Cornmeal

Yellow cornmeal in the batter adds great texture to this homey dessert. Top each piece of the warm cake with vanilla ice cream.

This southwestern version of fried chicken needs only two sides: purchased Mexican-style rice pilaf and a sauté of bell peppers and carrots. Flan with sliced kiwi would be a nice finish. Look for ancho chili powder in the spice section of your supermarket.

We found that using finely stone-ground cornmeal yielded a denser, slightly heavier fritter than regular stone-ground cornmeal. Though both tasted the same, we preferred the texture of the fritter made with regular cornmeal.

Margaret DeMatteo of Stirling, New Jersey, writes: "My husband recently took me to the nearby Perryville Inn to celebrate my birthday. We had a fabulous 'BLT' appetizer made with layers of fried green tomatoes, pancetta, and basil mayonnaise. I would greatly appreciate it if you could get the recipe."

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Polenta is layered with Fontina cheese and cream in this decadent casserole. Offer it with the sausages and tomato sauce, or on its own as a brunch or lunch dish.

Cornmeal gives these blini a slightly crunchy texture that is perfect with the salsa.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This soufflé-like tart makes a nice lunch or light dinner with a salad of mixed baby greens.

"Coyotes Deli & Grill in Banff makes the most amazing blue corn bread," writes Donna Sanché of Toronto, Ontario. "My husband and I had dinner there not long ago, and enjoyed the entire meal — but the corn bread was definitely the highlight. I've told all of my friends about it, and now I'd like to make it for them." This sweet corn bread is best served warm. If you can't find blue cornmeal, don't worry: Yellow cornmeal works well, too.

The black pepper is not necessary, but it does add interest and a pleasant warmth in the mouth. If you'd rather, add 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger with the dry ingredients, instead of the pepper. These are perfect with ice cream and fruit. This recipe uses approximately 4 lemons.

Add eggs and fruit for a nice menu.

Pick up some crunchy coleslaw and corn bread to go with the fish. Bourbon-spiked sweetened peaches with vanilla ice cream are a nice dessert.