Cilantro

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

We ordered our lamb chops ahead to allow time for the butcher to french them to the eye (to trim them of all fat and scrape the rib bone clean). This not only makes for a nice presentation but also makes it much easier for guests to pick them up. Our chops, purchased from a fancy Manhattan butcher, cost $400 and were by far the most expensive part of this wedding menu. Sounds like a lot, we know, but just think what a caterer would charge. Charmoula is a fragrant, spicy Moroccan marinade and sauce often used with fish and seafood.

Chinese bean thread noodles (also called cellophane noodles) are often used in Moroccan dishes, like this starter. Their use stems from the influence of a small Vietnamese community in North Africa.

Franklin serves this dish like a green salad, but it's also

This thick, spicy sauce is typically used in Moroccan dishes. Use it as an accompaniment for Shrimp Phyllo Purses with Tomato Chermoula Sauce.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Pick up a rotisserie chicken at the market, or use leftovers to keep the preparation easy.

Pho, the Vietnamese noodle soup, is traditionally made with long-cooked beef stock. Our quick version calls for deli sliced beef and canned beef broth instead.<

The two-step method of searing and then roasting this thick fillet is what keeps the fish succulent.

Tame the heat with turnip greens and biscuits, then warm up again with hot chocolate topped with cinnamon whipped cream.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min

For soft tacos, just fill warm tortillas with the steak and sauce.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Miniature Crab Cakes with Tomato Ginger Jam . Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Serve this curry with condiments such as dried currants, sliced green onions, shredded coconut and toasted slivered almonds.

Serve crusty bread and a chilled Pinot Grigio throughout the meal. Beer would be fun, too.

Kathy Johnson of New Orleans, Louisiana, writes: "Having lived in one of America's major food cities most of my life, I am no stranger to good eating. As much as my husband, Paul, and I love dining out, we particularly like making meals together at home. Some of our greatest hits have been the easiest and quickest dishes. It seems that the more I cook, the more I realize that big flavor comes not from the time spent in the kitchen, but from the quality of the ingredients." Look for oriental sesame oil in the Asian foods section of the supermarket. Pasta or crusty bread are good accompaniments.