Dill

The long cooking time makes this lamb meltingly tender. Offer noodles alongside.

"My brother has a small shrimping net, and once, years ago, he brought me several pounds of shrimp after a successful trip," says Robert Randolph of Perdido Beach, Alabama. "I created this appetizer as a way to use all that shrimp. Now, whenever my brother stops by with his catch, my family requests this dish."

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This is terrific with sautéed green beans, a plate of sliced tomatoes topped with grated hard-boiled egg and olive oil vinaigrette, and a toasted sourdough baguette. Pound cake with strawberry sauce makes a nice dessert.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Threads of rosy-tipped snow crabmeat look pretty atop this jade green soup, but you may want to splurge on jumbo lump crabmeat. This is also delicious hot.

A creamy "comfort" soup that has plenty of richness without a lot of cream.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Makes use of the microwave oven.

Some classic Scandinavian flavors show up in this simple-to-make, cross-cultural pizza, made even easier by the use of frozen bread dough.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

A tangy feta and yogurt sauce is the perfect foil for these fresh-tasting latkes. They make a nice starter for a party of ten.

Using meat loaf mix — a combination of ground beef, veal, and pork — ensures a juicy result. While the meat loaf cooks, mash some potatoes and boil some green beans. Warm apple pie from the bakery is a perfect finale.

If you prefer, the eggs can be fried instead of poached. Do-ahead steps make this dish very manageable — even for six. The sauce can be prepared the day before.

Sephardim (Jews of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean extraction) eat peas during Passover; those from eastern European Jewish backgrounds do not. Feel free to omit the peas — the soup is just as delicious without them. It's important to use a flavorful chicken stock for this recipe, so if you have a stash of homemade stock in your freezer, this is the time to use it. Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 4 hr (includes making stock)

A versatile alternative to couscous, this is a summer starch that doesn't have to be served warm. If you have fresh or cooked leftover vegetables in the kitchen, toss them in to make a main-course salad. You can also play with the herbs to suit the dishes this will accompany.