Chicken Breast

Skinless, boneless chicken breasts are the poultry cut grill jockeys both love and hate. We love the convenience (not to mention the fact that they're virtually pure protien with practically no fat). On the down side, they're rather bland in flavor and tend to dry out on the grill. Brining is a great way to compensate for both of these shortcomings — especially if you use this "redeye" variation on traditional brine. A shot of espresso adds an unexpected flavor (don't worry, it's subtle), along with an inviting mahogany hue. To complete the coffee motif, I propose serving the chicken with an espresso-flavored mustard barbecue sauce.

One of my favorite classic bistro dishes is steak Diane, a paragon of quick cooking that finds steak swathed in a cream sauce mightily seasoned with mustard and enhanced with cognac. The next time you feel yourself feeling those bistro pangs, try my take on steak Diane, made with chicken instead of beef, and my version of the traditional sauce with shallots and mustard. Roasted garlic mashed potatoes is a perfect accompaniment; the potatoes will soak up the sauce. Or serve it with fries and an ice-cold Belgian beer.

My dad loved mushrooms, and he always ordered veal Marsala when we went out to restaurants. My mom didn't buy veal very often, so she adapted this recipe for chicken and made it on special occasions. He was also very fond of white Burgundy wine, which makes a wonderful accompaniment to this dish.

This hot chicken casserole is perfectly seasoned. Lots of celery and almonds give it a nice crunch. You may be inclined to leave off the potato-chip topping, but believe me, it won't be the same without it!

My son Jesse loves the spicy flavor of this grilled chicken. I often prepare extra chicken, serving some for dinner and using the rest later in noodle dishes, salads, and stir-fried dishes.

This recipe uses what is known in Indian cooking as a tarka — hot oil seasoned with spices, which are added in sequence to infuse their flavors. The tarka is either incorporated at the beginning of a recipe or poured, sizzling, over a finished dish, as we do here, to impart another layer of flavor.

Ask your butcher to butterfly the chicken breasts. What to drink: Unoaked Chardonnay.

Healthy bonus Vitamin K and folate from the escarole

Stir any remaining pesto into steamed vegetables or couscous.

The chicken and pickled vegetables are meant to be wrapped up in lettuce leaves and eaten with your hands.

Cooking the garlic inside the skin not only saves time but also mellows the harshness of its flavor and results in tender cloves that can be peeled easily. Squeeze the cloves out of their skins and eat them with the chicken and the bread.

Kia Ly Dickinson of Miami, Florida, writes: "This fragrant soup is so good you will be freaking out. It can be served hot or cold, with rice. The recipe is an ode to my homeland, Vietnam, and I'd like to share it with my new friends in America." This recipe calls for fresh lemon verbena, but you can substitute 1 stalk of fresh lemongrass if lemon verbena is unavailable. Both ingredients are sold at specialty produce markets, but lemongrass is also sold at Asian markets and some supermarkets, so it may be easier to find. If using lemongrass, discard 1 or 2 outer leaves, then thinly slice lower 6 inches of stalk. Finely chop, then sauté along with chiles and garlic.

A rustic one-pot meal that's similar to the classic French coq au vin. Two kinds of wild mushrooms add earthy flavor.