Sour Cream

Have creamed spinach and sautéed carrots with these updated Swedish meat loaves. Then serve applesauce and spice cookies.

These pork chops go well with rice with julienned carrots .

This easy-to-make dessert tastes like pumpkin spice cake and apple crisp baked together.

This crowd-pleasing dip is a natural with potato chips and good with crudités, too.

Don't assemble these hors d'oeuvres until the last minute, or the chips will get soggy. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 2 hr

Serve these pancakes immediately, since they do not keep well in a warm oven.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 45 min

Connie Capani of Binghamton, New York, writes:"I am 100 percent Italian, so perhaps it's no surprise that I love food: To Italians, it's like a security blanket. I learned how to make spaghetti and other Abruzzi favorites from my mother. Looking at food magazines is what got me interested in venturing out into American culinary territory. I wanted to know how to make a "gravy" that didn't include tomatoes. These days, I work only part-time as a substitute teacher, but I still don't want to be in the kitchen the whole time when my husband and I entertain. " Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Just about every book we've ever seen on southwest cooking includes a recipe for one of the spicy cornbreads of the region. Once you've tasted one, you'll know why — they are really delicious. This version is more of a pudding than a bread because it is quite moist and cheesy in texture. It makes a wonderful side dish to replace potatoes or rice, or it is quite satisfying eaten as a light entrée or lunch with a salad of fresh young greens.

The ultimate onion dip? You decide.

If you're bored with corn on the cob, this is an excellent way to use fresh corn. The fritters alone would also be delicious for breakfast, topped with maple syrup, or as a side dish for a ham dinner.

Chlodnik Polish cooks serve this soup (pronounced "hu-WOHD-neek") as a cooling first course for summer meals. It's a delicious alternative to gazpacho.

Serve these tacos with salsa, shredded lettuce, sliced avocado and black olives. Corn and black bean salad finishes the meal—except for dessert. We recommend spice cake.

I particularly like this version of whitefish salad, because there is no filler in it. Mark, a political consultant who served in the Carter White House, makes it for break-the-fast as well as during the year brunches.

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