Blue Cheese

The contrasting colors of these two beets are especially attractive in this dish but you may substitute any others.

An easy version of the famous Cobb salad.

Gail W. Dorsey of Lynnfield, Massachusetts, writes: "Fresh figs were featured in an unusual appetizer at The Gatehouse Restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island. The figs were stuffed with cheese, wrapped in phyllo, and served with two sauces. They would make an impressive starter for a dinner party." This is terrific made with fresh figs when they're in season. But dried ones, which are readily available year-round, work well, too.

Elisa Mazzaferro-Rosenberg of Fort Collins, Colorado, writes: "I love to entertain, but between coming home late — I just completed my Ph.D. in small animal clinical sciences — and feeding my husband, Adam, and myself plus our little family of five cats and two dogs, I haven't had the time to have friends over much."

Serve this delicate salad as a first course or alongside grilled chicken. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

"I had a delightful dinner at Andiamo! Ristorante while on vacation in San Diego," writes Laverne Smith of Seattle, Washington. "Could you get their recipe for fettuccine carbonara? It was the best pasta I've ever had." Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the fettuccine will be hot when the sauce is finished; the heat of the pasta cooks the raw eggs that are tossed with it.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

You get a quick sauce when you let compound butter melt on a hot steak.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A true demi-glace — the luscious sauce made by reducing homemade stock and red wine to a rich concentration — needs to simmer for several hours, making it the perfect activity for a lazy winter Sunday.

Gorgonzola cheese adds zip to this salad.

"We lived in New York for several months, long enough to learn to love the creamy polenta at Union Square Cafe," says Ross and Karen Martin of Pasadena, California. "If you can't get their recipe, we might need to fly across the country to have the dish again." This polenta gets its richness from being cooked in a milk-cream mixture instead of the usual water or broth.

When buying green beans, look for the skinniest ones—they have the best texture. Offer plenty of crusty bread, and open a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon to go with this hearty main-course salad.

If Cabrales is difficult to find in your area, it can be ordered on-line from tienda.com. Italian Gorgonzola can also be substituted. Serve the onions and the Roasted Red Peppers with Garlic with plenty of crusty bread. What to drink: Albariño. This fragrant Spanish white varietal is a smooth match with the starters and the red snapper baked in salt.

Drained nonfat yogurt—rather than mayonnaise or sour cream—provides the creamy texture. Start making this dip a day ahead, and try it with apple or pear slices.

The ultimate onion dip? You decide.