Simmer

There's no need to trim the watercress; you can use every bit of it in this recipe. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 2 3/4 hr(includes chilling)

Treat yourself to fresh clams for this recipe — they make all the difference. This dish originated in Rhode Island during the late 19th century, when, as story has it, Portuguese immigrants added tomatoes to their chowder. British New Englanders believed their creamy chowder to be superior and named the Portuguese version after Manhattan, presuming that New Yorkers were the only people crazy enough to add tomatoes.

The oversize croutons add a nice crunch to this warming dish, which is a cross between a soup and a stew. Serve with: Romaine salad with sliced oranges, black olives, and balsamic vinaigrette.

Garbure Don't be misled by the plain-looking appearance of this classic Basque soup; it is thoroughly satisfying and delicious. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 10 1/2 hr (includes soaking beans)

Chuckwagon cooks used to simmer beans for days, and the cowboys always thought they tasted best on the third day. This version, called frijoles de olla in Spanish, is even better reheated. The beans cook in flavorful juices that are also served with them.

"I love to go out for Indian and Thai food, but my attempts to re-create the dishes at home never turned out very well," says Juliet Hardesty of Bloomington, Indiana. "It wasn’t until I began experimenting with curry paste and ginger that I realized having the right ingredients makes all the difference. This single-dish chicken dinner blends some of my favorite flavors."

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

"On the last night of a teachers' conference in Boulder, Colorado, I had dinner with some colleagues at a delightful little restaurant called Dandelion," says Cindy Chassee of Wyoming, Michigan. "We sat on the patio and shared a memorable gnocchi and wild mushroom dish." Gnocchi, tender potato dumplings, aren't difficult to make. A hint of truffle oil intensifies the flavors in the sauce, which would also go well with other types of pasta.

When a dark chilly afternoon in October portends a killing frost, gather the last of the garden's bounty and make a steaming pot of soup for dinner. This recipe makes a generous amount that will feed a family for more than one satisfying meal.

Instead of white cubes of tofu bobbing in this African-style soup, where they look decidedly odd, I purée the tofu with a portion of the finished soup until everything is smooth. The tofu is there, but it doesn't intrude. And this is a method you can use with virtually any puréed soup. If you wish, you can purée the entire soup or leave it textured, with bits of sweet potatoes and peppers.

Onion soup is known internationally as a French classic, but the Tuscans claim that they were actually the first to use the tear-provoking vegetable in soup.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 35 min Cumin and mustard seeds give jasmine rice a subtle Indian flavor. It's a nice change from plain rice; try it as a side dish for grilled steak, fish, or the spiced chicken breast.

Served with a salad, this dish is a complete dinner. Though the procedure for trimming artichokes may look involved, it's really quite easy.

A wonderful first course, to be followed by roasted meat with vegetables. Pass some additional grated Parmesan cheese if you're not concerned about a few extra calories.

"Years ago, when we were dating, my husband took me to Park Bistro in Manhattan," writes Therese Tetzel of Dallas, Texas. "To this day, we return to the restaurant every time we go to New York. Its version of coq au vin is the best I've had in the United States—similar to one we tried in Burgundy."

We tested this recipe in a traditional Italian terra-cotta bean pot (called a fagioliera) and in a heavy saucepan. We preferred the bean pot because it cooked the beans more gently, allowing them to retain their shape and texture (they seemed more flavorful as well). The slow, gentle cooking also makes it unnecessary to presoak the beans. In Italy, each serving of beans is dressed with oil at the table, and since leftover beans aren't dressed, they are used in the next day's soup or are reheated with more garlic and sage.