Mushroom

Accompany the risotto with a lettuce and radicchio salad, and pass a basket of poppy-seed breadsticks. A strawberry tart would be a nice way to end the meal. See how to finely chop herbs.

"I used to go to central New Jersey frequently on business and always made time to stop at Eccoqui, an Italian restaurant in Bernardsville," writes Bobbi Reed of Denver, Colorado. "Since I no longer travel to that area, I miss the restaurant — and especially the pappardelle con salsiccia." Try any of your favorite pasta shapes with this sauce. Pappardelle or mafaldine — broad, flat noodles with rippled edges — work particularly well.

These crab-stuffed mushrooms are a longtime favorite at Phillips. Tip: Use a melon baller to scoop out the mushroom stems.

The unusual combination of mushrooms and dried apricots makes for a delicious and earthy soda bread.

If an herbes de Provence blend isn't available, use a combination of dried thyme, basil, savory, and fennel seeds. Dried porcini can be found at Italian markets, specialty foods stores, and many supermarkets.

If you love spaghetti and meatballs, then you'll love this upmarket rendition featuring perciatelli-long, hollow pasta. The noodles are topped with a rich tomato and porcini mushroom sauce, and meatballs made with ground veal, Italian sausage and more porcini. Start things off with an antipasto platter of olive, assorted marinated vegetables and cured meats. Offer breadsticks alongside, and pour a full-bodied Chianti.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Miso, a fermented soybean paste, can be found in Asian markets, specialty foods stores and in the Asian section of most supermarkets. It is usually sold in plastic tubs and has a long shelf life.

Start making this at least one day ahead.