Chicken Drumstick

If your chicken breast halves are large, halve them crosswise. Marinating the chicken keeps the meat moist and imparts extra flavor. Though the recipe says to keep the fried chicken warm, it's equally good served at room temperature. In fact, if you're making this entire menu using a single oven, you'll need to let the chicken stand at room temperature while the squash casserole bakes.

Muhammara — a toasted walnut, roasted red pepper, and cumin sauce — can also be spread on pita toasts.

Puréed ancho chilies lend a rich, sweet, and only mildly hot flavor to this chili. To make a hotter dish, do not remove the veins or seeds from the chilies. If anchos or similar dried chilies are not readily available, substitute one roasted and peeled red bell pepper and 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes when puréeing.

Jerk seasoning — here a spicy blend of garlic, onion, chiles, thyme, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon, though recipes vary — originated in Jamaica and is traditionally used on pork and chicken. Because the jerk marinade can burn easily, the chicken requires slow cooking on the grill, which also helps keep the meat moist.

A low-fat sausage will work here, though it will not produce as flavorful a gumbo.

The mustard flavor in the arugula accentuates the mustard on the chicken. Serve the chicken with the orange, radish, and olive salad .

Susan Stanley of Providence, Rhode Island, writes: "I vacationed in Alaska not long ago, and I can hardly wait to return. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous, but I must admit that the delightful ginger-root beer drumsticks at the Snow Goose Restaurant in Anchorage were the real draw. Could you track down the recipe for me?" Although these are no longer served at the restaurant, chef Ron R. Sabado was happy to pass along the recipe. Accompany the spicy drummettes with cold beer.

This recipe was inspired by a dish that a group of our food editors enjoyed at Chez Maître Paul, a Paris bistro. As the name suggests, poulet à la fermière contains a farmwife's bounty—chicken, cheese, vegetables, and herbs.

Bilko's spice mix is a closely guarded secret, but Donna King shared with us its fundamental ingredients as well as the basic technique—a long marination, at least 24 hours. This results in some of the juiciest chicken we've ever eaten. The chicken must also rest five or ten minutes after being dredged in the seasoned flour to, as King told us, "get doughy." The Bon Ton recipe calls for Ac'cent (monosodium glutamate) in both the marinade and the dredging mixture. We tested it with and without, and the chicken mainly tasted saltier with the Ac'cent, which some people preferred.

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

This version of a tagine, the classic Moroccan stew, calls for dark meat because it stays moist when braised. If you prefer white meat, reduce the cooking time by 15 minutes.

This recipe makes very dark, mahogany-colored drumsticks. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.