Leek

Buttered potatoes accompany this simple, sophisticated dish at Gugelhof restaurant.

Wilt the vegetables over low heat, stirring often so they do not burn.

David Barber, chef at Three Square Grill in Portland, Oregon, writes: "Even though I cook for a living, I still enjoy having friends over for dinner. My wife, Barbara, and I actually have the worst kitchen in the world. But that doesn't matter when you have what I consider the basics, like a good sharp chef's knife and a stand mixer. And because Barbara is a gardener, we've learned how to make impressive meals using fewer, but fresher, ingredients."

In this elegant entrée, the leeks mellow to lend a bit of sweetness to the sauce.

A lovely side dish with big flavors‑and only a single teaspoon of oil.

Accompany the fish with mashed potatoes, rice pilaf or buttered noodles.

"Common crackers," good-keeping hard wheat flour crackers akin to ship's biscuits or hardtack, were found in early New England households and often made their way into poultry dressings. In this recipe, we add leeks and large quantities of the kinds of herbs cultivated in Colonial kitchen gardens.

For a nice vegetarian meal, offer these latkes with a Greek salad. Stir chopped fresh mint into yogurt to have with the latkes.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

"On my last birthday, I enjoyed a special dinner at Brasserie Le Coze in Atlanta," says Diane Sullivan of Alpharetta, Georgia. "The entire meal was fabulous, but the white bean soup with truffle oil was absolutely divine." White truffle oil, should you happen to have a bottle of it, is a delicious "garnish" for this rich and hearty soup.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Round out this French-style meal with rice and steamed asparagus; polish things off with raspberry tarts from the bakery.

There will be enough of this delicious make-ahead soup for seconds or leftovers.

Bacon was a staple meat for the pioneers. (They stored it in bags surrounded by bran for insulation.) As a result, the cured meat has found its way into a variety of heartland dishes. This all-American bird embellished with sage and bacon is a good example. Watch how to prepare and carve your bird with our streaming video demonstration.

Hazelnuts and wild mushrooms - popular ingredients from Oregon and Washington - add terrific flavor and texture to this sophisticated stuffing.

This is made with homemade pasta at the inn. Our easy alternative uses cooked lasagne noodles cut into squares. From the Inn at Perry Cabin, St. Michaels, Maryland. Watch how to make your own pasta for ravioli with our hands-on streaming video demonstration.