Parsley

Alice Marcus Solovy of Skokie, Illinois, writes: "When I was 12 years old, my mother taught me how to make my first pie crust. My father said it tasted just like his grandmother's, and I was very flattered. That's basically the story of how I started cooking. After almost a lifetime in the kitchen, I still enjoy playing around with recipes. I've even been known to go out to dinner, taste a certain dish, and then re-create it at home in a few tries."

Serve with: Buttered noodles and steamed Swiss chard. Dessert: A bakery Linzertorte.

Pommes de Terre Chateaubriand Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min

Offer a hearty Cabernet Sauvignon with this impressive prime rib.

Serve these over rice as a main course, or offer as an hors d'oeuvre.

Brining the turkey in the refrigerator for two days ensures an incredibly moist result. We do not recommend stuffing brined turkeys because the brine can make the stuffing too salty. A do-ahead gravy base eliminates last-minute stirring and thickening. Look for fresh bay leaves in the produce section.

These five-ingredient sardine toasts make the perfect party snacks to pass around during cocktail hour.

These bruschette from the cookbook Simple to Spectacular by Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman (Broadway Books), look both simple and beautiful. Each is topped with an array of mushrooms—shiitake, cremini, and chanterelle —that is set off by fresh tarragon. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 45 min

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. =

Here's a versatile pesto. It's great with goat cheese as an appetizer, mixed with balsamic vinegar as a vinaigrette, spread on sandwiches, tossed with steamed carrots, or mixed with a little cream and chicken broth and served over pasta.

This dish is ideal for entertaining, because you can prepare the sauce ahead and then simply toss it with the cooked pasta. Do not overcook the shrimp!