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Robert Colombi of Paris, France, writes: "My mother was Sicilian and my father, Corsican, but I was born in Morocco and lived there for many years. I learned how to cook mostly from my mother, but also from my many travels throughout Morocco (which is why my favorite spices are coriander, thyme, and cumin). As I became older, I developed a stronger interest in cooking, especially after I moved to France and got married. I guess I started to feel very nostalgic about the country of my childhood, and it became more important for me to remember and re-create those tastes for my French friends and family."

Couscous with fresh herbs, and steamed green beans sprinkled with toasted pine nuts would be lovely accompaniments. Dessert? Try warm apple turnovers from the bakery; top with ice cream.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 hr

Try a fruity, spicy red wine, such as a California Zinfandel, with this main course.

If you are not able to find Pont l'Evêque cheese, either Taleggio or Brie would also work well in this lovely starter from Charlie Trotter's in Chicago.

"I have just returned from London, where I stayed at the beautiful Lanesborough hotel across from Hyde Park," writes Marjorie Wordingham of Mequon, Wisconsin. "I had the most delicious salmon with Thai-style vegetables and rice at its restaurant, The Conservatory."

Once the mustard butter is prepared and the chicken is marinated, this quick sauté comes together in just minutes. Any leftover fennel-mustard butter makes an instant sauce dolloped onto grilled fish.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. A spicy pepper coating and an Asian-style sauce give these tuna steaks an intense flavor. Joan serves mashed or oven-roasted sweet potatoes alongside. Look for the sesame oil in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.

With uniformly sized fillets, the cooking time can be gaged precisely, resulting in the kind of lovely individual pieces of salmon served in restaurants. For four servings, buy one and a half pounds of skinned salmon fillets, taken from the thick (not the tail) end of the fish. Cut across the fillet to make four pieces of equal size. Although the technique is about as straightforward as can be, allowing the fillets to sit for a while after coating will encourage the fragrant seasonings to permeate the flesh of the fish; try fifteen minutes or so at room temperature, or a couple of hours in the refrigerator.

For side dishes, serve braised red cabbage, and egg noodles with butter and poppy seeds; finish with cherry strudel.

This unique combination of flavors has been on the menu at Restaurant Jean Georges since its opening, and it continues to draw raves. The form of the layered scallops and cauliflower is basic but lovely, and the dark green sauce has a mysterious, mustardy flavor; few people could guess what is in it, and almost no one could imagine how simple it is.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This compound butter is great on lamb or chicken, too. Or try it on crusty hot bread.

Portobellos make this simple dish shine. It's from Alfred Portale's 12 Seasons Cookbook written with Andrew Friedman (Broadway Books). Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 45 min