Arugula

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

When poaching eggs for a crowd, we've found the baking pan method below to be almost foolproof. Have a friend help you wrap the eggs in salmon before they get cold. If you're working on your own, you may want to simply drape the salmon over the eggs.

You can substitute skinless boneless chicken breasts for the veal cutlets. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 35 min

Serve with: Potato and green bean salad.

Farro, an old-world wheat variety, has taken today's Tuscan cooking by storm. It has been cultivated in the Garfagnana — an area of forests in northern Tuscany — for millennia. Traditionally, the grain was used to make soups and porridge; now it's a part of any number of dishes, including risotto, where it replaces the rice, and salads like this one. If you cannot find farro, use wheat berries.

Marty Rosencranz of River Vale, New Jersey, writes: "Even though I am a professional chef — at the Valley Brook Golf Club in New Jersey — when I cook at home I make dishes that are good but fast. The warm steak sandwich is one of the best things to eat for lunch on a cold day." Croissant steak sandwiches with caramelized onions and horseradish mayonnaise Although this sandwich tastes great with a croissant, any bread can be used.

Pink grapefruit can be used if you can't find the blood oranges.

"My friend Lily Shapiro and I developed this recipe together," says Amy Lesen of Oakland, California. "It has been tested on many friends with great success; the blend of ingredients is just delicious." If you'd like to make your own pasta, our technique video will show you how.

If you can't get sorrel at your local market, arugula leaves or large basil leaves are a good alternative.

This midsummer fare is adapted from a dish I enjoyed at 192, our favorite wine-bar-restaurant in London's Kensington: its inspiration is, I am sure, from Spain. You can buy a whole chunk of chorizo sausage — or a string of smaller ones — to slice yourself. Most good gourmet stores stock chorizo (mild or spicy), and many supermarkets do, too.

When buying green beans, look for the skinniest ones—they have the best texture. Offer plenty of crusty bread, and open a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon to go with this hearty main-course salad.

Many packages of pork tenderloin contain 2 tenderloins weighing about 3/4 pound each. If you happen to get a package with 1 larger tenderloin, simply cook it a little while longer.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.