Wine

The origin of this dish is unknown, but it's a common menu feature of many Italo-American restaurants of the red-sauce variety. In kitchen lingo, a shoemaker is a shortcutting, skillful hack; a shoemaker cobbles things, a meal, together from the meager things on hand. In Italian, scarpa translates as "shoe" and scarpariella is slang for shoemaker. The actual name for one who plies this trade is calzolaio. In Chicken Scarpariella, a spring chicken is "hacked" up in to small pieces and quickly cooked with a few common ingredients.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 1/4 hr (includes chilling)

This sauce is basted on the meat as it grills. It would also be great served alongside; the recipe doubles easily.

You can start preparing these one day ahead. What to drink: A svelte red Burgundy from the Côte de Nuits or a Pinot Noir from Oregon's Willamette Valley.

Butternut squash and a variety of beans give this vegetarian dish its hearty texture.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 45 min

This cinnamon-and coriander-spiced chutney combines wine, raisins and citrus. Serve with the Barbecue Turkey with Maple-Mustard Glaze, or as an appetizer with goat cheese and crusty bread.

Pine nuts provide a buttery contrast to the tart capers in this sophisticated veal dish.

Pitted prunes replace the more customary mushrooms in this delicious variation.

"My husband and I ate dinner at the Dilworthtown Inn, a colonial-style restaurant in West Chester, Pennsylvania," writes Judy Kamp of Oxford, Pennsylvania. "I'd love to know how to make the creamy mushroom soup we both had to start the meal."

The ultimate Danish holiday dish from chef Torben Jensen of Gråbrødre Torv 21 restaurant.

(Ciliege al Vino Rosso) Wine is as much a religion in Tuscany as food is, and rare is the table that is set without a bottle of the local vintage. Wine is also an ingredient in sauces, stews and even sweets. Fruit simmered in wine is a common dessert in the region, and cherries are the fruit of choice during their short summer season.

This can also be prepared with duck breasts, which is how it is often made in Tuscany. Either way, the dish is good with rosemary-flavored mashed potatoes and sautéed artichoke hearts.

Our food editors agree that this is one of the best-tasting and most elegant shepherd's pies they've ever had. The recipe is not as complicated as it appears at first glance—the different components all come together to make a complete meal in a single dish. The potatoes are stiffer than the average mash because they will be forming the crust for the pie.

This venerable cold-weather dish has never looked so pretty or tasted so good. Partner it with a tossed green salad and French bread. Uncork a dry red wine.