Bon Appétit

This recipe uses a combination of direct and indirect heat, which can be accomplished using a charcoal or gas grill. If you have a gas grill, you can easily use it to roast the peppers.

Garden-fresh Thyme Pesto is the star of this elegant entrée, but you can also use purchased or homemade basil pesto.

(Frittata di Funghi con menta) The frittata is a popular appetizer, lunch or light supper in Tuscany, and making it is an art. Tuscans like their frittatas golden on the outside and creamy on the inside. Frittatas usually feature seasonal vegetables like artichokes, asparagus or the wild mushrooms here. Porcini and cantarelli (chanterelles) are the most common wild Tuscan mushrooms, but others can occasionally be found at markets or in secret spots in the woods.

Servings: Makes 10 servings.

Bake this at least one day ahead.

(Torta di Bietola ed Erbe) In the more rugged areas of Tuscany, like the Garfagnana and Lunigiana in the northwest, savory tarts are as popular as their sweet counterparts. Vegetable tarts are quite common and usually include greens and herbs. This one features Swiss chard, thyme and oregano. Other herbs used in such tarts are tarragon, sage, nettles and borage.

(Gnocchi di Spinaci e Ricotta) These gnocchi are also known in different parts of Tuscany as malfatti (badly made), ravioli nudi (naked ravioli) or topini verdi (little green mice). Gnocchi are among the oldest foods in Italy, and the spinach ones are a specialty of the Casentino, an area east of Florence where greens grow wild on the hillsides.

A classic Italian dessert receives a double dose of berries.

Don't be intimidated by the amount of hot pepper sauce in the marinade; the chicken will pick up only some of the heat.

"On a tour of the South, I had dinner at The Boathouse, an outstanding restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina," says Marion Hunt of Valhalla, New York. "Their spicy shrimp and sausage with grits was my favorite meal of the entire trip." The creamy grits and spicy sauce create a nice contrast. Adjust the amount of hot pepper sauce to make the dish as hot as you like.

At the restaurant, the ravioli dough is made in-house. We used purchased wonton wrappers instead, making the recipe faster and easier. Note that the ravioli can be assembled ahead of time and frozen.

Offer crackers and some coleslaw along with the chowder. Lemon meringue pie is a perfect way to end the meal.

Serve roasted bell peppers and olives before this hearty entrée. Spoon sliced and sugared strawberries over ricotta cheesecake to complete the meal.

(Bistecca ai Ferri con Rucola e Parmigiano) Bistecca ai ferri (beefsteak grilled over the fire) is sometimes called bistecca alla fiorentina; it is the signature dish of Florence, but the people of Cortona, in eastern Tuscany, also claim it as theirs. No matter where it's from, grilled steak is perhaps the most classic and luxurious Tuscan beef dish. Any succulent, thick-cut steak will do, although Tuscan chefs prefer porterhouse or T-bone, especially from their local Chianina cows. The meat is coated in oil and garlic, then grilled and served on a bed of arugula with lemon wedges and shaved Parmesan. Use only genuine Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese; a vegetable peeler makes it easy to shave thin, curling strips.

Round out the menu with sliced radicchio, fennel and roasted bell pepper salad; crisp flatbread; and apricot sorbet with cookies.