Veal

For a heartier sandwich, coarsely chopped avocado can be stirred into the yogurt.

We like this stew with egg noodles (12 ounces of dried pasta), cooked and tossed with two tablespoons of reduced-fat sour cream and a quarter cup of chopped fresh dill.

(BRACIOLE DI VITELLO AL ROSMARINO) Romagna is famous for its grilled foods, and the aroma of meats sizzling over a wood fire is common in the countryside. Try this with a local dry red wine such as Sangiovese di Romagna or Gutturnio.

(NIVERNAIS)

This recipe is a yummy one-pot entrée from The Elements of Taste, by Gray Kunz and Peter Kaminsky. The secret here is browning the meat.

Garnish with grapefruit, orange and lime segments if you like.

This dish known, as pastitsatha, is one that evolved from Corfu to stretch scant supplies of meat. Consisting of chicken, turkey, beef or veal braised in tomato sauce fragrant with spices, it is served over thick tubular pasta from Corfu called "perciatellli" (if you can't find it, use spaghetti). Kefalotyri is a nutty tasting hard cheese similar to Parmesan. It is available at Greek markets.

This is a terrific version of osso buco alla Milanese. To bring out the flavors, the veal is sprinkled with gremolata, a snappy mixture of chopped parsley, garlic and grated lemon peel. Uncork a bottle of Nebbiolo d'Alba or Nebbiolo delle Langhe to go with this classic do-ahead entrée.

Open a bottle of fruity Chardonnay to serve with this enlightened take on a classic.

Having relatives who live near Lansing, Illinois, gives Janice and Paul Abrinko a reason to visit that part of the country—and after trying the veal with Gorgonzola sauce and red cabbage at Cafe Borgia, they have one more reason to go.

A stylish dinner party dish with a bonus: Much of the prep work can be done a day ahead. At the store, have the butcher bone and trim all of the fat and membrane from a 4 3/4-pound center-cut veal rib roast, resulting in a 3-pound oblong boneless veal loin.

The secret of making fried rice lies in the use of cold, cooked rice. Freshly cooked rice will only produce a sticky mess.

The stew does need to bake for a couple of hours, but it's very easy to put together.

"My family loves Italian food," writes Seamus Ray of Annapolis, Maryland. "One of my best creations is this veal dish with eggplant; I serve it for special occasions."

Serve with a crisp romaine salad and the Saffron Rice and Red Pepper Pilaf. Marinate the veal six hours before grilling. What to drink: A dry Italian white wine, such as a Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

Filet de Boeuf à la Bordelaise Active time: 3 hr Start to finish: 25 hr (includes making stock and soaking marrow)

Though you may associate bocconcini with the tiny mozzarella balls sold at Italian markets and cheese shops, the word simply means "little bites" (the veal in this stew is cut into bite-size pieces). When purchasing dried porcini, look for packages containing large, flat, recognizable slices of the mushroom. Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr