Bacon

Make the polenta a couple of days ahead, then assemble each serving an hour or so before guests arrive.

This dish is a take on the bistro classic frisée salad with lardons. We recommend removing the ribs from the dandelion greens; though it's a rather lengthy process, the result will be much more delicate.

Extra-sharp Cheddar and malty English ale balance perfectly in this hearty soup.

Daryl Getman of New York City, NY, writes: "I'm a second-year theater student at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, so most days are more about running from class to rehearsal to a performance than they are about cooking. But since I moved out of the dorms last year, cooking has become my favorite distraction. And on the weekends, it's my idea of a break." Daryl likes to use top-notch applewood-smoked bacon for this salad.

This recipe makes more smoked-tomato butter than you need for the scallops — use the leftover butter on steak or fish.

We have a renewed appreciation for the beauty, taste, and health-giving properties of the pomegranate lately, and its molasses (made by cooking the juice down to a sweet-tart syrup) delivers just what we are looking for in an ingredient these days: bold, clear, complex flavor. Used in this go-with for the chops, it brings new meaning to "sweet-and-sour pork." Pomegranate molasses is available at some supermarkets and Middle Eastern markets and by mail from Adriana's Caravan (800-316-0820; adrianascaravan.com).

Omelettes Bauveuses aux Lardons
This omelet is meant to be runny (baveuse) in the middle.

Sarah T. Thibault of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, "I had the best black bean soup at Enchantment Resort in Sedona, Arizona. In fact, I had it for lunch every day during our stay. Could you please get the recipe? The soup's incredible!" This is a brothy black bean soup with whole beans, unlike many thicker, heavier versions that are puréed. Serve it over rice if you're in the mood for a heartier main course.

Boston brown bread is in the canned-vegetable aisle of most supermarkets.

Use fresh oysters if you can; note that the recipe also tested well using oysters packed in jars. If the oysters are very large, cut them in half.

Pearl-like sushi rice cooks up slightly moist and sticky, so it forms a cake easily. Chilling the cakes before browning helps them hold their shape.

Plum wine is transformed into a sweet but tangy glaze for the duck. At the restaurant, house-made gnocchi is used in this delicious dish. Purchased butternut squash or mushroom ravioli is our easy alternative, and you can save another step by asking the butcher to cut up the ducks for you.

Richard Montoya of Dallas, Texas, writes: "I've lived in Dallas for 20 years and I've noticed that the city's restaurants just keep getting better and better. One of my favorites is Jasper's in nearby Plano. When I take friends there, I always recommend the pork tenderloin." At Jasper's, the pork is served with bourbon creamed corn and a twice-baked potato.

This main-course soup showcases some of summer's best flavors. Serve with: Flaky biscuits, and a baby spinach salad with roasted red peppers.

Serve with: Sesame breadsticks, and arugula tossed in balsamic vinaigrette.