Spinach

This dish is wonderful served with mashed potatoes.

Add the grated peel from half an orange to the dressing if you want a more intense orange flavor in the salad.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Eating your spinach (and radicchio) has never been more pleasant.

Pressing excess moisture out of your tofu will increase its firmness and its ability to absorb the flavors of the marinade.

Not to worry: There's just enough bacon in the snappy dressing to add flavor but not much fat to this colorful salad. Serve it alongside grilled chicken or fish for a healthful summer dinner.

Renoir chef Alex Stratta serves this dish over mashed potatoes flavored with horseradish.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 hr

"While vacationing in Vero Beach, Florida, I had a magnificent meal at Tangos," writes Peter Colley of Silver Creek, Colorado. "The food presentation was superb, and the outdoor patio made for a very romantic dining experience. I would like to have the recipe for the divine baked crab, Brie, and artichoke dip."

A star starter from Hubert Keller at Fleur de Lys in San Francisco. A good mold for the timbale is a six-ounce tomato-paste can that has the top and bottom removed.

Thanks to precooked bacon and enhanced bottled dressing, this salad is a snap. For dessert, go all out with brownies à la mode.

Active time: 2 hr Start to finish: 4 hr (includes making fresh pasta)

When a generous garnish of pesto gets stirred in, the soup turns a vibrant green and becomes perfumed with the intense and sweet aroma of basil mixed with garlic.

Creamed spinach gets a makeover with three cheeses and a vibrant garnish.