Mushroom

The pasta is divided among four 3 1/2-quart baking dishes so they can be baked individually for open-house-style serving. But you can use any size bake-and-serve dishes — even a roasting pan or a paella pan.

Healthy bonus: Fiber and potassium from mushrooms; fiber and iron from beans; folate from avocado; potassium from corn

Kia Ly Dickinson of Miami, Florida, writes: "This fragrant soup is so good you will be freaking out. It can be served hot or cold, with rice. The recipe is an ode to my homeland, Vietnam, and I'd like to share it with my new friends in America." This recipe calls for fresh lemon verbena, but you can substitute 1 stalk of fresh lemongrass if lemon verbena is unavailable. Both ingredients are sold at specialty produce markets, but lemongrass is also sold at Asian markets and some supermarkets, so it may be easier to find. If using lemongrass, discard 1 or 2 outer leaves, then thinly slice lower 6 inches of stalk. Finely chop, then sauté along with chiles and garlic.

These mushrooms take the place of snails in a play on classic escargots.

Because Gruyère is somewhat salty, use unbrined roast turkey in this dish. Also, and old-fashioned turkey gravy (no cider or soy sauce) will enhance the gratin best.

You'll need metal turkey-lacing pins (sold at supermarkets) to secure the roulade. Because they grow up to be portobellos, crimini are sometimes labled baby bellas. They are often sold in 6-to 8-ounce containers.

This gravy makes a nice accompaniment to the broiled polenta sticks and the roasted squash and mushrooms , as well as the <epi:recipelink id="230982">sautéed Broccolini.</epi:recipelink>

This dish is a wonderful alternative to more traditional dressing. It's normal for a crust to develop on the bottom of the pot — after scooping out most of the rice, you can cook the crust a bit longer, then chip off the tasty morsels.

A mixture of mushrooms gives these Mexican tamales a rich, almost meaty flavor.

Of all the rich and succulent winter squash varieties, delicata, with its long and uniformly narrow shape, is the easiest to work with. And its thin, pale-golden skin with green striations is more than just pretty — it's edible, too.

Truffles add a flavorful woodsy note, but if you make this French-influenced celery-root purée without them, it will still be delicious.

Get the most out of every ingredient by layering flavors. Roasting portobello mushrooms before adding them to the lasagna lends a meaty smokiness. Creamy béchamel sauce makes this lasagna even more luxurious.