Salad

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr

Here's a tangy dressing that is great on sliced tomatoes, mixed greens, hard-boiled eggs, or cold steamed potatoes.

When buying green beans, look for the skinniest ones—they have the best texture. Offer plenty of crusty bread, and open a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon to go with this hearty main-course salad.

Many packages of pork tenderloin contain 2 tenderloins weighing about 3/4 pound each. If you happen to get a package with 1 larger tenderloin, simply cook it a little while longer.

"In our family," writes Georgia I. Chletcos of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, "we have a saying that the Greek kitchen is the original twenty-four-hour diner: It never closes. And being from a Greek family, I can say unequivocally that food is the center of our lives. As I've gotten older, preserving this tradition has become more important to me, so I've started experimenting with family recipes, including this one." Enough for a large family and guests, too.

Use red or yellow watermelon (or both) for this summery dessert, and pair it with the best store-bought brownies you can find.

"Out of necessity, I've developed a love for quick cooking," writes Judy Wilkins of Tyler, Texas. "Between my musician's hours (nights and weekends as an accompanist for local choral groups) and teacher's hours (daytime piano lessons), my schedule can be nuts. When I do have the chance to cook dinner on a weeknight, whatever I make can't take too long — and it has to taste great."

This light, refreshing salad is from Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix.

This slaw would pair nicely with grilled chicken breasts or roasted chicken.

The goat cheese must be coated and refrigerated at least one hour (and up to eight hours) before cooking.

"My husband and I celebrated my fiftieth birthday on the island of St. John, where we enjoyed many terrific meals," says Eileen Hruby of Tom's River, NJ. "One day, we had lunch at Pusser's Ltd. in Cruz Bay. The coleslaw they served was extraordinary: cool and hot at the same time. I have no idea how it was made." Serrano chilies give this dish a real kick; the lime juice makes it refreshing.

This salad, crunchy with red pepper and fennel, pairs well with the broiled trout or with grilled lamb or chicken.

Chinese egg noodles are at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.

Take-out sushi is the ideal starter for this meal, and purchased sesame noodles sprinkled with chopped peanuts go perfectly with the main course. Serving mini-scoops of refreshing fruit sorbets — like lemon, peach and boysenberry — with fortune cookies would be a really cool finish.