Ground Beef

Eli Gorelick of West Orange, New Jersey, writes: "As a kid growing up in Cuba, I worked alongside my mother every day in the kitchen, learning how to make specialties like picadillo and fried bananas. I still think Havana has the best Cuban food in the world, and I continue to love the recipes I learned during my childhood." Picadillo is a traditional dish in many Latin American countries; it's made with ground meat, tomatoes, and regional ingredients. The Cuban version includes olives and is usually served with black beans and rice.

Healthy bonus: Magnesium and folate from spinach; fiber from apples and buns; antioxidants from rosemary and sage

Polly Tafrate of South Salem, New York, writes: "I've taken dozens of cooking classes over the years, but some of my best lessons in the kitchen have come from my husband's family. His sister and his mother have shared many delicious recipes with me, including this one."

Tony Kerum's deliciously satisfying version of Croatian moussaka — featuring potatoes in place of the more traditional eggplant — keeps film crews well fed.

Armandino Batali of Salumi in Seattle, writes: "My son, Mario Batali, may be the most recognizable foodie in the family, but the Batalis' interest in Italian cooking and culture goes back generations. My grandfather opened Seattle's first Italian-food import store in 1903. It was located just a few steps from where my restaurant, Salumi, is now, and it's one of the things that inspired me to get into the business. "The idea behind Salumi was to create a restaurant, deli, and meat factory in one place, just like the salumerias in Italy. We're known for homemade sausages and salami, but we also attract a large lunchtime crowd. Some of the specials, like the meat loaf and frittata, have been in our family for years. They're also easy to make at home." This Italian-inspired version is filled with sausage, mozzarella cheese, and basil.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

You don't have to cook the lasagna noodles first - just assemble the dish, cover and bake.

When you are topping a hot dog or hamburger with chili sauce, it is vital that the consistency be uniform — no meat chunks allowed — and it is traditional among the nations's hot dog chefs that the beef be nearly pulverized. If you cannot grind your own, see if you can have a butcher make an extra-fine grind for this recipe.

Mashed potatoes and Green Beans with Warm Bacon Dressing (see recipe) are great side dishes. Follow with apple pie à la mode.

Amy likes to make these for parties. Wonton wrappers can be found in the refrigerator section and rice vinegar in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets.

"For as long as I can remember, every Christmas Eve I've hosted an open house with a Mexican buffet," writes Jill Cole of Fallbrook, California. "Any suggestion of varying the meal is met with cries of protest from family and friends. I set out guacamole, salsa, homemade tamales, and what has become my famous albóndigas soup." Be sure to put out hot sauce for those who like extra heat.

Top the grown-ups' burgers with the caramelized onions with barbecue sauce and be sure to have mayonnaise and mustard on hand. Serve corn on the cob and the baked potato wedges to the whole crowd.

A versatile dish for the family or for casual entertaining. The chili is also good without the cornmeal topping, served with corn bread alongside.