Fennel

A mixed vegetable stew, seasoned with spices characteristic of Morocco. Serve it with rice or couscous.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Eric: If you have to make mussel broth for another recipe and don't know what to do with all the leftover mussels, this dish is the perfect solution. On the other hand, if you want to make this salad and don't have a use for the broth, just freeze it. Maguy: The crunchy diced vegetables contrast perfectly with the softness of the mussels, even though it's not the wonderful moules marinière of my childhood.

This thick and comforting dish is delicious sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Jeanne Thiel Kelley, Bon Appétit contributing editor, says, "My dad makes a great stuffing that has sweet Italian sausage in it. I used to love going with him to get the sausage from Pumas Italian market in Los Angeles. I would pick out a new cookie and come home with a shape of pasta I had never seen before. These days, I don't always get to celebrate Thanksgiving with my parents, so rather than make a wanna-be version of Dad's stuffing, I developed this one, which is pretty darn good."

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min.

Serve this elegant first course with Champagne or sparkling wine. The recipe makes a few extra pancakes for those who want seconds.

(MIXED SALAD)

This simple side dish from River's End Restaurant is terrific with grilled fish. For a pretty presentation, serve the slaw on radicchio leaves.

At Aubergine, one of London's most stylish restaurants, this soup is whimsically called a "capuccino." Chef Gordon Ramsey tops it with a rich broth that has been foamed with butter. This simpler version (minus the frothy "cap") is equally delicious.

Leaping off the backs of onion-soup-mix boxes and showing up at cocktail parties everywhere, Lipton’s sour cream-and-onion dip took the country by storm. Convenient and quick, the dip also tasted great on potato chips, without which, in the fifties anyway, it wasn’t a party. These days it isn’t a party without little toasts topped by something Mediterranean-hence this zesty update.

Nice accompaniments for this Sicilian-style shrimp dish are sautéed broccoli and some orzo (rice-shaped pasta; also called riso) with butter and lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. For dessert, serve sliced pears and almond cookies.

A sophisticated and easy-to-make salad.