Marjoram

Borscht is one of those soups that has dozens of variations. This version of the classic Russian beet soup uses lots of vegetables and a touch of bacon for extra flavor. You can leave the bacon out and use vegetable broth if you prefer a vegetarian soup. Grating the beets into the soup releases maximum beet flavor. Though this recipe calls for the borscht to be served hot, it is also delicious when served cold.

Spaghetti and meatballs get spiced up with a classic Italian sauce. All'amatriciana hails from Amatrice, a town northeast of Rome. Classic all'amatriciana sauce is made from tomatoes, guanciale (salt-cured pig's jowl), and hot peppers. Here, bacon stands in for the guanciale.

A classic dish perfected. Ask your butcher to cut the meat from the shank into 3/4-inch cubes.

The slightly sweet, almost flowery flavor of marjoram adds a delicate note to this Middle Eastern—inspired salad, though oregano is also fine. To be sure the eggplant is tender, slice into it before taking it off the grill—when properly done, it will be moist all the way through.

Many wild-mushroom combinations work; buy three to four varieties. Chanterelle, oyster, maitake (hen-of-the-woods), brown beech, stemmed shiitake, and black trumpet mushrooms would all be delicious.

This recipe originally accompanied Ratatouille .

This classic stuffing (or any of the stuffings here) is also good made with six cups of cubed cornbread in place of six cups of the pain rustique.

Editor's note: The recipe is from Susan Curtis and Nicole Curtis Ammerman's book Santa Fe School of Cooking: Flavors of the Southwest.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are adapted from Elizabeth Karmel's Web site, girlsatthegrill.com . I use this technique to grill one of my signature dishes, pancetta-wrapped trout. I stuff the fish with fresh tarragon, wrap it mummy-style in pancetta (uncured Italian bacon) and serve it with a simple mesclun salad for a winning meal off the grill.

Crème fraîche—a French heavy cream that's slightly sour—can be found in the dairy section of some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

If you have never thought to boil a turkey, this 1623 recipe will make a believer out of you. While the original recipe calls for a whole bird, the modern recipe is adapted to use with prepackaged turkey pieces. If you would like use a small whole bird (10-12 pounds), cut it into ten pieces before boiling—it is really difficult and potentially dangerous to lift a whole steaming turkey from a pot of boiling broth. For this larger amount of turkey, you will need to double the other ingredients.

The ingredients are simple, but they add up to a main course that's incredibly hearty and satisfying. Cute little lady apples, cooked until soft and almost bursting, bring a luscious sweetness to the chicken and bacon.

It's delicate in flavor and texture. Marjoram fuses with zucchini and egg in this simple, meltingly tender flat omelet—one that Olney found "completely attractive" and insisted is best at room temperature, prepared 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

Frittata di Ricotta The best ricotta is a farmer's jewel—thick, tangy, and, contrary to health regulations, unpasteurized. But we eat it anyway, at room temperature with a spoon, like kids skimming cream off the top of milk. Around Garfagnana, the mountain town where my mom grew up, this frittata is a staple, but is never served as an individual dish; the frittatas they made were huge and were sliced into single servings. You can't beat it for a buffet. It's also great with tomato sauce on top. Make sure to use the highest quality ricotta you can find.

Use the season's first wild mushrooms in this satisfying vegetarian pasta.

Hearty ingredients make this a perfect dish for a cold night.