, giving it a sweetness that goes well with the robust flavors of the Veal Involtini.

Lamb with anchovy herb paste is a classic Italian preparation. The anchovy doesn't come across as fishy tasting — it simply lends a savory note that blends beautifully with the meat.

This colorful salad is a modern, egg-free take on the classic.

I grew up in a household where we didn't eat meat on Friday, which presented a problem because when I was a child, I didn't like most fish or shellfish. My mother solved this dilemma by making me pasta with canned tuna and tomato sauce. This is my adult version of that recipe, made with high-quality preserved tuna with capers and anchovies added to hit the notes one expects in such a classic seafood pasta.

In Spain, boquerones can be a variety of small fish, pickled or not. In the U.S., however, the term always refers to anchovies that have been pickled in vinegar (which whitens them). They have a flavor similar to pickled herring, which complements the sweetness of the roasted peppers.

Unlike southern-style slow-cooked collards, this blanched and quickly sautéed version has a bit of chew.

This recipe is an accompaniment for <edit:recipelink id="230642">Sausage-Wrapped Lamb Chops</edit:recipelink>. Also great tossed with grilled vegetables, stirred into pasta, or as a topping for grilled fish or a portabello burger.

Loren uses a mortar and pestle to pound the ingredients for her pestolike sauce, but we found it much easier to blend them in a food processor.

This recipe sponsored by Black Swan Vineyards

Nothing is more basic to French olive people than tapenade, the simple and delicious Provençal caviar eaten with toasted bread. It can be flavored with garlic, bay, thyme, mustard, and even rum or Cognac. Here, it is done the old way.

(Italian Parsley Sauce)

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.