American

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. This quick Southwestern cheese dip benefits from a bit of brew in the mix — as it would from a cold Mexican beer enjoyed alongside.

The following chunky potato soup was inspired by a smooth version that one of our food editors enjoyed at The Bernerhof Inn in Glen, New Hampshire.

At Brigtsen's in New Orleans, chef Frank Brigtsen makes a version of this dish with duck, accompanied by corn bread and pickled onions. Offer those sides as well as some green beans, then finish with pecan pie. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Way up in Maine, in the coastal town of Blue Hill, is Jonathan's, a small place much favored by locals. Owner Jonathan Chase and chef Richard Hanson both love fish, whether from the sea or from freshwater lakes and streams. This colorful main course is good with buttered and dilled new potatoes. Round out the meal with a green salad, and end with a slice of lattice-topped blueberry pie. (If necessary, have the fishmonger bone the trout, or use four small fillets.) Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A good cut of meat for this recipe is the butt portion of a bone-in, water-added ham. For optimum flavor, I like to prebake the ham, then simply slice away what I need from the bone.

Sliced avocado and purchased salsa are great additions to this Tex-Mex entrée. Let guests assemble their own tacos.

The graham cracker crunch topping is delicious on its own, but combined with ripe peaches, cinnamon syrup and ice cream, it makes for positively addictive sundaes.

Old-fashioned green goddess dressing tastes as good today as it did back in the twenties, when it was invented. It's a delicious partner for mixed greens, chicken salad, cold poached salmon and sliced tomatoes.

Pick up some roasted or steamed vegetables from a deli or salad bar and some corn bread to serve alongside. Vanilla ice cream topped with sliced peaches and toasted pecans would be a nice ending. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Pumpkin pies have long been favored in New England; there is a recipe for a "pompkin" pie in Amelia Simmons's 1796 American Cookery. New England colonists, in spite of their puritanical reputation, were known to enjoy a tot of rum now and then. And if the liquor was hidden in a pie, even the ladies were able to indulge.

This salad's delicious dressing is popular with my children as a dip for vegetables (I make a bottle of it to keep in the refrigerator). The salad is great for lunch boxes, or as a side dish served warm or cold. Use three-color pasta, if possible. Preparation: 10 minutes/Cooking: 12 minutes Nutritional information: Rich source of beta-carotene, fiber, and folic acid

Edible wild mushrooms, are featured in a rich-tasting gravy for this delicious turkey. Because it is cooked slowly at a low temperature, the turkey is extremely moist and flavorful. Apply the spice rub one day ahead. Uncork a bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir.

Peanut butter cookies are an all-American classic, and the inclusion of honey, oats and chocolate chunks in this recipe makes for a terrific interpretation.