Sausage

Called Dublin coddle, this traditional Irish dish is a quick main course.

To begin, offer a bowl of brine-cured green and black olives, another of marinated artichoke hearts, and some pâté and toast. The cassoulet needs only red wine and a loaf of good French bread as accompaniments. A pear or apple tart would add an appropriate French country flourish.

Chef Tory McPhail writes: "I was 19 years old and just out of culinary school when I first started at Commander's Palace. Despite my training, nothing prepared me for the pressures of working in a fast-paced kitchen, or in a restaurant of such high quality. I think my success came down to sheer effort and a lifelong passion for cooking. Even as a kid I loved playing with cookie and pie dough. "After a seven-year absence, which I spent working abroad and opening a new Commander's Palace restaurant in Las Vegas, I came back to New Orleans last year. Since returning I've enjoyed cooking for my friends. On the weekends we'll go fishing, and then I'll grill our catch and serve it along with a fresh salad. That meal combines the two best things about living in the South — lots of fishing and great fresh produce." Serve these creamy grits with fried eggs for a southern-style breakfast. Andouille, a spicy pork sausage, is available at specialty foods stores and some supermarkets.

Cilantro, sour cream, grated cheddar or Jack cheese, chopped red or green onion and salsa would be great toppings. Look for chorizo in the refrigerated meat or deli case.

Sosizza chi Linticchi The hearty, warming goodness of this one-course meal is only increased by its utter simplicity of preparation. Accompany the stew with crusty bread.

"When I lived on Chesapeake Bay, I had access to the freshest seafood, and I still love cooking with it," writes Bobbi Claibourne of Tucson, Arizona. "Having promised to bring a dish to my in-laws' holiday dinner last year, I paired clams with sausage for this starter, which is now a new family favorite." Offer crusty bread with this to soak up some of the juices.

A sweet-and-hot glaze dresses up purchased breakfast links. If you prefer extra spice, use the sausages labeled "hot and sweet links."

Don't skip the green peppers when making these sandwiches. They give just the right balance to the pepper mixture, slightly cutting the sweetness of their red and orange companions.

Chinese broccoli (gai lan) is always sold flowering, though its buds are usually still closed.

Cut into slim wedges for an appetizer or into larger pieces for a main course.

Cid Prevost, Kansas City, Mo.
An ad director who collects cookbooks (last count: 300-plus), Cid grows 14 varieties of herbs in her garden: "For this chili, I use my own cilantro, basil and bay leaves."

Complete the menu with a tomato and red onion salad, sourdough bread, and poached pears (or canned) with raspberry sauce.

You can grill any cooked sausage you like for this sandwich, but we recommend kielbasa or kosher salami (not dried beef). Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 30 min

Poblano and jalapeño chiles, tomatillos, and cilantro account for the recipe's title. Serve with: Mexican beer, warm tortillas, green salad, and lemon sorbet.