Soup/Stew

Serve this stew over rice or on its own as a soup. Either way, sprinkle lettuce with rice vinegar and oriental sesame oil for a light salad. Sliced blood oranges and holiday cookies will do nicely afterward.

Asparagus Soup with Saffron

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. In Indonesia, the sourness in this soup would typically come from tamarind, which can be hard to find in the United States. A shot of lemon juice works well instead. Serve this hot or cold, and do use the makrut lime leaves; they add a nice citrusy note.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. A mild-tasting soup that's smooth and rich.

In this recipe we call for a 3- by 1 1/2-inch stainless-steel pastry ring. It is available at some specialty cookware shops.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. The coconut milk can be found in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Saltines and a salad of romaine, spinach and red bell peppers tossed with vinaigrette are all that’s needed to complete the entrée. Boston cream pie is just right for dessert.

This recipe is from Cafe Annie in Houston, TX.

"My grandmother, who was a successful restaurateur from C″rdoba, Spain, hesitantly relinquished her gazpacho recipe to me," says Lawrence Saez of San Francisco, CA. This nourishing cold soup is ideal for a hot summer day and is best enjoyed with a glass of Manzanilla Sherry.

This recipe originally accompanied Braised Beef Short Ribs with Root Vegetable Ragout.

Naomi Wagman Kirstein of Danvers, Massachusetts, writes: "I would love to have the recipe for the West Indian beef stew served at The Golden Lemon Inn & Villas on St. Kitts, in the West Indies." The green olives in this recipe cut the richness of the stew by adding a slightly pungent flavor.<