Chicken Thigh

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

Pass warm biscuits, or stick with tradition and mound some cooked white rice in the center of each bowl of soup. For a nice go-with, toss shredded lettuce with artichoke hearts, sliced mushrooms and creamy buttermilk dressing. Stay with the southern theme by ending with pecan pie.

At Brigtsen's in New Orleans, chef Frank Brigtsen makes a version of this dish with duck, accompanied by corn bread and pickled onions. Offer those sides as well as some green beans, then finish with pecan pie. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This zesty soup is based on a chicken and curry stew popular in the South. The origin of its name is unclear, but according to one account, it was brought to Savannah in the early 1800s by a sea captain who traveled the spice route from India.

This recipe combines the best of two classic New Orleans dishes — gumbo and jambalaya.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

"While traveling in the Northern California wine country with friends," writes Stephen Carkeet of Merced, California, "we ate dinner at Zin Restaurant & Wine Bar in Healdsburg and had one of the best meals I can remember. Chef Jeff Mall prepared a wonderful chicken dish he called 'coq au Zin.' It was a winner." A taste — and word — play on the classic French dish coq au vin, this time made with red Zinfandel. At the restaurant, this is served with creamy mashed potatoes.

"Because my family loves this hearty stew so much, I included it in a cookbook I put together for my children," Joy Smith, Glastonbury, Connecticut. "It makes a comforting meal on cold winter evenings here in Connecticut, and it's a convenient dish that freezes and reheats well."

Chinese cooks call food braised in soy sauce and sugar "red-cooked" for the reddish-brown tint that can result. While the chicken is braising, steam some rice and broccoli rabe as accompaniments.

You can save some prep time by asking a butcher to cut the chicken thighs in half for you. This dish is particularly good served over orzo.

Mole, a classic Mexican chili sauce, gets streamlined here. Chipotle chilies (available canned at Latin American markets and many supermarkets) add heat, while unsweetened chocolate provides subtle sweetness. Serve the stew in shallow bowls with steamed rice. Add an arugula, orange, and red onion salad and a basket of warm corn tortillas. For dessert, offer cinnamon-spiked hot chocolate and wafer cookies.

This one-pot dish is delicious over couscous. What to drink: Wines with distinctive spice notes, such as Gewürztraminer or Syrah.