5 Ingredients or Fewer

Ever since R.C Van Dyne from Wilmington, NC tasted farinata in Alessandria, Italy, he has been wanting to make it. We obtained this recipe from Rose Pistola restaurant in San Francisco, where they serve their own farinata. Farinata is a thin, crisp, pizzalike pancake made from chick-pea flour. When we called Rose Pistola, we were thrilled to learn that the recipe had already been reworked for the home cook by Peggy Knickerbocker, coauthor with chef Reed Hearon of The Rose Pistola Cookbook: 140 Recipes from San Francisco's Favorite North Beach Restaurant (out October, 1999 from Broadway Books). The following recipe makes three farinata, but they must be baked one at a time. We suggest opening a bottle of wine, hanging out in the kitchen with friends, and eating the farinata as they come out of the oven. For best results, use a 10-inch seasoned cast-iron round griddle, about 3/8-inch deep, that can hold about 1 cup batter. Farinata can be made in a regular cast-iron skillet, but it won't be quite as crisp or easy to remove.

Crème fraîche makes these potatoes extra rich and utterly delicious.

Throughout the Spanish-speaking world, thickened sweetened milk is a regular feature at dessert time (and, like all treats, whenever Mom isn’t looking). Though not difficult to make from scratch on top of the stove, the use of condensed milk eliminates the need for constant stirring. Be sure to check the water level in the pan about halfway through cooking; if it’s low, carefully add a little more.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The same parsley butter (which can be prepared three days ahead) seasons the pasta and the broccoli rabe served alongside.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but may require additional sitting time.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Serve the oranges alone or alongside a wedge of angel food cake or pound cake.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Shepherd's Pie. Using the microwave makes cooking the potatoes especially easy.

As all southerners know, eating Hoppin' John—black-eyed peas and rice—on New Year's Day ensures good luck. But it is the collards, traditionally eaten alongside, that bring good fortune! An added bonus to cooking up a mess o' greens is the resultant pot liquor—the delicious, nutritious broth left in the bottom of the cooking pot or serving dish. It is usually served as an accompaniment to that last piece of corn bread.

Salsicce con l'Uva While this dish makes for excellent dinner fare, I personally prefer it served on a crusty roll for lunch along with a glass of Chianti Colli Aretini.... If you don't have good crusty bread on hand, make a few mashed potatoes while these sausages are roasting in the oven.

For a Fourth of July theme, top these bluish purple potatoes with salmon or red lumpfish roe. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 35 min

Carne Adovada At Maria's New Mexican Kitchen, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, this stew is used to fill enchiladas and burritos, but it also makes a very satisfying meal served alone or over rice.

This pasta celebrates the month of September, when tomatoes are truly in full season and just exploding. It's our favorite take on pasta al pomodoro.