Vermouth

Roasting the garlic for the dressing sweetens it and softens its pungency. By the way, our interpretation of this salad did omit one traditional element—there is no raw egg in it, in keeping with modern health concerns.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. If you have Arborio rice on hand, use it in place of long-grained rice.

Here's a party main dish that is easy to prepare and makes a lovely presentation.

Vermouth-roasted garlic and Yukon Gold potatoes are terrific in this mellow dish.

Such flavor from only a few ingredients — the tarragon and vermouth play off each other beautifully. Red or white wine will work with this meal; depending on your preference, serve a dry Sémillon or a fruity Pinot Noir.

Perfect before grilled fish or roast chicken.

Western ingredients are particularly well suited to the Thanksgiving feast, as evidenced by this robust, satisfying gravy. It comes from Montana-based Greg Patent, the author of New Cooking from the Old West (Ten Speed Press, 1996), and it has an appealing home-on-the-range quality, thanks to plenty of fresh sage and the smoky taste of bacon. It's rich, delicious and perfect for smothering turkey and potatoes. Follow these directions to make a foolproof gravy no matter what recipe you use for roasting the turkey. Since the broth and giblets can be prepared one day ahead, the last-minute steps are kept to a minimum.

Gins that emphasize fruit botanicals, such as Tanqueray No. Ten, work best with this recipe. Active time: 25 minutes Start to finish: 1 day

Mario Batali, star of the Food Network's Molto Mario, is one of the top chefs in New York City, where he owns three restaurants with Joe Bastianich — Babbo, Lupa and Esca. This dish, from Batali's book Simple Italian Food, is served at Lupa.

Regular mozzarella can be substituted for the smoked variety in this quick and easy dish.

Hélène Wagner-Popoff writes, "My husband, Ivan, and I moved to Corsica from Madagascar eleven years ago on a whim. We restored an abandoned convent and saved the thousand-year-old olive grove surrounding it. The fact that I live in the country — with the luxury of having a garden full of wonderful ingredients — makes it easy for me to love cooking. I like to surprise my family and guests with unexpected flavor combinations that don't take a lot of effort."

An elegant entrée in about 15 minutes — using ingredients you are likely to have on hand. Serve the chicken with mashed potatoes and baby peas or a Bibb lettuce salad for a balanced weeknight meal. Finish with a raspberry tart from the bakery.

Crusty Italian bread and a simple salad round out a delicious meatless meal. What to drink: A robust Italian Barbera.

Serve this sophisticated entrée on a bed of spinach linguine that has been tossed with sautéed strips of red and yellow bell peppers.