Gorgonzola

I've seen portobello mushrooms in so many restaurant dishes lately that I decided to develop my own recipe," says Eileen M. Watson of Oviedo, Florida. "I like to serve these stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer when I entertain, but they also make a terrific meatless entrée."

"We lived in New York for several months, long enough to learn to love the creamy polenta at Union Square Cafe," says Ross and Karen Martin of Pasadena, California. "If you can't get their recipe, we might need to fly across the country to have the dish again." This polenta gets its richness from being cooked in a milk-cream mixture instead of the usual water or broth.

"I had a delightful dinner at Andiamo! Ristorante while on vacation in San Diego," writes Laverne Smith of Seattle, Washington. "Could you get their recipe for fettuccine carbonara? It was the best pasta I've ever had." Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the fettuccine will be hot when the sauce is finished; the heat of the pasta cooks the raw eggs that are tossed with it.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

In this easy starter, a mix of tangy blue cheese, chopped toasted walnuts and peppery arugula makes a delicious topping for baguette toasts.

Serve this delicate salad as a first course or alongside grilled chicken. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

A full-flavored Italian blue cheese adds pizzazz to this pasta. Serve the dish with a salad, bread and a glass of white wine for a lovely weekday dinner.

Red pears are first choice here, but any ripe, firm pears would be delicious. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This satisfying pasta is an easy-to-make entrée to serve after a night on the town. Just add a salad, bread, and some sorbet and biscotti to complete the meal.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Gorgonzola cheese adds zip to this salad.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

These are equally good with either ground pork or ground lamb.

Consider this delicious dish as a vegetarian main course, too.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Unfortunately, beets are not on the top-ten list of favorite foods for many people. Most people hate them because they've only eaten them boiled or canned, but I was fortunate enough to try the real thing at an early age. So they're on my top-ten list, and this recipe might just be a great way to get them on yours. The roasting brings out the sweetness and intensifies the depth of flavor that is lost when you boil. Once you roast a beet, you'll never go back. Don't throw away the beet greens: braise or sauté them if they are large, or add them to salad greens if they are small. The rich, thick Walnut Gorgonzola Dressing is also great on burgers or grilled portobello mushrooms or mixed into greens.