Simmer

This lovely summer soup has a rich, smooth texture even though it contains no cream. For a picnic, bring the cold soup in a thermos and the chives in a plastic bag, and then serve in sturdy ceramic bowls.

This soup is very thick; it can be thinned with additional chicken broth, if desired.

A simple and satisfying side dish.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. This recipe originally accompanied Prune Kumquat Sticky Pudding with Amagnac Toffee Sauce .

Like American-style chili, picadillo is great over rice or with warm tortillas.

Allow at least three hours for the pie to chill in the refrigerator.

Terrific with roast chicken, lamb or steak.

Jeanne Thiel Kelley, a contributing editor to Bon Appétit, says, "Every year, my family gets together for a big buffet, and soup is always the appetizer. The host greets the rest of the family at the door with a small cup of soup and a glass of wine. Each year the soup changes, but this one is particularly nice. It has lots of flavor and a creamy texture, yet isn’t so rich that it spoils the appetite."

There are a number of variations of this traditional Scandinavian Yuletide drink. Dry red wine, muscatel and sweet vermouth, with aquavit in place of the brandy, may be used. In another version, 2 bottles of dry red wine, preferably Bordeaux, are used with the quantity of aquavit increased to a whole bottle, which is poured over the flaming sugar.

Except for the Parmesan cheese, which is pretty much a requirement, this ultra-cheesy cousin of fettuccine Alfredo can be made with any number of four-cheese combinations.

This main-course soup is called pho in Vietnam, where it is eaten at any time of day.