Spinach

Jamie Oliver calls this "another great pan-baked recipe that is perfect for coping with lots of people without a huge deal of effort." Oliver uses plaice, a popular flatfish in England favored over flounder, but lemon sole is a good substitute. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 hr

For this recipe the lamb racks are frenched all the way down to the eye of the meat. For decorative purposes, we asked our butcher to leave a 1-inch-wide strip of fat along the top of the eye of the rack.

"This is a recipe inspired by a salad I had as part of a sumptuous feast at Adriatica, an exquisite restaurant atop Seattle's Queen Anne Hill," says Lise R. Bonin of Austin, Texas. "Both the view and the food made for a most memorable anniversary dinner for my husband and me several years ago."

This risotto has the classic creamy yet al dente texture and features a combination of Parmesan cheese and seafood. Contrary to popular belief, Italians do partner cheese with seafood in some dishes; we recommend it here without reservation.

In this recipe we call for a 10 1/2- by 7 1/2- by 1-inch rectangular tart pan. The tart could also be made using a baking sheet or a jelly-roll pan, as the filling is dense enough to hold its shape on its own.

This earthy pasta dish is delicious made with the wide, long noodles called pappardelle, or with the thinner and more readily available fettuccine.

Preparing for the Super Bowl? Think bread bowl. This spinach dip is housed in a hollowed-out loaf of bread. Choose pumpernickel or sourdough and have other items for dipping on hand—those bread bites go fast!

Serve these pastries as the first course of a special-occasion supper — maybe with a bottle of chilled Champagne.

A tangy feta and yogurt sauce is the perfect foil for these fresh-tasting latkes. They make a nice starter for a party of ten.

Rich and decadent, these are a surefire way to please a crowd. Use mushrooms that are slightly larger than bite-size because they will shrink a little when cooked. The mushrooms can be prepared the day before and then baked prior to serving.

"When I was a medical student, the importance of good nutrition was drilled into me by my instructors," writes Laura Christie of Oakland, California. "Unfortunately, my heavy course load kept me from actually practicing everything I learned. But I began making soups, salads and one-pot meals because they were easy to prepare and because they helped me get plenty of those vitamin-rich vegetables." Ready-to-use spinach makes it easy for Laura to add important nutrients to her diet, as she does in this low-fat soup.

Cajun seasoning spikes this soup with heat, so adjust according to your taste. Serve with: Jalapeño corn bread and carrot sticks. Dessert: Cheesecake topped with thawed sliced frozen peaches.