Pork

Using meat loaf mix — a combination of ground beef, veal, and pork — ensures a juicy result. While the meat loaf cooks, mash some potatoes and boil some green beans. Warm apple pie from the bakery is a perfect finale.

Tonya Morrison of Lewis Center, Ohio, writes: "My husband and I had a wonderful time on our vacation to Kiawah Island, South Carolina. One night we had dinner at Rosebank Farms Café in Bohicket Marina Village. The recipe for their roast pork tenderloin with apple and raisin chutney would make a delicious souvenir." In this imaginative main course, the chutney adds a sweet, tart contrast to the herb-roasted pork and the rich, creamy corn.

Fricot à la Poule This dish is a variation of a stew served at Étoile de Mer, a traditional Acadian restaurant in Mont-Carmel. Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

This recipe is adapted from The Thrill of the Grill by Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby (William Morrow and Company, 1990). Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 4 1/2 hr

The sweet yet tangy chutney lends an exotic flavor to grilled pork — or chicken or salmon. The dark brown sugar stands up to the other intense ingredients.

Look for chili-garlic sauce in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.

Sometimes baby back ribs are sold in sections of four to six ribs rather than as whole racks; those will also work here. Begin preparing the ribs a day before serving so that they can chill overnight after the spice rub has been applied.

"Even in the spring it can be very chilly here in New England," saysMichelle M. Littlefield of Feeding Hills, Massachusetts. "My mom and I like to prepare this soup on weekends — and our entire family loves to warm up with a bowl of it."

For hearty appetites allow 1 pound of filet for each guest. Be sure to get whole, not sliced, filet. Ask the butcher to lard the filets for you, or if you have a larding needle you can do it yourself.

Cemitas de Carne Enchilada A cemita is an oversize, slightly sweet, sesame seed bun that gives this Pueblan sandwich its name. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 hr

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Add corn bread, a crunchy chicory salad, and peach pie for summer supper at its best.