Bon Appétit

Fresh black truffles are worth the splurge. They are available at some specialty foods stores and from Urbani Truffles (215-699-8780; urbanitruffles.com). Black truffles in jars are sold at specialty foods stores and Italian markets; the most flavorful are European winter black truffles.

Baby beets simply roasted to bring out their sweetness need just the barest slip of butter and a sprinkling of fresh rosemary. Candy cane beets, if you can find them at a farmers' market, look especially festive, but so does a medley of red and yellow ones. If baby beets are unavailable, cut peeled roasted large beets into 1-inch cubes.

Top with pan juices from the Chicken with Olives, Caramelized Onions, and Sage .

A touch of cream Sherry amplifies the sweetness of the nuts and the squash.

A mini-processor comes in handy for making the pesto.

Burrata is a luscious Italian cheese made by mixing cream and unspun mozzarella curds together (for a texture similar to ricotta): the mixture is then inserted into the center of a ball of fresh mozzarella. It can be found in some supermarkets, at specialty foods shops, and at Italian markets. Substitute fresh mozzarella if you can't find burrata.

Jan Schroeder of Corvallis, Oregon, writes: "A great thing about my job is that I get to do a lot of cooking. I work for the berry industry and one of my duties is developing recipes. I often get ideas from local chefs, but it's also rewarding to see what I can come up with on my own."

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.

The warm vinaigrette is a pan sauce that comes together in minutes.

Miso, a salty, earthy Japanese bean paste, is rich in vitamin B and protein. White miso, also known as shiro miso, has a more delicate flavor than darker miso pastes. Mirin is a sweet golden wine made from glutinous rice; it is essential to Japanese cooking. Both ingredients can be found in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets, at some natural foods stores, and at Japanese markets.

Lauren Beal of San Rafael, California, writes: "When it comes to making dinner, my husband, Stuart, and I have the perfect system. He's in charge of our backyard garden, and I'm in charge of cooking with what he harvests — things like basil, onions, lemons, and even apples. It's our favorite way to create a meal together."

Jan Schroeder of Corvallis, Oregon, writes: "A great thing about my job is that I get to do a lot of cooking. I work for the berry industry and one of my duties is developing recipes. I often get ideas from local chefs, but it's also rewarding to see what I can come up with on my own."

This dish would be great served with fried eggs for brunch.